What we love about SQ, and what we wish we could change

[Sankaps]

(Hi all -- this is my first post on SQ Talk. Though I just became a member of this forum, I have been a long term member of FlyerTalk, since 2001. I posted this note on FT earlier today, and then it struck me that this may be an even better place to have this discussion! So here goes...)

Was reflecting on what keeps SQ ahead of the pack, and what it may need to watch out for... so thought it might be interesting to get FT opinions on what they like most about SQ, and what they really wish SQ would do different.

So to start the ball rolling, here are some of my thoughts...

What I really like about SQ:

• Inflight service (especially the "SQ Girls")
• Reliability / punctuality
• Hard product on their long-haul aircraft (esp the new cabin F and J products)
• Consistency of on-board experience
• Cleanliness of aircraft (esp the bathrooms)
• Relatively more tolerable economy class product (comfort, IFE)
• Changi Airport - one of the most user-friendly hubs on earth
• Advance online seat selection in all classes (but only if booked online)
• Double baggage allowance for PPS
• Access to Virgin's fabulous lounges at LHR, JFK etc for J and F class pax
• Ability to "double-dip" on mileage: Earn PPS on SQ and miles on partner carrier for same booking
• Book-the-cook for F and J class
• Other perks (such as duty free vouchers) for PPS
• On-board beverage selection (cappucino, etc)
• Fare search engine on web-site (especially for flexible dates)
• Ability to pull out the stops to accomodate their best passengers (for example, clearing waitlists for PPS, doing best to accomodate special requests for PPS, bending minimum check-in times if PPS pax happens to arrive late for any reason, etc)

And a few things I wish they would do different:

• Ensure more consistency of service provided by the "SQ Boys" -- I find while many are excellent, there are several that just seem a few notches below the famed "SQ Girls" in service, grooming, and can-do attitude
• Improve their airport lounges -- even the new T3 lounges are lacking compared to Virgin, Cathay, BA, etc both in design and ambience, and in the selection of food choices
• Provide amenity kits for J-class pax -- especially with the liquid / gels restrictions on carry-on baggage. Most of SQ's competitors provide this, why is SQ cutting costs in this very visible area?
• Improve their call-center staffing in Singapore -- absured that sometimes you just cannot get through at all, especially on nights and weekends
• Stop charging mega-fees for so-called "free" mileage redemption tickets
• Ensure some form of recognition for PPS flyers flying coach -- for example, I never have been acknowledged as PPS when in coach -- just treated like any other coach passenger (which is not bad, but some form of recognition would be nice)
• Reduce mileage requirements for upgrades and redemptions - SQ must have some of the highest mileage requirements in the industry
• Provide mileage for lower economy fares - SQ typically does not give miles for their discounted fares
• Stop charging double miles for the new F and J products
• Create a more consistent / better ground / check-in experience -- SQ's use of outsourced providers in many airports sometimes results is less than "SQ-level" of experience
• Fix bugs that are evident in T3: For example, no toilets in the KF Gold Lounge, security bottlenecks at grouped gate entrances (eg gates A1-7 all share one security checkpoint)
• Improve integration with SilkAir - absurd that one cannot book a Silkair flight on the SQ website and vice-versa (why even have SilkAir as a separate brand in the first place?)
• Improve on relationship with Virgin - absured that though SQ owns 49% of Virgin, the benefits for SQ pax are so few. Even the SQ-VS code-share flights are priced absurdly, making the code-shares meaningless (for example, a SIN-LHR-IAD flight, where LHR-IAD is SQ code on VS metal, is priced much higher than SIN-JFK on SQ own metal, and also higher than a SQ-UA combination)
• Allow PPS credits accumulation on all SQ-coded flights, not just on SQ metal
• Improve F and J product on older regional aircraft (eg those that fly to India and China)
• Ensure lie-flat F and J is available on all red-eye flights (eg China, Korea, Japan, Middle-East)
• Add arrivals lounge at SIN and other major long-haul destination airports (Europe, USA, Japan)

Gosh - I think that about covers it from my end. Your thoughts / reactions?

Cheers,
Sankaps.

[astroboy]

Wow! Seems like you've put a lot of thought into this posting; well done!

Now, if only SQ Management reads this forum...

