2017 A380 First Class Suites and Business Class pics and reviews

[SQ-77W]

I recently flew on the new A380 Business Class and personally think it's a class ahead by far compared to the 2006 and 2013 J. However, I feel that bed appears smaller and seem to be able to accommodate less of my sleeping positions. Also, is it just me or does anybody find it annoying that the seating positions get adjusted too easily just by leaning against the side panels?

[Singapore Guy]

The orange colour scheme and awful. I wished they choose a nicer colour scheme.

[benlee]

Very nice pics. Thanks for sharing. Makes me keen to try. But the new J looks much narrow than the previous J seats?

Is the new product currently only available on the SG <> SDY route?

[SQ228]

Very nice pics. Thanks for sharing. Makes me keen to try. But the new J looks much narrow than the previous J seats?

Is the new product currently only available on the SG <> SDY route?

No, it's now expanded:

SYD SQ232/221 Daily
HKG SQ860/863 3x weekly
LHR SQ322/305 3x weekly

When 9V-SKW goes into service, all will be daily.

[pulvardon]

OK - so I had the opportunity to travel on SQ221 and SQ232 in the last few weeks in Business class. The overall ambience of the cabin as well as the colour scheme, privacy and thoughtful storage were all great.

However here are some of my observations:

The seat itself IS narrower, but still very comfortable width wise. I didn't feel the need to use the arm rests myself, but I gave them a go. Useful if you like an arm rest, but the cushion would also be fine in for this purpose. I had a window seat, so the ottoman was deployed permanently, which is great. The side storage for laptop and charging as well as magazines, water bottles was great and out of the way.

CONTROL CONSOLE
The control console is very sensitive, though I do like the panel/vibration concept over the buttons of previous business class products. However, with a narrower seat, it is very easy to brush past it with an arm, even if you're just reaching for something in or adjacent to your seat or on the side table. I found myself very conscious to not lean to the side table when relaxing in my seat. I saw multiple passengers accidentally call the cabin crew by brushing against the console without even knowing - must be annoying for cabin crew.

SEATING POSITIONS
On the 2013 business class product, you could control the leg rest independently of the back recline. There were also preset lazy Z and Sundeck seat positions which were great. Whilst there is still a Lazy Z preset now, you cannot control the leg rest to the full sun deck position anymore - this seems a bit of a step back to the 2006 product. I found my only option was to flatten the seat completely and sit up against the inner shell of the seat. And then you end up sitting on the seat back, rather than on the seat cushion. All first world problems. However, I have to say that the new seat, whilst it does away with the flip down concept to make your bed, it loses the versatility and "couch feel" of the previous business class seats (2006 and 2013 versions). It was a real improvement when the 2013 update could extend the leg rest to full flat to create a sun lounge position. I tend to use this for most of my flights on the B777 and A350.

You have to get up anyway to fit the seat cover on the new bed and I found it easier to get out of the seat to flatten into bed mode anyway, so flipping the seat into bed mode wouldn't have been that big an issue if it retained the flip and fold down concept. Just my two cents.

THE IFE
The touchscreen worked great - really enjoyed having it as touch screen. Good improvement on this front.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
Nice soft lighting touches, thoughtful and usable storage, great privacy, great colour palette and overall cabin ambience. However, seat wise, I think the 2013 product is my preference due to better versatility of seating positions and width of seat not being an issue with the control console.

The new A380 business class isn't a step back, it's still a great product, but I think I prefer the 2013 business class. If they could update that with the privacy, storage solutions and refreshed design of the new product, they could have a real winner.

[SQ-77W]

The overall ambience of the cabin as well as the colour scheme, privacy and thoughtful storage were all great.

Thoroughly agree with you on your points, though I still think the new J edges the 2013 one by a slight bit. Just a personal opinion. I truly enjoyed the privacy and convenience that the new seat offers.

CONTROL CONSOLE
However, with a narrower seat, it is very easy to brush past it with an arm, even if you're just reaching for something in or adjacent to your seat or on the side table.

This certainly is annoying, they should really do something about this. I was pretty peeved that my seat kept moving against my wishes.

SEATING POSITIONS
On the 2013 business class product, you could control the leg rest independently of the back recline. Whilst there is still a Lazy Z preset now, you cannot control the leg rest to the full sun deck position anymore - this seems a bit of a step back to the 2006 product.

You have to get up anyway to fit the seat cover on the new bed and I found it easier to get out of the seat to flatten into bed mode anyway, so flipping the seat into bed mode wouldn't have been that big an issue if it retained the flip and fold down concept. Just my two cents.

All very keen insights! Getting up to fit the seat cover over the seat seemed more of a hassle than flipping it over for a bed. Not to mention that the dedicated sleeping surface on the 2013 J was more comfortable.

