SQ reinstating FRA-JFK, HKG-SFO in Nov

[SQfanatic]

Hard to believe there are no updates on HKG's regulatory approval. SQ did claim they were to put 3 daily HKG flights starting October 30th, but no signs of it so far. However, they're at least putting an A380 on one of them in December. Not worried about traveling to HKG, just hoping one of the 3 HKG flights is SQ8/7 or SQ2/1 or whatever flight number that continues to/from SFO as neither me nor my mom want to endure the 17.5-18 hr nonstop flight from SFO. It's always good to transit for an hour in HKG to/from.

If there's no indication of it coming back, we will stick with whatever we have. I don't think I will hold my breath that it'll come back at all or even till next year.

[ell3]

something strange going on with their HKG flights too....
Just a few days ago, there was an abundance of economy class seats available daily to HKG (at least 4 seats based on my search).
But today when i searched, there are absolutely NO seats available on any given day - aside from 27 Oct (on the scoot flight) and 15 Nov.

I am flying up to HK next week, was looking to bring family to accompany (we have family up in HK too)... but it suddenly looks impossible on SQ.

Oh yes, not forgetting to mention - I am KFEG .... i didn't select a seat cos my traveling companions aren't gold.
Almost all the seats were available for selection just yesterday... but today, they pre-assigned us all our seats.... separated from each other.
If they have to pre-assign, then... given that almost all the seats were vacant yesterday, couldn't they have put us seated together?

What is going on?? Very poor from SQ.

[ell3]

so apparently all flights to HK are legitimately full.

what I don’t understand then is that they’re effectively operating all 7 of their daily pre-covid flights, yet only SQ882 (ex-SQ860) and SQ894 (ex-SQ866) are operated as passenger flights.

why wouldn’t they open up the other flights for passengers too? and is there really that much cargo moving between SG and HK to justify all those non-pax flights?

Any one knows?

[sbs2716g]

so apparently all flights to HK are legitimately full.

what I don’t understand then is that they’re effectively operating all 7 of their daily pre-covid flights, yet only SQ882 (ex-SQ860) and SQ894 (ex-SQ866) are operated as passenger flights.

why wouldn’t they open up the other flights for passengers too? and is there really that much cargo moving between SG and HK to justify all those non-pax flights?

Any one knows?

not sure it is really full or not.
For example. 11/nov. No Y seats for sale for SQ894 to HKG. But you can buy KUL-SIN-HKG for SQ894 (11/11).

kinda weird. It is the same for several other days as well. Although some days Scoot flight are available for KUL-SIN-HKG (eg 7/11, 8/11, 9/11), SQ is not selling SIN-HKG for the codeshare.

of course the cargo movement is high. Or else SQ won’t operate these cargoes flights in addition to the 747.

[ell3]

Well, for now it’s consistent that the only available flight this week is a scoot one on 27th Oct.
to me what’s really perplexing is that just a few days ago there were seats available on all flights everyday (some still even marked as “Low fare” albeit @ SGD590 and with outbound on scoot).

yea and so if they’re really full, they should just carry pax on those cargo flights. Unless it’s sth to do with permissible slots/daily pax limits by HKIA.

[MainlyMiles]

SQ882/883 is reinstated as a passenger flight on SIN-HKG-SIN from 15DEC22, using A350 LH, bringing the route to 2x daily pax ops from mid-Dec including the SQ894/895 (77W in Nov then A380 from 1 Dec).

From 30OCT22 to 14DEC22 SQ882/883 will operate as a cargo-only flight.

SQ2/1 will also operate as a cargo-only flight throughout the winter season using A350 MH, subject to change as a third daily service is expected to be confirmed at some stage.

[SQfanatic]

SQ882/883 is reinstated as a passenger flight on SIN-HKG-SIN from 15DEC22, using A350 LH, bringing the route to 2x daily pax ops from mid-Dec including the SQ894/895 (77W in Nov then A380 from 1 Dec).

From 30OCT22 to 14DEC22 SQ882/883 will operate as a cargo-only flight.

SQ2/1 will also operate as a cargo-only flight throughout the winter season using A350 MH, subject to change as a third daily service is expected to be confirmed at some stage.

