At the start of July 2024, Singapore Airlines quietly hiked its seat selection fees, which apply to customers travelling in Economy Class and Premium Economy Class.Â
This marks the second fee increase in three years, the previous one coming in October 2021 just as Singapore was reopening under the Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme. While a couple of fees have actually decreased, the majority have risen, some by as much as 75%.Â
| 💺 SQ Seat Selection Fees: Who Needs to Pay? | |
| Cabin | Seat Selection |
| Economy |
|
| Premium Economy |
|
| Business | Complimentary |
| First/Suites | Complimentary |
In brief, Economy Class passengers will now have to pay more for Standard, Forward Zone and Extra Legroom Seats, with a small cut in price for “Premium Economy” seats on short-haul flights where the cabin is not sold. Over in Premium Economy, fees for Extra Legroom and Solo Seats have both gone up.Â
Singapore Airlines raises seat selection fees
From 1 July 2024, Singapore Airlines seat selection fees have increased per the tables below.Â
Do remember that fees are charged per person, per segment, so on a two-legged flight like SIN-FRA-JFK, you’ll need to pay a seat selection fee twice (once on SIN-FRA, and again on FRA-JFK).
Economy Class
 |
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| 💺 Seat Selection Fees (Economy) | |||
| Â | Standard | Forward Zone | Extra Legroom |
| Band 1 | US$10 +25% |
US$20 +33% |
US$30 +20% |
| Band 2 | US$15 +50% |
US$25 +25% |
US$60 |
| Band 3 | US$20 +33% |
US$35 +40% |
US$80 |
| Band 4 | US$30 +50% |
US$50 +25% |
US$110 +10% |
| Band 5 | US$35 +40% |
US$60 +20% |
US$130 +8% |
| Band 1: Singapore to/from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam; between Denmark and Italy, between Spain and Italy Band 2: Singapore to/from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, China, India. Japan, Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and UAE Band 3: Singapore to/from Australia and New Zealand Band 4: Singapore to/from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom Band 5: Singapore to/from USA, Europe & Japan to/from USA |
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For passengers travelling in Economy Class:
- Standard Seats have increased by US$2 to US$10, representing a 25% to 40% price increase
- Forward Zone Seats have increased by US$5 to US$10, representing a 20% to 40% price increase
- Extra Legroom Seats have increased by US$5 to US$10 (except Bands 2/3), representing a 8% to 20% price increase
It’s all bad news, with seat selection fees up across the board. However, it’s even worse for those travelling between Europe/Japan and the USA, because Singapore Airlines has also reclassified these flights from Band 4 to Band 5.
This affects:
- Frankfurt to/from New York (SQ25/26)
- Manchester to/from Houston (SQ51/52)
- Tokyo to/from Los Angeles (SQ12/11)
In other words, fifth freedom flights get hit twice: once by the fee increase, and again by the band increase.Â
| 💺 Seat Selection Fees (Economy) | |||
| Â | Standard | Forward Zone | Extra Legroom |
| Europe & Japan to/from USA | US$35 +75% |
US$60 +50% |
US$130 +30% |
“Premium Economy”
Singapore Airlines sometimes operates aircraft with Premium Economy cabins on regional routes like Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
Premium Economy is not sold on these flights, but Economy passengers can select a Premium Economy seat for extra comfort (while still receiving Economy service, i.e. no Book the Cook or champagne).
| 💺 Seat Selection Fees (Economy) | ||
| Â | Premium Economy (Standard) |
Premium Economy (Extra Legroom) |
| Band 1 | US$30 -14% |
US$55 +10% |
| Band 2 | US$50 -28% |
US$90 |
| Band 1: Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Surabaya Band 2: Colombo, Dhaka, Maldives and Guangzhou (this band is currently not in use, as SIA does not deploy aircraft with Premium Economy cabins on these routes) |
||
- Premium Economy Seats (Standard) have decreased by US$5 to US$20, representing a 14% to 28% price decrease
- Premium Economy Seats (Extra Legroom) have increased by US$5, representing a 10% price increase
Surprisingly, the cost of picking a more comfortable seat on these short flights has decreased, unless you insist on having one of the Extra Legroom options at the front of the cabin.
