Updated: 6th February 2020
Row 11. As the very front of Business Class, it’s one of the most popular choices among Singapore Airlines passengers. Securing it for your upcoming flight on many routes is a contentious issue however, since it’s often blocked for advance selection to all but the airline’s highest frequent flyer status holders.
SIA’s has an aircraft specific ‘rule set’ for regularly blocked seats, with some rules even applying on a route specific basis. Here we debunk the myths and lay bare the policy, so you know not only what you can and can’t pick, but perhaps most importantly when those prized seats are released to the masses.
The bassinet policy
In 2019 Singapore Airlines stopped blocking bassinet seats in all First and Business Class cabins network-wide.
That’s really good news, and frankly it was probably about time. The airline clearly recognised the likelihood of infants travelling in these cabins was small, and withholding them from advance selection was an inconvenience to premium cabin customers.
For example in First Class on the 777-300ER, with only four seats in the cabin, the bassinet position at 1A was previously unavailable for advance selection online. Even before a single passenger booked, the seat map looked like this:
You could always be allocated seat 1A if you wanted it (for example if 1F was already taken and you didn’t want to sit in the middle pair), but you had to call Singapore Airlines to do it.
Thankfully now there’s no need, on a 777-300ER flight with no bookings in First Class this is your seat choice:
This was even more of an issue on the A380s. The bassinet preselection rules in the two Suites configurations meant that as a couple you either couldn’t pick one of the two double bed options on the older 2007 Suites (2C / 2D) online:
Or you couldn’t pick one of the two double bed options in the new 2017 Suites (1F / 2F) online:
Neither of these scenarios was ideal for Suites passengers if one of the other double beds was already being obstructed, either by another couple or a single passenger.
Thankfully it’s now been resolved. No need to pick up the phone to sit in 2C / 2D on the A380s with the older Suites fit: