“A Great Way To Fly”
Skytrax rating: 5-star
Star Alliance member
Operations
Globally
- About 60 destinations including trans-Pacific flights
- No flights to South America (see Star Alliance partners)
South Africa
- Ex Cape Town via Johannesburg to Singapore
- Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban (contact us for more information)
General
Singapore Airlines is the national flag carrier of Singapore and is one of only seven airlines internationally to be awarded the prestigious Skytrax 5-star rating. Going by market capitalization the airline is the second largest in the world. Its entirely owned subsidiary, SilkAir, is a far smaller operation that provides flights regionally and is based in Singapore. Singapore Airlines also has other subsidiary projects such as a freight airline and two aircraft maintenance concerns.
Singapore Airlines plane with the trademark bird on the tailfin.
As a long-haul international carrier, it is not surprising that Singapore Airlines operates so many wide-bodied aircraft, such as various models of Being 777 and also the Airbus A380. The fleet stands at about 100 planes at present, but more than 60 are on order, including 20 Boeing 787s. Singapore is a relatively small country, so the opportunity for providing domestic flights is rather limited and it is not the main focus area of Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines was the first airline in the world to use the Airbus A380.
Concomitant with its 5-star rating, Singapore Airlines offers three cabin classes but in different versions, so that there are no fewer than ten possible class options, depending on the nature of the flight and the aircraft that is used to make it. They are:
First
- Suites – only on the Airbus A380-800
- New First
- SkySuite First
- Regional
Business
- New Business
- New Regional
- Spacebed
- Ultimo
Economy
- New Economy
- Economy
The First Class suites are the ultimate in commercial aviation luxury and are more like individual ship cabins (they were designed by a yacht interior designer) than airline seats. The 200cm bed is separate to the ample chair and two suites can be combined to form a double bed. Singapore Airlines classifies the suites as the “Class Beyond First” (which they are) and charges a different fare for them. It is hard to find this level of luxury on other airlines so if your flight budget is not a consideration to you then you may want to try out this option. However, it is limited to certain routes only, so please contact us for more information.
Economy class in the Airbus A380.
The frequent flyer program has two divisions:
- KrisFlyer
- The Priority Passenger Service (PPS) Club
Both of these programs have various benefits attached to them, but KrisFlyer membership allows the passenger to derive benefits by using other Star Alliance airlines.
Singapore Airlines offers a flight experience that is unparalleled by most other international airlines and also covers a very wide range of routes. The airline specialises in long-haul international flights and their fleet is structured around that priority. Good news for travelers in South Africa is that Singapore Airlines offers flights from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, so if you are planning on flying in more comfort than most airlines can offer, you should call or e-mail us so that we can make the necessary arrangements for you.
