🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 106 (from laksa022)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa106.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://simpleflying.com/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://simpleflying.com/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines\/","crawl_time":1772677073,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,simpleflying!\/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines\/ s443","src_root_hash":"15033372965835594306","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Singapore Airlines’ Premium Playbook: Why First Class Still Matters","meta_descriptions":["A closer look at Singapore Airlines' strategy with this important cabin."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Credit: \nShutterstock, Simple Flying\nPublished\nMar 2, 2026, 7:00 AM EST\nDaniel comes to Simple Flying with a business focused approach to the aviation world. Daniel enjoys analyzing strategy and how companies move against each other to gain a step ahead in the skies. Besides strategy, Daniel also has a passion for aircraft design and the history of aviation.\nBased in New York and Singapore\nSign in to your\nSimple Flying\naccount\nSingapore Airlines\noffers one of the most delightfully flawless premium travel experiences in the world and is essentially just as good as any of the other contenders for the world's best airline. In reality, the carrier's seats in most classes are hardly ground-breaking, and are, in some aspects, even outdated, but where Singapore Airlines shines is with the quality of its service, as well as the catering, and ground experience.\nPerhaps the area where Singapore Airlines excels the most, however, is in first class. With its Airbus A380s, the carrier claims that it sells a travel class above first class, titling it 'Singapore Suites,' and the hard product on these planes is indeed groundbreaking. In addition, its 22-strong\nBoeing 777-300ER\nfleet features an older first class product more similar to what you'd find on other carriers. Singapore Airlines is continuing to invest in this cabin, even though first class has generally disappeared.\nSingapore Airlines' First Class Offering\nCredit: Singapore Airlines\nOn all 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, Singapore Airlines offers four first class suites. These seats are relatively old, lacking features like privacy doors, but are incredibly spacious. aeroLOPA\nshows that these seats are pitched at 81 inches (205.74 cm)\n, and come with a seat width of 35 inches (88.9 cm), along with a 24-inch (60.96 cm) display. The seat is excellent, but fairly similar to first class suites offered by many other airlines, and the technology is no longer cutting-edge.\nThe seats on the 12-strong\nAirbus A380\nfleet are the more exciting ones. Singapore Airlines brands the first class cabin on these planes as 'Singapore Suites,' and the most striking feature is that the six suites are installed two-abreast with a single aisle. Etihad Airways is the only other airline to configure its A380 first class, branded as the First Apartments, with a single aisle. The Singapore Suites, however, are more spacious and do not feature a staggered design.\nThere are just six Singapore Suites on each A380, and each takes up 50 square feet (4.64 square meters) of space, and includes a swiveling recliner, a fold-away bed, and a 32-inch (81.28 centimeter) screen. The Singapore Suites are also equipped with privacy doors, and for four of the six Singapore Suites, the center privacy partition can be lowered, connecting the two suites. With this, Singapore Airlines also offers a full double-bed, the largest in the airline industry.\nThe Problem With International First Class Today\nCredit: Shutterstock\nHistorically, first class was the premium airline cabin, whereas economy was the standard travel class. As airline interiors evolved, first class became more luxurious, while economy instead became more space-efficient. This growing divide created space for a mid-market option, commonly known as\nbusiness class\n. While first class was always more luxurious, business class would soon adopt many of the traits first associated with first class, such as lie-flat seating and direct aisle access.\nIn 2000, British Airways introduced the world's first fully lie-flat business class seat, and, in 2003, Virgin Atlantic introduced the world's first business class seat with direct aisle access. In 2014, JetBlue introduced the world's first business class seat with privacy doors in select seats, while 2017 saw Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines offer privacy doors on all seats. With this, many modern business class seats tick the main boxes that once defined the luxury of a first class seat.\nModern business class is good enough for most premium travelers, and it's less expensive, too, which has eroded the market for first class. In addition, first class is significantly more expensive for airlines to operate due to high soft product costs, such as catering and chauffeur services, often being sold at a loss. As such, many airlines have discontinued first class cabins in recent years, such as\nAmerican Airlines\n, while other airlines have scaled back their availability.\nRelated\nHow Singapore Airlines Makes First Class Work\nCredit: Shutterstock\nWorldwide, only a handful of areas have a high enough concentration of business travelers and wealthy individuals to justify a high number of first class seats, but Singapore is one of those areas. The city-state is extremely wealthy and has high business demand, with enough premium passengers traveling between it and other major cities to warrant selling first class. In addition, Singapore Airlines is well-located to capture wealthy connecting traffic between Asia, Australia, and Europe.\nSingapore Airlines' target market is wealthy and concentrated in a single area. This is the opposite situation of US airlines, for instance. Despite being the world's wealthiest nation in many metrics, the US can't support a local airline offering international first class in part because demand is spread out across a huge landmass, fragmenting demand on individual routes. American Airlines, the last US airline to sell international first class,\nhas already begun reconfiguring its Boeing 777-300ER fleet\n.\nConfigurations (Per\naeroLOPA\n)\nFlagship First\nFlagship Business\nPremium Economy\nEconomy\nTotal\nAmerican Airlines\nBoeing 777-300ER (Current)\nEight\n52\n28\n216\n304\nAmerican Airlines\nBoeing 777-300ER (Future)\nZero\n70\n44\n216\n330\nAir France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS are in a similar scenario to Singapore Airlines, in that they have a single hub or two hubs with high premium demand. The same is true of Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air, four of Singapore Airlines' closest competitors. Although demand for first class has shrunken in many markets, it still exists in meaningful numbers. However, it's now becoming a niche product rather than a mainstream offering.\nSingapore Airlines' Selling Proposition\nCredit: Shutterstock\nToday, Singapore Airlines is one of the world's most famous airline brands, and\nSingapore\nis well known as an economic powerhouse in Asia, but this level of global awareness and name recognition took decades to build. Developing an airline with a powerful connecting network and an excellent onboard product drove interest in the city, partially driving the success of Singapore as a country, in addition to the airline's success.\nThe 21st century saw the rise of the Gulf carriers, which have replicated this same strategy to draw attention to their home cities, with Emirates being the best example. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have focused more on their hard product, as opposed to Singapore Airlines' heavier focus on soft product. Although it's not located in the same region, it does compete with the Gulf carriers for similar connecting flows, so it has been innovating heavily in its hard product as well.\nProduct\nDebut\nAircraft\nLayout\nEtihad Airways\nFirst Apartments\n2014\nAirbus A380-800 (Seven)\n1-1\nEmirates\nGame Changer First Class\n2017\nBoeing 777-300ER (Nine)\n1-1-1\nSingapore Airlines\nSingapore Suites\n2017\nAirbus A380-800 (12)\n1-1\nThe Singapore Suites are the world's largest and arguably the world's best first class suites,\nrivaled only by the Etihad First Apartments and Emirates' Game Changer Suites on the Boeing 777\n. Not only does this make the airline competitive, but it creates a halo effect that drives interest in the rest of the carrier's products. In addition, although Singapore Airlines' business class is aging, it still offers exceptional comfort and space, further driving interest in the brand.\nRelated\nSingapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?\nTwo titans of Southeast Asian aviation face off in a battle for business class supremacy. Which carrier will come out on top?\nMore Investment In International First Class\nCredit: Shutterstock\nSingapore Airlines' relationship with its international first class cabin is becoming an industry-wide trend. The airlines that can't sustain it are dropping it, but those that can continue to invest in the cabin and are experiencing substantial success with the product. As some examples, Emirates offers first class on nearly all of its planes. Air France is adding La Premiere onto more of its Boeing 777-300ERs.\nMeanwhile, Qatar Airways originally planned to eliminate first class, but now plans to retain the cabin on some future Boeing 777-9 deliveries. Singapore Airlines has orders for 31 Boeing 777-9s, which are expected to partially replace the carrier's Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER fleets.\nThese planes will come with a new first class cabin\n, although patent filings indicate that the new seats will be more similar to the current 777 first class.