Is this Singapore Airlines’ next-generation First Class seat?

Singapore Airlines has announced plans for a S$1.1 billion refit of 41 Airbus A350-900 aircraft to introduce its next-generation First and Business Class seats, with the first reconfigured plane expected to arrive by Q2 2026.

Originally, these new seats were set to debut on the Boeing 777-9. However, with that programme now delayed by more than five years — and counting — it was no longer feasible to wait. SIA’s current long-haul First and Business Class products, more than a decade old, are already lagging behind the competition, and any further delay would have been untenable. 

As part of the announcement, teasers of the new First and Business Class seats were shared. Business Class gave us a decent look at the new seat, at least from the exterior…

…but First Class played its cards very close to the chest, giving away little beyond French doors and three windows per suite. 

And now, amidst all the excitement, a patent filing has found its way onto the internet (first published on One Mile at a Time), purportedly for SIA’s First Class cabin on the Boeing 777-9 (I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but you have to marvel at the timing- this file was online since January 2024, and it only gets discovered now?).

As a reminder, SIA plans to install a four-seat First Class cabin on the seven A350-900ULR aircraft plying the non-stop routes to the United States, and this patent filing shows a six-seat First Class cabin. But SIA has already confirmed that the cabin products on the A350-900s will be the same as those on the B777-9, so the seat should be similar, albeit with a different layout.

Now, I should emphasise that even though there’s strong reasons to believe that this really is SIA’s new First Class seat, or close to it, it’s far from official. Patent filings aren’t exhaustive, and there could be variations in the final product. Besides, filings are meant to describe the broader functions of a product, rather than minutiae. We won’t know anything about the finishings and technology until an official announcement is made.

That said, even if this all turns out to be a whole load of nothing, it makes for a fascinating read. Here’s the things I found the most interesting.

Overview: Singapore Airlines’ new First Class seat (?)

According to the filing, Singapore Airlines will have a total of six First Class suites on its Boeing 777-9. The layout shows curved walls, which is intended to create additional space in the compartments, allowing passengers to move about their suite even when the bed is deployed.

Each suite has a separate seat and bed. However, unlike the separate seat and bed found in Suites Class on the Airbus A380, the seat and bed cannot be used together at the same time. Instead, the bed is stored in a cavity inside the wall, and the seat has to be flipped down to make way for the bed. The design is similar to the first generation Suites, where the bed was stored in the wall directly behind the backrest. 

Suites are described as “completely enclosed” for “total privacy”, which I hope means floor-to-ceiling walls ala the Emirates “Game Changer” First Class seat on the B777-300ER. 

Make all the jokes you want about the mile high club, but full height walls offer greater convenience by allowing passengers to change in their suites without having to hog the toilet. There will still be louvers on the door for ventilation, and I suppose as a way of allowing the cabin crew to peek inside in an emergency.

As for the seat, what’s interesting here is that the backrest can be folded into a curved surface when upright, reminding me a bit of a Bao Bao Issey Miya bag. I’m sure there’s a comfort aspect to this too.

Each suite has an ottoman whose seat can be lifted up to reveal a cabin luggage storage nook. Passengers can access this space even when seated with their seat belts fastened, though I imagine they’d have to loosen their belt and lean forward a fair bit. 

The ottoman can also be used for couple dining, which means there must be a secondary seatbelt built in somewhere. This would be a welcome feature for passengers travelling together but who didn’t manage to snag the double suite in the middle.

Double Suite

Speaking of which, the double suite will no doubt be the hero feature of this cabin.

A double suite is nothing new per se. SIA pioneered this concept with the launch of Suites on the A380 back in 2007, and refined it further with the second generation of Suites in 2017. But the execution of this upcoming concept is what gets me excited. 

The two suites in the middle normally have a sound-dampening privacy divider separating them, in case they’re occupied by passengers travelling separately. But when passengers are travelling together, the wall can be pushed sideways (not downwards) into a cavity like a sliding door. This means there will be nothing separating the two centre suites, turning the space into one oversized room where passengers can cut across from one aisle to the other.

This is best explained by the diagrams below. 

Unified space aside, this will have a big impact on the sleep experience. One issue that’s dogged SIA’s Suites, whether the first or second generation, is that there’s always been a partition wall between the centre pairs. While it can be partially lowered for couples, it cannot be removed completely. This means that you don’t so much have a double bed as you do two single beds next to each other. You can see this very clearly in the photos below.

Having flown both the first and second generation Suites several times, I can tell you the difference is real. The middle partition is built of hard materials, and while the crew do their best to pad it over with extra blankets, you’ll definitely feel it. This means that spooning is out of the question; the most you’ll manage is a polite “good night”. 

So having a divider that fully retracts out of your way is a big step forward, and correct me if I’m wrong, but this would be the first “true” double bed on an aircraft since the Etihad Residence. 

The couple experience doesn’t stop there. The patent filing says that the chairs in the centre two suites can be operated in tandem by a wireless controller, enabling simultaneous adjustments. When the chairs are upright, the inner arm rests can be lowered to form a two seater sofa configuration (great for watching movies). And if you want to make it an even more social experience, the ottomans in the centre suite can be used to host a dining party of up to four passengers. 

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines will debut its next-generation First Class on the Airbus A350-900ULR in Q1 2027, but a patent filing has found its way into the wild, which purports to show the seats as featured on a Boeing B777-9.

It’s not an official confirmation of anything, but it does provide some strong hints of the direction the airline is taking: greater privacy with fully enclosed rooms, an enhanced couple experience with a true double bed, and hopefully many other novel features we’ll learn about in due course!

Anything else in this filing that caught your eye?