This week Singapore Airlines brought its Airbus A380s back to the Shanghai route for the first time since October last year, with the SQ830/833 service now boasting the carrier’s flagship superjumbo on a daily basis through to mid-September, then again during the second half of October 2024.

While that was looking like the end of the line for these aircraft on the route, just a month ago SIA surprised us by extending Airbus A380 service to and from Shanghai throughout the entire northern winter season from late October 2024 to late March 2025, on the same daytime SQ830/833 flights.

That was great to hear, especially since Suites award space was available for redemption at the Saver level on many dates, but unfortunately there’s now bad news to report – SIA has had a change of heart.

A380s pulled from Shanghai this winter

SIA’s previously-confirmed Airbus A380 Shanghai services this coming winter (SQ830/833) will now instead be operated by four-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, between 27th October 2024 and 29th March 2025.

However, there’s a short reprieve over the Chinese New Year holiday period in late January 2025, when Airbus A380s will be deployed on this service once again for a two-week window.

Here’s how the revised Shanghai schedule now looks, with four daily flights during the upcoming northern winter season, including former A380 services now planned for the Boeing 777-300ER, and those still retaining the superjumbo for a short period.

Singapore Shanghai
27th October 2024 – 29th March 2025

All services operate daily

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ826		787 787-10	All
SIN 01:15		PVG 06:30
	SQ828		359 LH A350 LH	All
SIN 07:20		PVG 12:45
	SQ830		77W 777-300ER	27 Oct – 14 Jan 1 Feb – 29 Mar
SIN 09:20		PVG 14:35	388 A380	15 Jan – 31 Jan
	SQ836		787 787-10	All
SIN 16:40		PVG 22:20

Shanghai Singapore
27th October 2024 – 29th March 2025

All services operate daily

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ825		787 787-10	All
PVG 00:10		SIN 06:00
	SQ827		787 787-10	All
PVG 08:20		SIN 14:10
	SQ831		359 LH A350 LH	All
PVG 13:50		SIN 19:40
	SQ833		77W 777-300ER	27 Oct – 14 Jan 1 Feb – 29 Mar
PVG 16:25		SIN 22:15	388 A380	15 Jan – 31 Jan

As you can see, aside from a two-week period in January 2025 the Boeing 777-300ER will be operating on this route, meaning older 2013 First Class (no Suites) and 2013 Business Class seats.

This isn’t the first time Singapore Airlines has removed the A380 from Shanghai flights. The type was initially planned to operate throughout this current summer 2024 season, but ultimately is only being deployed for around 8 out of 28 weeks after a schedule re-jig.

Suites passengers are the worst hit

While this change isn’t a huge deal for those booked in Business Class, Premium Economy or Economy Class, if you snagged a Suites award or forked out cash for this exclusive cabin, the alternative seat you’ll now have isn’t quite on-par.

For Suites passengers already booked on the affected SQ830/833 flights, it will mean the experience changing from this…

to this…

Obviously that’s quite a downgrade and may be enough make you consider whether your miles or cash outlay for this cabin is still worthwhile.

Unfortunately there are no Suites alternatives on the Shanghai route over the affected dates.

However, we do still enjoy the 2013 First Class product installed on the Boeing 777-300ERs, so don’t totally discount it. You can read our review of the product here.

In Business Class the impact is less of an issue, with the newer 2017 seats on the A380 being replaced by the 2013 seats on the 777-300ER, since they are quite similar in most respects.

The A380 returns to Shanghai in late March 2025

According to Singapore Airlines’ current schedule, Shanghai is expected to see the return of consistent daily Airbus A380 service during the northern summer 2025 season.

However, as you can see from this news, these aircraft allocations don’t quite get set in stone that far in advance, so there’s a big caveat here – it could well change in the meantime.

Assuming no changes, the superjumbo will be used on an overnight Singapore – Shanghai flight next summer, with a morning flight in the return direction, on the SQ826/827 rotation.

SQ830/833 will continue to use a four-class Boeing 777-300ER, meaning two flights per day on the route will feature a First Class option, with SQ828/831 and SQ832/835 using the three-class Airbus A350 Long Haul.