\nThat is to say that they are set to feature a four-abreast layout with privacy doors and a center double suite. In addition, these seats will be retrofitted onto the carrier's seven Airbus A350-900ULRs, meaning that Singapore Airlines will be increasing the number of first class seats in its network.\nThe general strategy among airlines that have successfully retained first class is to position it as a luxury experience, rather than as a more comfortable means of transport. Singapore Airlines has the customer base to support first class, and its brand is centered around high-end travel. While first class is being removed by some airlines, you can be sure that Singapore Airlines will continue to offer these seats as perhaps the best travel experience in the airline industry.","attrs_markdown":"Menu\n\n[![Simple Flying logo](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/assets\/images\/sf-logo-full-colored-light.svg?v=3.6)](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/)\n\nSign in now\n\nClose\n\n- - [AIRLINES](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/airlines\/)\n  - [AIRPORTS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/airports\/)\n  - [AIRCRAFT](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/aircraft\/)\n  - [MANUFACTURERS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/manufacturers\/)\n- - [SEAT MAPS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/seat-maps\/airlines\/)\n  - [THREADS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/threads\/)\n  - [VIDEOS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/videos\/)\n  - [PODCAST](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/podcasts\/)\n\n- [Sign in](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/page\/newsletter\/)\n\nMenu\n\n[![Simple Flying logo](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/assets\/images\/sf-logo-icon-colored-dark.svg?v=3.6)](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/)\n\nFollow\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\n[Threads](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines\/#threads \"Threads\")\n\nMore Action\n\nSign in now\n\n[News](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/aviation-news\/)\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n\n[Boeing](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/boeing\/)\n\n[Airbus](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/airbus\/)\n\n[Threads](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/threads\/)\n\nClose\n\n# Singapore Airlines’ Premium Playbook: Why First Class Still Matters\n![Singapore Airlines First Class Custom Thumbnail](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/singapore-airlines-premium-playbook-why-first-class-still-matters.jpg?&fit=crop&w=1600&h=900)\n\nCredit:\n\nShutterstock, Simple Flying\n\n[![4](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F67a00237469ce-unnamed%20%281%29.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/author\/daniel-osipov\/)\n\nBy  [Daniel S Osipov](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/author\/daniel-osipov\/)\n\nPublished Mar 2, 2026, 7:00 AM EST\n\nDaniel comes to Simple Flying with a business focused approach to the aviation world. Daniel enjoys analyzing strategy and how companies move against each other to gain a step ahead in the skies. Besides strategy, Daniel also has a passion for aircraft design and the history of aviation.  \n   \n Based in New York and Singapore\n\n[Sign in to your Simple Flying account]()\n\n[Add Us On](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=simpleflying.com \"Add Us On\")\n\nfollow\n\nFollow\n\nfollowed\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nLike\n\n[Thread](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines\/#threads \"Threads\")\n\nLog in\n\nHere is a fact-based summary of the story contents:\n\nTry something different:\n\nShow me the facts\n\nExplain it like I’m 5\n\nGive me a lighthearted recap\n\n[![](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/sq-icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)Singapore Airlines](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/singapore-airlines\/) offers one of the most delightfully flawless premium travel experiences in the world and is essentially just as good as any of the other contenders for the world's best airline. In reality, the carrier's seats in most classes are hardly ground-breaking, and are, in some aspects, even outdated, but where Singapore Airlines shines is with the quality of its service, as well as the catering, and ground experience.\n\nPerhaps the area where Singapore Airlines excels the most, however, is in first class. With its Airbus A380s, the carrier claims that it sells a travel class above first class, titling it 'Singapore Suites,' and the hard product on these planes is indeed groundbreaking. In addition, its 22-strong Boeing 777-300ER fleet features an older first class product more similar to what you'd find on other carriers. Singapore Airlines is continuing to invest in this cabin, even though first class has generally disappeared.\n\n## Singapore Airlines' First Class Offering\n![Singapore Airlines new first class suites on A380](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/t-prdt-a380-newsuites-2-1.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Singapore Airlines\n\nOn all 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, Singapore Airlines offers four first class suites. These seats are relatively old, lacking features like privacy doors, but are incredibly spacious. aeroLOPA [shows that these seats are pitched at 81 inches (205.74 cm)](https:\/\/www.aerolopa.com\/), and come with a seat width of 35 inches (88.9 cm), along with a 24-inch (60.96 cm) display. The seat is excellent, but fairly similar to first class suites offered by many other airlines, and the technology is no longer cutting-edge.\n\nThe seats on the 12-strong Airbus A380 fleet are the more exciting ones. Singapore Airlines brands the first class cabin on these planes as 'Singapore Suites,' and the most striking feature is that the six suites are installed two-abreast with a single aisle. Etihad Airways is the only other airline to configure its A380 first class, branded as the First Apartments, with a single aisle. The Singapore Suites, however, are more spacious and do not feature a staggered design.\n\nThere are just six Singapore Suites on each A380, and each takes up 50 square feet (4.64 square meters) of space, and includes a swiveling recliner, a fold-away bed, and a 32-inch (81.28 centimeter) screen. The Singapore Suites are also equipped with privacy doors, and for four of the six Singapore Suites, the center privacy partition can be lowered, connecting the two suites. With this, Singapore Airlines also offers a full double-bed, the largest in the airline industry.\n\n## The Problem With International First Class Today\n![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 taxiing](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900-taxiing.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nHistorically, first class was the premium airline cabin, whereas economy was the standard travel class. As airline interiors evolved, first class became more luxurious, while economy instead became more space-efficient. This growing divide created space for a mid-market option, commonly known as [business class](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/business-class\/). While first class was always more luxurious, business class would soon adopt many of the traits first associated with first class, such as lie-flat seating and direct aisle access.\n\nIn 2000, British Airways introduced the world's first fully lie-flat business class seat, and, in 2003, Virgin Atlantic introduced the world's first business class seat with direct aisle access. In 2014, JetBlue introduced the world's first business class seat with privacy doors in select seats, while 2017 saw Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines offer privacy doors on all seats. With this, many modern business class seats tick the main boxes that once defined the luxury of a first class seat.\n\nModern business class is good enough for most premium travelers, and it's less expensive, too, which has eroded the market for first class. In addition, first class is significantly more expensive for airlines to operate due to high soft product costs, such as catering and chauffeur services, often being sold at a loss. As such, many airlines have discontinued first class cabins in recent years, such as [![](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/american_airlines_icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)American Airlines](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/american-airlines\/), while other airlines have scaled back their availability.\n\n![The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/the-5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-business-class-seats-you-can-book-today.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2)\n\nRelated\n\n##### [The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-busieness-class-seats-book-today\/ \"The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today\")\nDiscover the best business class on the giant Airbus.\n\nPosts\n\n[5](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-busieness-class-seats-book-today\/#threads \"Total Posts\")\n\nBy  [Luke Diaz](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/author\/luke-diaz\/ \"Posts by Luke Diaz\")\n\nOct 7, 2025\n## How Singapore Airlines Makes First Class Work\n![Singapore Airlines A380 In Hong Kong](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/shutterstock_2243485699.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nWorldwide, only a handful of areas have a high enough concentration of business travelers and wealthy individuals to justify a high number of first class seats, but Singapore is one of those areas. The city-state is extremely wealthy and has high business demand, with enough premium passengers traveling between it and other major cities to warrant selling first class. In addition, Singapore Airlines is well-located to capture wealthy connecting traffic between Asia, Australia, and Europe.