Area VP SIN Alan Lim Introducing Singapore Airlines New Premium Economy Class

SIA’s Premium Economy Class Product Launch

Singapore Airlines unveiled its long-awaited fourth cabin class, the new Premium Economy Class last Thursday. Product launches by Singapore Airlines are anticipated events within the aviation industry, the travelling public, the travel trade and the media. After my 30 happy years with the national carrier, I am no longer an insider – but I still felt a palpable excitement (on the second day of the product launch event) when I was listening to the details about the US$80 million invested in the new Premium Economy Class.

I am rarely so passionate in writing product reviews on my blog, but for a few posts. This post comes with a touch of esprit de corps that I shared with the SIA people.

1. The Seats – Where Your Comfort Starts

Your Preium Economy Comfort Starts Here – The New Leather Seats

The all-new leather seats come with special contours, classy trimmings and well-thought-out stowage spaces (for water bottles, laptops and headsets). The extra 2 inches of recline give the seats 8-inches of total recline. Seat widths are moderately wider and range between 18.5 to 19.5 inches.

Just in case you think the changes are just cosmetic – consider the whopping 6-inch increase in leg room to a full 38 inches and the fewer seats per row in a 2-4-2 formation means you are never more than one seat to the aisle.

The New Premium Economy Cabin Comes With Fine Details (Photo Adapted From SIA’s Product Brochure

2. The Other Thoughtful Features

For medium to long-haul flights, the two hardwares that are essential to me for the relief of boredom are – a large 13.3-inch HD monitor and a pair of noise-canceling headphones. These two AV components are part of the new Premium Economy Class. They will provide you hours of blissful entertainment. Why? Because they will make SIA’s legendary state-of-the-art entertainment library of videos and music come alive. There had been times when I was flying in Business Class (First when I was in the company) that I wished the flight times were longer.

And in case you bring along your laptops or other video sources, there are individual in-seat power supply with two USB ports. Frankly, you don’t need other music and video sources – because you cannot exhaust the available resources onboard.

Ah yes, you have softer and larger pillows for you to snooze better on board. They are colour co-ordinated too.

I complimented my SIA hosts at the event for the colour scheme, the soft pillows and other inflight amenities on display. The product development team, lead by a lady honcho, was appreciative of my interests and told me more: that even the number of lines of stitches on the leather seats matter. [Yes, The Design Air you’ve got it right when you headlined your post with Singapore Airlines New Premium Economy Product Is Strongest In The Details.]

3. Choices & Privileges That You Can Enjoy On Premium Economy

Three Choices of Meals Onboard plus Book-the-Cook Menu

Does the offer of free flow of champagne (yes, champagne and not just bubbly wine) interests you? Or that three choices of meals are available to you on board? And there is an option to pre-order froma wider range of meals. SIA call this the Book-the-Cook menu.

For the shopaholics, you don’t need to worry anymore about over-weights and packing. Your baggage allowance is 35kg. I did not need this baggage allowance even in the days I had first class privilege!

For more details, click SIA Premium Economy.

4. My Recommendations 

Please take my recommendations in the spirit of my blog – scale greater heights and celebrate along the way!

Flying the new SIA Premium Economy is a comfortable value-for-money proposition. If you are my fans, subscribers or casual visitors to my Retire – Do What? blog, please read on.

For my Gen Y friends, get inspirations and take action to climb your corporate ladder or achieve your own business success. When you are there – reaching certain milestone along the way – celebrate and reward yourself by unbooking your next flight on your LCC (aka low cost carrier) and experience the new SIA Premium Economy. Better still, make it a perk from your company when you get your promotion. And onto its Business Class and even to its Suites when you become a big potato.

For my senior readers and those in retirement, especially the Pioneer Generation of Singapore – this is SG50 – Singapore’s 5oth anniversary. Go celebrate and there’s no need to worry getting that landed property or private condo for your children. Take your spouse and fly the Premium Economy. And if you are already flying Business Class, congratulations.

5. SG50 And Singapore’s 50th Anniversay

SIA now take booking for its first Premium Economy flights taking off on 09 August 2015. Check out here : http://www.singaporeair.com