SQ*/MI/QQ | Singapore Airlines/Silk Air/Scoot

[hkskyline]

Singapore Airlines load factor up at 69.9 pct in June

SINGAPORE, July 16 (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines filled 69.9 percent of the available space on its planes in June, higher than the 66.9 percent in May and the 68.6 percent a year earlier.

The passenger load factor rose to 83 percent in June from 78.8 percent a year earlier but the cargo load factor fell to 63.1 percent from 64.0 percent, SIA said on Monday.

SIA's regional unit, SilkAir, reported a decline of 0.4 percentage points in its passenger load factor to 78.7 percent from a year earlier.

Singapore Airlines is due to report quarterly earnings on July 25.

Table: Singapore Airlines capacity usage*

June 2012 May 2012 June 2011 Change Y/Y

Overall load factor 69.9 66.9 68.6 1.3 pts

Passenger load factor ** 83.0 75.8 78.8 4.2 pts

Cargo load factor 63.1 62.8 64.0 -0.9 pt

Passengers carried *** 1.54 1.457 1.402 9.8 pct


* load factor in percent

** refers to SIA only, measured in millions, percentage change

*** millions

[Vrooms]

Goin Scootin
image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65808354@N04/7565013972/

[A380 Flyer]

Originally Posted by krnboy1009

Any chance Scoot fly to Seoul in the future?

Cheaper fare to Singapore would be nice. More option as well.

I cannot understand SCOOT at the moment. Why launch a low cost carrier with no destinations? Do they think people are only interested in flying to Australia or Tokyo?

Places like CCU, MAA, CMB, RGN, REP, KMG, LIJ, CTU, JZH, HKT, PEN, DPS - most of which should not be on Singapore Airlines or Silkair's routemaps.

I would prefer to use Scoot rather than AirAsia, but really it's no competition at the moment is it? You can fly everywhere on AK and nowhere on TZ!

[Vrooms]

Scoot mainly focuses on the medium longhaul market with Bangkok as the only shorthaul destination to keep their planes in the air(other shorthaul destinations are served by Tiger) and scoot has only two planes at the moment so they can't launch that many destinations

[netsurfe]

Originally Posted by A380 Flyer

Places like CCU, MAA, CMB, RGN, REP, KMG, LIJ, CTU, JZH, HKT, PEN, DPS - most of which should not be on Singapore Airlines or Silkair's routemaps.

Why not?

[Vrooms]

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleveleysflyer/7642771452/

[Momo1435]

SilkAir to order Boeing 737s.

SILKAIR TO ORDER UP TO 68 NEW BOEING AIRCRAFT

Press Release

3 August 2012

SILKAIR TO ORDER UP TO 68 NEW BOEING AIRCRAFT

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, has signed a letter of intent to purchase up to 68 new aircraft from Boeing.

The order is the largest in SilkAir's history and remains subject to the negotiation of a final purchase agreement.

It will comprise firm orders for 54 aircraft and purchase rights for another 14. Firm orders will comprise 23 Boeing 737-800s and 31 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. SilkAir will have the flexibility to switch to other variants within the B737 product range.

The firm-ordered aircraft are valued at US$4.9 billion based on current Boeing list prices. Deliveries are due to begin in 2014 and continue to 2021, by which time the Airline's fleet will have more than doubled in size.

SilkAir currently operates 21 A319s and A320s, with three more A320s due for delivery by the end of 2013. The new aircraft will cater for both growth and fleet renewal.

SilkAir Chief Executive Marvin Tan said the size of the order reflects the Airline's confidence in the Asia-Pacific air travel market, helping the carrier maintain annual double-digit percentage growth rates through the end of this decade and beyond.

"We continue to see very strong growth within the region and these new aircraft will position SilkAir well. They will enable us to spread our wings to even more destinations and increase capacity on existing routes, contributing to the overall SIA Group network," said Mr Tan.

"The selection of the B737 follows detailed evaluations and extensive negotiations with both Airbus and Boeing. The order will enable us to maintain a young and modern fleet, with an aircraft that has a proven track record of strong customer appeal, excellent reliability and low operating costs."

The B737-800 is the best-selling variant in Boeing's popular Next Generation family of single-aisle aircraft. The B737 MAX is currently in development and will be the latest generation of the product line.
http://www.silkair.com/mbe/en_UK/con...1_03082012.jsp

They currently operate an all Airbus fleet consisting of 6 A319s and 15 A320s.