\n\nSingapore Airlines' target market is wealthy and concentrated in a single area. This is the opposite situation of US airlines, for instance. Despite being the world's wealthiest nation in many metrics, the US can't support a local airline offering international first class in part because demand is spread out across a huge landmass, fragmenting demand on individual routes. American Airlines, the last US airline to sell international first class, [has already begun reconfiguring its Boeing 777-300ER fleet](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/american-airlines-sends-1st-boeing-777-300er-hong-kong-premium-retrofit\/).\n\n| Configurations (Per [aeroLOPA](https:\/\/www.aerolopa.com\/)) | Flagship First | Flagship Business | Premium Economy | Economy | *Total* |\n|---|---|---|---|---|---|\n| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Current) | Eight | 52 | 28 | 216 | ***304*** |\n| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Future) | Zero | 70 | 44 | 216 | ***330*** |\n\nAir France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS are in a similar scenario to Singapore Airlines, in that they have a single hub or two hubs with high premium demand. The same is true of Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air, four of Singapore Airlines' closest competitors. Although demand for first class has shrunken in many markets, it still exists in meaningful numbers. However, it's now becoming a niche product rather than a mainstream offering.\n\n## Singapore Airlines' Selling Proposition\n![Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 on final approach](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/singapore-airlines-airbus-a380-on-final-approach.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nToday, Singapore Airlines is one of the world's most famous airline brands, and [Singapore](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/singapore\/) is well known as an economic powerhouse in Asia, but this level of global awareness and name recognition took decades to build. Developing an airline with a powerful connecting network and an excellent onboard product drove interest in the city, partially driving the success of Singapore as a country, in addition to the airline's success.\n\nThe 21st century saw the rise of the Gulf carriers, which have replicated this same strategy to draw attention to their home cities, with Emirates being the best example. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have focused more on their hard product, as opposed to Singapore Airlines' heavier focus on soft product. Although it's not located in the same region, it does compete with the Gulf carriers for similar connecting flows, so it has been innovating heavily in its hard product as well.\n\n| Product | Debut | Aircraft | Layout |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Etihad Airways First Apartments | 2014 | Airbus A380-800 (Seven) | 1-1 |\n| Emirates Game Changer First Class | 2017 | Boeing 777-300ER (Nine) | 1-1-1 |\n| Singapore Airlines Singapore Suites | 2017 | Airbus A380-800 (12) | 1-1 |\n\nThe Singapore Suites are the world's largest and arguably the world's best first class suites, [rivaled only by the Etihad First Apartments and Emirates' Game Changer Suites on the Boeing 777](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/the-airlines-with-the-worlds-most-comfortable-first-class-suites-in-2026\/). Not only does this make the airline competitive, but it creates a halo effect that drives interest in the rest of the carrier's products. In addition, although Singapore Airlines' business class is aging, it still offers exceptional comfort and space, further driving interest in the brand.\n\n![Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/singapore-airlines-vs-cathay-pacific-which-carrier-s-business-class-is-superior.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2)\n\nRelated\n\n##### [Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/singapore-airlines-cathay-pacific-business-class-superior\/ \"Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?\")\nTwo titans of Southeast Asian aviation face off in a battle for business class supremacy. Which carrier will come out on top?\n\nPosts\n\n[5](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/singapore-airlines-cathay-pacific-business-class-superior\/#threads \"Total Posts\")\n\nBy  [Daniel S Osipov](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/author\/daniel-osipov\/ \"Posts by Daniel S Osipov\")\n\nDec 15, 2025\n## More Investment In International First Class\n![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra-Long Range) parked on the tarmac in New York.](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900ulr-ultra-long-range-parked-on-teh-tarmac-in-new-york.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nSingapore Airlines' relationship with its international first class cabin is becoming an industry-wide trend. The airlines that can't sustain it are dropping it, but those that can continue to invest in the cabin and are experiencing substantial success with the product. As some examples, Emirates offers first class on nearly all of its planes. Air France is adding La Premiere onto more of its Boeing 777-300ERs.\n\n### Subscribe to our newsletter for first-class insights\nWant more expert context? Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and analysis of premium airline cabins, fleet strategy, and first-class trends—insights on how carriers like Singapore Airlines design, sustain, and market luxury travel.\n***\nGet Updates\n\nBy subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.valnetinc.com\/en\/terms-of-use) and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.valnetinc.com\/en\/privacy-policy). You can unsubscribe anytime.\n\nMeanwhile, Qatar Airways originally planned to eliminate first class, but now plans to retain the cabin on some future Boeing 777-9 deliveries. Singapore Airlines has orders for 31 Boeing 777-9s, which are expected to partially replace the carrier's Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER fleets. [These planes will come with a new first class cabin](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/singapore-airlines-new-777x-first-class\/), although patent filings indicate that the new seats will be more similar to the current 777 first class.\n\nThat is to say that they are set to feature a four-abreast layout with privacy doors and a center double suite. In addition, these seats will be retrofitted onto the carrier's seven Airbus A350-900ULRs, meaning that Singapore Airlines will be increasing the number of first class seats in its network.\n\nThe general strategy among airlines that have successfully retained first class is to position it as a luxury experience, rather than as a more comfortable means of transport. Singapore Airlines has the customer base to support first class, and its brand is centered around high-end travel. While first class is being removed by some airlines, you can be sure that Singapore Airlines will continue to offer these seats as perhaps the best travel experience in the airline industry.\n\n- [Airlines](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/airlines\/ \"Airlines\")\n- [![Singapore Airlines](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/sq-icon.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=32&h=32&dpr=1.5) Singapore Airlines](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/singapore-airlines\/ \"Singapore Airlines\")\n- [Singapore](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/singapore\/ \"Singapore\")\n\nFollow\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nShare\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F%2F&src=sdkpreparse)   [X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Singapore%20Airlines%E2%80%99%20Premium%20Playbook%3A%20Why%20First%20Class%20Still%20Matters&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F)   [WhatsApp](https:\/\/web.whatsapp.com\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F)   [Threads](https:\/\/www.threads.net\/intent\/post?text=Singapore%20Airlines%E2%80%99%20Premium%20Playbook%3A%20Why%20First%20Class%20Still%20Matters%20https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F)   [Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/intent\/compose?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F)   [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F&title=Singapore%20Airlines%E2%80%99%20Premium%20Playbook%3A%20Why%20First%20Class%20Still%20Matters&source=simpleflying.com&summary=A%20closer%20look%20at%20Singapore%20Airlines%27%20strategy%20with%20this%20important%20cabin.)   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A link and image are optional.","attrs_readable_markdown":"![Singapore Airlines First Class Custom Thumbnail](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/singapore-airlines-premium-playbook-why-first-class-still-matters.jpg?&fit=crop&w=1600&h=900)\n\nCredit:\n\nShutterstock, Simple Flying\n\n[![4](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F67a00237469ce-unnamed%20%281%29.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/author\/daniel-osipov\/)\n\nPublished Mar 2, 2026, 7:00 AM EST\n\nDaniel comes to Simple Flying with a business focused approach to the aviation world. Daniel enjoys analyzing strategy and how companies move against each other to gain a step ahead in the skies. Besides strategy, Daniel also has a passion for aircraft design and the history of aviation.