If you thought Singapore Airlines’ Premium Economy seats were only an option on long-haul flights, you’d be almost right – but not quite. A few lucky regional routes also feature these wider, more spacious seats, even though the cabin isn’t officially sold as Premium Economy at all.
Instead, they appear as part of the Economy Class cabin, hidden in plain sight. Since early 2020, Singapore Airlines has been charging an extra fee for these seats, allowing those in the know to enjoy a little more comfort – extra width, better recline and a noticeable boost in legroom – without paying for a higher cabin class.
In more good news, regular Economy passengers can also select these seats for free at online check-in, within 48 hours of departure, provided any are still available. The same applies to new bookings made within that two-day window.
This season the list grows from five cities to seven. Bangkok, Manila and Yangon all see SIA’s A350 Long Haul aircraft on selected dates from late January 2027, while Hanoi drops off the list.
No service differentiation
The important thing to note about SIA’s operation of aircraft with a Premium Economy cabin on these shorter regional routes is that there is no service differentiation from Economy Class, whether you have paid extra to sit in this section, or you have simply been allocated a seat there.
Passengers who choose this option [on selected flights] will be seated [in] a more comfortable Premium Economy Seat, while their class of service remains Economy and all fare conditions will remain the same as their originally-booked Economy Class fare.
Singapore Airlines
That’s because no one gets the Premium Economy service or benefits on these flights, since the cabin class is simply not sold on these routes.
Instead you’ll benefit only from a separate cabin, with wider seats and additional legroom.
(Photo: View from the Wing)
There are also ‘couple pairs’ by the window, a nicer experience for two passengers travelling together than the 3-3-3 configuration found in Economy Class on these aircraft.
During the COVID-19 recovery period there was a higher than usual range of routes benefitting from this “PY Upgrade” option, including Colombo, Guangzhou and Surabaya, and this season’s list is the longest since then – Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Malé, Manila and Yangon.
Which aircraft?
In order to pay extra to sit in a Premium Economy seat on shorter regional ‘non-PY’ flights to and from Singapore, even though you’re actually booked in Economy Class, you’ll need to pick a service operated by one of the following aircraft:
- Airbus A350 Long Haul (3-class)
- Boeing 777-300ER (4-class)
Other aircraft types, like the Airbus A350 Medium Haul, Boeing 787-10 and Boeing 737-8 MAX, don’t feature a Premium Economy Class cabin, while the airline’s Airbus A380s do not operate any shorter flights where the Premium Economy Class cabin is not sold as such.
Here’s how the Premium Economy Class seat maps look on these two aircraft.
While there is no priority service on the ground, enhanced miles earning or upgraded F&B on board when sitting in this cabin on these short flights (see the latest PY improvements for long-haul flights here), this is what SIA’s Premium Economy seat does offer in terms of hard product:
- 38″ seat pitch (6″ more than Economy Class)
- 19″ seat width (0.5″ more than Economy Class)
- 8″ seat recline (2″ more than Economy Class)
- 13.3″ HD touchscreen monitor (2.1″ bigger than Economy Class)
- In-built calf rest and footrest
- 2 USB ports and AC power supply
- Adjustable reading light
(Photo: High Tech Flight)
Those travelling in the Premium Economy cabin on Boeing 777-300ERs (and A380s for that matter, though they don’t fly these short routes) benefit from a slightly wider 19.7″ seat.
Singapore Airlines has also just revealed an all-new Premium Economy seat, with 40″ of pitch and a 16″ 4K screen. It’s an improvement, if a slightly lacklustre one compared with the latest competition, but don’t expect to try it out using this trick any time soon.
The new seat will only feature on the Boeing 777-9, which isn’t due to join SIA’s fleet until the second half of 2027 at the earliest, with certification of the aircraft still pending. The A350 Long Haul, which operates most of the flights listed here, will keep its existing Premium Economy seats even after its upcoming retrofit.
Even once the 777-9 arrives in decent numbers, Jakarta is currently the only regional route where SIA flies the 777-300ER it will eventually replace, so a short hop in the new seat is likely to be a rare find for quite some time.
