Like most airlines, SIA sticks quite closely to the principle that the longer the flight, the better the seat types offered in its premium cabins. That’s why flights to and from close-by destinations almost always feature either the 2009 or 2018 Regional Business Class seats, with the former gradually being replaced by the latter.
However there are a number of shorter routes where you’ll find the long-haul seat products, as fleet utilisation requirements often mean ‘plugging gaps’ in the schedule with aircraft normally used for flights to the likes of Europe, Australia and the USA.
We decided to take a look at where you’ll find these hidden gems not only in the current schedule, but right through the rest of the year and to March 2020.
SIA’s long-haul Business Class seats
Singapore Airlines flies three different types of long-haul Business Class seat in its fleet, and these are the ones we are focusing on in this article.
2006 Business Class
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| 2006 J | |
| Seat | |
| Config | 1-2-1 |
| Width | 34″ |
| Recline | 180o |
| Bed Length | 76″ |
| IFE | |
| Screen Size | 15.4″ SD |
| Power Source | 1 UNI + 2 USB Sockets |
| Wi-Fi |  A380 777-200ER(first 30MB free for Business Class passengers) |
(Photo: Daniel Gillaspia)
The super-wide, but somewhat dated 2006 Business Class seat splits opinions these days. There is no Business Class seat in the SIA fleet offering a more generous width, indeed only one First Class seat installed by the airline, the 2013 F product, offers a slightly wider option.
The downside here is more limited storage space than the latest Business Class products, with the exception of window seats on the A380 which benefit from a large storage bin, but perhaps more then anything it’s wear and tear.
These seats have seen better days, with scuffs and marks now a common sight as they head towards eventual replacement.
If you haven’t tried it out before though, or simply love this seat and want to fly it before retirement date, there are a host of sub-6-hour routes where you’ll find it flying in 2019.
2013 Business Class
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| 2013 J (read our review) |
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| Seat | |
| Config | 1-2-1 |
| Width | 28″ |
| Recline | 180o |
| Bed Length | 78″ |
| IFE | |
| Screen Size | 18″ HD |
| Power Source | 1 UNI + 2 USB Sockets |
| Wi-Fi | (first 30MB free for Business Class passengers) |
(Photo: MainlyMiles)
The 2017 Business Class seat on the new and refitted A380s may be our new favourite following our review in 2018, but it only just pips the excellent 2013 Business Class seat, which you’ll find on all 777-300ERs and, in a slightly tighter fit, on a large batch of A350s too (the ‘Standard’ and ‘ULR’ configurations).
2017 Business Class
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| 2017 J (read our review) |
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| Seat | |
| Config | 1-2-1 |
| Width | 25″ |
| Recline | 180o |
| Bed Length | 78″ |
| IFE | |
| Screen Size | 18″ HD |
| Power Source | 1 UNI + 2 USB Sockets |
| Wi-Fi | (first 30MB free for Business Class passengers) |
(Photo: MainlyMiles)
Probably the ‘slowest appearing’ new Business Class product in Singapore Airlines, these 2017 seats were fitted to the latest five brand new A380 aircraft which joined the fleet between late 2017 and mid-2018.
There was then something of a hiatus while we awaited the first of the older A380s to undergo refit work with these new cabin products, the first of which (9V-SKS) only recently came back into service, initially allowing double-daily Sydney flights with the 2017 seats.
Later this summer though that first refit will help you experience this new cabin on two shorter routes, with Mumbai and Delhi both being added to the ‘2017 J’ roster as a result.
Of course this article is about long-haul Business Class seats, but it goes without saying you can also try out the latest 2017 Suites on these routes too. For a full list of where the A380s with these latest products are flying across the SIA network, check our continually updated tracker page.
Which aircraft have which seats?
- 2006 Business Class: fitted to 13 older A380s (v1 and v2) and all 777-200ERs
- 2013 Business Class: fitted to 21 A350 (Standard) aircraft, 7 A350 ULR aircraft and all 777-300ERs
- 2017 Business Class: exclusive to 6 A380v3 aircraft
Why is it important?
Simply put, these seats the goal of most KrisFlyer miles addicts in Singapore; big, spacious, private and alongside the excellent on-board service, a great way to fly.
Take a look at our reviews of the 2013 Business Class seat on the A350 and the 2017 Business Class seat on the A380 to get an idea what kind of treat you’re in for if you haven’t flown these products before.