Even though SQ2 is a cargo-only flight, it departs SIN at like 3AM, but SQ1, the return flight departs at the same time the old SQ1 (from SFO) departed during the old days. It looks like HKG-SFO isn't coming back this year, but even if it is, they would have to find a different time-slot from SIN.

The current SFO flights, which are nonstop, SQ32 departs at 9:30AM, while SQ34 departs at 6:30PM (it's changing to 8PM for the Winter schedule and likely beyond). So even if HKG-SFO returns, the flight number may likely be different and/or they have to pick a time between SQ882 or sometime after SQ894 (i.e 3 or 4PM). It won't likely be during the 6 or 7PM hour as SQ34 even remains the evening flight well into March and April as an example. Welp, for now I guess I'll have to endure the A350 and see how the long 17.5 hour flight can be managed.

Maybe news of the third HKG flight could loom (and possibly extend to SFO). I may fly SQ again next September (not set in stone) to India, so we shall see then.

[ell3]

I can confirm that SIN-HKG flights aren’t full even though they’re marked with no seats available.
On my SQ882 on Tues, there were more than 25 vacant seats in Y. Premium and J also had empty seats.
SQ895 HKG-SIN tonight also looks quite empty - more than 90 seats available for choice on the check in seat map.

so I’m not sure why SQ has chosen to stop ex-SIN sales.

[ell3]

Even though SQ2 is a cargo-only flight, it departs SIN at like 3AM, but SQ1, the return flight departs at the same time the old SQ1 (from SFO) departed during the old days. It looks like HKG-SFO isn't coming back this year, but even if it is, they would have to find a different time-slot from SIN.

The current SFO flights, which are nonstop, SQ32 departs at 9:30AM, while SQ34 departs at 6:30PM (it's changing to 8PM for the Winter schedule and likely beyond). So even if HKG-SFO returns, the flight number may likely be different and/or they have to pick a time between SQ882 or sometime after SQ894 (i.e 3 or 4PM). It won't likely be during the 6 or 7PM hour as SQ34 even remains the evening flight well into March and April as an example. Welp, for now I guess I'll have to endure the A350 and see how the long 17.5 hour flight can be managed.

Maybe news of the third HKG flight could loom (and possibly extend to SFO). I may fly SQ again next September (not set in stone) to India, so we shall see then.

I believe SQ2 (to SFO) served a different market, taking advantage of 5th freedom rights. It’s actually the slots out of HKIA which are limited, I believe, which is why they’ve kept the SQ1 departure slot and adjusted SQ2’s departure from changi to fit a turnaround for SQ1’s slot at 0800hrs.

[sbs2716g]

I can confirm that SIN-HKG flights aren’t full even though they’re marked with no seats available.
On my SQ882 on Tues, there were more than 25 vacant seats in Y. Premium and J also had empty seats.
SQ895 HKG-SIN tonight also looks quite empty - more than 90 seats available for choice on the check in seat map.

so I’m not sure why SQ has chosen to stop ex-SIN sales.

Not enough crew ? Or they want to carry more cargoes ?
or they want to push the paxes to scoot ? Since they are charging $800 to $1000 for one return trip on scoot. (While scoot is selling $200+ one way).

kinda weird that u search 1 way sin-HKG, scoot flight won’t appear. But scoot codeshare only appear for return trips.

[SQfanatic]

I believe SQ2 (to SFO) served a different market, taking advantage of 5th freedom rights. It’s actually the slots out of HKIA which are limited, I believe, which is why they’ve kept the SQ1 departure slot and adjusted SQ2’s departure from changi to fit a turnaround for SQ1’s slot at 0800hrs.

It sounds like a complicated situation even if they want to bring SQ8/7 or any flight number back, especially even if further beyond they want to keep SQ2/1 as a cargo flight.

The worst case that can happen is if SQ882/883 operates as a passenger flight is to time the HKG flight to leave by afternoon and leave SFO late afternoon/early evening (sort of like SIN-TPE-LAX last year on the A359) and arrive to SIN around 4 or 5am. That’s if they have any intention to bring the fifth freedom flight back. Again, we can’t say what is going to happen in the future but it’s just my guesstimate since if they want to bring it back, the flights get spaced apart reasonably.

