• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Singapore Airlines  >  The Enigma Of The Singapore Airlines A380 At JFK
Singapore Airlines

The Enigma Of The Singapore Airlines A380 At JFK

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 23, 2022November 23, 2022 16 Comments

A point of frustration as we bid adieu to the Airbus A380 on Singapore Airlines’ flagship JFK-FRA-SIN route. Is Singapore so stingy or just so successful that it simply will not release first class award space on this route? It’s quite an enigma.

Singapore Airlines A380 Pulled From JFK Route

When Singapore Airlines swapped a 777 for an A380 on SQ24/25 during the pandemic, it was very generous in releasing a glut of saver award space between Frankfurt and New York. But since that initial release, the wells have run totally dry. In fact, they are so dry there is not a single pair of “Advantage” award seats (we are not even talking about saver awards…) on a single day through the end of the schedule upon last check.

You can certainly waitlist on a many days, but waitlists on KrisFlyer awards no longer clear as reliably as in the past and it’s quite a gamble to stake out a trip around the world on a waitlist clearing.

I’m genuinely sorry to see the A380 go, because it has not only been on my bucket list, but has been perched at the very top of my bucket list ever since I flew Air France First Class a few years back. Many years ago I flew in Singapore Suites on the A380, but onboard the old 12-seat configuration and only a (relatively) short flight from Singapore to Melbourne.

Ironically, New York’s loss is Melbourne’s gain, as the the A380 pulled from the New York route as of May 15, 2023 will be placed on the Singapore – Melbourne route.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not entitled to any award space. I’m not demanding any. But I am a bit perplexed that Singapore seems to be selling $15K+ fares and filling up cabins and yet somehow is going to reduce the size of the first class cabin by 1/3 and swap in a frankly far inferior product on one of its flagship routes?

Our loss is Melbourne’s gain. Perhaps Singapore feels it can fly the round-trip to Melbourne in the time it flies the one-way to New York and that will net more money?

CONCLUSION

Singapore Airlines is dropping the A380 on its New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN) service starting on May 15, 2023 for a 777. With flights sold out on many dates and no award space available at all (and I’ve been looking for months…), I guess I am curious how much money Singapore is expecting on its Melbourne service.

Too bad Singapore cannot acquire some used A380s and start building up its A380 fleet…

image: Thilo Darmstadt / Wikimedia Commons

Previous Article Where To Smoke At Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH)
Next Article TSA Finds Clandestine Cat In Checked Bag At JFK…

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Singapore Airlines World Class Ad Campaign

    Singapore Airlines’ Defiant New Ad Campaign

    January 30, 2023
  • Toddler First Class

    Family Flaunts Toddler In First Class

    January 11, 2023
  • Man Threatens Singapore Flight Attendant

    Thug Is Arrested After Threatening Singapore Airlines Flight Attendant….For Not Giving Him Water

    November 10, 2022

16 Comments

  1. Miamiorbust Reply
    November 23, 2022 at 7:02 am

    Only an American could believe FRA-JFK is a flagship route for SG. And JFK is a world class airport?

    • thurstontravel Reply
      November 23, 2022 at 7:32 am

      True that. JFK-FRA-SIN is not a flagship route for Singapore Airlines, though it has operated since the 1990s with various aircraft, starting with the 747-400, then transitioned to A380, then to 77W during the pandemic and back to the A380 until now. The terminal SIA operates from is a gargantuan mess. JFK is an iconic airport, yes. World class? Hardly.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        November 23, 2022 at 11:47 am

        A flagship route has nothing to do with the airport facilities…no one is heralding the hot mess that is known as JFK.

    • Christian Reply
      November 23, 2022 at 9:34 am

      JFK is a critically important airport in the global scheme of things but I’d argue that it hasn’t been world class since the days of Pan Am Worldport.

    • Stuart Reply
      November 23, 2022 at 10:01 am

      My thoughts are that this refers more to the importance of JFK as the gateway to the world’s most important financial market. Less about the facilities, though JFK has vastly improved over the past few years. This should be considered a route as important as LHR-SIN. One could argue that LHR and JFK should be held as the two most significant profile and premium routes for SQ and treated accordingly with their flagship aircraft.

      With that said, the issue from an economic standpoint is that the needed stopover in FRA was a drain on premium flyers. The non stop from NYC eats away much of the market for those who don’t want a three hour stopover in FRA where you have to deplane. As well, the FRA-JFK segment was seldom full in premium cabins and I could often find bargains in one way J (a hidden sweet spot last minute) for around $2K to FRA. That’s because half the seats would go empty otherwise. I’ve also flown it a few times the entire route and I never saw it full in J or F on either segment…once I was the only person in F other than a non rev pilot. And that was on both segments. The 777 is probably more sustainable given these factors, even if less flashy on what should be the second most important market served after LHR for SQ.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        November 23, 2022 at 10:56 am

        Certainly agree that I was not trying to argue that JFK facilities are what make it flagship. We can all agree that is not the case.

      • Howard Miller Reply
        November 23, 2022 at 1:04 pm

        Agree! Why would anyone want to take a 1-stop flight from JFK to Singapore via Frankfurt with a travel time ~21.5 hours, when they can fly nonstop in 18.5 hours?

