Singapore Airlines: In flight service to die for

Singapore’s most recognizable symbol, apart from food courts and Lee Kwan Yew, is Singapore Airlines. Ask most experienced air travelers which airline offers the best in-flight service and they’ll say Singapore Airlines.

•Service innovation

SIA’s in-flight entertainment system, KrisWorld, was introduced in 1977 and is now offered to passengers in all classes with over 600 entertainment options. Using the Wisemen 3000 hardware and Dolby digital personal cinema headphones for economy class, and active noise cancelling headphones for Raffles and first class, they include at least 100 movies, 80 TV shows, Nintendo games, 200 CDs, audio channels, flight cameras, flight statistics, destination info and traveller guides, and live TV channels. Since 2001, all entertainment options are available on demand to all classes with options to pause, forward, and rewind them.

In 2005, SIA was one of the earliest to introduce high-speed, in-flight Internet service in March by installing the Connexion by Boeing system and became the first airline in the world to offer live international television broadcasts using the same system in June. In the same month, free language lessons became available, with 22 languages offered. In December 2005, the airline offered free live news feeds it called “Live Text News” via its KrisWorld entertainment system.

First and business class passengers on some flights are offered the “Book the Cook” service where more extensive meal choices may be selected.

•Uniform and branding

Flight attendants, known as the Singapore Girl, are heavily marketed as the airline’s icon. The Singapore Airlines branding and publicity efforts has revolved primarily around its flight crew, in contrast to most other airlines who tend to emphasize on aircraft or services in general. In particular, the nurturing of the female air stewardesses as the Singapore Girl has been widely successful, and is a common feature in most of the airline’s advertisements and publications. The branding strategy aims to build a sense of mythical aura around the Singapore Girl, and portray her as representative of Asian hospitality and grace.

As part of efforts to build up the Singapore Girl icon, the airline runs a rigorous training programs for cabin and flight crew to ensure the SIA brand experience is delivered. The airline’s repute, and the resulting prestige of the job has allowed it to be highly selective during its recruitment process as it receives numerous applicants locally and around the region.[citation needed]

Dressed in a version of the Malay Sarong Kebaya designed by Pierre Balmain in 1968, the uniform of the Singapore Girl has remained largely unchanged. The male steward, in contrast, wears relatively sober light blue business jackets and grey trousers. In April 2001, the shoes were replaced by Pierre Balmain-designed safety shoes, in light of safety reviews after the Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crash where stewardesses complained of missing sandals.

Although a successful marketing image for the airline, it has also invoked criticisms for its sexist portrayal of women as subservient to male customers. Most feminist groups also contend that its reference is outdated, which sparks debates that most Singaporean women today are modern and independent. On 9 January 2007, the airline announced its intentions to tender out its existing advertising contract with Batey Ads, the Singaporean company, headed by founder Ian Batey, who is responsible for building up the Singapore Girl brand name and its partner since 1972. The image of the Singapore Girl will still remain, although SIA will now focus on advertising and promoting its modern fleet and technology instead. On 16 April 2007, the airline appointed New York-based advertising agent TBWA\ to handle its advertising for the airline, beating two other shortlisted candidates, namely DDB and Publicis. This contract is worth S$50 million per year over the following five years, making it the agent’s largest win since it started operations in Asia in the late 1990s. The company provided no details about the three firms’ bids, though its spokesperson Stephen Forshaw said they will start the new branding campaign “as early as there is a practicable opportunity”. This change in advertising agency will not affect SIA’s buying media agency, which is presently MEC.

•Frequent flyer programme

KrisFlyer

KrisFlyer is the frequent flyer programme of Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary SilkAir, with benefits extending to partner airlines including other Star Alliance members and Virgin Atlantic. It has six levels of membership, consisting of three KrisFlyer levels (KrisFlyer, KrisFlyer Elite Silver, KrisFlyer Elite Gold) and three PPS Club levels (PPS Club, Solitaire PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club Life).

Cabins

Singapore Airlines announced a major upgrade to its cabin and inflight service on 17 October 2006, its first major overhaul in a decade and costing the airline about S$570 million. Initially planned for its Airbus A380-800’s introduction into service in 2006, and subsequently on the Boeing 777-300ER, the postponement of the first A380-800 delivery meant it had to be introduced with the launch of the first Boeing 777-300ER with the airline on 5 December 2006 between Singapore and Paris. There are currently no plans to introduce the service to the existing SIA fleet.

Nine Boeing 777-300ERs being operated by the airline offer the upgraded cabin services to Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Barcelona, Seoul, San Francisco, Zurich, Frankfurt, Taipei and Los Angeles but passengers have to pay a slightly higher fare. New services include Givenchy-designed bedding amenities in all classes. New tableware and linen designed by Givenchy are also part of the new product.

