SQ's lost mojo - overdue for a good rant!

[milehighj]

I just wanted to make the observation that Singapore Airlines, a company close to my heart in many ways, has quite frankly lost it's mojo.

Love them or hate them, EK and their Middle Eastern brethren are upping the stakes with new aircraft, new routes, and new customers. They may certainly fail, but at least they have a vision and a plan.

What does SQ have? SQ is now being run by a bunch of cost-conscious, risk-adverse Singaporean technocrats to whom Vision and Strategy were subjects they once scored A's in their Ivy League MBA classrooms.

This once-iconic industry leader has acquired a core of uninspired mediocrity. The short list over the past few years:

- Living off the Singapore Girl and her sarong kebaya;

- Destroying the PPS loyalty base in the name of cost savings;

- Comfortably milking the cash-cow routes - China, India, Europe - and minimal route expansion or aggressive fleet buys;

- Totally incoherent, fragmented and poorly executed stabs at perceived market segments - SQ, SilkAir, Tiger(!), Scooooot(!!);

- Total hubris, followed by indecision and quiet dilution of the "Class Beyond First";

- And finally, of course, there's that website - merely the public face and major sales channel of a 21st century enterprise. What happened? Amateurish, incompetent execution that, in a real company with real accountability, would have gotten the CEO and/or every senior manager directly responsible tossed out on the street.

I'm not an industry expert, and no doubt I've got some bits wrong. But I do run a business and it's clear as daylight that this company is totally lacking in Leadership, Accountability, Ideas, and even a basic clue about the Future!

I hope, with genuine sincerity, that the powers-that-be in Singapore Inc. and Temasek Holdings wake up to this fast and find this company proper leadership before it's too late.

NONE of this has improved 1.5 years on. They haven't even solved the godforsaken website!!!

[B727]

NONE of this has improved 1.5 years on. They haven't even solved the godforsaken website!!!

Losing mojo is like burning out a candle, once it's burnt out...you have to remake/reinvent the candle!

[milehighj]

Losing mojo is like burning out a candle, once it's burnt out...you have to remake/reinvent the candle!

And here we have Choon Pong and his merry men trying to set fire to the candlestick...

How soon before they run out of matches???

[SQGamespeed]

NONE of this has improved 1.5 years on. They haven't even solved the godforsaken website!!!

I doubt it may be improved in the next 1.5 years either! Sure there were instances detailed through the course of this thread about some of the mojo coming back, but it was merely the candle losing its wax more slowly. It is going to be VERY hard to truly get back SQ's old charm and success now with the management it's had for a few years too long.

[CarbonMan]

While they continue to win awards for best this or best that, they will continue to delude themselves that they are doing well. Having said that there are still quite a good number of diehard SQ fans out there ... perhaps some Australians, Americans or Europeans travellers who have only experienced domestic airlines and who are adverse to flying middle-eastern airlines.

SQ can bank on these type of infrequent flyers and on frequent flyers residing in Singapore who prefer the convenience of non-stops/directs.

Hopefully, we'll can have an EK or QR hubbing in SIN to give things a bit of a shake on home turf.

[JonLee]

I doubt it may be improved in the next 1.5 years either! Sure there were instances detailed through the course of this thread about some of the mojo coming back, but it was merely the candle losing its wax more slowly. It is going to be VERY hard to truly get back SQ's old charm and success now with the management it's had for a few years too long.

Yup. its website still looks the same after how many donkey years. Just look at how impressive EK's or QF's website is. Now compare it with SQs...

[zilchster]

Frankly I don't get the rant over SQ "lost mojo" or loss of leadership position in the Italy Grants SQ Fifth Freedom Rights

The only thing deserving of a rant is SQ's horrible website.

And yes, other things that deserve a thumbs down/areas could be improved: service standards: declining service standards and cost cutting, but even other airlines are doing the same.

Lack of partnerships with fellow *A members.

Current business class is a waste of space.

SQ would never return to its glory days or regain its leadership position any longer. The romance of flying in economy class, if there was one in the first place, is gone.

The market is changing - people in Economy just want cheap fares. And the days of cheap fuel is gone. We should be thankful that SQ doesn't squeeze 10 abreast on its 777 just to increase revenue.

And the Europe to Asia/Australia-Pacific market is more or less dead for SQ. It's no longer the biggest money earner for them due to the likes of the Middle East carriers.

Can SQ fill a second flight from Singapore to New York? Can they fill the existing Singapore-Milan flights? What about a Milan-New York? Would they being able to generate profits from such a flight? Don’t forget Milan is not a * hub.

Europe market is dead for SQ – though it still can rely on transit traffic though it isn’t SQ’s bread and butter. Europe’s economy is still rather bleak, I believe. And it is well/better served by Turkish and the ME carriers which is why Manchester has lost its direct flight. I don’t think there are any more destinations that SQ can open. They could do with a second daily to Paris. Maybe open another destination in Germany. Maybe Brussels and Stockholm (provided SAS doesn’t fail).