Who pays for seat selection?
As a reminder, complimentary seat selection applies to Economy Value, Standard and Flexi passengers, though the type of seats they can choose will differ. Economy Lite passengers must pay for seat selection, unless they are PPS Club or KrisFlyer Elite members, or travelling with a child or infant (I’ve covered these exceptions later in this post).
| 💺 Economy Seat Selection Fees (Commercial Tickets) |
||
| Fare Type | Fare Code | Seat Selection |
| Economy Lite | V, K | Chargeable |
| Economy Value | Q, N | Complimentary (Standard) |
| Economy Standard | M, H, W | Complimentary (Standard) |
| Economy Flexi | Y, B, E | Complimentary (Forward Zone & Standard) |
Fortunately, all award bookings will enjoy at least a complimentary Standard Seat.Â
| 💺 Economy Seat Selection Fees (Award Tickets) |
|
| Award Type | Seat Selection |
| Economy Promo | Complimentary (Standard) |
| Economy Saver | Complimentary (Standard) |
| Economy Advantage | Complimentary (Standard & Forward Zone) |
Premium Economy
 |
||
| 💺 Seat Selection Fees (Premium Economy) | ||
| Â | Extra Legroom | Solo |
| Band 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Band 2 | US$60 | N/A |
| Band 3 | US$80 | N/A |
| Band 4 | US$110 +10% |
N/A |
| Band 5 | US$130 +8% |
US$168 +20% |
| Band 1: Singapore to/from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam; between Denmark and Italy, between Spain and Italy Band 2: Singapore to/from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, China, India. Japan, Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and UAE Band 3: Singapore to/from Australia and New Zealand Band 4: Singapore to/from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom Band 5: Singapore to/from USA, Europe & Japan to/from USA |
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For passengers travelling in Premium Economy Class:
- Extra Legroom Seats have increased by US$8 to US$10 (except Bands 2/3), representing a 8% to 10% price increase
- Solo Seats have increased by US$28, representing a 20%Â price increase
As with Economy Class seats, it’s a double whammy for those travelling between Europe/Japan and the USA, because of the band reclassification.
| 💺 Seat Selection Fees ( Premium Economy) | ||
| Â | Extra Legroom | Solo Seats |
| Europe & Japan to/from USA | US$130 +30% |
N/A |
Who pays for seat selection?
Complimentary Standard Seat selection applies to all Premium Economy passengers, whether they’re travelling on commercial or award bookings.
However, Extra Legroom and Solo Seats are chargeable, unless you’re a PPS Club member.
Complimentary or discounted seat selection for KrisFlyer & PPS Club members
PPS Club and KrisFlyer members, as well as their travel companions on the same booking, are eligible for complimentary or discounted seat selection.Â
 Solitaire PPS & PPS Club |
||
| Â | Member | Companions |
| Standard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Forward Zone | ✓ | ✓ |
| “Premium Economy”* | ✓ | 15% off |
| Extra Legroom (Y & PY) |
✓ | 15% off |
| Solo | ✓ | 15% off |
| *On flights equipped with a Premium Economy cabin, where the cabin is not sold | ||
 KrisFlyer Elite Gold |
||
| Â | Member | Companions |
| Standard | ✓ | 10% off |
| Forward Zone | ✓ | 10% off |
| “Premium Economy”* | 15% off | 10% off |
| Extra Legroom (Y & PY) |
15% off | 10% off |
| Solo | 15% off | 10% off |
| *On flights equipped with a Premium Economy cabin, where the cabin is not sold | ||
 KrisFlyer Elite Silver |
||
| Â | Member | Companions |
| Standard | ✓ | – |
| Forward Zone | 10% off | – |
| “Premium Economy”* | 10% off | – |
| Extra Legroom (Y & PY) |
10% off | – |
| Solo | 10% off | – |
| *On flights equipped with a Premium Economy cabin, where the cabin is not sold | ||
 KrisFlyer |
||
| Â | Member | Companions |
| Standard | 5% off | – |
| Forward Zone | 5% off | – |
| “Premium Economy”* | 5% off | – |
| Extra Legroom (Y & PY) |
5% off | – |
| Solo | 5% off | – |
| *On flights equipped with a Premium Economy cabin, where the cabin is not sold | ||
For the full benefits of Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, KrisFlyer Elite Gold and KrisFlyer Elite Silver membership, refer to my detailed guides below:
Travelling with infants
Passengers with infants (aged <2) in the same booking can enjoy complimentary seat selection per the rules below.