[Vrooms]

Source:http://news.yahoo.com/singapore-airl...ce.html?_esi=1

Singapore Airlines revamps cabins
AFP – 1 hr 4 mins ago
Singapore Airlines has said it plans to introduce revamped seats and cabin interiors with an upgraded in-flight entertainment in a bid to stay ahead of Asian and Middle East rivals in the premium travel market.

SIA is regarded as a trendsetter in aviation and is famous for its cabin service, but rivals like Cathay Pacific in Asia and Etihad, Emirates and Gulf Air from the Middle East have been closing the gap while offering lower fares.

It said Tuesday it has hired BMW Group subsidiary DesignworksUSA and James Park Associates, two renowned design companies, to develop "next generation of inflight cabin products" slated to be introduced next year.
The changes will include revamped seats, redesigned cabins and upgraded entertainment platforms as new passenger planes from Boeing and Airbus begin arriving.

Emphasis will be on first and business class which generate the bulk of its revenue but the airline said it will not overlook its economy class which will offer improved seat and headrest comfort.

New Boeing 777-300 ERs are expected to enter service in the second half of next year, followed progressively by Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, the airline said.

But the airline said its current fleet, which includes Airbus A380 superjumbos, can also be retrofitted with the new designs.

"In this business, if you are staying still, you are moving backwards as your competitors can catch up quickly ," said Tan Pee Teck, SIA's senior vice president for products and services.

"It is therefore important to always be planning for the future."

Analysts say the airline is being squeezed in the first and business class section by full-service carriers and in the economy class by low cost airlines.

"Relatively speaking, Singapore Airlines is losing its competitive edge in premium Asia travel not because it's a bad airline, but because the others -- like Emirates -- are becoming so good," said Jonathan Galaviz, managing director of Galaviz & Co which follows the global airline and tourism sector.

SIA's net profit in the year to March 2012 slumped 69 percent to Sg$336 million ($269 million), after a rare loss in the fiscal fourth-quarter due to high oil prices and rising competition.

[Vrooms]

Crafting our Cabin Experience

[A380 Flyer]

Originally Posted by netsurfe

Why not?

I think Scoot's LCC model would be better suited to most of those destinations from their base in SIN.

If a route is not heralded as being lucrative enough for parent company SQ, then it should go straight to TZ. With MI being in the mix as well, it kinda creates an identity crisis for the company: SQ = premium, MI = regional, TZ = LCC. IMO, there is no need for the middle-tier.

[bozenBDJ]

Originally Posted by A380 Flyer

I think Scoot's LCC model would be better suited to most of those destinations from their base in SIN.

If a route is not heralded as being lucrative enough for parent company SQ, then it should go straight to TZ. With MI being in the mix as well, it kinda creates an identity crisis for the company: SQ = premium, MI = regional, TZ = LCC. IMO, there is no need for the middle-tier.

Who said that an airline (like SQ) can only have two subsidaries(normally that being a FSC and a[n] LCC)(why can't three work?)?

[Vrooms]

BARRY
image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/777freak/7707428922/

[Vrooms]

Source:http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...221663/1/.html

Singapore Airlines to spend US$16m upgrading lounges
Posted: 23 August 2012 1349 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines said Thursday it will spend more than S$20 million (US$16 million) to upgrade its airport lounges worldwide in a bid to stay ahead of the competition.

The announcement of the upgrade came nine days after the airline, facing fiercer rivalry from Asian and Middle Eastern carriers, unveiled plans to introduce revamped seats and cabin interiors as well as improved in-flight entertainment.

The upgrade of its "SilverKris" lounges will be carried out over five years starting from the middle of next year when the facility at Sydney airport will be fitted with a new design concept, SIA said in a statement.

"We hope to replicate that 'home away from home' experience in our lounges, along with the warm Asian hospitality that Singapore Airlines is renowned for," SIA senior vice president for products and services Tan Pee Teck said.

The airline has 15 SilverKris lounges at airports worldwide, including one in New Delhi -- to be officially opened next month -- and in Seoul which is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

SIA is regarded as a trendsetter in aviation and is famous for its cabin service, but rivals like Cathay Pacific in Asia and Etihad, Emirates and Gulf Air from the Middle East have been closing the gap while offering lower fares.

It said last week it had hired BMW Group subsidiary DesignworksUSA and James Park Associates, two renowned design companies, to develop the "next generation of inflight cabin products" expected to be introduced next year.

