Suites Class makes First Class second class

[flyboy777]

Therefore where the lounge privileges are relevant? Hence this thread? Is there a reason you omitted TPPs and LPPs from your post?

The 'Suites' lounge is perhaps to make the experience a little more special & too take a bit off the sting out of the price tag. I feel it's fair to be said...

You get what you pay for...

[jjpb3]

The 'Suites' lounge is perhaps to make the experience a little more special & too take a bit off the sting out of the price tag. I feel it's fair to be said...

You get what you pay for...

Ah, so TPPs didn't pay for their status? And F class passengers didn't pay for their privileges, relative to the alternative (C class on their routes)?

[sqforever]

This is absolutely bonkers. Suites passengers already get extra priviledges with the physical suite, the stand-alone bed, improved wine and dining list, bose QC2's, their own amenity kits, personal closet, etc. But putting F and R pax in two seperate lounges is not in my opinion a measure that will make the suites experience more exclusive, it's simply holding back on F priviledges. I think Solitaire pps, R, and F should be allowed in the new lounge and that carriers' F pax ex-T3 can use the current, smaller F lounge. And on a side note, won't the lounge bit a bit too empty if just suites pax are given acess?

[taipeiflyer]

The 'Suites' lounge is perhaps to make the experience a little more special & too take a bit off the sting out of the price tag. I feel it's fair to be said...

You get what you pay for...

i have to disagree here. there are several routes, where passengers in F are paying substantially more than a ticket on certain routes in suites class. where is the numbing for their "sting"? there is really no comparable high-end product where a potential first-timer is treated substantially better than a repeat purchaser of an exclusive product. if i were to go into the ginza louis vuitton, where i have purchased over dozens of bags, and they were to not let me to use their vip lounge, but shepherded in the first-timer who bought a $5,000 bag, despite the fact i had just purchased a $4,000 bag and had purchased 3 of those identical bags in the previous month, i would be deeply offended and would take my business across the street to another retailer, because such a gesture would be insulting to say the very least. same thing goes at hotels, where they value their repeat customers and you can see tangible benefits for your repeat business. SQ isn't even about "what have you done for me lately?" They are strictly about "what are you doing for me this very instant?"

[Howard Long]

This is absolutely bonkers. Suites passengers already get extra priviledges with the physical suite, the stand-alone bed, improved wine and dining list, bose QC2's, their own amenity kits, personal closet, etc. But putting F and R pax in two seperate lounges is not in my opinion a measure that will make the suites experience more exclusive, it's simply holding back on F priviledges. I think Solitaire pps, R, and F should be allowed in the new lounge and that carriers' F pax ex-T3 can use the current, smaller F lounge. And on a side note, won't the lounge bit a bit too empty if just suites pax are given acess?

There is almost no difference in the service offering between F and R. Certainly the booze is identical. Being a wine lover, I was a little disappointed that the wine list in R is no different to F. I still have to bring my own dessert wine onboard.

The QC2s were only given away gratis on the inaugurals. Amenity kits are very very nearly almost identical. Personal closet? Big deal!

On the ground, the only difference currently in the service offering is a buggy from the lounge to the gate. Again, big deal!

My feeling is that as others catch up, it will be difficult for the Suites to maintain their status unless there is something extra.

Howard.

[sqforever]

There is almost no difference in the service offering between F and R. Certainly the booze is identical. Being a wine lover, I was a little disappointed that the wine list in R is no different to F. I still have to bring my own dessert wine onboard.

The QC2s were only given away gratis on the inaugurals. Amenity kits are very very nearly almost identical. Personal closet? Big deal!

On the ground, the only difference currently in the service offering is a buggy from the lounge to the gate. Again, big deal!

My feeling is that as others catch up, it will be difficult for the Suites to maintain their status unless there is something extra.

Howard.

Very interesting. Isn't there even some kind of luxury car service available to the airport or to the city? many airlines already have that for F.

[SQflyergirl]

So here's what it boils down to:

Currently there's a theoretical 3-4 dozen R pax a day. Make them feel ultra special and alienate the several hundred F pax by making them feel second class! The math don't add up. It's not adding to the lustre of F - it's detracting from it.

Somehow whilst the practise of putting out a flagship product and hoping those that can't afford to buy the premium product will settle for something lower down in the range might work for car manufacturers, I'm not so sure it works for classes of service.