Number of infants = number of adults
You may select a Forward Zone seat at the bassinet position for free for each of the adults, regardless of fare class.Â
Number of infants < number of adults
The adult passenger with the infant attached to his/her booking will be able to select a Forward Zone seat at the bassinet position for free, regardless of fare class.
The adult passenger without the infant can select any Forward Zone or Standard Zone seat for free, regardless of fare class.Â
Travelling with children
Passengers with children (aged 2-11 years) in the same booking may select Standard Seats in advance for free.
It’s not mandatory for you to be seated next to your children, nor for your children to sit with each other.Â
All seats become available at check-in
If you don’t qualify for complimentary advance seat selection, there’s still hope.
All seats in your designated cabin become available for selection during online check-in, which opens 48 hours before departure. This includes Extra Legroom Seats and even Solo Seats, assuming there are any left.
At this point, you can pick any leftover seat you wish at no additional cost, regardless of status.
However, this does not apply to Premium Economy seats on short-haul flights, which are reserved for selection by Solitaire PPS and PPS Club members.
Conclusion
Singapore Airlines Economy and Premium Economy Class passengers will now have to pay more for seat selection on most flights, with the sharpest increases on the fifth freedom flights between Europe/Japan and the United States.
If it’s any consolation, discounts for PPS Club and KrisFlyer members remain the same, and some fees have even decreased slightly, namely “Premium Economy” seats on short-haul flights.Â
Like before, you can select any seat for free when online check-in opens 48 hours before departure, though it really depends on how many people blinked first and paid for a seat assignment.
As an aside, I recently penned a commentary for CNA on the practice of airlines charging for standard seat selection, which is worth a weekend read!
I think its abt time to get the seat selection prices aligned with other competitors. For sure many will kpkb say that SQ is cheapo, few bucks also want etc etc…. but for some cheapo customers who waited till the 48H to choose seat for free, please do not make trouble or begging for others to swap seat so that all of you guys can sit together. I have encountered this a few times asking me to let go of the aisle seat that I bought a month ago so that their whole family can sit together… sorry not gonna… Read more »
on this note, one pet peeve of mine is that on my 1-2 yearly upgrades in Suite, I have my the first row, only to be asked EVERY SINGLE TIME to swap into the third, smaller row, so that a couple can sit together. I did it once for what I felt was a unique experience for a father/son combination, but I get such request from brand-studded Asians, which are perhaps closer to a billion on their bank account than anything else.
Ah it’s an unfortunate experience for you.
I took 3x suites (though on the fact that I was burning miles) and I always chosen 1A. I have yet to encounter such request. I would probably ask what if I refused to move and see how they react.
I have the 4th suite coming end of the month to LHR, hopefully I wont need to experience this special ‘request’.
thank you for your feedback Renz. I refused after the first time, before I knew that the rows are indeed different. However a couple of times I got quite the looks from the other passengers. I guess the issue is common for very wealthy, but alas spoilt people. They book very last minute and/or change at short notice, meaning that they cannot sit together, but they otherwise live in a world where they can expect to have all wishes to be fulfilled. Hence I nearly understand their point of view. Since however Suites is for me a miles only “thanks”… Read more »
Maybe to share my experience of booking seats when all the bassinet seats were taken… I recently booked a SIA flight where there were no more bassinet seats available (travel party of two adults and one infant). If I were to book any other forward zone seats online, I would have to pay for two adults. However, if you were to call their hotline, they were willing to assign forward zone seats without any additional charge.