Not to seem like I'm defending the SQ crew, although I have several friends & old classmates who are flying, from what I manage to gather from their conversations, at times there are several dozen PPS pax in Coach, especially on the SIN/CGK vv, SIN/HKG vv, SIN/PVG vv and SIN/BJS vv flights. While they would like to say "Hello" to their frequent and loyal customers, the sheer numbers and the ever-increasing workload sometimes make it very difficult. And what with the recent case of the FA getting slapped (allegedly) by the wife of a SPPS pax for simply talking to him, sometimes the crew are caught in a Catch-22 situation. I don't blame them sometimes for not being as friendly as we would like. If the front-line staff in my company get assaulted for doing their job, I don't blame them if they find it difficult to be friendly. I just have to find other ways of motivating and encouraging them.

P/S: I'm not a PPS pax, though I hope to be sometime soon.

[SQflyergirl]

Now, if only SQ Management reads this forum...

Who knows?

[milehighj]

Who knows?

Oh I'm sure SQ management read this forum. Whether they take comments posted here seriously or see this as the lunatic fringe of their customer base is another matter entirely...

[SQ LPP]

Whether they take comments posted here seriously or see this as the lunatic fringe of their customer base is another matter entirely...

Is that what you think? Are we, or specifically am I, the lunatic fringe of SQ customer base?

[milehighj]

Is that what you think? Are we, or specifically am I, the lunatic fringe of SQ customer base?

My comment was based upon my personal belief that SQ's current management cares much more about financial bottom-line and quantitative performance than the nuances of providing service and recognition to customers passionate enough to care and write about it.

In my 500+ posts here I think I've ranted, raved and participated enough that my comments would be taken at face value...

[jjpb3]

Very well-thought out list, Sankaps. Welcome to SQTalk!

I pretty much agree with your list, with the exception of the bit about SQ Boy service. I've been lucky enough, I guess, to have received excellent service that was equally consistent across the SQ Girls and Boys.

The inflight experience (service, soft product, hard product) with SQ is top-notch, but I'm disappointed by their decision not to invest as much on their lounges.

I really dislike the recent changes to KrisFlyer redemption levels. I also wish they would allow minimum mileage to be earned on short flights, and find a credit card partner in the UK.

[KeithMEL]

Welcome to SQTalk, Sankaps. Great first post.

I agree with all the positives that's been said about the airline. Not only is the service immaculate, but all the crew members I've encountered seem to have graduated from a fine finishing school of some sort and have great poise and posture.

On the negative side of things I dislike the 'enhanced' and 'more exclusive' PPS Club. Brand me a sucker but loyalty programs and status benes, marketing gimmicks they might be, really do go a long way in retaining my loyalty and are a big factor when I choose an airline, and so nowadays I'd only step on to SQ flights if I'm lucky enough to find them on award redemptions.

[SQ LPP]

And a few things I wish they would do different:

• Ensure more consistency of service provided by the "SQ Boys" -- I find while many are excellent, there are several that just seem a few notches below the famed "SQ Girls" in service, grooming, and can-do attitude

Is your definition SQ Boys inclusive of the IFS? Or just the FS and LS without the CS and IFS?
Well, I can't say much about consistency here because from my recent flights (last month), I had few unpleasant flights which will lead to a biased comment here.

• Allow PPS credits accumulation on all SQ-coded flights, not just on SQ metal

When PPS was based on sectors, this was the case. So, with the PPS Value now, only SQ metal counts. At the moment, even with PPSV only on SQ metal, some flights were delayed in posting. And not everyone seems satisfied with how much his/her PPSV for the segment he/she took. Imagine if all SQ-coded flights are counted. Hmm AKL-WLG on NZ but it is as SQ-coded flight. It would beat the purpose of the new PPS Value based...

[SMK77]

SQ is without a doubt one of the best airlines up in the air. On top of my wishlist:

- Get rid of the old regional F and C on flights (at least on flights above 5 hours like SIN-ICN and SIN-NRT)
- Give PPS access to SQīs F lounge regardless of the class flown
- Get rid of the mushrooms in the Lobster Thermidor dish ex SIN (the original receipe does not call for them and they donīt make the dish better)
- Introduce one one-way upgrade voucher for every 25.000 SGD flown
- Finalize F enhancements (cushioned headrest, additional armrests etc) on all 77W

[StarG]

Excellent first post, Sankaps.
Agree with most of your points.

- Introduce one one-way upgrade voucher for every 25.000 SGD flown

I like this idea.