[KeithMEL]

there is really no comparable high-end product where a potential first-timer is treated substantially better than a repeat purchaser of an exclusive product. if i were to go into the ginza louis vuitton, where i have purchased over dozens of bags, and they were to not let me to use their vip lounge, but shepherded in the first-timer who bought a $5,000 bag, despite the fact i had just purchased a $4,000 bag and had purchased 3 of those identical bags in the previous month, i would be deeply offended and would take my business across the street to another retailer, because such a gesture would be insulting to say the very least. same thing goes at hotels, where they value their repeat customers and you can see tangible benefits for your repeat business.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[zvezda]

there is really no comparable high-end product where a potential first-timer is treated substantially better than a repeat purchaser of an exclusive product. if i were to go into the ginza louis vuitton, where i have purchased over dozens of bags, and they were to not let me to use their vip lounge, but shepherded in the first-timer who bought a $5,000 bag, despite the fact i had just purchased a $4,000 bag and had purchased 3 of those identical bags in the previous month, i would be deeply offended and would take my business across the street to another retailer, because such a gesture would be insulting to say the very least. same thing goes at hotels, where they value their repeat customers and you can see tangible benefits for your repeat business. SQ isn't even about "what have you done for me lately?" They are strictly about "what are you doing for me this very instant?"

A perfect example of this at SQ: a Solitaire member who only ever buys F and C tickets is habituated to using the F side of the SKL (and hasn't seen the C side in years) has a C class ticket on a Star Alliance partner and is directed to use the C side of the SKL! That is extremely offensive and causes alienation to SQ.

[DeltaFlyingProf]

I can understand the origin of your feelings, though of course, I do not share them. However, I would posit that the rationalisation of privileges with respect to the frequent flyer programmes would have occurred anyway, regardless of the introduction of the Singapore Airlines Suites brand extension or otherwise.



Well, happily for SIA, there is solid demand for the Singapore Airlines Suites ... so far.

But I think the point voice by more than one is that once the hype is gone, the demand may go down...

As good as the Suites are, I still think of it as a First Class product. "Suites" is just a marketing gimmick to charge more.

I hear you.

There is almost no difference in the service offering between F and R. Certainly the booze is identical. Being a wine lover, I was a little disappointed that the wine list in R is no different to F. I still have to bring my own dessert wine onboard.

The QC2s were only given away gratis on the inaugurals. Amenity kits are very very nearly almost identical. Personal closet? Big deal!

On the ground, the only difference currently in the service offering is a buggy from the lounge to the gate. Again, big deal!

My feeling is that as others catch up, it will be difficult for the Suites to maintain their status unless there is something extra.

Howard.

I have not flown the Suite class yet, but I feel the same.

I am not working for any airline management and I must say, if I were, I would change some things dramatically but that's besides the point.
However, I wonder how things will look once SQ has fully retired the 744. Then we will have the choice between 380 and 77W (and maybe by then 787s/350s which presumably would be configured with the same J and F as 77W). So when you want an F fare, you cannot go through London anymore because all flights will be 380. You cannot go to LA either. No more F for those destinations, only R....
It does not make sense to me. Suddenly you will have F passengers asking themselves "How can I go SIN-LAX in F?" Suddenly, CX becomes very attractive...

[SMK77]

Just one observation from my side: Fares for NRT-SIN are the same in F and R... Might be a hint where SQ is going in the future...

[kelvgoh]

Very interesting. Isn't there even some kind of luxury car service available to the airport or to the city? many airlines already have that for F.

hmm, side point- Emirates offers two-way city transfers in C class, even for upgraders.

[zvezda]

I wonder how things will look once SQ has fully retired the 744. Then we will have the choice between 380 and 77W (and maybe by then 787s/350s which presumably would be configured with the same J and F as 77W).

It appears that SQ will retire all their Jumbos before receiving any 787s or A350s.

[Howard Long]

Very interesting. Isn't there even some kind of luxury car service available to the airport or to the city? many airlines already have that for F.

Not that I was ever made aware of. The buggy service only operates at SIN.

Howard

[Lobster]

SQ really do need to decide whether Suits class is meat to be a real class above first or whether it is just a different first class seat as at the moment they are doing a real half assed attempt at making it out to be a whole new class. They are promoting it as a class above first but then only providing a better seat (a seat that is not significantly better than some of their competitors). Ithink consumers will pick up on this and any premium SQ will be able to charge will be minimum in the long run unless they start to offer a real beyond first class experience. By this I mean
Transfer to and from the airport
Curbside meet and great with escort through check in, immigration and security
Proper lounges
Better onboard food and drinks