\n\nBased in New York and Singapore\n\n[Sign in to your Simple Flying account]()\n\n[![](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/sq-icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)Singapore Airlines](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/singapore-airlines\/) offers one of the most delightfully flawless premium travel experiences in the world and is essentially just as good as any of the other contenders for the world's best airline. In reality, the carrier's seats in most classes are hardly ground-breaking, and are, in some aspects, even outdated, but where Singapore Airlines shines is with the quality of its service, as well as the catering, and ground experience.\n\nPerhaps the area where Singapore Airlines excels the most, however, is in first class. With its Airbus A380s, the carrier claims that it sells a travel class above first class, titling it 'Singapore Suites,' and the hard product on these planes is indeed groundbreaking. In addition, its 22-strong Boeing 777-300ER fleet features an older first class product more similar to what you'd find on other carriers. Singapore Airlines is continuing to invest in this cabin, even though first class has generally disappeared.\n\n## Singapore Airlines' First Class Offering\n![Singapore Airlines new first class suites on A380](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/t-prdt-a380-newsuites-2-1.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Singapore Airlines\n\nOn all 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, Singapore Airlines offers four first class suites. These seats are relatively old, lacking features like privacy doors, but are incredibly spacious. aeroLOPA [shows that these seats are pitched at 81 inches (205.74 cm)](https:\/\/www.aerolopa.com\/), and come with a seat width of 35 inches (88.9 cm), along with a 24-inch (60.96 cm) display. The seat is excellent, but fairly similar to first class suites offered by many other airlines, and the technology is no longer cutting-edge.\n\nThe seats on the 12-strong Airbus A380 fleet are the more exciting ones. Singapore Airlines brands the first class cabin on these planes as 'Singapore Suites,' and the most striking feature is that the six suites are installed two-abreast with a single aisle. Etihad Airways is the only other airline to configure its A380 first class, branded as the First Apartments, with a single aisle. The Singapore Suites, however, are more spacious and do not feature a staggered design.\n\nThere are just six Singapore Suites on each A380, and each takes up 50 square feet (4.64 square meters) of space, and includes a swiveling recliner, a fold-away bed, and a 32-inch (81.28 centimeter) screen. The Singapore Suites are also equipped with privacy doors, and for four of the six Singapore Suites, the center privacy partition can be lowered, connecting the two suites. With this, Singapore Airlines also offers a full double-bed, the largest in the airline industry.\n\n## The Problem With International First Class Today\n![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 taxiing](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900-taxiing.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nHistorically, first class was the premium airline cabin, whereas economy was the standard travel class. As airline interiors evolved, first class became more luxurious, while economy instead became more space-efficient. This growing divide created space for a mid-market option, commonly known as [business class](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/business-class\/). While first class was always more luxurious, business class would soon adopt many of the traits first associated with first class, such as lie-flat seating and direct aisle access.\n\nIn 2000, British Airways introduced the world's first fully lie-flat business class seat, and, in 2003, Virgin Atlantic introduced the world's first business class seat with direct aisle access. In 2014, JetBlue introduced the world's first business class seat with privacy doors in select seats, while 2017 saw Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines offer privacy doors on all seats. With this, many modern business class seats tick the main boxes that once defined the luxury of a first class seat.\n\nModern business class is good enough for most premium travelers, and it's less expensive, too, which has eroded the market for first class. In addition, first class is significantly more expensive for airlines to operate due to high soft product costs, such as catering and chauffeur services, often being sold at a loss. As such, many airlines have discontinued first class cabins in recent years, such as [![](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/american_airlines_icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)American Airlines](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/american-airlines\/), while other airlines have scaled back their availability.\n\n![The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/the-5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-business-class-seats-you-can-book-today.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2)\n\nRelated\n## How Singapore Airlines Makes First Class Work\n![Singapore Airlines A380 In Hong Kong](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/shutterstock_2243485699.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nWorldwide, only a handful of areas have a high enough concentration of business travelers and wealthy individuals to justify a high number of first class seats, but Singapore is one of those areas. The city-state is extremely wealthy and has high business demand, with enough premium passengers traveling between it and other major cities to warrant selling first class. In addition, Singapore Airlines is well-located to capture wealthy connecting traffic between Asia, Australia, and Europe.\n\nSingapore Airlines' target market is wealthy and concentrated in a single area. This is the opposite situation of US airlines, for instance. Despite being the world's wealthiest nation in many metrics, the US can't support a local airline offering international first class in part because demand is spread out across a huge landmass, fragmenting demand on individual routes. American Airlines, the last US airline to sell international first class, [has already begun reconfiguring its Boeing 777-300ER fleet](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/american-airlines-sends-1st-boeing-777-300er-hong-kong-premium-retrofit\/).\n\n| Configurations (Per [aeroLOPA](https:\/\/www.aerolopa.com\/)) | Flagship First | Flagship Business | Premium Economy | Economy | *Total* |\n|---|---|---|---|---|---|\n| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Current) | Eight | 52 | 28 | 216 | ***304*** |\n| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Future) | Zero | 70 | 44 | 216 | ***330*** |\n\nAir France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS are in a similar scenario to Singapore Airlines, in that they have a single hub or two hubs with high premium demand. The same is true of Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air, four of Singapore Airlines' closest competitors. Although demand for first class has shrunken in many markets, it still exists in meaningful numbers. However, it's now becoming a niche product rather than a mainstream offering.\n\n## Singapore Airlines' Selling Proposition\n![Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 on final approach](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/singapore-airlines-airbus-a380-on-final-approach.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nToday, Singapore Airlines is one of the world's most famous airline brands, and [Singapore](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/singapore\/) is well known as an economic powerhouse in Asia, but this level of global awareness and name recognition took decades to build. Developing an airline with a powerful connecting network and an excellent onboard product drove interest in the city, partially driving the success of Singapore as a country, in addition to the airline's success.\n\nThe 21st century saw the rise of the Gulf carriers, which have replicated this same strategy to draw attention to their home cities, with Emirates being the best example. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have focused more on their hard product, as opposed to Singapore Airlines' heavier focus on soft product. Although it's not located in the same region, it does compete with the Gulf carriers for similar connecting flows, so it has been innovating heavily in its hard product as well.\n\n| Product | Debut | Aircraft | Layout |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Etihad Airways First Apartments | 2014 | Airbus A380-800 (Seven) | 1-1 |\n| Emirates Game Changer First Class | 2017 | Boeing 777-300ER (Nine) | 1-1-1 |\n| Singapore Airlines Singapore Suites | 2017 | Airbus A380-800 (12) | 1-1 |\n\nThe Singapore Suites are the world's largest and arguably the world's best first class suites, [rivaled only by the Etihad First Apartments and Emirates' Game Changer Suites on the Boeing 777](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/the-airlines-with-the-worlds-most-comfortable-first-class-suites-in-2026\/). Not only does this make the airline competitive, but it creates a halo effect that drives interest in the rest of the carrier's products. In addition, although Singapore Airlines' business class is aging, it still offers exceptional comfort and space, further driving interest in the brand.\n\n![Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/singapore-airlines-vs-cathay-pacific-which-carrier-s-business-class-is-superior.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2)\n\nRelated\n\n##### [Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/singapore-airlines-cathay-pacific-business-class-superior\/ \"Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?\")\nTwo titans of Southeast Asian aviation face off in a battle for business class supremacy. Which carrier will come out on top?\n## More Investment In International First Class\n![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra-Long Range) parked on the tarmac in New York.](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900ulr-ultra-long-range-parked-on-teh-tarmac-in-new-york.