Where do they fly?
You don’t have to be flying all the way to London, Sydney, Tokyo or New York to fly in one of these seats, around 1,700 of them fly every day on over 30 separate flights lasting less than 6 hours.
Remember we’re not looking at the Regional Business Class seats, as you’d expect those to be flying on regional routes. We’re also not looking at where you’ll find these seats on longer flights, again you’d expect to see them in those cases.
What we’re looking at here is where you can secure these three long-haul products across the SIA network on flights of less than 6 hours.
There are eight routes that fall into that criteria, as shown in the map above. Let’s take a look at what seat types are flying where, and when, through the rest of the northern winter 2019 schedule, ending in March 2020.
| KrisFlyer rates (Business Class) |
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| Saver: | 21,500 miles |
| Advantage: | 40,000 miles |
| Flight schedules (2006 J seats) |
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| Flt No. | Route | Dep | Arr | A/c | Dates |
| SQ972 | SIN > BKK | 0935 | 1105 | 772 ER | 1 Jul to 31 Aug and 27 Oct to 29 Feb |
| SQ975 | BKK > SIN | 1215 | 1540 | 772 ER | 1 Jul to 31 Aug and 27 Oct to 29 Feb |
| SQ974 | SIN > BKK | 1310 | 1435 | 772 ER | From 1 Feb |
| SQ977 | BKK > SIN | 1540 | 1915 | 772 ER | From 1 Feb |
You can pick up the 2006 Business Class seats to and from Bangkok on SQ972/975 during all of July and August 2019, then again from 27th October 2019 to 29th February 2020.
Next year an additional flight pair, SQ974/977, also gets these long-haul seats from 1st February 2020 to at least the end of the northern winter schedule.
| KrisFlyer rates (Business Class) |
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| Saver: | 39,000 miles |
| Advantage: | 65,000 miles |
| Flight schedules (2006 J seats) |
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| Flt No. | Route | Dep | Arr | A/c | Dates |
| SQ406 | SIN > DEL | 1650 | 2010 | 388 | Until 30 Jun and From 1 Sep |
| SQ403 | DEL > SIN | 2145 | 0615 (+1) | 388 | Until 30 Jun and From 1 Sep |
Only a few days left this month to fly the 2006 Business Class seats to and from Delhi on the A380 Version 2. These are operating on flight SQ406/403 until the end of June, but if it sounds like one you want to try, never fear!
These seats make a return on the same flight pairing from 1st September 2019, courtesy of the A380 Version 1, until at least the end of the northern winter schedule.
| Flight schedules (2013 J seats) |
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| Flt No. | Route | Dep | Arr | A/c | Dates |
| SQ406 | SIN > DEL | 1650 | 2010 | 388 | 1 Jul to 31 Jul |
| SQ403 | DEL > SIN | 2145 | 0615 (+1) | 388 | 1 Jul to 31 Jul |
The 777-300ER picks up the same Delhi flights discussed above during July 2019, with the 2013 J seats in Business Class.
| Flight schedules (2017 J seats) |
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| Flt No. | Route | Dep | Arr | A/c | Dates |
| SQ406 | SIN > DEL | 1650 | 2010 | 388 | 1 Aug to 31 Aug |
| SQ403 | DEL > SIN | 2145 | 0615 (+1) | 388 | 1 Aug to 31 Aug |
Finally the very latest long-haul seat on the A380 Version 3 (2017 J) makes an appearance on the Delhi route during all of August 2019. This will be the first time the product has been regularly scheduled on an India flight.
| KrisFlyer rates (Business Class) |
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| Saver: | 21,500 miles |
| Advantage: | 40,000 miles |
| Flight schedules (2006 J seats) |
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| Flt No. | Route | Dep | Arr | A/c | Dates |
| SQ184 | SIN > SGN | 1330 | 1440 | 772 ER | 2 Aug to 26 Oct |
| SQ183 | SGN > SIN | 1555 | 1855 | 772 ER | 2 Aug to 26 Oct |
You can fly the 2006 J seat on the short flight from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh and back for three months this summer, from 2nd August to 26th October, on board the 777-200ER.
Note that this lunchtime / afternoon flight is five times per week – it doesn’t operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
| KrisFlyer rates (Business Class) |