SQ cuts capacity 11%

[zvezda]

Here's what I think the 17 aircraft are.

-9 772
-1 773
-7 744 (Includes the 3 leaving in 2009/2010)

That's plausible, but I would guess more JumboJets and fewer 777s will be retired this year. The immediate pressure is to downgauge to smaller aircraft. The A330-300s help a lot in that regard, but replacing JumboJets with 777s will be critical.

[9V-SIA]

As much as the naysayers hate the A345s, the A345s will be around for sometime. ULH is here to stay and things will pick up when the economy recovers down the road.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that ULH and the A345s will continue.

But from reading various forums, the load factors are not stellar.

If it were the A359R we were talking about, I'd feel more confident...

[Nick C]

That's plausible, but I would guess more JumboJets and fewer 777s will be retired this year. The immediate pressure is to downgauge to smaller aircraft. The A330-300s help a lot in that regard, but replacing JumboJets with 777s will be critical.

I won't be the least surprised if all the 744s are gone come early 2010. That's the end of the Skysuite.

[flyguy]

and the "wose" thing is that the 5 A345s have all been converted to all single J class recently - and its the premium F and J seats that are the bane now.
SQ must be quick to be competitive and even offer its premium F suites and J at the same fare as its standard F n J on its 744s and older 773s for this period of time to get back the premium pax who have migrated to other carriers. Its not a time for SQ to maintain its "exclusive" premium seats as in its A380s and 77Ws and leaving these cabins below 40% or even as low as 10% occuppied and leaving the rest unoccupied.

[EWR]

I'm worried about AKL's 281 and 282.

[zvezda]

I'm worried about AKL's 281 and 282. Suddenly, they are no longer available for sale. I called SQ to ask, and they said it's fully booked - yeah right... for weeks and weeks?

It's hard to imagine SQ pulling out of AKL. If loads are poor, they could use a 777-200ER or even an A330-300. Did you ask when the next date is with availability? They should be able to see 11 months into the future.

[EWR]

It's hard to imagine SQ pulling out of AKL. If loads are poor, they could use a 777-200ER or even an A330-300. Did you ask when the next date is with availability? They should be able to see 11 months into the future.

SQ281/2 is already on a 772ER.

[taipeiflyer]

Predicting route cuts is more difficult than predicting fleet cuts. I'll rise to the challenge though and predict that SQ will drop the FRA-JFK tag and codeshare again with LH to JFK.

I would think cutting the Singapore-Houston-Moscow flights, and redeploying the 77W to the FRA-JFK route would be a better option. What do you think ZVEZDA?

[zvezda]

I would think cutting the Singapore-Houston-Moscow flights, and redeploying the 77W to the FRA-JFK route would be a better option. What do you think ZVEZDA?

I think Houston service is at risk, but I would drop the FRA-JFK tag regardless of Houston.

[sabian]

I'm worried about AKL's 281 and 282. Suddenly, they are no longer available for sale. I called SQ to ask, and they said it's fully booked - yeah right... for weeks and weeks?

It is possible that it 's fully booked if your travel dates coincide with peak travel. (with NATAS coming up) I'm not sure if NZ still flies out of S'pore. They pulled out abt 2 yrs back and it was pretty much SQ's roost (direct flight) as far as SIN-AKL is concerned.

I am booked for AKL in Jun, hope they do not can that route.

[Megatop]

Deleted

[SQAKLFlyer]

It's hard to imagine SQ pulling out of AKL. If loads are poor, they could use a 777-200ER or even an A330-300. Did you ask when the next date is with availability? They should be able to see 11 months into the future.

Hi - just flown AKL-SIN-SGN (286 from AKL). Both flights pretty full in all classes.

286 is pretty full for the next few weeks from what I have been told by my travel agent.

If they were to pull both daily flights and replace with a 380 I wouldn't complain

With the fall in the NZ dollar maybe the inbound tourism market to NZ will hold up better than anticipated.

[Nick C]

SQ really needs to draw its old loyal customers back (especially those QPP/TPPs about to reach LPP before the policy shift) in this economic climate but knowing SQ, they won't do anything unless it benefits them.

[MAN Flyer]

SQ really needs to draw its old loyal customers back (especially those QPP/TPPs about to reach LPP before the policy shift) in this economic climate but knowing SQ, they won't do anything unless it benefits them.

Well that's the problem, 'ironically' enough. It would benefit them, but it would also mean a person or persons having to hold their hands up and admit they got it wrong in the last few years, and p*ssing off and driving away so many previously regular pax while things were good was a rather silly thing to do.

It probably seemed a good idea at the time when things were fine and dandy, but they always risked it coming back to haunt them if (or rather when) things took a turn for the worse, which they have, with bells on. People warned about this at the time saying if there is another 911, SARS, Bird Flu etc. We've had a monumental economic slowdown instead.

What is really annoying, and very sad as well, is if they do indeed start cutting jobs, while it is inevitable it will also be worse than it needed to be due to the people and the money they used to spend with SQ being driven away. If I tot up the income lost from just the people I know personally, it would pay the annual wage for a number of SQ staff. Most of these are people who are still flying as much as they did before, just not with SQ so much.

There is host of things they could do - or rather, reverse... - that would make people more likey to use them, but they don't seem interested. Pride often comes before a fall, as they say. Sad.

[kpc]

What is really annoying, and very sad as well, is if they do indeed start cutting jobs, while it is inevitable it will also be worse than it needed to be due to the people and the money they used to spend with SQ being driven away. If I tot up the income lost from just the people I know personally, it would pay the annual wage for a number of SQ staff. Most of these are people who are still flying as much as they did before, just not with SQ so much.

I was spending about AUD$20000 / year til the PPS changes. Pocket change for some here on this board but still a significant amount...I'm still spending that money but not all of it is going SQ's way

Another eg of Sq's stupidity and arrogance: Just received an email re: Great fares from singaporeair.com but in the Terms and Conditions:

*Fares are on sale now until 31 March 2009, for departures to 31 March 2009 (30 June 2009 to India) . Total trip price is for return economy class travel and is inclusive of all taxes, levies and charges. Taxes are correct as at 05 February 2009. Children only pay 50% of the applicable adult fare, plus taxes. Sweet Deal fares are non-mileage accruable or eligible for flight upgrade redemption.

Why NOT? I thought they are encouraging us to fly....!!!