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)\n\nCredit: Shutterstock\n\nSingapore Airlines' relationship with its international first class cabin is becoming an industry-wide trend. The airlines that can't sustain it are dropping it, but those that can continue to invest in the cabin and are experiencing substantial success with the product. As some examples, Emirates offers first class on nearly all of its planes. Air France is adding La Premiere onto more of its Boeing 777-300ERs.\n\nMeanwhile, Qatar Airways originally planned to eliminate first class, but now plans to retain the cabin on some future Boeing 777-9 deliveries. Singapore Airlines has orders for 31 Boeing 777-9s, which are expected to partially replace the carrier's Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER fleets. [These planes will come with a new first class cabin](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/singapore-airlines-new-777x-first-class\/), although patent filings indicate that the new seats will be more similar to the current 777 first class.\n\nThat is to say that they are set to feature a four-abreast layout with privacy doors and a center double suite. In addition, these seats will be retrofitted onto the carrier's seven Airbus A350-900ULRs, meaning that Singapore Airlines will be increasing the number of first class seats in its network.\n\nThe general strategy among airlines that have successfully retained first class is to position it as a luxury experience, rather than as a more comfortable means of transport. Singapore Airlines has the customer base to support first class, and its brand is centered around high-end travel. While first class is being removed by some airlines, you can be sure that Singapore Airlines will continue to offer these seats as perhaps the best travel experience in the airline industry.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Credit: Shutterstock, Simple Flying Published Mar 2, 2026, 7:00 AM EST Daniel comes to Simple Flying with a business focused approach to the aviation world. Daniel enjoys analyzing strategy and how companies move against each other to gain a step ahead in the skies. Besides strategy, Daniel also has a passion for aircraft design and the history of aviation. Based in New York and Singapore Sign in to your Simple Flying account Singapore Airlines offers one of the most delightfully flawless premium travel experiences in the world and is essentially just as good as any of the other contenders for the world's best airline. In reality, the carrier's seats in most classes are hardly ground-breaking, and are, in some aspects, even outdated, but where Singapore Airlines shines is with the quality of its service, as well as the catering, and ground experience. Perhaps the area where Singapore Airlines excels the most, however, is in first class. With its Airbus A380s, the carrier claims that it sells a travel class above first class, titling it 'Singapore Suites,' and the hard product on these planes is indeed groundbreaking. In addition, its 22-strong Boeing 777-300ER fleet features an older first class product more similar to what you'd find on other carriers. Singapore Airlines is continuing to invest in this cabin, even though first class has generally disappeared. Singapore Airlines' First Class Offering Credit: Singapore Airlines On all 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, Singapore Airlines offers four first class suites. These seats are relatively old, lacking features like privacy doors, but are incredibly spacious. aeroLOPA shows that these seats are pitched at 81 inches (205.74 cm) , and come with a seat width of 35 inches (88.9 cm), along with a 24-inch (60.96 cm) display. The seat is excellent, but fairly similar to first class suites offered by many other airlines, and the technology is no longer cutting-edge. The seats on the 12-strong Airbus A380 fleet are the more exciting ones. Singapore Airlines brands the first class cabin on these planes as 'Singapore Suites,' and the most striking feature is that the six suites are installed two-abreast with a single aisle. Etihad Airways is the only other airline to configure its A380 first class, branded as the First Apartments, with a single aisle. The Singapore Suites, however, are more spacious and do not feature a staggered design. There are just six Singapore Suites on each A380, and each takes up 50 square feet (4.64 square meters) of space, and includes a swiveling recliner, a fold-away bed, and a 32-inch (81.28 centimeter) screen. The Singapore Suites are also equipped with privacy doors, and for four of the six Singapore Suites, the center privacy partition can be lowered, connecting the two suites. With this, Singapore Airlines also offers a full double-bed, the largest in the airline industry. The Problem With International First Class Today Credit: Shutterstock Historically, first class was the premium airline cabin, whereas economy was the standard travel class. As airline interiors evolved, first class became more luxurious, while economy instead became more space-efficient. This growing divide created space for a mid-market option, commonly known as business class . While first class was always more luxurious, business class would soon adopt many of the traits first associated with first class, such as lie-flat seating and direct aisle access. In 2000, British Airways introduced the world's first fully lie-flat business class seat, and, in 2003, Virgin Atlantic introduced the world's first business class seat with direct aisle access. In 2014, JetBlue introduced the world's first business class seat with privacy doors in select seats, while 2017 saw Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines offer privacy doors on all seats. With this, many modern business class seats tick the main boxes that once defined the luxury of a first class seat. Modern business class is good enough for most premium travelers, and it's less expensive, too, which has eroded the market for first class. In addition, first class is significantly more expensive for airlines to operate due to high soft product costs, such as catering and chauffeur services, often being sold at a loss. As such, many airlines have discontinued first class cabins in recent years, such as American Airlines , while other airlines have scaled back their availability. Related How Singapore Airlines Makes First Class Work Credit: Shutterstock Worldwide, only a handful of areas have a high enough concentration of business travelers and wealthy individuals to justify a high number of first class seats, but Singapore is one of those areas. The city-state is extremely wealthy and has high business demand, with enough premium passengers traveling between it and other major cities to warrant selling first class. In addition, Singapore Airlines is well-located to capture wealthy connecting traffic between Asia, Australia, and Europe. Singapore Airlines' target market is wealthy and concentrated in a single area. This is the opposite situation of US airlines, for instance. Despite being the world's wealthiest nation in many metrics, the US can't support a local airline offering international first class in part because demand is spread out across a huge landmass, fragmenting demand on individual routes. American Airlines, the last US airline to sell international first class, has already begun reconfiguring its Boeing 777-300ER fleet . Configurations (Per aeroLOPA ) Flagship First Flagship Business Premium Economy Economy Total American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Current) Eight 52 28 216 304 American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Future) Zero 70 44 216 330 Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS are in a similar scenario to Singapore Airlines, in that they have a single hub or two hubs with high premium demand. The same is true of Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air, four of Singapore Airlines' closest competitors. Although demand for first class has shrunken in many markets, it still exists in meaningful numbers. However, it's now becoming a niche product rather than a mainstream offering. Singapore Airlines' Selling Proposition Credit: Shutterstock Today, Singapore Airlines is one of the world's most famous airline brands, and Singapore is well known as an economic powerhouse in Asia, but this level of global awareness and name recognition took decades to build. Developing an airline with a powerful connecting network and an excellent onboard product drove interest in the city, partially driving the success of Singapore as a country, in addition to the airline's success. The 21st century saw the rise of the Gulf carriers, which have replicated this same strategy to draw attention to their home cities, with Emirates being the best example. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have focused more on their hard product, as opposed to Singapore Airlines' heavier focus on soft product. Although it's not located in the same region, it does compete with the Gulf carriers for similar connecting flows, so it has been innovating heavily in its hard product as well. Product Debut Aircraft Layout Etihad Airways First Apartments 2014 Airbus A380-800 (Seven) 1-1 Emirates Game Changer First Class 2017 Boeing 777-300ER (Nine) 1-1-1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Suites 2017 Airbus A380-800 (12) 1-1 The Singapore Suites are the world's largest and arguably the world's best first class suites, rivaled only by the Etihad First Apartments and Emirates' Game Changer Suites on the Boeing 777 . Not only does this make the airline competitive, but it creates a halo effect that drives interest in the rest of the carrier's products. In addition, although Singapore Airlines' business class is aging, it still offers exceptional comfort and space, further driving interest in the brand. Related Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior? Two titans of Southeast Asian aviation face off in a battle for business class supremacy. Which carrier will come out on top? More Investment In International First Class Credit: Shutterstock Singapore Airlines' relationship with its international first class cabin is becoming an industry-wide trend. The airlines that can't sustain it are dropping it, but those that can continue to invest in the cabin and are experiencing substantial success with the product. As some examples, Emirates offers first class on nearly all of its planes. Air France is adding La Premiere onto more of its Boeing 777-300ERs. