Singapore Airlines (SQ) has been long regarded as the world's premier airline. The iconic Singapore girl has become a symbol of Singapore beyond its aviation avatar. The airline has been at the forefront of innovation in the skies including induction of the latest aircrafts on its fleet and flying an all business-class flight to the US amongst a host of other achievements which consistently earn SQ colorful laurels each year.
Whats going for the airline :
1. SQ has carved a niche for catering to style-conscious and price agnostic travellers who would not be caught dead flying budget airlines. If you seek a quiet flying experience with relatively more upmarket gentry and less raucous crowds, SQ is your airline.
2. The entire ground-to-air experience is flawless. From smooth check-in (especially at Changi SIN) to efficient seating procedure, the entire process has a Six Sigma efficiency attached to it. The crew also help you to place your bags in the overhead lockers which is not a familiar sight on other airlines.
3. Kris World in-flight entertainment system has something for everyone. A wide selection of world cinema, TV shows, music and documentaries for kids and adults will keep all entertained.
4. The Kris Flyer frequent flyer program (affiliated to Star Alliance) is a great program to be part of. Mile redemption is easy to do - for both SQ and partner airlines and the redemption super saver fares can really be a steal especially on long haul European and US routes.
5. SQ probably has the world's only frequent flyer program exclusively for business and first class passengers. The PPS Club experience is in a different league from all other business class flights I've taken and you really feel like royalty. The reclining seats which convert to fully flat beds, efficient service and level of luxury (Givenchy blankets etc) are all exceptional.
6. Routes are well charted and appropriate aircrafts have been assigned to each leg. For the long-haul Newark and Los Angeles flights, there is the customized A340-500 aircraft with 100 business class seats. Singapore-Jakarta is just over an hour's flight but is a very busy route for businessmen and finance professionals. Hence, the large Boeing 777-300. Less busier and tier 2 Asian cities are catered to by SQ's regional subsidiary - Silk Air and the budget segment is catered to by the newly launched airline - Scoot.
What could do with some help :
1. Service - This used to be a hallmark of SQ irrespective of class of travel. In recent years, the overall standards have dipped significantly and the gap between the current business class service (decent at best) and economy class service (close to awful) has never been wider.
2. Food and Beverages - The choice is limited and the food tastes quite bland. Airline food is semi-cooked before loading and cooked on-flight in microwave ovens. Of all airlines' dishes, SQ's seems to taste the most uncooked. Choice of spirits and wines is limited. These are economy class grouses and you won't encounter them in business and first class. However, I've seen Emirates and KLM do a better job with F&B in economy class which is really disappointing considering SQ's panel of star chefs.
3. Aircraft maintenance - On my last 3 trips, I've encountered problems with headphones, volume control and TV screen angles. I'd put it down to poor aircraft maintenance which was unheard of with SQ till a few years back.
4. In-flight magazines - Silver Kris travel magazine offers seemingly cursory information on destinations and things to do. With Singapore's undisputed reputation for being a shopping paradise, the Kris Shop magazine for inflight shopping is quite a disappointment - both in terms of products and prices. The items on offer change very infrequently and there is an overdose of cosmetics being sold.
5. Customer support : The new SQ website seems like an unnecessary expenditure. The earlier website was more user friendly and stable. In week 1 of the new website's launch, there were numerous glitches which left passengers frustrated. Things have improved since then but still the new website is a sore spot with SQ loyalists. The quality of phone customer support has also come down several notches with hold time being abysmally long and huge difficulty communicating in English with the predominantly Mandarin speaking staff.
Overall rating : 8/10. I've been flying SQ as a default option for the last few years. However, since the past couple of years, I've started flying more of Emirates and KLM (for European and US flights), Jet Airways for the India leg and Air Asia for the tourist hotspots in Asia. Till about a couple of years back, the SQ experience was significantly superior to what other carriers offered albeit at a premium. Over this period, while competitors like Emirates, Jet Airways have significantly improved their offering, SQ's service standards have dipped. As a result, the SQ fare premium does not seem justifiable any longer. I feel other airlines offer more bang for the buck.
