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ST: SIA likely to fly non-stop to Seattle from next year

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  • ST: SIA likely to fly non-stop to Seattle from next year

    The article is behind a paywall, but Straits Times reports:

    “If all goes well, Seattle will become SIA's fourth non-stop destination to the US, as the airline moves to capitalise on a growing demand for Singapore-US flights and the availability of a new, more fuel-efficient aircraft - the Airbus 350-900.”

    https://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...from-next-year

    Looks like we might see that fourth nonstop destination after all!

    Still, it’s a huge amount of capacity being pumped into the US market. While there’s no doubt Singapore and Seattle have strong tech ties, I do wonder SIA is making a preemptive move to keep Delta from launching SEA-SIN as they continue to wind down their intra Asia ops by 2020.

  • #2
    This would be very handy for me

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    • #3
      Another piece of the jigsaw puzzle: SIA's recent codeshare and FFP partnership with Alaska Airlines, which has Seattle as a major hub.

      https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/u.../ne1517-170831

      Alaska Airlines has a great interactive route map at http://as.fltmaps.com/en

      From there, you can see where AS flies from Seattle. A screenshot below from the AS interactive route-map, highlighting destinations from Seattle...

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      • #4
        i wonder whether SQ will eventually remove the PEY config and put in regular Y seating on the ULRs. I just can't imagine a steady stream of PEY customers doing these routes. If anything it's either full business class or just economy class. the market for the in-betweens IMO doesn't seem sufficient. I'm also hearing that SQ22/21 is less than 70% filled per flight.

        Meanwhile on normal routes, as far as i know, a lot of PEY seats get filled by flexi-upgrades or miles redemptions.

        Honestly, if i'm not in J for a flight to HK, i can't see myself or my company paying 50% more for the PEY seat over the Y seat. I can't see the regular travelers doing this also just because of the presumed advantage a direct US-SIN flight has.

        Besides, with 7 aircraft spread over 4 routes, the frequency of flights probably lacks behind in SQ's ability to attract a steady stream of users of these flights. They may well end up suffering the way they did when they operated the non-stops with the A345s back then.

        Just my opinion

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        • #5
          It's good to see that the SEA rumours are panning out positively.

          Yes, I'm betting that it won't be a daily. I don't think that there's sufficient demand. Hope to be proven wrong.

          While all the competition have at least a one-stop to SEA, transiting in Incheon, Taipei or Tokyo is really not too bad. So it'll boil down to pricing again. SQ will of course try to get some premium for a non-stop, but how much is too much.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by ell3 View Post
            i wonder whether SQ will eventually remove the PEY config and put in regular Y seating on the ULRs. I just can't imagine a steady stream of PEY customers doing these routes. If anything it's either full business class or just economy class. the market for the in-betweens IMO doesn't seem sufficient. I'm also hearing that SQ22/21 is less than 70% filled per flight.

            Meanwhile on normal routes, as far as i know, a lot of PEY seats get filled by flexi-upgrades or miles redemptions.

            Honestly, if i'm not in J for a flight to HK, i can't see myself or my company paying 50% more for the PEY seat over the Y seat. I can't see the regular travelers doing this also just because of the presumed advantage a direct US-SIN flight has.

            Besides, with 7 aircraft spread over 4 routes, the frequency of flights probably lacks behind in SQ's ability to attract a steady stream of users of these flights. They may well end up suffering the way they did when they operated the non-stops with the A345s back then.

            Just my opinion
            They will be using the regular 350-900s for this route I think, not the ULRs.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by CarbonMan View Post
              They will be using the regular 350-900s for this route I think, not the ULRs.
              Definitely, the normal A350-900 can do Seattle easily as they are within the range of the normal A350-900 and the ULR is already plotted for EWR, LAX, and SFO.

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              • #8
                I was really hoping they can launch Vancouver and Toronto in the near term as I have been transferring via SFO and NYC. I am sure there is a good demand from SE Asia market to Canada as well.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Tweeshin View Post
                  I was really hoping they can launch Vancouver and Toronto in the near term as I have been transferring via SFO and NYC. I am sure there is a good demand from SE Asia market to Canada as well.
                  If SEA materialises, YVR is basically ruled out. As much as I’d like to see SQ return to YVR, I think it’s be more of a Scoot destination.