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways originally planned to eliminate first class, but now plans to retain the cabin on some future Boeing 777-9 deliveries. Singapore Airlines has orders for 31 Boeing 777-9s, which are expected to partially replace the carrier's Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER fleets. These planes will come with a new first class cabin , although patent filings indicate that the new seats will be more similar to the current 777 first class. That is to say that they are set to feature a four-abreast layout with privacy doors and a center double suite. In addition, these seats will be retrofitted onto the carrier's seven Airbus A350-900ULRs, meaning that Singapore Airlines will be increasing the number of first class seats in its network. The general strategy among airlines that have successfully retained first class is to position it as a luxury experience, rather than as a more comfortable means of transport. Singapore Airlines has the customer base to support first class, and its brand is centered around high-end travel. While first class is being removed by some airlines, you can be sure that Singapore Airlines will continue to offer these seats as perhaps the best travel experience in the airline industry.
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Daniel enjoys analyzing strategy and how companies move against each other to gain a step ahead in the skies. Besides strategy, Daniel also has a passion for aircraft design and the history of aviation. Based in New York and Singapore [Sign in to your Simple Flying account]() [Add Us On](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=simpleflying.com "Add Us On") follow Follow followed Followed Like Like [Thread](https://simpleflying.com/why-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines/#threads "Threads") Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap [![](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sq-icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)Singapore Airlines](https://simpleflying.com/tag/singapore-airlines/) offers one of the most delightfully flawless premium travel experiences in the world and is essentially just as good as any of the other contenders for the world's best airline. In reality, the carrier's seats in most classes are hardly ground-breaking, and are, in some aspects, even outdated, but where Singapore Airlines shines is with the quality of its service, as well as the catering, and ground experience. Perhaps the area where Singapore Airlines excels the most, however, is in first class. With its Airbus A380s, the carrier claims that it sells a travel class above first class, titling it 'Singapore Suites,' and the hard product on these planes is indeed groundbreaking. In addition, its 22-strong Boeing 777-300ER fleet features an older first class product more similar to what you'd find on other carriers. Singapore Airlines is continuing to invest in this cabin, even though first class has generally disappeared. ## Singapore Airlines' First Class Offering ![Singapore Airlines new first class suites on A380](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/t-prdt-a380-newsuites-2-1.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Singapore Airlines On all 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, Singapore Airlines offers four first class suites. These seats are relatively old, lacking features like privacy doors, but are incredibly spacious. aeroLOPA [shows that these seats are pitched at 81 inches (205.74 cm)](https://www.aerolopa.com/), and come with a seat width of 35 inches (88.9 cm), along with a 24-inch (60.96 cm) display. The seat is excellent, but fairly similar to first class suites offered by many other airlines, and the technology is no longer cutting-edge. The seats on the 12-strong Airbus A380 fleet are the more exciting ones. Singapore Airlines brands the first class cabin on these planes as 'Singapore Suites,' and the most striking feature is that the six suites are installed two-abreast with a single aisle. Etihad Airways is the only other airline to configure its A380 first class, branded as the First Apartments, with a single aisle. The Singapore Suites, however, are more spacious and do not feature a staggered design. There are just six Singapore Suites on each A380, and each takes up 50 square feet (4.64 square meters) of space, and includes a swiveling recliner, a fold-away bed, and a 32-inch (81.28 centimeter) screen. The Singapore Suites are also equipped with privacy doors, and for four of the six Singapore Suites, the center privacy partition can be lowered, connecting the two suites. With this, Singapore Airlines also offers a full double-bed, the largest in the airline industry. ## The Problem With International First Class Today ![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 taxiing](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900-taxiing.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Historically, first class was the premium airline cabin, whereas economy was the standard travel class. As airline interiors evolved, first class became more luxurious, while economy instead became more space-efficient. This growing divide created space for a mid-market option, commonly known as [business class](https://simpleflying.com/tag/business-class/). While first class was always more luxurious, business class would soon adopt many of the traits first associated with first class, such as lie-flat seating and direct aisle access. In 2000, British Airways introduced the world's first fully lie-flat business class seat, and, in 2003, Virgin Atlantic introduced the world's first business class seat with direct aisle access. In 2014, JetBlue introduced the world's first business class seat with privacy doors in select seats, while 2017 saw Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines offer privacy doors on all seats. With this, many modern business class seats tick the main boxes that once defined the luxury of a first class seat. Modern business class is good enough for most premium travelers, and it's less expensive, too, which has eroded the market for first class. In addition, first class is significantly more expensive for airlines to operate due to high soft product costs, such as catering and chauffeur services, often being sold at a loss. As such, many airlines have discontinued first class cabins in recent years, such as [![](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/american_airlines_icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)American Airlines](https://simpleflying.com/tag/american-airlines/), while other airlines have scaled back their availability. ![The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/the-5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-business-class-seats-you-can-book-today.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2) Related ##### [The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today](https://simpleflying.com/5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-busieness-class-seats-book-today/ "The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today") Discover the best business class on the giant Airbus. Posts [5](https://simpleflying.com/5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-busieness-class-seats-book-today/#threads "Total Posts") By [Luke Diaz](https://simpleflying.com/author/luke-diaz/ "Posts by Luke Diaz") Oct 7, 2025 ## How Singapore Airlines Makes First Class Work ![Singapore Airlines A380 In Hong Kong](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/shutterstock_2243485699.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Worldwide, only a handful of areas have a high enough concentration of business travelers and wealthy individuals to justify a high number of first class seats, but Singapore is one of those areas. The city-state is extremely wealthy and has high business demand, with enough premium passengers traveling between it and other major cities to warrant selling first class. In addition, Singapore Airlines is well-located to capture wealthy connecting traffic between Asia, Australia, and Europe. Singapore Airlines' target market is wealthy and concentrated in a single area. This is the opposite situation of US airlines, for instance. Despite being the world's wealthiest nation in many metrics, the US can't support a local airline offering international first class in part because demand is spread out across a huge landmass, fragmenting demand on individual routes. American Airlines, the last US airline to sell international first class, [has already begun reconfiguring its Boeing 777-300ER fleet](https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-sends-1st-boeing-777-300er-hong-kong-premium-retrofit/). \| Configurations (Per [aeroLOPA](https://www.aerolopa.com/)) \| Flagship First \| Flagship Business \| Premium Economy \| Economy \| Total \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Current) \| Eight \| 52 \| 28 \| 216 \| *304* \| \| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Future) \| Zero \| 70 \| 44 \| 216 \| *330* \| Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS are in a similar scenario to Singapore Airlines, in that they have a single hub or two hubs with high premium demand. The same is true of Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air, four of Singapore Airlines' closest competitors. Although demand for first class has shrunken in many markets, it still exists in meaningful numbers. However, it's now becoming a niche product rather than a mainstream offering. ## Singapore Airlines' Selling Proposition ![Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 on final approach](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/singapore-airlines-airbus-a380-on-final-approach.