SQ 747's and their historical routes

[sumitsan]

In 1993, my uncle travelled SQ from SIN-LHR, but that route was SIN-AMS-LHR, and it was a morning flight. Back then, SQ had 747s and A310s. He mentioned it was a 747, but he wasn't sure whether it was the Big Top, or Megatop. I know the Megatops' routes were non-stop, and Big Tops in 1993 (I think they had at least 10 of them since 4 were sold) were just being used for the Vancouver routes, Hong Kong and Seoul routes, and the peak KUL-SIN routes. Does anyone here remember that SIN-AMS-LHR in 1993 and whether it was a Big Top or Megatop?

[kt74]

Painful is pre 747 days.

MSA/SIA 707-320B SIN-LHR.

Four stops to LHR!

True! But even as late as 1980, I remember flying 3 stops on the 747, errr, "Super Bs" e.g. LHR-ZRH/ORY-AUH/DXB-BOM/CMB-SIN. God, I feel old...

Does anyone here remember that SIN-AMS-LHR in 1993 and whether it was a Big Top or Megatop?

Don't remember that one, but it would definitely have been a Megatop. Presumably it was when SQ got their first extra (on top of the original daily) frequencies into LHR, and didn't have enough planes (or passengers?) to do the extra flights nonstop

More recently, of course, we saw LHR-AMS-SIN (or was it LHR-FRA-SIN?) on SQ319 during the fuel rationing after the Buncefield oil facility explosion in 2006 (?)

[9V-SIA]

I travelled extensively SIN - LHR - SIN between 1972 and 1978.

Initially the choice was between SQ 707 vs BA VC10 / 707 vs QF 707.

Later on, they all flew 747s. Can't remember which airline introduced it first.

But until SQ introduced the 743 ( first LHR - SIN non-stop ), I flew the superior ( fewer stops ) offerings of BA / QF.

SQ has not lost their lead since the 743..

[AC 777-200LR]

SIN-HKG-HNL-SFO on D10→742
↓
SIN-HKG-HNL-SFO on 743: My first flight on SQ(after HKG to SFO nonstop. But only from HKG)
↓
SIN-HKG-SFO on 744→77W

SIN-TPE-HNL-LAX on 742→743→74D
↓
SIN-TPE-LAX on 744→772→77W

[AC 777-200LR]

4?? Where did they stop?

JL stopped 7. HND-HKG-BKK-CCU-KHI-CAI-FCO-FRA-LHR on DC8

[mad max]

any truth to the story that the 747s are going to be phased out by the a380s? That would explain why they're not upgrading the first or business class seats on the 747s. The spacebeds seem woefully inadequate now.

[s7r0ng3r]

any truth to the story that the 747s are going to be phased out by the a380s?

The 747-400s are to be fully replaced by a mixture of A380s and 777-300ERs. In my mind, A380s for major destinations and 777s for the rest.

And of course, welcome to SQTalk

[mad max]

The 747-400s are to be fully replaced by a mixture of A380s and 777-300ERs. In my mind, A380s for major destinations and 777s for the rest.

And of course, welcome to SQTalk

thank you!

The 747s just seem so worn out. On my flight not too long ago the armrests were sticky, the TV screen had lines and the floor was peeling in some places. The planes need serious refurbishing but that's not going to happen now is it?

[huaiwei]

any truth to the story that the 747s are going to be phased out by the a380s? That would explain why they're not upgrading the first or business class seats on the 747s. The spacebeds seem woefully inadequate now.

Current plans will see them disappearing for good by end next year. I have always had mixed feelings about this, for while I love the aircraft itself, the state of the aircraft's interior is damaging the airline's reputation in an increasingly alarming degree!

[Nick C]

thank you!

The 747s just seem so worn out. On my flight not too long ago the armrests were sticky, the TV screen had lines and the floor was peeling in some places. The planes need serious refurbishing but that's not going to happen now is it?

No refurbishment was ever planned for the 744s. Either way they will be gone in 386 days

[mad max]

haha i kind of figured that out from the interiors of the planes. The 747 was historic though and it'll be sad to see them go. Back when I was really young I remember flying on the 747s to the US when my dad went for business trips. We'd sit in the upper deck and the stewardesses would fuss over me. They would bring me playing cards and aircraft models. I remember IFE wasn't really around then so I just tried to sleep the whole flight through.

When I got older and IFE came around I remember doing nothing but playing video games for the whole flight. Ah happy days.

Then SIA went all cheapskate and broke my heart. DIE DIE DIE!

[flo]

well not really that "historic" after all ... but my parents often tell me about some weird VIE-AUH/DXB/MLE/(some other middle eastern stops) routes to SIN we used to take and how scared I was of the solidiers with their guns there.

I found some old boarding passes and my first one was SQ26 from VIE to SIN, probably coming from some place else and stopping over some other places. My dad says it had to be a 747... it was in 1986.

Then I remember that we flew VIE-ATH-SIN a *long* time with 743 Big Tops and later on with 744 Megatops. They stopped that route when SQ got their A340s and sent those to VIE instead ... but they reintroduced SIN-ZRH-VIE-ZRH-SIN on afaik SQ345 on a 744.

Time goes by ... now SQ stopped coming to Vienna and they are phasing out their Megatops. The face of SQ changes... but I am looking back to great times. =)

[allmotor_2000]

The one I remember was 2 stops, but then again, I wasn't born until 1977. This was the LHR-DXB-CMB-SIN. But I only went up to CMB. I believe the BA 747 had one extra stop between LHR and CMB, and that was BAH, but can't remember. I'm not sure if SQ 742's maiden voyage was also LHR, but I know the Big Top 743's maiden one was, since it was publicly advertised in the papers, and same with the Megatop 744. So not having and SQ pax 747 in LHR is definitely an end of an era. Actually not having a pax 747 in SQ fleet is also definitely an end of an era. I can't think of a time that SQ never had a 747.

I have done this flight in 1980'ish. SIN-CMB-DXB-Zurich-LHR. I did everything except for SIN-CMB as I took the flight from CMB.

[sumitsan]

I have done this flight in 1980'ish. SIN-CMB-DXB-Zurich-LHR. I did everything except for SIN-CMB as I took the flight from CMB.

Yeah. I have flown LHR-DXB-CMB (was too young to remember if Zurich was there or not) and CMB-SIN on the Super B 742, but never the full flight from SIN-LHR. They were both 2 separate flights, as they were 1-2 years apart. Even after the arrival of the Megatops, I've never flown SIN-LHR on SQ. whenever I flew from YYZ, it was always thru LAX or thru FRA. Of course I did do that shortlived YYZ-AMS-VIE-SIN, and enjoyed that while it lasted. Other than that, past flights to LHR for me from Asia have always been MH or BA, and these were from KUL.

[kt74]

I'm not sure if SQ 742's maiden voyage was also LHR, but I know the Big Top 743's maiden one was, since it was publicly advertised in the papers, and same with the Megatop 744.

Hmmm, well the maiden 744 was definitely LHR (...do you remember the summer of chaos (89? 90?) when the first 744 deliveries were delayed and SQ/MH et al had to stick in westbound stops on planned nonstop SIN/KUL-LHR/FRA etc flights?! ...and MH was using ropey old DC10s to Europe to plug the gap!)

But I thought maiden 743 was SQ1 to SFO? I'm pretty sure I flew LHR-DXB-SIN on a Super B in 1983, but continued onto HKG-HNL-SFO on the Megatop...