How much does it cost?
Seat selection fees on Singapore Airlines flights are all quoted in US Dollars, then converted to the currency of your departure city when you make your booking or pay for seat selection later.
Here’s a table showing the current rates for selecting a seat in the Premium Economy cabin on regional flights not offering a differentiated Premium Economy service, including approximate SGD rates.
There are discounts applied, based on your KrisFlyer status (Silver or Gold, if applicable).
| Singapore Airlines Premium Economy Seat Selection (on non-PY routes) |
|||
| Singapore to/from |
Status | PY Standard |
PY Extra Legroom |
| Band 1 e.g. Bangkok Ho Chi Minh Jakarta Kuala Lumpur Manila Yangon Hanoi* Surabaya* |
Non-KF | US$30.00 (~S$38) |
US$55.00 (~S$70) |
 KF Basic |
US$28.50 (~S$36) |
US$52.25 (~S$67) |
|
 KFES |
US$27.00 (~S$35) |
US$49.50 (~S$63) |
|
 KFEG |
US$25.50 (~S$33) |
US$46.75 (~S$60) |
|
| Band 2 e.g. Malé Colombo* Dhaka* Guangzhou* |
Non-KF | US$60.00 (~S$77) |
US$90.00 (~S$115) |
| KF Basic |
US$57.00 (~S$73) |
US$85.50 (~S$109) |
|
| KFES |
US$54.00 (~S$69) |
US$81.00 (~S$104) |
|
| KFEG |
US$51.00 (~S$65) |
US$76.50 (~S$98) |
|
* No current PY option on these non-PY routes, but there have been in the past, so the appropriate rates are quoted for possible future reference
Two of these rates have crept up since last year. A PY Extra Legroom seat on Band 1 routes now costs US$55 (previously US$50), while a standard PY seat on Band 2 routes like Malé is up to US$60 (previously US$55).
These seat selection fees do not vary based on your Economy Class fare type (e.g. Lite, Standard, Flexi). They also apply to those booked on any award redemption in the Economy Class cabin (i.e. Promo, Saver or Advantage).
(Photo: Singapore Airlines)
Here’s an example for a KrisFlyer Elite Silver member reserving a Premium Economy seat (but remember, not a PY service standard) from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.
These are the same rates you’ll see on SIA’s selected Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Manila and Yangon flights, but remember the longer Malé route does cost more.
Note that a standard Premium Economy seat costs exactly the same as an Extra Legroom seat in the main Economy cabin on these Band 1 routes, so if you’re paying anyway, you might prefer the former to the latter.
It’s free for PPS Club members
Good news if you are a PPS Club or Solitaire PPS Club member, with all seat selection fees waived, including these seats in the Premium Economy cabin on these non-PY routes.
Right from the booking stage you can therefore select any seat you like in this cabin at no additional charge, when travelling on an Economy Class ticket or redemption, so don’t forget to pick a seat in rows 31-34 for extra comfort.
Which flights?
During the northern winter 2026 / 27 schedule, which runs until 27 March 2027, you can pay extra to sit in the Premium Economy cabin on selected flights between Singapore and the following cities:
- Bangkok (selected dates)
- Ho Chi Minh
- Jakarta
- Kuala Lumpur
- Malé
- Manila (selected dates)
- Yangon (selected dates)
Here are the specific flights you’ll have to be travelling on for each route to be able to utilise this option in the Airbus A350 Long Haul (359 LH) or Boeing 777-300ER (77W) aircraft.
Note that on all these routes Singapore Airlines also operates other flights that don’t have a Premium Economy cabin installed – now including Jakarta, where one flight a day in each direction is operated by an A350 Medium Haul. Only those which do have PY are listed here.
Bangkok
PY Upgrade Flights
| Singapore to Bangkok | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ722 359 LH |
10:40-12:10 | Tue, Thu | 19 Jan – 25 Mar 2027 |
| Sat | 13 Feb – 27 Mar 2027 |
||
| Sun | 7 – 21 Feb 2027 |
||
| Mon | 8 & 22 Feb, 22 Mar 2027 |
||
| Fri | 26 Mar 2027 |
||
| Bangkok to Singapore | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ721 359 LH |
13:35-16:55 | Tue, Thu | 19 Jan – 25 Mar 2027 |
| Sat | 13 Feb – 27 Mar 2027 |
||
| Sun | 7 – 21 Feb 2027 |
||
| Mon | 8 & 22 Feb, 22 Mar 2027 |
||
| Fri | 26 Mar 2027 |
||
On all other dates, SQ722 / SQ721 is operated by an Airbus A350 Medium Haul, with no Premium Economy cabin.
Ho Chi Minh
PY Upgrade Flights
| Singapore to Ho Chi Minh | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ178 359 LH |
09:45-10:55 | Mon, Wed, Fri | 8 – 26 Feb 2027 |
| SQ184 359 LH |
13:55-15:05 | Daily | — |
| Ho Chi Minh to Singapore | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ177 359 LH |
12:10-15:30 | Mon, Wed, Fri | 8 – 26 Feb 2027 |
| SQ183 359 LH |
16:10-19:30 | Daily | — |
Jakarta
PY Upgrade Flights
| Singapore to Jakarta | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ950 77W |
06:50-07:35 | Daily | — |
| SQ952 359 LH |
07:40-08:30 | Daily | — |
| SQ956 359 LH |
09:20-10:15 | Daily | — |
| SQ958 359 LH |
12:30-13:20 | Daily | — |
| SQ960 359 LH |
15:15-16:05 | Daily | — |
| SQ962 359 LH |
16:10-17:05 | Daily | — |
| SQ964 77W |
17:20-18:10 | Daily | — |
| SQ966 359 LH |
18:40-19:30 | Daily | — |
| Jakarta to Singapore | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ953 77W |
08:40-11:20 | Daily | — |
| SQ955 359 LH |
09:30-12:15 | Daily | — |
| SQ957 359 LH |
11:10-13:55 | Daily | — |
| SQ959 359 LH |
14:15-17:10 | Daily | — |
| SQ961 359 LH |
17:00-19:45 | Daily | — |
| SQ963 359 LH |
18:10-20:55 | Daily | — |
| SQ965 77W |
19:10-21:55 | Daily | — |
| SQ967 359 LH |
20:25-23:10 | Daily | — |
Kuala Lumpur
PY Upgrade Flights
| Singapore to Kuala Lumpur | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ106 359 LH |
08:25-09:30 | Daily | — |
| SQ108 359 LH |
09:15-10:20 | Daily | — |
| Kuala Lumpur to Singapore | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ105 359 LH |
10:30-11:45 | Daily | — |
| SQ107 359 LH |
11:05-12:20 | Daily | — |
Malé
PY Upgrade Flights
| Singapore to Malé | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ432 359 LH |
10:05-11:40 | Daily | — |
| Malé to Singapore | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ431 359 LH |
12:55-20:45 | Daily | — |
Manila
PY Upgrade Flights
| Singapore to Manila | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ912 359 LH |
12:10-15:50 | Daily | 28 Feb – 27 Mar 2027 |
| SQ918 359 LH |
19:10-22:50 | Daily | 30 Jan – 14 Feb 2027 |
| Manila to Singapore | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ915 359 LH |
07:20-11:00 | Daily | 31 Jan – 15 Feb 2027 |
| SQ919 359 LH |
17:05-20:50 | Daily | 28 Feb – 27 Mar 2027 |
Yangon
PY Upgrade Flights
| Singapore to Yangon | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ762 359 LH |
07:25-08:50 | Daily | 1 Feb – 1 Mar 2027 |
| Mon, Fri | 15 & 19 Mar 2027 only |
||
| Yangon to Singapore | |||
| Flight & Aircraft |
Time | Days | Notes |
| SQ761 359 LH |
10:05-14:55 | Daily | 1 Feb – 1 Mar 2027 |
| Mon, Fri | 15 & 19 Mar 2027 only |
||
It probably goes without saying that on all these flights the Business Class cabin is arguably better too – with the 2013 Long Haul product installed, rather than the 2018 Regional Business Class or the MAX Regional Business Class.