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Today, Singapore Airlines is one of the world's most famous airline brands, and [Singapore](https://simpleflying.com/tag/singapore/) is well known as an economic powerhouse in Asia, but this level of global awareness and name recognition took decades to build. Developing an airline with a powerful connecting network and an excellent onboard product drove interest in the city, partially driving the success of Singapore as a country, in addition to the airline's success. The 21st century saw the rise of the Gulf carriers, which have replicated this same strategy to draw attention to their home cities, with Emirates being the best example. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have focused more on their hard product, as opposed to Singapore Airlines' heavier focus on soft product. Although it's not located in the same region, it does compete with the Gulf carriers for similar connecting flows, so it has been innovating heavily in its hard product as well. \| Product \| Debut \| Aircraft \| Layout \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| Etihad Airways First Apartments \| 2014 \| Airbus A380-800 (Seven) \| 1-1 \| \| Emirates Game Changer First Class \| 2017 \| Boeing 777-300ER (Nine) \| 1-1-1 \| \| Singapore Airlines Singapore Suites \| 2017 \| Airbus A380-800 (12) \| 1-1 \| The Singapore Suites are the world's largest and arguably the world's best first class suites, [rivaled only by the Etihad First Apartments and Emirates' Game Changer Suites on the Boeing 777](https://simpleflying.com/the-airlines-with-the-worlds-most-comfortable-first-class-suites-in-2026/). Not only does this make the airline competitive, but it creates a halo effect that drives interest in the rest of the carrier's products. In addition, although Singapore Airlines' business class is aging, it still offers exceptional comfort and space, further driving interest in the brand. ![Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/singapore-airlines-vs-cathay-pacific-which-carrier-s-business-class-is-superior.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2) Related ##### [Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?](https://simpleflying.com/singapore-airlines-cathay-pacific-business-class-superior/ "Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?") Two titans of Southeast Asian aviation face off in a battle for business class supremacy. Which carrier will come out on top? Posts [5](https://simpleflying.com/singapore-airlines-cathay-pacific-business-class-superior/#threads "Total Posts") By [Daniel S Osipov](https://simpleflying.com/author/daniel-osipov/ "Posts by Daniel S Osipov") Dec 15, 2025 ## More Investment In International First Class ![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra-Long Range) parked on the tarmac in New York.](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900ulr-ultra-long-range-parked-on-teh-tarmac-in-new-york.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Singapore Airlines' relationship with its international first class cabin is becoming an industry-wide trend. The airlines that can't sustain it are dropping it, but those that can continue to invest in the cabin and are experiencing substantial success with the product. As some examples, Emirates offers first class on nearly all of its planes. Air France is adding La Premiere onto more of its Boeing 777-300ERs. ### Subscribe to our newsletter for first-class insights Want more expert context? Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and analysis of premium airline cabins, fleet strategy, and first-class trends—insights on how carriers like Singapore Airlines design, sustain, and market luxury travel. * Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our [Terms of Use](https://www.valnetinc.com/en/terms-of-use) and [Privacy Policy](https://www.valnetinc.com/en/privacy-policy). You can unsubscribe anytime. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways originally planned to eliminate first class, but now plans to retain the cabin on some future Boeing 777-9 deliveries. Singapore Airlines has orders for 31 Boeing 777-9s, which are expected to partially replace the carrier's Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER fleets. [These planes will come with a new first class cabin](https://simpleflying.com/singapore-airlines-new-777x-first-class/), although patent filings indicate that the new seats will be more similar to the current 777 first class. That is to say that they are set to feature a four-abreast layout with privacy doors and a center double suite. In addition, these seats will be retrofitted onto the carrier's seven Airbus A350-900ULRs, meaning that Singapore Airlines will be increasing the number of first class seats in its network. The general strategy among airlines that have successfully retained first class is to position it as a luxury experience, rather than as a more comfortable means of transport. Singapore Airlines has the customer base to support first class, and its brand is centered around high-end travel. While first class is being removed by some airlines, you can be sure that Singapore Airlines will continue to offer these seats as perhaps the best travel experience in the airline industry. - [Airlines](https://simpleflying.com/category/airlines/ "Airlines") - [![Singapore Airlines](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sq-icon.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=32&h=32&dpr=1.5) Singapore Airlines](https://simpleflying.com/tag/singapore-airlines/ "Singapore Airlines") - [Singapore](https://simpleflying.com/tag/singapore/ "Singapore") Follow Followed Like Share [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F%2F&src=sdkpreparse) [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Singapore%20Airlines%E2%80%99%20Premium%20Playbook%3A%20Why%20First%20Class%20Still%20Matters&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F) [WhatsApp](https://web.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F) [Threads](https://www.threads.net/intent/post?text=Singapore%20Airlines%E2%80%99%20Premium%20Playbook%3A%20Why%20First%20Class%20Still%20Matters%20https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F) [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fwhy-first-class-still-matters-singapore-airlines%2F&title=Singapore%20Airlines%E2%80%99%20Premium%20Playbook%3A%20Why%20First%20Class%20Still%20Matters&source=simpleflying.com&summary=A%20closer%20look%20at%20Singapore%20Airlines%27%20strategy%20with%20this%20important%20cabin.) 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Readable Markdown	![Singapore Airlines First Class Custom Thumbnail](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/singapore-airlines-premium-playbook-why-first-class-still-matters.jpg?&fit=crop&w=1600&h=900) Credit: Shutterstock, Simple Flying [![4](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F67a00237469ce-unnamed%20%281%29.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https://simpleflying.com/author/daniel-osipov/) Published Mar 2, 2026, 7:00 AM EST Daniel comes to Simple Flying with a business focused approach to the aviation world. Daniel enjoys analyzing strategy and how companies move against each other to gain a step ahead in the skies. Besides strategy, Daniel also has a passion for aircraft design and the history of aviation. Based in New York and Singapore [Sign in to your Simple Flying account]() [![](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sq-icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)Singapore Airlines](https://simpleflying.com/tag/singapore-airlines/) offers one of the most delightfully flawless premium travel experiences in the world and is essentially just as good as any of the other contenders for the world's best airline. In reality, the carrier's seats in most classes are hardly ground-breaking, and are, in some aspects, even outdated, but where Singapore Airlines shines is with the quality of its service, as well as the catering, and ground experience. Perhaps the area where Singapore Airlines excels the most, however, is in first class. With its Airbus A380s, the carrier claims that it sells a travel class above first class, titling it 'Singapore Suites,' and the hard product on these planes is indeed groundbreaking. In addition, its 22-strong Boeing 777-300ER fleet features an older first class product more similar to what you'd find on other carriers. Singapore Airlines is continuing to invest in this cabin, even though first class has generally disappeared. ## Singapore Airlines' First Class Offering ![Singapore Airlines new first class suites on A380](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/t-prdt-a380-newsuites-2-1.