A new class of luxury seating, called Singapore Airlines Suites, will replace First Class aboard the Airbus A380 when it enters service in October 2007. The details of this new class have yet to be released to the public.

First class

There are three variations of the first class cabin. The oldest version is available on selected Boeing 777-200 and all Boeing 777-300 aircraft in the fleet which only feature lie-flat seats and has a small PTV. These first class seats have a configuration of 2-2-2 and are used mainly on regional flights. On all Boeing 747-400s, the first class product is known as the SkySuite and the seat is upholstered with leather and is trimmed with Burrwood. The seat can be fully reclined and is a lie flat seat. Bed linens and duvets are given on all flights with a pyjama suit designed by Givenchy. In-seat power supply is available on every First Class seat.[59] The new first class was unveiled on 17 October 2006 with a 35 inch wide seat, upholstered with leather and a Mahogany wood finishing. The seat has a 23 inch LCD screen for KrisWorld. There is a stowage space with a standard cabin bag stowed in seat as well as a mirror and a drawer. The amenity kit is from Salvatore Ferragamo and a turn down seat service is available on all long haul flights, where the cabin crew will transform the seat into a bed, with bedlinen prepared for the passenger. Passengers pay a higher price for the new first class seats and can only redeem miles for full first class tickets and not for the saver fare.

Business class

Formerly known as Raffles Class, there are three variations of business class cabin. Traditional business class seats known as “Ultimo Plus”, which do not convert into beds, are offered on all Boeing 777-200 (excluding the 777-200ER), and 777-300 aircraft in a 2-3-2 configuration.

The Spacebed seats are available on Airbus 340-500 services, Boeing 777-200ER services, and Boeing 747 services between Singapore, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the United States. The Spacebed seats are twenty-seven inches (68.5 centimetres) wide and seventy-two inches (183 centimetres) long and converts to an angled flat bed. They have a retractable 10.4 inch (26.4 centimetre) personal television, Dolby headphones with surround sound, and adjustable headrests. The airline claims the Spacebed is the largest in its class, although Virgin Atlantic, an airline of which SIA owns 49%, makes the same claim. As the Spacebeds are angled, they are considered inferior to full-flat beds[62] offered by some of its competitors, and has caused discomfort to some passengers who complain of sliding down the bed during sleep.

On new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, a fully-flat bed is offered as part of new cabin refurbishments in a 1-2-1 configuration. The same product will be offered on the Airbus A380 when it begins services in October, 2007. The new seat features a 15.4 inch personal television offering over 1000 entertainment options on demand and built-in office software. The new seats are leather and include an in-seat laptop power supply and personal stowage space. A height-adjustable table, a mirror, and a coat hook are also available for business class passengers.

Executive economy class

Executive economy is only offered on Airbus A340-500 aircraft and replaces the standard economy class cabins. This seats are available only on non-stop flights to Newark and Los Angeles and on selected flights to Jakarta. The seat has a seat pitch of 37 inches and a width of 20 inches as well as a 150 degree seat recline. Like standard economy class seats, adjustable headrests and footrests is available on every seat. There is a 9 inch screen for inflight entertainment and in-seat power supply at selected seats. A minibar is located at the back of the aircraft where light snacks and drinks are offered during the flight.

All economy class seats have PTVs on every seat offering KrisWorld, the airline’s inflight entertainment system. All seats have footrests, an adjustable headrest, side-flap “ears” with a reclining seat to a certain angle. Bassinets are available in the front section in the cabin. Economy class passengers receive a pair of socks and a dental kit on all night flights and long haul flights. The new Economy class seats on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft have a 19 inch wide seat as well as more knee room and legroom with an improved adjustable headrest. The new seats offers a personal reading light, a coat hook, a spectacle compartment, mirror, and an inflight handset. In-seat laptop supply is provided on every seat and a 10.6 inch PTV for inflight entertainment is offered.

Singapore Airlines announced that Panasonic Avionics Corporation has been selected to create the new KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines’ IFE system, using the new ex2 system.

• Large widescreen LCD TV with 1280 X 768 resolution
• A range of Movies, TV, music, games, and interactive programs
• Built-in office software, based on Sun Microsystems StarOffice Productivity Suite for use with USB Port
• In-seat AC power port

Singapore Airlines is the first airline in the world to offer flights on the new super-jumbo Airbus A380 which will fly its first flight from Singapore to Sydney on Thursday 25 October 2007 and the return leg on Friday 26 October 2007. If you would like to sample the best in the skies, check out BootsnAll’s Singapore Airlines flight booker.