Whats going for the airline :
1. SQ has carved a niche for catering to style-conscious and price agnostic travellers who would not be caught dead flying budget airlines. If you seek a quiet flying experience with relatively more upmarket gentry and less raucous crowds, SQ is your airline.
2. The entire ground-to-air experience is flawless. From smooth check-in (especially at Changi SIN) to efficient seating procedure, the entire process has a Six Sigma efficiency attached to it. The crew also help you to place your bags in the overhead lockers which is not a familiar sight on other airlines.
3. Kris World in-flight entertainment system has something for everyone. A wide selection of world cinema, TV shows, music and documentaries for kids and adults will keep all entertained.
4. The Kris Flyer frequent flyer program (affiliated to Star Alliance) is a great program to be part of. Mile redemption is easy to do - for both SQ and partner airlines and the redemption super saver fares can really be a steal especially on long haul European and US routes.
5. SQ probably has the world's only frequent flyer program exclusively for business and first class passengers. The PPS Club experience is in a different league from all other business class flights I've taken and you really feel like royalty. The reclining seats which convert to fully flat beds, efficient service and level of luxury (Givenchy blankets etc) are all exceptional.
6. Routes are well charted and appropriate aircrafts have been assigned to each leg. For the long-haul Newark and Los Angeles flights, there is the customized A340-500 aircraft with 100 business class seats. Singapore-Jakarta is just over an hour's flight but is a very busy route for businessmen and finance professionals. Hence, the large Boeing 777-300. Less busier and tier 2 Asian cities are catered to by SQ's regional subsidiary - Silk Air and the budget segment is catered to by the newly launched airline - Scoot.
What could do with some help :
1. Service - This used to be a hallmark of SQ irrespective of class of travel. In recent years, the overall standards have dipped significantly and the gap between the current business class service (decent at best) and economy class service (close to awful) has never been wider.
2. Food and Beverages - The choice is limited and the food tastes quite bland. Airline food is semi-cooked before loading and cooked on-flight in microwave ovens. Of all airlines' dishes, SQ's seems to taste the most uncooked. Choice of spirits and wines is limited. These are economy class grouses and you won't encounter them in business and first class. However, I've seen Emirates and KLM do a better job with F&B in economy class which is really disappointing considering SQ's panel of star chefs.
3. Aircraft maintenance - On my last 3 trips, I've encountered problems with headphones, volume control and TV screen angles. I'd put it down to poor aircraft maintenance which was unheard of with SQ till a few years back.
4. In-flight magazines - Silver Kris travel magazine offers seemingly cursory information on destinations and things to do. With Singapore's undisputed reputation for being a shopping paradise, the Kris Shop magazine for inflight shopping is quite a disappointment - both in terms of products and prices. The items on offer change very infrequently and there is an overdose of cosmetics being sold.
5. Customer support : The new SQ website seems like an unnecessary expenditure. The earlier website was more user friendly and stable. In week 1 of the new website's launch, there were numerous glitches which left passengers frustrated. Things have improved since then but still the new website is a sore spot with SQ loyalists. The quality of phone customer support has also come down several notches with hold time being abysmally long and huge difficulty communicating in English with the predominantly Mandarin speaking staff.
Overall rating : 8/10. I've been flying SQ as a default option for the last few years. However, since the past couple of years, I've started flying more of Emirates and KLM (for European and US flights), Jet Airways for the India leg and Air Asia for the tourist hotspots in Asia. Till about a couple of years back, the SQ experience was significantly superior to what other carriers offered albeit at a premium. Over this period, while competitors like Emirates, Jet Airways have significantly improved their offering, SQ's service standards have dipped. As a result, the SQ fare premium does not seem justifiable any longer. I feel other airlines offer more bang for the buck.
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