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Singapore Airlines On all 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, Singapore Airlines offers four first class suites. These seats are relatively old, lacking features like privacy doors, but are incredibly spacious. aeroLOPA [shows that these seats are pitched at 81 inches (205.74 cm)](https://www.aerolopa.com/), and come with a seat width of 35 inches (88.9 cm), along with a 24-inch (60.96 cm) display. The seat is excellent, but fairly similar to first class suites offered by many other airlines, and the technology is no longer cutting-edge. The seats on the 12-strong Airbus A380 fleet are the more exciting ones. Singapore Airlines brands the first class cabin on these planes as 'Singapore Suites,' and the most striking feature is that the six suites are installed two-abreast with a single aisle. Etihad Airways is the only other airline to configure its A380 first class, branded as the First Apartments, with a single aisle. The Singapore Suites, however, are more spacious and do not feature a staggered design. There are just six Singapore Suites on each A380, and each takes up 50 square feet (4.64 square meters) of space, and includes a swiveling recliner, a fold-away bed, and a 32-inch (81.28 centimeter) screen. The Singapore Suites are also equipped with privacy doors, and for four of the six Singapore Suites, the center privacy partition can be lowered, connecting the two suites. With this, Singapore Airlines also offers a full double-bed, the largest in the airline industry. ## The Problem With International First Class Today ![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 taxiing](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900-taxiing.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Historically, first class was the premium airline cabin, whereas economy was the standard travel class. As airline interiors evolved, first class became more luxurious, while economy instead became more space-efficient. This growing divide created space for a mid-market option, commonly known as [business class](https://simpleflying.com/tag/business-class/). While first class was always more luxurious, business class would soon adopt many of the traits first associated with first class, such as lie-flat seating and direct aisle access. In 2000, British Airways introduced the world's first fully lie-flat business class seat, and, in 2003, Virgin Atlantic introduced the world's first business class seat with direct aisle access. In 2014, JetBlue introduced the world's first business class seat with privacy doors in select seats, while 2017 saw Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines offer privacy doors on all seats. With this, many modern business class seats tick the main boxes that once defined the luxury of a first class seat. Modern business class is good enough for most premium travelers, and it's less expensive, too, which has eroded the market for first class. In addition, first class is significantly more expensive for airlines to operate due to high soft product costs, such as catering and chauffeur services, often being sold at a loss. As such, many airlines have discontinued first class cabins in recent years, such as [![](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/american_airlines_icon.png?fit=contain&h=22&w=22)American Airlines](https://simpleflying.com/tag/american-airlines/), while other airlines have scaled back their availability. ![The 5 Most Comfortable Airbus A380 Business Class Seats You Can Book Today](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/the-5-most-comfortable-airbus-a380-business-class-seats-you-can-book-today.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2) Related ## How Singapore Airlines Makes First Class Work ![Singapore Airlines A380 In Hong Kong](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/shutterstock_2243485699.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Worldwide, only a handful of areas have a high enough concentration of business travelers and wealthy individuals to justify a high number of first class seats, but Singapore is one of those areas. The city-state is extremely wealthy and has high business demand, with enough premium passengers traveling between it and other major cities to warrant selling first class. In addition, Singapore Airlines is well-located to capture wealthy connecting traffic between Asia, Australia, and Europe. Singapore Airlines' target market is wealthy and concentrated in a single area. This is the opposite situation of US airlines, for instance. Despite being the world's wealthiest nation in many metrics, the US can't support a local airline offering international first class in part because demand is spread out across a huge landmass, fragmenting demand on individual routes. American Airlines, the last US airline to sell international first class, [has already begun reconfiguring its Boeing 777-300ER fleet](https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-sends-1st-boeing-777-300er-hong-kong-premium-retrofit/). \| Configurations (Per [aeroLOPA](https://www.aerolopa.com/)) \| Flagship First \| Flagship Business \| Premium Economy \| Economy \| Total \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Current) \| Eight \| 52 \| 28 \| 216 \| *304* \| \| American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (Future) \| Zero \| 70 \| 44 \| 216 \| *330* \| Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS are in a similar scenario to Singapore Airlines, in that they have a single hub or two hubs with high premium demand. The same is true of Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air, four of Singapore Airlines' closest competitors. Although demand for first class has shrunken in many markets, it still exists in meaningful numbers. However, it's now becoming a niche product rather than a mainstream offering. ## Singapore Airlines' Selling Proposition ![Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 on final approach](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/singapore-airlines-airbus-a380-on-final-approach.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Today, Singapore Airlines is one of the world's most famous airline brands, and [Singapore](https://simpleflying.com/tag/singapore/) is well known as an economic powerhouse in Asia, but this level of global awareness and name recognition took decades to build. Developing an airline with a powerful connecting network and an excellent onboard product drove interest in the city, partially driving the success of Singapore as a country, in addition to the airline's success. The 21st century saw the rise of the Gulf carriers, which have replicated this same strategy to draw attention to their home cities, with Emirates being the best example. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have focused more on their hard product, as opposed to Singapore Airlines' heavier focus on soft product. Although it's not located in the same region, it does compete with the Gulf carriers for similar connecting flows, so it has been innovating heavily in its hard product as well. \| Product \| Debut \| Aircraft \| Layout \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| Etihad Airways First Apartments \| 2014 \| Airbus A380-800 (Seven) \| 1-1 \| \| Emirates Game Changer First Class \| 2017 \| Boeing 777-300ER (Nine) \| 1-1-1 \| \| Singapore Airlines Singapore Suites \| 2017 \| Airbus A380-800 (12) \| 1-1 \| The Singapore Suites are the world's largest and arguably the world's best first class suites, [rivaled only by the Etihad First Apartments and Emirates' Game Changer Suites on the Boeing 777](https://simpleflying.com/the-airlines-with-the-worlds-most-comfortable-first-class-suites-in-2026/). Not only does this make the airline competitive, but it creates a halo effect that drives interest in the rest of the carrier's products. In addition, although Singapore Airlines' business class is aging, it still offers exceptional comfort and space, further driving interest in the brand. ![Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/singapore-airlines-vs-cathay-pacific-which-carrier-s-business-class-is-superior.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=182&dpr=2) Related ##### [Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?](https://simpleflying.com/singapore-airlines-cathay-pacific-business-class-superior/ "Singapore Airlines Vs. Cathay Pacific: Which Carrier’s Business Class Is Superior?") Two titans of Southeast Asian aviation face off in a battle for business class supremacy. Which carrier will come out on top? ## More Investment In International First Class ![Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra-Long Range) parked on the tarmac in New York.](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/singapore-airlines-airbus-a350-900ulr-ultra-long-range-parked-on-teh-tarmac-in-new-york.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2) Credit: Shutterstock Singapore Airlines' relationship with its international first class cabin is becoming an industry-wide trend. The airlines that can't sustain it are dropping it, but those that can continue to invest in the cabin and are experiencing substantial success with the product. As some examples, Emirates offers first class on nearly all of its planes. Air France is adding La Premiere onto more of its Boeing 777-300ERs. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways originally planned to eliminate first class, but now plans to retain the cabin on some future Boeing 777-9 deliveries. Singapore Airlines has orders for 31 Boeing 777-9s, which are expected to partially replace the carrier's Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER fleets. [These planes will come with a new first class cabin](https://simpleflying.com/singapore-airlines-new-777x-first-class/), although patent filings indicate that the new seats will be more similar to the current 777 first class. That is to say that they are set to feature a four-abreast layout with privacy doors and a center double suite. In addition, these seats will be retrofitted onto the carrier's seven Airbus A350-900ULRs, meaning that Singapore Airlines will be increasing the number of first class seats in its network. The general strategy among airlines that have successfully retained first class is to position it as a luxury experience, rather than as a more comfortable means of transport. Singapore Airlines has the customer base to support first class, and its brand is centered around high-end travel. While first class is being removed by some airlines, you can be sure that Singapore Airlines will continue to offer these seats as perhaps the best travel experience in the airline industry.
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