        Ditto for the reverse, from Singapore to JFK via Frankfurt, but with an even worse travel time of ~24.5 hours (and forced deplaning in FRA) versus ~18 on the nonstop?

        Speaking of the SIN-JFK nonstop, my partner and I flew it in Premium Economy 11 days ago (Saturday, Nov 12) and we counted ~10 open seats in the back/last cabin for an ~89.4% load factor (84/94=0.8936) while our peeks through the curtain inflight and observation of the debris left behind in the sleeping pods while deplaning suggests that the business class cabin had a similarly good load factor, too.

        After spending more than 29 hours total travel time to reach Singapore from JFK via Tokyo/Haneda for our All Nippon Airways (ANA) flights (also in Premium Economy, which mercifully included access to ANA’s very nice lounge at Haneda for our layover and at British Airways’ lounge at JFK T7 before our first flight), we both agree that despite lacking lounge access with the fare paid (we don’t travel enough to warrant paid lounges or the most costly credit cards that includes lounge access) and a larger, denser cabin (with less comfortable seating than we had on ANA’s low density 77W and an ancient 787-8), Singapore Airlines’ nonstop is still preferable to longer itineraries that require stops along the way – and obviously all the more so for those in Business Class with the comfy lie flat seats featuring Singapore Airlines’ exceptional service.

        So, in that regard, it does seem logical to redeploy the Airbus A380 elsewhere, especially if they key reason for continuing to operate a 1-stop flight via Frankfurt along with nonstops to both JFK and nearby Newark airports is for belly cargo capacity, which the Boeing 777-300ER is more than capable of handling – and may even be better suited for.

  2. Willem Reply
    November 23, 2022 at 8:11 am

    Booked last May on Singapore to JFK for my April birthday, had to shell out 237,000 miles for the AAdvantage rate. Guess I’ll be one of the last lucky few to fly this A380 route w/ miles!

  3. Christian Reply
    November 23, 2022 at 9:08 am

    If only there were any A380’s that were available for sale somewhere in the world, Singapore might buy a few and solve the A380 shortage.

  4. shoeguy Reply
    November 23, 2022 at 4:51 pm

    SQ is not the only A380 operator at JFK. EK and KE both fly A380s into JFK. Daily. Not quite sure what “enigma” will disappear at JFK once SQ stops flying it there.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 23, 2022 at 8:35 pm

      I meant the Singapore Airlines A380, not the A380 itself.

      • Naga Reply
        November 27, 2022 at 2:13 am

        .. we are all referring to SQ’s A-380 first class suites, if SQ acquired more A-380s without these suites we won‘t have this discussions/crazy rich Asians

  5. Christ Reply
    November 23, 2022 at 7:15 pm

    There’s a big discrepancy in the way SQ treats its Solitaire/PPS members vs. ordinary elites/non-elites. And that partly explains why most of us don’t have much access to Saver awards on premium cabins, bulkhead seats, etc. Try taking a flight with a Solitaire member — the fawning is a bit disgusting actually

  6. Mick Reply
    November 23, 2022 at 7:40 pm

    I’ve always wanted to do the via Frankfurt route on first on Singapore. I’ve also only flown the suites on the Singapore to Australia route.

  7. Em Reply
    November 26, 2022 at 2:56 am

    I flew this route once , first 380 flight, takes hrs to get on off the plane … the plane broke down on the way back at frnakfurt flew in the part from France… Fra staff was the friendliest Germans I ever met … served us some good food kept us informed at every step but they were cursing the 380 for its less than steller reliability … and BTW the last row window seat does not have a window lol really sia … I asked to de plane me …

  8. KamLam Reply
    November 27, 2022 at 1:38 am

    Yeah, I couldn’t help but chuckle reading this article. While SIA has maintained a presence at JFK for many years, it most certainly isn’t their flagship route, nor their most profitable. Look at their market share in Australia and their profits on major European routes like LHR (which was their most profitable pre-pandemic) and the likes. It’s clear they were and will continue to focus on capturing Europe-Australia traffic – so it’s more than reasonable and expected they pulled their A380s with their best products from JFK-FRA.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Spirit brawl
    Brawl: Spirit Airlines Employees Drawn Into Gate Fight February 5, 2023
  • runway incursion
    Close Call: Two Airliners Narrowly Avoid Runway Catastrophe February 5, 2023
  • belarus journalist arrested on ryanair flight
    Couple Abandon Child At Airport Over €25 Fee February 5, 2023
  • United Airlines Steakhouse Cheeseburger
    Steakhouse Cheeseburger On United Airlines February 4, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Spirit Airlines Captain Runs Out Of Cockpit After Woman Yells “I Hope Y’All Crash And Die!” January 17, 2023
  • Hotel Worker entered room
    Woman Demands $3,000 In Compensation After Hotel Worker Walked Into Her Room At Midnight January 24, 2023
  • United Airlines 2023 Status Extension
    United Airlines Quietly Extends MileagePlus Premier Status…Again January 14, 2023
  • British Airways 787-10 Business Class Review
    Review: British Airways 787-10 Business Class (Club Suite) January 10, 2023

Archives

February 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728  
« Jan    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.