What about North America? Direct non-stop flights are too expensive to operate, plus soon the lack of equipment. One stop flights rely on fifth freedoms. And they need a viable alternative. Maybe they could open at most one or two more routes. CX/KE can have a strong US presence, because those areas can see a viable non-stop option.

Maybe SQ could open more in Brazil and Peru. I don’t think SQ would go back to Canada.

What they need to go is when United sorts itself out from the merger, is to work closely with UA. Maybe there’s bad blood between them?

SQ should look at Africa too.

But to be honest SQ’s bread and butter is in Asia and much of it is in Silk Air. They should focus on opening more routes in Asia and Southeast Asia and they need to do this fast. Garuda, PH, VN and the likes could overtake SQ one day.

@CarbonMan - Why would EK and QF hub in Singapore? EK has a better geographically situated hub in Dubai.

As for QF, I believe their glory days in Singapore are over.


Straits Times reported that the SG government denied QF’s request for a premium carrier in Singapore (good sense by the SG government). Reasons not stated. Maybe due to the lack of good slot timings? Or successful lobbying by SQ? The rights to Korea have been used up by SIA and Scoot. India and SG signed a new bilateral. Expect SIA group to use a lot of the rights. The two daily flights to Haneda went to SQ. Jetstar Asia wanted to start Tokyo but it didn’t.

Look at Jetstar Asia…it’s not even operating to Beijing, Melbourne, Auckland daily. It has tons of one-stop flights to Osaka, that leverage on fifth freedoms. It doesn’t serve India.

And apparently the LCCs in Singapore while making a profit, aren’t making a big profit. Which is why Air Asia X wants to open a long haul base in Bangkok. Why not SG?

Although QF is open to the possibilities of still setting up the premium carrier in Singapore, the future of Qantas is in its venture with EK, and Jetstar Hong Kong and its relationship with MU.

[cscs1956]

While they continue to win awards for best this or best that, they will continue to delude themselves that they are doing well. Having said that there are still quite a good number of diehard SQ fans out there ... perhaps some Australians, Americans or Europeans travellers who have only experienced domestic airlines and who are adverse to flying middle-eastern airlines.

SQ can bank on these type of infrequent flyers and on frequent flyers residing in Singapore who prefer the convenience of non-stops/directs.

Hopefully, we'll can have an EK or QR hubbing in SIN to give things a bit of a shake on home turf.

To win a award is very subjective. These airlines know what the "rating" agent is looking for and who are their target (to hand over those survey forms).

[SQ228]

Having said that there are still quite a good number of diehard SQ fans out there ... perhaps some Australians, Americans or Europeans travellers who have only experienced domestic airlines and who are adverse to flying middle-eastern airlines.

Perfect description of me!

Qantas International is awful and I don't want to travel through the Middle East. SQ still offers me the best choice of destinations through one hub, but the list of destinations that EK keeps adding means it gets harder and harder to justify my loyalty to SQ.

But then do I really want to travel in 77W Y-cabin with 10 seats across? Also, SQ offers much better fares than EK for travellers out of Melbourne. To price-match with SQ, they force travellers out of MEL onto their flight via SIN. This means three 7-hour legs to Europe, none of which are long enough for me to sleep, plus an extra transit. To take their direct A380 flight MEL-DXB, it's an extra 15% cost usually.

So SQ still does have a good base of customers, but they have to make sure they keep that edge, and I'm not sure they're trying hard enough.

[SQGamespeed]

Frankly I don't get the rant over SQ "lost mojo" or loss of leadership position in the Italy Grants SQ Fifth Freedom Rights

The only thing deserving of a rant is SQ's horrible website.

And yes, other things that deserve a thumbs down/areas could be improved: service standards: declining service standards and cost cutting, but even other airlines are doing the same.

Lack of partnerships with fellow *A members.

Current business class is a waste of space.

SQ would never return to its glory days or regain its leadership position any longer. The romance of flying in economy class, if there was one in the first place, is gone.

The market is changing - people in Economy just want cheap fares. And the days of cheap fuel is gone. We should be thankful that SQ doesn't squeeze 10 abreast on its 777 just to increase revenue.

And the Europe to Asia/Australia-Pacific market is more or less dead for SQ. It's no longer the biggest money earner for them due to the likes of the Middle East carriers.

Can SQ fill a second flight from Singapore to New York? Can they fill the existing Singapore-Milan flights? What about a Milan-New York? Would they being able to generate profits from such a flight? Don’t forget Milan is not a * hub.

Europe market is dead for SQ – though it still can rely on transit traffic though it isn’t SQ’s bread and butter. Europe’s economy is still rather bleak, I believe. And it is well/better served by Turkish and the ME carriers which is why Manchester has lost its direct flight. I don’t think there are any more destinations that SQ can open. They could do with a second daily to Paris. Maybe open another destination in Germany. Maybe Brussels and Stockholm (provided SAS doesn’t fail).