[SQfanatic]

Hard to believe it’s been exactly 1 year that HKG-SFO flights got reinstated with a 77W, then went to an A350 in December/January (likely due to many 77W being moved around and not enough had returned to revenue service back then), but got suspended due to the HKSAR govt directive. SQ8/7 having daytime departures compared to evening/nighttime departures. Those mimicked the CX870/879 departures, although that flight is operating once a week on Wednesdays only on the A350 aircraft.

Now while SQ only has nonstops to SFO (11 weekly with Y class seats), what are the chances this flight can still come back? Remember, in December they are putting 2 daily HKG flights with a potential for 1 more flight making it 3 daily flights.

Only asking because it seems that the crew situation doesn’t seem as complicated or difficult than it was say a couple of months ago and HK has eased (and likely will continue) to ease restrictions even if China mainland still sticks with covid zero.

[sbs2716g]

SQ882/883 is reinstated as a passenger flight on SIN-HKG-SIN from 15DEC22, using A350 LH, bringing the route to 2x daily pax ops from mid-Dec including the SQ894/895 (77W in Nov then A380 from 1 Dec).

From 30OCT22 to 14DEC22 SQ882/883 will operate as a cargo-only flight.

SQ2/1 will also operate as a cargo-only flight throughout the winter season using A350 MH, subject to change as a third daily service is expected to be confirmed at some stage.

Sorry wrong info

[sbs2716g]

Hard to believe it’s been exactly 1 year that HKG-SFO flights got reinstated with a 77W, then went to an A350 in December/January (likely due to many 77W being moved around and not enough had returned to revenue service back then), but got suspended due to the HKSAR govt directive. SQ8/7 having daytime departures compared to evening/nighttime departures. Those mimicked the CX870/879 departures, although that flight is operating once a week on Wednesdays only on the A350 aircraft.

Now while SQ only has nonstops to SFO (11 weekly with Y class seats), what are the chances this flight can still come back? Remember, in December they are putting 2 daily HKG flights with a potential for 1 more flight making it 3 daily flights.

Only asking because it seems that the crew situation doesn’t seem as complicated or difficult than it was say a couple of months ago and HK has eased (and likely will continue) to ease restrictions even if China mainland still sticks with covid zero.

don’t think so much. Every post of you is asking when SQ will fly SIN-HKG-SFO. if you don’t feel like flying 17hrs in a direct flight , feel free to fly other airlines.

SQ is having crews shortage. To fly SQ1/2 on a 3 time per week basis, they need 4 sets of crews and the layover time is long compare to the direct flight.

SQ2 to HKG, layover 2 days SFO another 2 days. Back to HKG another 2 days plus HKG still test the crews upon arrival.


Compare to 2-3 days layover for a direct SFO flight.
Until SQ sort out their crews, would think SQ2/1 to SFO will not resume anytime soon.

[SQfanatic]

Having seen the recent news, sad to believe SQ26/25 is downguaging to the 77W. But at the same time it’s not all bad because having flown the 2013 Y product 6 years ago, from appearance it still looks like it’s a relatively new product.

At the same time they used 3 A380 to JFK and I guess with many routes picking back up after the pandemic they want to move those A380’s to higher yielding routes. The other point was to address the 777-9 delay which they said they would use more 77W’s they currently have on their heavy routes, I just wonder if they can still get some new of those planes from Boeing?

In terms of SFO since there’s no news about HKG reinstating anytime soon, having recently flown on EK’s 16 hr flight to Dubai (and flying similarly on Sunday back to SFO), my mom has a medical condition which really she wants to avoid longer than 13-14 hours. She is dreading the 17.5 hr flight out of SFO next month.

I suggested after this trip next month, we will look into other carriers, maybe CX, JL, or any European carriers like BA, VS, LH, AF, etc). Plus as my dad pointed out this past trip and this EK flight there’s barely any difference, nothing just stands out the same way it did pre-covid, everything is the same no matter what.