First Look: Singapore Airlines' New Premium Economy Seat on World's Longest Flight
On October 11, Singapore Airlines will re-launch the longest flight in the world: Singapore (SIN) to Newark (EWR). The 19-hour flight bests the next-longest flight by more than an hour in duration and 502 miles in distance.
But, unlike the Qatar Airways flight from Doha (DOH) to Auckland (AKL) and Qantas' nonstop from Perth (PER) to London (LHR), this flight won't offer economy class. Instead, Singapore Airlines is operating with a premium-only 161 seat arrangement (67 business class, 94 premium economy) on its Airbus A350-900ULR [Ultra-Long Range].
For a flight this long, no ordinary premium economy seat would do — both for comfort and weight reasons. So, Singapore Airlines went to the design board with seat manufacturer Zodiac Aerospace to figure out how to make its premium economy seat more comfortable while also making it lighter weight. And today, this newly redesigned product was unveiled for the first time at Zodiac Aerospace's manufacturing plant in Gainesville, Texas.
This seat is heavily based on the existing Singapore Airlines premium economy seat. So, those familiar with the existing product are going to generally feel at home in this new seat. There are a few notable modifications: a higher seatback pocket, a redesigned armrest cupholder, a solid aisle-side armrest and reduced seatbelt bulkiness due to a lack of airbag.
The seats are arranged 2-4-2 in most rows of the premium economy cabin. Seats are arranged with 38 inches of pitch. That's enough legroom for almost anyone. But, when the seat in front of you is reclined, middle seat and window seat passengers are going to have trouble climbing into the aisle without disturbing their neighbors. Also, compared to a 9-seat wide arrangement in the Airbus A350 economy cabin, this 8-wide arrangement doesn't give much seat width.
However, there are six extra-special seats in premium economy. In the back three rows of the premium economy cabin, the narrowing aircraft body requires a 1-4-1 seating arrangement. This creates six highly-desirable window seats with aisle access and a personal storage bin. A finished model of this single-seat product wasn't quite ready for shipment at the time of our visit. However, Zodiac generously allowed us on the assembly line floor to check out a seat that was in the final stages of production.
On the top of the seatback, Singapore Airlines has a 13.3-inch in-flight entertainment screen (with a protective screen for shipment to Airbus' facility in Toulouse, France), a USB plug and coat hook. Below the screen is a large literature seatback pocket — located noticeably higher on than on the current Singapore Airlines A350 premium economy product. Below the seatback pocket is an adjustable footrest.
In addition to the footrest, these Singapore Airlines Premium Economy seats have a legrest to help support your legs. While I didn't notice it at the time, I'm noticing after-the-fact how awkwardly placed the legrest looks compared to the lip of the seat bottom.
While it didn't feel awkward in my time testing out the seat, it's clear that there's a gap between my legs and the legrest due to the shaping.
When you press the recline button on these seats, it's not just the seatback that reclines. Instead, the seat bottom rocks upward slightly which provides a cradling sensation.
One place that the weight-cutting is obvious is the tray table. The single-piece plastic table bypasses the extra weight of a bi-fold table. And, the table itself feels thin and a bit cheap. While the table felt steady in the manufacturing plant, it'll be interesting to see if it remains as steady over time.
In the media briefing, Singapore Airlines and Zodiac were happy to point out how much better this seat was than the premium economy seat that flew on the last iteration of this NYC-Singapore route. Among the improvements, this new product has 1,400 entertainment options on a 13.3-inch screen.
Overall, this is a competitive premium economy hard product and one that's built to help passengers enjoy the 19-hour flight between Newark and Singapore. It's clear that Singapore Airlines and Zodiac were intentional in their efforts to increase comfort while reducing weight for the ultra long-haul. Since every ounce counts for a flight that long, I can forgive the flimsy tray table.
A huge thank you to Singapore Airlines — especially James Boyd — and Zodiac Aerospace for providing this behind-the-scenes tour. Per TPG policy, I didn't accept free flights or hotel stays for this visit. Singapore Airlines did provide transportation between DFW and Zodiac's plant.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.