I am one of those who think the redemption ticket charges are exorbitant.
Yes, please allow Business Saver and First Saver on 77Ws and 380s.

[SQ LPP]

- Get rid of the mushrooms in the Lobster Thermidor dish ex SIN (the original receipe does not call for them and they donīt make the dish better)

Agree. Not fond of mushrooms.
And not to forget, welcome to SQTalk, SMK77. Cheers!

[Sankaps]

Thnaks for the warm welcome, SQTalkers!

[/LIST]Is your definition SQ Boys inclusive of the IFS? Or just the FS and LS without the CS and IFS?
Well, I can't say much about consistency here because from my recent flights (last month), I had few unpleasant flights which will lead to a biased comment here. ...

I think the senior SQ Boys tend to be top notch (though a couple of exceptions there too). However have come across more casual / sloppy (hair tousled, etc) and indifferent junior SQ Boys than I should have. Last year there was this SQ Guy on the LAX-NRT flight who could have been at home on UA or NW... very casual, did not smile or speak a word while providing service, was actually chewing gum most of the time! Could not believe this was happening on SQ!

[/LIST]When PPS was based on sectors, this was the case. So, with the PPS Value now, only SQ metal counts. At the moment, even with PPSV only on SQ metal, some flights were delayed in posting. And not everyone seems satisfied with how much his/her PPSV for the segment he/she took. Imagine if all SQ-coded flights are counted. Hmm AKL-WLG on NZ but it is as SQ-coded flight. It would beat the purpose of the new PPS Value based...

Not quite sure I understand why it would beat the purpose of the new PPS value-based system. On a code-share flight -- for example, when you have a SQ flight number on a VS-operated flight -- SQ buys the capacity from VS and then re-sells it. So the net revenue goes to SQ. Not too different from what happens on SQ-operated flights, where SQ get the net revenue (ie fare minus cost).

Cheers.

[zxcvbn]

I have a few points to add:

> Cabin crew often talks in Singlish - something I find really annoying on an international airline.
> Allow saver awards on 77Ws.
> Standardize fleet on routes (eg, SIN-MEL has 77W, 744 and 773 daily, all different flight products, especially in J/F).
> Allow people aged 15 up to occupy emax seats - CX allows this.
> Fix FlightMap on 77Ws - last time I was up there it did not work.
> Put some windows in SKL!!

[SQ001]

Great list. I do however have a few comments about some of the things you mentioned...

"Ensure some form of recognition for PPS flyers flying coach -- for example, I never have been acknowledged as PPS when in coach -- just treated like any other coach passenger (which is not bad, but some form of recognition would be nice)"

Why? It is for reasons like these that members of airliners.net poke fun at SQ Talk frequent fliers that need a pat on their bruised ego.

"Provide mileage for lower economy fares - SQ typically does not give miles for their discounted fares "

Why should they? SQ is a premium carrier and their mileage accrual is a precious and priced commodity. If people want miles, pay for it. Do you want SQ to become like United or American who are so lenient about dishing out miles to everyone that their premium classes are filled with upgrades most of the time?

"Improve integration with SilkAir - absurd that one cannot book a Silkair flight on the SQ website and vice-versa (why even have SilkAir as a separate brand in the first place?)"

The relationship with SQ and MI is a strange one (coming from an ex-employee). Sometimes it is might as well they are separate companies altogether! This testy liaison has been like that since day one and is expected to continue.

Why have a separate brand? Hmm... Secondary destinations that cannot be served profitably by SQ will be relegated to MI, in turn relegated to TR, then disappear. SQ will not associate themselves with a narrow-body aircraft anymore after the 757 so this jobs falls on no one else but MI/TR.

"Improve on relationship with Virgin - absured that though SQ owns 49% of Virgin, the benefits for SQ pax are so few. Even the SQ-VS code-share flights are priced absurdly, making the code-shares meaningless (for example, a SIN-LHR-IAD flight, where LHR-IAD is SQ code on VS metal, is priced much higher than SIN-JFK on SQ own metal, and also higher than a SQ-UA combination) "

It is no secret that the Virgin investment is under-performing. I won't be surprised if SQ decides to relinquish their share.

"Improve F and J product on older regional aircraft (eg those that fly to India and China) "

The A330s are coming online soon and they are set to replace some regional 777s. Expect to see a more enhanced regional JCL.