Question about Suites/ A380

[hikouki]

Which route is it best to experience the A380, and from where could I get the most reasonable fares?

AvGeek here and been wanting to try out the A380 Suites on a longhaul flight. I've been on the A380 thrice before (TG in Y, OZ in business/ business premium) all on short hauls. One would think the best route to experience the A380 would be on their longer routes to LHR. NRT and SYD are quite shorter.

I'm planning for 2025/2026 . I've been playing with some dates for 2025 on google flights and it seems SIN-LHR vv fares are sky high (USD15K ~ 20K+). OTOH, routing from another European city and via FRA is much cheaper (<USD10k), although the A380 is not used on the flight with better timing.

Anyway, I am open to suggestions for routings or times of the year that may be best to experience the service, as well as the bed on the Suites.

I also have a couple of follow up questions:

How does SQ Suites compare to their own First Class? On most flights, the price is the same whether flying the A380 or the 77W.

How does SQ Suites compare to other airlines' First Class or Suites products? The 747-8 is on my bucket list and LH flies that from FRA-SIN. I could potentially split my itinerary FRA-SIN on LH to experience their First Class Terminal, then SIN-FRA on SQ. Also, BA seems to be the cheapest First class at only USD5K+! Even Etihad is cheaper at USD7~8K!

Are the SQ A380s staying for a couple more years? My current Frequent Flyer is on UA, and amongst the Star airlines, SQ, I think would offer the better (?) experience aboard the A380.

Thanks for any info!

[yflyer]

Hello hikouki! I mainly fly economy, but could not resist also checking out Suites once for the experience.

I think the minimum sector length to really enjoy and get to know Suites is SIN-SYD or SYD-SIN i.e. 7-8 hours. Of course, the longer the better e.g. SIN-LHR.

While Suites are (or were) available for shorter sectors like SIN-DEL or even SIN-HKG, I personally think those are too short to really enjoy the Suites. My preference as well would be for a daytime flight.

My one experience in Suite 1F on the SYD-SIN sector is here in this Trip Report . This was a few years back so while the hard product would still be the same, the service format may have changed.

Mrs yflyer flew Suites from FRA-SIN more recently, and her experience is in this Trip Report for reference.

Many others on SQTalk who have flown Suites far more, and can offer good advice.

My main learnings from the trips were:

1. Seat 1F is the seat to go for.
2. Check out both the bathrooms. Both are mindblowingly large and different, so don’t just look into one of them.
3. Look at the BTC (book the cook) offerings for food options prior to the flight.
4. Allow time to use the lounge(s) prior to the flight.
5. Almost impossible to get a saver award for Suites.

[StarG]

Hi hikouki

I think yflyer has summed it up very well.

In terms of just experiencing the Suites cabin, DEL or HKG flights may be the easiest to get and most cost efficient. However, these are too short to enjoy the full experience of Suites/First Class service.

Service standards in SQ First and Suites are both amongst the highest of any airlines that I have ever been on.

They are marketed at the same price for flights on the same routes, so always opt for Suites whenever possible.

First Class service onboard Singapore Airlines to me is a notch or two above the others (British Airways, Cathay Pacific, etc).

SQ A380s are here to stay, at least for 5 more years or so. Given the ongoing delay of the Boeing 777-9 deliveries, I don’t see A380s getting retired anytime soon. Plus, markets like SYD and LHR warrants these giant planes.

Agreed that 1F is the best Suite in the house, followed closely by 1A.

Suites 1A & 1F are slightly bigger than others.

You may want to check on pricing and availability of LHR-SIN-SYD as well if you are looking to experience two Suites flights back to back.

Remember to allow enough time to enjoy the excellent F&B at The Private Room lounge in Singapore.

Good luck finding the best flights for your trip!

[hikouki]

Thank you both for the very informative replies!