A350 Deliveries and Routes

[SQ228]

On the contrary, wouldn't a new SIN-ARN link cannibalize SIN-CPH? With Stockholm as an additional connection point, it should be harder to fill Copenhagen flights as some passengers would now fly to Stockholm instead.

I agree. I think they've left their run a little late with a second Scandinavian destination and the Mid-East carriers have established themselves too well. If it can happen one day that would be great, of course.

Shorter-term they have to get CPH going daily. I see the recently adjusted arrival time into CPH as part of a plan to get passengers to a wide range of SK destinations as early as possible so that they don't spend what feels like half a day transferring and waiting at CPH, but rather arrive at their final destination by 0900 or 1000.

They also have to ensure that the delightful SQ website doesn't add some insane amount to the ticket price when the short connecting flight is added. If they can manage that, ARN via CPH is no huge disadvantage as their current arrangements have passengers touching down at ARN at 0835- that's only about 30 min later than arriving in ZRH on SQ346.

[shikhargpt]

By the way, if anyone has been wondering why the A350 has black cockpit windows, Airbus' Facebook page has just cleared it up - it's for commonality with the future widebody Airbuses.



FB Post Link

[9V-JKL]

Seat map released:

http://www.singaporeair.com/pdf/seat...s-LongHaul.pdf

[SQ228]

Seat map released:

http://www.singaporeair.com/pdf/seat...s-LongHaul.pdf

Excellent! Have been waiting to see this and I'm not disappointed.

One aspect of A330s and A340s I really don't like is the curvature of the fuselage at the rear which leads to some really uncomfortable angles and odd spaces in aisles. Airbus promised that the A350 would deliver a full-width fuselage almost to the end to allow airlines to maintain seat widths, spacings and regularity and it appears they have done just that.

[shikhargpt]

Seat map released:

http://www.singaporeair.com/pdf/seat...s-LongHaul.pdf

Hrmmmmm... only 3 rows of S? I'd have liked 5, but I guess it makes business sense. It is, after all, replacing the 777-200/ERs and A330s.

And on another note, Y seems like it's gonna be somewhat cramped too . The 787 in 3-3-3 already is known to be rather cramped, and fuselage diameter of the A350 is only 0.5m more than the 787. Not a cabin you'd really prefer to be stuck in for long-haul flights IMO.

Image re-host of the seat-map if anyone cannot access the PDF

[ycp81]

Hrmmmmm... only 3 rows of S? I'd have liked 5, but I guess it makes business sense. It is, after all, replacing the 777-200/ERs and A330s.

And on another note, Y seems like it's gonna be somewhat cramped too . The 787 in 3-3-3 already is known to be rather cramped, and fuselage diameter of the A350 is only 0.5m more than the 787. Not a cabin you'd really prefer to be stuck in for long-haul flights IMO.

Image re-host of the seat-map if anyone cannot access the PDF

Flew on QR's A350 and the 3-3-3 layout in economy actually felt rather spacious! Not much difference from a 3-3-3 B777. Cannot comment on the 787 as I have not flown on one.

[leops1984]

I doubt we'll see any new cabin layouts with a 3-3-3 777 anymore... the economics of it don't work anymore. I think all of the 777Xs will go 10-abreast.

[Jumbojet Lover]

Seat map released:

http://www.singaporeair.com/pdf/seat...s-LongHaul.pdf

That's a pretty big J class compared to their long-haul 777-200ER, with a higher ratio of premium seats too. Looks like SQ is focusing on higher-yield passengers in the face of ME3 competition.

[SQfanatic]

Seat map released:

http://www.singaporeair.com/pdf/seat...s-LongHaul.pdf

Comparing that to their 4-class 77W seat map:

No First Class at all (not even 4 seats), J class is reduced by 4 seats on the A350, same with PY (reduced by 4 on A350). However, Economy class is 3 seats more than the 77W.

Comparing it to the 77WN of course, Y class is 228, which is definitely 41 seats more. Also, the front part of the cabin (Y class), on the window ends, only 2 seats compared to 3. Probably the

Route wise, looks like the A350 will definitely make sense for the 772ER markets (which have no First Class), but 77W routes that have demand for First Class (Possibly SFO routes, probably would not make sense).

Now that the seat map is done with, I'm sure we're all waiting eagerly to see how the seats look like on the A350.

[259850]

Now that the seat map is done with, I'm sure we're all waiting eagerly to see how the seats look like on the A350.

Pretty much like the 77WR (without the F seats of course), I would guess.

[SQ228]

Reading page 6 in the results briefing just posted in another thread there is a very clear indication that they intend to pursue non-stop direct flights to Europe to satisfy business passengers' demand for removing flight changes. I read this as a strong indication of MAN & MUC being split up and the DÜS rumour would also fit with this plan.

[flyguy]

with only a total of 253 seats , this is the least seating in its current fleet - as it is 42 J class, 24 in PE and 187 in EY. Mushc less total seat count than in a A333.

[Metropolitan Airlines]

So when SQ replaces B77W with A359, that will definitely a down gauging for AMS then.

However, I am interested to know whether SQ is considering frequency rather than capacity for European routes since they are under heavy threat from ME3.

Note A359 is 18 seats less than the current B777-200ER series, so I am sure they will not be appropriate to replace B777-300, and no wonder they are not planning to deploy them to Australia, as demand is higher than Europe.

I think flights to Australia currently operated by B777-200ER will be replaced by European A359 sometime later next year once they have sufficient aircraft to work out the roster.

For flights operated by B777-300, looks like B777-300ER will be a better replacement. (Perhaps the purpose for B77WN is to replace B777-300 back then?)

[leops1984]

So when SQ replaces B77W with A359, that will definitely a down gauging for AMS then.

However, I am interested to know whether SQ is considering frequency rather than capacity for European routes since they are under heavy threat from ME3.

Note A359 is 18 seats less than the current B777-200ER series, so I am sure they will not be appropriate to replace B777-300, and no wonder they are not planning to deploy them to Australia, as demand is higher than Europe.

I think flights to Australia currently operated by B777-200ER will be replaced by European A359 sometime later next year once they have sufficient aircraft to work out the roster.

For flights operated by B777-300, looks like B777-300ER will be a better replacement. (Perhaps the purpose for B77WN is to replace B777-300 back then?)

Does SQ hold rights to convert their A359s to the A35K? I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the later A359s converted to A35Ks and adopt a four-class configuration.

[Metropolitan Airlines]

Does SQ hold rights to convert their A359s to the A35K? I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the later A359s converted to A35Ks and adopt a four-class configuration.

4 class configuration on A350-1000? Will the extended bit of the plane offsets the length of how much first class will occupy? If so, is it worthwhile for the extra purchase cost and the fuel to carry just 4 passengers?

It looks to me with A350-900, they can achieve the same number of seats as an A330-300 should there's no premium economy as you can add in about 1-2 rows and 1 extra seat per row there perhaps; and if they want to increase that to close to 300, they can reduce the Business class cabin to do it.