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                  • #10
                    Maybe 10x weekly nonstop to both LAX and SFO is an overkill. May be better to do 7x to 3 destinations instead.

                    But the tech industry (which drives SEA) - unlike finance and oil & gas - is not big on flying its mid-level employees on premium classes. Let's see how this plays out.

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                    • #11
                      Assuming there is some substance to the article, plans are likely to be reasonably well advanced. A leak like this would not come from the inner management of SQ during deliberations / immediately after a decision is taken. Its far more likely to occur as plans are progressed and more people get involved. For example through the slots process which is happening at the moment for northern summer 2019.

                      Thinking back, there was about a 5 month lead time between announcement of the direct NYC / LAX flights and commencement of service. It is likely that sometime similar will be done for Seattle. A new announcement will not happen until LAX commences as SQ will want that publicity but could happen between that and the half year results in early - mid November. There is even some precedent for announcements as part of the results. 5 months from then would take us to April 2019 which is conveniently just after norther summer 2019 begins.

                      I also note that an extra BNE 350 gets freed up around that time. I know 1 aircraft needs to go to the CHC flight but it looks like at least 2 aircraft are being pulled from BNE. If Seattle is less than daily then maybe 1 aircraft is sufficient, possibly with some extra time freed up through the short haul filler routes.

                      That will make things hard for IST though as there dont seem to be any other A350s to takeover. The 777-200ERs are surely due to leave soon though given there will only be 3 left at the end of the financial year. Maybe enough capcity can be freed up with more feeder routes being moved to the 350R or 787 and the Melbourne flight shifting to the 350R?

                      All this would leave the long haul 350 fleet pretty much fully utilized. It is possible some adjustments may occur given the 350R could be used for some more Aus flights to free up 777-300ERs and there are the two 777-300ERs that should come out of retrofit soon.

                      I do wonder whether a second tranche of long haul 350s are due in the next 12 to 18 months. I think the idea is particularly interesting given the enhancements to the 350s as a result of the ULRs. I do remember reading that a number of the enhancements are part of the standard for the 350s and that the improvements mean that SFO and SEA could be operated without load limitations. I will try and dig up the source when I get the chance but if anyone else remembers that would be great. I suspect its CAPA or Blue Swan but cannot be sure. Things get even more interesting if the improvements mean LAX is possible without load limitations. That would allow SQ to offer an economy non stop to LAX which will help with sales in India etc. I gather SFO has done really well as a connection product to India.

                      Assuming all this pans out (and I acknowledge its a lot of ifs and buts) then some ULR capacity gets freed up. Maybe more frequencies to NYC and possible less than daily flights to other points like BOS / ORD? This would make for better use of the ULRs because in terms of range the are set up for EWR.

                      All just theories but interested to hear what others think.

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                      • #12
                        So, the worst kept secret in SQ is finally 'out'.

                        Originally posted by Tweeshin View Post
                        I was really hoping they can launch Vancouver and Toronto in the near term as I have been transferring via SFO and NYC. I am sure there is a good demand from SE Asia market to Canada as well.
                        Originally posted by SilverChris View Post
                        If SEA materialises, YVR is basically ruled out. As much as I’d like to see SQ return to YVR, I think it’s be more of a Scoot destination.
                        SQ would like to fly to YVR, but AC still seem to have the Canadian authorities boxed off and they can't get the daily service they wanted. YYZ has been looked at via an intermediate point.

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                        • #13
                          I would be a big fan of flights to Canada, whether nonstop or one-stop. Esp. YVR. The A350 is a great plane for that route.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Buster CT1K View Post
                            I would be a big fan of flights to Canada, whether nonstop or one-stop. Esp. YVR. The A350 is a great plane for that route.
                            Actually SIA can work with Air Canada on the SIN to YVR route since there are both Star Alliance partners. For a start, a 4 weekly service should be able to work well.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Tweeshin View Post
                              Actually SIA can work with Air Canada on the SIN to YVR route since there are both Star Alliance partners. For a start, a 4 weekly service should be able to work well.
                              What's in it for Air Canada? If they wanted the feeder traffic, they would have co-operated long ago. Like 30 years ago.

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