Check our continually updated list of Business Class seats by route across the entire SIA network for full details.
Singapore Airlines also operates a Premium Economy cabin on two other short routes:
- Barcelona to / from Madrid (1.2 hours)
- Johannesburg to / from Cape Town (2 hours)
Singapore Airlines does not have permission to carry passengers solely between Barcelona and Madrid, or between Johannesburg and Cape Town, which would require “eighth freedom” (cabotage) traffic rights – very rarely granted to foreign airlines.
All passengers on these flights are therefore always travelling to or from Singapore, and full Premium Economy service is offered in the PY cabin on these shorter legs of the journey.
Even ‘Premium Economy passengers’ have to pay
One odd aspect of SIA using aircraft with a Premium Economy cabin on regional routes is that even those booked in Premium Economy to or from a connecting long-haul SIA service still have to pay the seat selection fee to sit in the Premium Economy cabin for the shorter part of their trip.
For example flying in Premium Economy from London to Jakarta via Singapore, you can book a standard seat in this cabin on the LHR-SIN sector for no fee, but to sit anywhere other than Economy on the SIN-CGK sector will attract a fee, even though all but one of the daily SIN-CGK flights have a Premium Economy cabin.
All the airline will offer a non-status holder in this case when connecting to or from a long-haul flight in Premium Economy is a complimentary Standard Zone seat in the Economy Class cabin, which feels stingy when both Forward Zone Economy and all types of PY seat are available.
Free at online check-in
While some travellers may still consider paying S$33-70 to guarantee a Premium Economy seat in advance, most will agree it’s hard to justify on short hops to and from Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta.
Back in 2023, there was a great workaround – all seat selection fees were waived when online check-in opened exactly 48 hours before departure, allowing any passenger to select any available seat within their cabin class for free.
This option returned in late 2025 for Economy Class passengers on regional flights with Premium Economy-equipped aircraft, and remains in place at the time of writing. If you’re quick and seats are available, you can snag one of these wider, more comfortable seats at no extra cost – either through online check-in or with a new booking made within 48 hours of departure.
That was a welcome reversal of SIA’s stricter 2024 policy, when only PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club members could access these seats in the final 48 hours.
If you are unable to choose or modify your seat selection online at the online check-in stage, you can still switch your seats by calling SIA or using Kris the Chatbot (click “Chat with a live agent”). They will happily assist to move you to an unoccupied seat, like one of the Premium Economy ones – if available.
Other seat selection costs
Singapore Airlines sneakily increased a raft of its seat selection costs during the pandemic, by up to a whopping 88%, which we reported back in November 2021, then again by up to 75% in July 2024.
You can check out our comprehensive guide to seat selection fees on Singapore Airlines flights for a full overview of the charges applied in all cabins and on all routes by fare type, so you know what charges to expect in advance.
Our guide also outlines when you’ll need to get online to secure preferred seats for no additional charge, if they remain available in the days leading up to departure.
Summary
You can currently select a seat in the Premium Economy cabin on selected flights between Singapore and Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Malé, Manila and Yangon, thanks to the airline’s deployment of long-haul jets on these regional routes – though for Bangkok, Manila and Yangon it’s only on selected dates from late January 2027.
Premium Economy seats are available starting at an additional S$33-38 each way, depending on your KrisFlyer status, or S$60-70 each way for an extra legroom seat in this cabin, though it’s pricier for the longer Malé route, at S$65-77 (or S$98-115 for extra legroom).
PPS Club members continue to benefit from fee-free seat selection in Premium Economy on these routes, and the same benefit remains open to all passengers from 48 hours before departure, allowing you to jump on these seats for free if they are still unoccupied.
(Cover Photo: Zac George / Points from the Pacific)