THE IFE
The touchscreen worked great - really enjoyed having it as touch screen. Good improvement on this front.

Hear, hear. The touchscreen really was a joy to use, I hardly used the controller anymore.

If they could update that with the privacy, storage solutions and refreshed design of the new product, they could have a real winner.

Indeed, let's hope they tweak the new Business Class on the future A359ULR and it'll be a solid product.

[MAN Flyer]

Had the first try of the New F on SYD-SIN earlier this week. I have to say I was quite impressed. I think the current (can we really say 'old' ? ) Suites are still excellent and I always get a great sleep in them, but these are a definite step up in class.

There was a slight issue with the seat 'jerking' a little in turbulence, which can probably be easily enough solved, and I would personally avoid row 3 if that is possible as there is huge galley right behind it that serves both FCL and the forward JCL cabin. As a result there is a lot of crew activity there. To be fair SQ crew are usually excellent and keeping noise to a minimum and with this being a day flight they would not expect too many to be sleeping. But I was disturbed by noise in row 2 so row 3 would be even worse.

I would imagine the bean counters at Airline House are gutted about the loss of space in the two FCL bathrooms, The one on the right is enormous, they could probably get 8 YCL seats in there!.

The crew seemed very proud of the products, which came over in the service. The LSS we had in F, who was fabulous and great fun, did the inaugural flight and is one of the most experienced on these already. She was training the LS on the cabin as it was his first flight.

[concept|infinit]

No, it's now expanded:

SYD SQ232/221 Daily
HKG SQ860/863 3x weekly
LHR SQ322/305 3x weekly

When 9V-SKW goes into service, all will be daily.

Thanks for the info. I understand that beyond 9V-SKW, SQ will receive 2 more 380s this year. Do you know which flights they will be deployed on?

[SQ228]

It will be interesting to see at what point the refurb program of SKF-T begins.

Once SKZ is in rotation from 10AUG, that's all the slack they will ever have from there on, with the total fleet back up to 19.

It also remains to be seen whether SKF-K are preferenced first, or if they go with SKL-T instead. SYD/LHR/HKG freed up the earlier series (although this is also the variant that had already been returned to lessors) but ZRH/PVG will free up the latter (none of which will return to lessors). CDG's return to A380 could well be all upper-J as they have switched between the two variants on that route in the past. It's not automatic that they would refit the older planes first- as a general observation, the upper-Y cabin variant seems to be more versatile in which routes it can be used successfully on, while all upper-J seems to cling to specific routes, namely LHR (308/321), ZRH, FRA/JFK and PVG. With the impending boost of J seats to US destinations courtesy of the new ULH flights starting this year, and with ZRH/PVG going new A380, the all upper-J planes could be the more pressing need for a reconfiguration.

[a340-313x]

Or... (and this is entirely my own postulation)...

The new A380s could be performing so brilliantly compared to their older siblings (even SKT, the newest one, is a LN sub-100 bird) that there may be a case to replace more (or all) of them.

Just a thought...

[SQ228]

Or... (and this is entirely my own postulation)...

The new A380s could be performing so brilliantly compared to their older siblings (even SKT, the newest one, is a LN sub-100 bird) that there may be a case to replace more (or all) of them.

Just a thought...

I believe there are a few more of the remaining original order that are leased and could be returned to lessors, but for the ones SQ actually owns, the issue would be who they could sell them to.

[SQueeze]

Thanks for the info. I understand that beyond 9V-SKW, SQ will receive 2 more 380s this year. Do you know which flights they will be deployed on?

Just got a seat change notice for SQ317 LHR-SIN in October. So The New Suites is going daily by that time. Not sure when it will start.

[concept|infinit]

Just got a seat change notice for SQ317 LHR-SIN in October. So The New Suites is going daily by that time. Not sure when it will start.

Thanks for the update

[KeithMEL]

The amount of personal real estate in these seats is un-real.

Some shots from 1A & 2A (you need to click on the thumbnails for the full sized pics as I have no idea how to do the img links to Facebook or Instagram):

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27912599_10155257182538093_5221452297417480835_o.jpg

27993141_10155257465338093_6862065763255660697_o.jpg

Ruined our onward flight to LHR in the old Suites (which were still an exquisite way to fly, mind).

[concept|infinit]

The amount of personal real estate in these seats is un-real.

Some shots from 1A & 2A (you need to click on the thumbnails for the full sized pics as I have no idea how to do the img links to Facebook or Instagram):

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Ruined our onward flight to LHR in the old Suites (which were still an exquisite way to fly, mind).

My goodness.. It looks amazing, better than in SQ's ads where everything looked so dull.

I'm keeping a close eye on Saver award redemption availability to Europe for the last week of November or so