Singapore Will Fly Its New A380 to Hong Kong and London
Since Singapore Airlines unveiled its stunning new first- and business-class products on its latest Airbus A380s, one of the questions has been what routes will it serve. After launching on the Singapore (SIN) to Sydney (SYD) route in December 2017, the airline has remained relatively quiet about its future plans for the aircraft. On Monday, however, the carrier broke its silence, announcing that it's set to offer the new A380 on routes to London (LHR) and Hong Kong (HKG).
Beginning February 16, 2018, the carrier will operate 3x weekly service between Singapore (SIN) and London (LHR) with the new A380, a 6,765-mile journey. Here's a look at the LHR operational schedule:
- SQ322 Singapore (SIN) 11:45pm Departure ⇒ London (LHR) 5:55am (+1) Arrival — Operates on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
- SQ305 London (LHR) 9:10am Departure ⇒ Singapore (SIN) 6:05am (+1) Arrival — Operates on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Effective April 7, 2018, it will swap its SIN-bound leg to SQ317. Here's the operational schedule, effective April 7:
- SQ322 Singapore (SIN) 11:45pm Departure ⇒ London (LHR) 5:55am (+1) Arrival — Operates on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
- SQ317 London (LHR) 11:25am Departure ⇒ Singapore (SIN) 7:30am (+1) Arrival — Operates on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays
In addition to these London routes, Singapore announced that it will also operate its new A380 on the 1,588-mile trip between SIN and Hong Kong. Beginning February 18, the following frequencies will be operated by the new A380:
- SQ860 Singapore (SIN) 8:25am Departure ⇒ Hong Kong (HKG) 12:25pm Arrival — Operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
- SQ863 Hong Kong (HKG) 2:10pm Departure ⇒ Singapore (SIN) 6:10pm Arrival — Operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
Effective April 8, the flights will be swapped, and Singapore will operate the new A380 on the following flights:
- SQ856 Singapore (SIN) 9:55am Departure ⇒ Hong Kong (HKG) 1:55pm Arrival — Operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
- SQ861 Hong Kong (HKG) 3:40pm Departure ⇒ Singapore (SIN) 7:35pm Arrival — Operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
Effective February 18, Singapore will operate the new A380 on three routes: Hong Kong (HKG), London (LHR) and Sydney (SYD).
The new Singapore Suites class on board the A380 is considered to be one of the best hard products flying in the sky. TPG Editor-at-Large Zach Honig had the chance to test out the product on its delivery flight to Singapore and found it to an amazing experience. Check out more coverage of the new A380:
- Touring the Gigantic New Singapore A380 Suite at Airbus HQ
- Check Out Singapore Airlines' New A380 Business Class Product
- Watch Singapore Airlines Show Us Around the Most Impressive First-Class Suite to Date
- First Look at Singapore Airlines' Brand-New Business Class
- Reader Review: Singapore's New A380 First-Class Suite
If you're looking to test it out for yourself, you'll probably have a difficult time finding award options. A few searches turned up little availability in Suites on the new LHR frequency. And, if you can find dates where it's available, you'll likely be placed on the waitlist. If you can find availability, it'll cost 115,000 miles one-way at the saver level or 210,000 miles one-way at the standard level. Again, these are on the waitlist.
There appears to be more outright Suites availability on the HKG route — but you'll have less time in the product. You could buy the seat outright at the standard level for 70,000 miles one-way for the confirmed seat. On several dates searched, I wasn't able to spot any saver availability — even waitlist space.
Keep in mind that you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Points to Singapore KrisFlyer. So, if you're looking to test out the new A380 product — even if it's not in Suites — it could be closer to reach than you might think. Check out this post for more tips on booking the new Suites class with points and miles.
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