Only a single daily Boeing 787-10 flight (SQ836/825) will offer a two-class service with regional cabin products on the Shanghai route next summer.

Here’s how the summer 2025 schedule looks, including daily A380 services.

Singapore Shanghai
30th March 2025 – 25th October 2025

All services operate daily

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ826		A380	All
SIN 01:15		PVG 06:35
	SQ828		A350 LH	All
SIN 07:55		PVG 13:25
	SQ830		777-300ER	All
SIN 09:30		PVG 15:05
	SQ832		A350 LH	All
SIN 12:45		PVG 18:05
	SQ836		787-10	All
SIN 17:25		PVG 22:45

Shanghai Singapore
30th March 2025 – 25th October 2025

All services operate daily

			Aircraft	Dates
	SQ825		787-10	All
PVG 00:35		SIN 05:55
	SQ827		A380	All
PVG 08:05		SIN 13:25
	SQ831		A350 LH	All
PVG 14:30		SIN 19:50
	SQ833		777-300ER	All
PVG 16:50		SIN 22:20
	SQ835		A350 LH	All
PVG 19:10		SIN 00:30*

* Next day

As you can see, next summer also brings about a 25% increase in flight frequencies for SIA on this route, with five daily services instead of four over the summer 2025 months.

This reflects both the current and pre-COVID operations to and from Shanghai, with five daily flights in the summer and four in the winter.

KrisFlyer award rates

Here are the latest KrisFlyer award rates for the Singapore – Shanghai route, including for the First Class / Suites cabin, where available.

KrisFlyer Redemption Singapore ⇄ Shanghai
	Saver	Advantage
Economy	21,500	40,000
Premium Economy	34,500	n/a
Business	43,000	65,000
First / Suites	58,500	98,000

SIA’s A380 schedule this winter

Here’s how the the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 schedule looks for the upcoming winter season, based on GDS timetables as of 10th August 2024.

SIA Winter 24/25 A380 Flights (provisional)
Route	Flights	Frequency
Delhi	SQ406/403	7 x weekly
Frankfurt (except 26 Dec, 15-31 Jan)	SQ326/325	7 x weekly
Hong Kong	SQ892/893	7 x weekly
London	SQ322/317 SQ308/319	7 x weekly 7 x weekly
Mumbai	SQ424/423	7 x weekly
Shanghai (15-31 Jan only)	SQ830/833	7 x weekly
Sydney	SQ221/232 SQ231/222	7 x weekly 7 x weekly

It’s a thin list for 12 aircraft, however the Airbus A380s are plagued with maintenance requirements and airworthiness directives that see them spending a lot of time in the hangar lately.

SIA recently flew one of its A380s (9V-SKT) empty for 13.5 hours to Teruel in Spain for maintenance, while two more A380s are hangared in Singapore (-SKQ and -SKY), bringing the current operating superjumbo fleet down to only nine aircraft.

Full schedules for the winter season will become finalised in the coming weeks, but it already looks as though SIA’s A380 Hong Kong flight may be set for a downgauge too.

Bookings on these SQ892/893 services are being capped at 4 First Class seats for sale, except between 16th January and 31st January 2025 where the sales cap is 6 seats, suggesting Boeing 777-300ER operation is actually planned for the majority of the season.

Stay tuned for the latest details on SIA’s winter 2024/25 flight schedules as we get them.

Singapore Airlines has reversed its decision to upgauge daily SQ830/833 flights on its Shanghai route to the Airbus A380 during the upcoming winter season from late October 2024 to late March 2025, just a month after announcing it.

That means these flights will now be served by four-class Boeing 777-300ER jets instead, between late October 2024 and late March 2025.

There’s still a two-week period of A380 operation on this service between 15th January and 31st January 2025, over the CNY holiday, for those lucky enough to already be booked during that period.

Overall though it’s bad news for those booked in the Suites cabin, most of whom will now be in the less exciting (but still good) 2013 First Class seat.

Despite the withdrawal of the A380 from this route, it’s back again (so they say!) on the SQ826/827 Shanghai flights from the start of the summer season in late March 2025, though that’s a bit far ahead to be a certainty at this stage.

(Cover Photo: Peter Gronemann)