What about North America? Direct non-stop flights are too expensive to operate, plus soon the lack of equipment. One stop flights rely on fifth freedoms. And they need a viable alternative. Maybe they could open at most one or two more routes. CX/KE can have a strong US presence, because those areas can see a viable non-stop option.

Maybe SQ could open more in Brazil and Peru. I don’t think SQ would go back to Canada.

What they need to go is when United sorts itself out from the merger, is to work closely with UA. Maybe there’s bad blood between them?

SQ should look at Africa too.

But to be honest SQ’s bread and butter is in Asia and much of it is in Silk Air. They should focus on opening more routes in Asia and Southeast Asia and they need to do this fast. Garuda, PH, VN and the likes could overtake SQ one day.

@CarbonMan - Why would EK and QF hub in Singapore? EK has a better geographically situated hub in Dubai.

As for QF, I believe their glory days in Singapore are over.


Straits Times reported that the SG government denied QF’s request for a premium carrier in Singapore (good sense by the SG government). Reasons not stated. Maybe due to the lack of good slot timings? Or successful lobbying by SQ? The rights to Korea have been used up by SIA and Scoot. India and SG signed a new bilateral. Expect SIA group to use a lot of the rights. The two daily flights to Haneda went to SQ. Jetstar Asia wanted to start Tokyo but it didn’t.

Look at Jetstar Asia…it’s not even operating to Beijing, Melbourne, Auckland daily. It has tons of one-stop flights to Osaka, that leverage on fifth freedoms. It doesn’t serve India.

And apparently the LCCs in Singapore while making a profit, aren’t making a big profit. Which is why Air Asia X wants to open a long haul base in Bangkok. Why not SG?

Although QF is open to the possibilities of still setting up the premium carrier in Singapore, the future of Qantas is in its venture with EK, and Jetstar Hong Kong and its relationship with MU.

Great analysis of the situation.

I think CarbonMan was suggesting a sort of "mini-hub" for EK and QR, which the former already has to some extent for flights to BNE and MEL. QR currently serves DPS through SIN and before that to CGK before they started flying direct to CGK from DOH. Perhaps they too, like EK, can put more pressure on SQ by having ex-SIN flights to Australia?

[zilchster]

Great analysis of the situation.

I think CarbonMan was suggesting a sort of "mini-hub" for EK and QR, which the former already has to some extent for flights to BNE and MEL. QR currently serves DPS through SIN and before that to CGK before they started flying direct to CGK from DOH. Perhaps they too, like EK, can put more pressure on SQ by having ex-SIN flights to Australia?

They could put pressure on SQ, but I don't see why they have to do so.

The demand from Australia to Africa, Europe the CIS areas are better served using direct flights to their hubs.

Furthermore they don't have feed on this end in Singapore.

I think QR is restricted by some bilateral, limiting them to 14 weekly flights to Australia.

[CarbonMan]

@CarbonMan - Why would EK and QF hub in Singapore? EK has a better geographically situated hub in Dubai.

Zichster, of course you're right. I'm just entertaining myself with a hopeful dream that a premium airline of the class of an EK or a QR would hub in SIN and give SQ a serious run in the premium classes. This will then give frequent biz customers based in SIN an alternative non-stop/direct to the US and Europe.

Changi's reaction to QF is probably a quid pro quo reaction to Australia's rejection of SQ getting 5th freedom in OZ.

[MAN Flyer]

Changi's reaction to QF is probably a quid pro quo reaction to Australia's rejection of SQ getting 5th freedom in OZ.

When we were taking off on SQ328 last week it was very noticeable how quiet the top end of T1 looked where the QF birds used to park.

[B727]

Hopefully, we'll can have an EK or QR hubbing in SIN to give things a bit of a shake on home turf.

I think it's already happening to a certain extent.

I was in TPR one afternoon last month between 15:30 and 16:30 and saw two QR 777s, one EK A380 and two 777s in various states of landing, turning around, and taking off.

In the 90s, I remember being at T1 in the evenings and watch the brightly lit tails of QF and BA 747s arriving, taxiing, and departing. How times have changed!

[zilchster]

Zichster, of course you're right. I'm just entertaining myself with a hopeful dream that a premium airline of the class of an EK or a QR would hub in SIN and give SQ a serious run in the premium classes. This will then give frequent biz customers based in SIN an alternative non-stop/direct to the US and Europe.

Changi's reaction to QF is probably a quid pro quo reaction to Australia's rejection of SQ getting 5th freedom in OZ.

Probably? And rightly so.

If you add the rejection of ASX and SGX mergers, it's really a quid pro quo reaction.

So why should we give SG assets to the Aussies?