The changes will include revamped seats, redesigned cabins and upgraded entertainment platforms as new passenger planes from Boeing and Airbus begin arriving.

- AFP/wm

[A380 Flyer]

Still can't book a flight to Tokyo with Scoot. What on earth is happening? Was this route not supposed to start in October?

[Vrooms]

Source:http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/sing...054538302.html

Singapore Airlines to start daily Yangon service
Agence-France Presse – 7 hours ago

Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Wednesday it will start a daily service to Yangon in October to meet growing business and tourist demand for flights to Myanmar's largest city.

The announcement by one of the world's top airlines comes amid growing international interest in once-isolated Myanmar, which launched political reforms after ending nearly half a century of military rule last year.

"Demand has been growing strongly for both business and leisure travel to Myanmar, and Singapore Airlines looks forward to serving the country for the first time," SIA executive vice president Mak Swee Wah said in a statement.

SIA will take over seven of the 16 flights run every week by its regional wing SilkAir from October 28, using 323-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft to boost the group's weekly seat capacity to Yangon by 55 percent.

SilkAir uses smaller Airbus A320 planes.

"SIA and SilkAir are constantly looking at new market opportunities and the launch of SIA services enables us to quickly meet the growing demand for travel to this increasingly popular destination," Mak added.

Yangon, the former capital, is the country's biggest city and remains its commercial hub despite the transfer of the seat of power to the remote administrative centre Naypyidaw in 2005.

Myanmar has surprised the international community by freeing political prisoners and launching a series of reforms that have convinced leading Western nations to start rolling back sanctions.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Wednesday it will start a daily service to Yangon in October to meet growing business and tourist demand for flights to Myanmar's largest city.

[A380 Flyer]

Anyone know when SIN-RGN is bookable? All I see for late October on their system is the MI flights.

[Vrooms]

Not sure. I'm actually also waiting for Scoot to launch Tokyo

[Vrooms]

Source:http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/sin...144500658.html

Singapore Airlines Launches $50 Million In-flight Connectivity Program

Press Release: Singapore Airlines – Thu, 6 Sep, 2012 10:45 AM EDT

NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore Airlines is today formally launching In-Flight Connectivity as part of a $50 million program to bring Internet and mobile data services to customers, even when flying at 35,000ft.

Following a recent soft launch on a limited number of aircraft, In-Flight Connectivity is today available on 14 aircraft in the fleet, including all five Airbus A340-500s which are deployed on the world's longest non-stop flights, between Singapore and both Newark and Los Angeles. Services have also been extended to more markets such as Australia, for which regulatory approvals had not previously been obtained.

Travelers can surf the Internet, send and receive emails on smartphones and other electronic devices, and send and receive SMS text messages[1] with GSM-compatible mobile phones.

Through a partnership with leading connectivity provider OnAir, the technology will be progressively rolled out across all of SIA's long-haul Airbus A380-800, A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft over the next two years.
Services are offered on routes on which equipped aircraft are deployed, subject to regulatory approvals from individual countries. A map highlighting availability when flying over specific countries is published in the Airline's KrisWorld in-flight entertainment magazine.

Promotional price plans are also being introduced from today for wireless Internet access. The promotional prices, which will last until November 30, 2012, are $25 for 30 megabytes of data and $10 for 10 megabytes of data. The previous plans cost $29.95 for 26 megabytes and $11.95 for 10 megabytes.

A joint promotion with SingTel also enables SingTel Mobile subscribers to enjoy discounted roaming rates of up to 40% for in-flight text messaging and GPRS data services, as well as up to 20% for incoming and outgoing voice calls. The discounted roaming rates are displayed on SingTel's corporate website and the joint promotion will last until March 31, 2013. For more information, please visit www.singtel.com/dataroam.

"As our customers' preferences towards entertainment and connectivity options change over time, so must we. Mobile and Internet connectivity capabilities are just the start, enabling our customers to stay connected even when flying at 35,000ft. There will be much more investment in the months and years ahead to keep our customers both connected and entertained," said SIA's Senior Vice President Product & Services, Mr. Tan Pee Teck.

"We have always been a leader in embracing technology and are confident that these initiatives will both meet and exceed our customers' high expectations, keeping us at the forefront of airline product innovation."

In addition to the $50 million investment in In-Flight Connectivity services, work is underway to bring the next generation of in-flight entertainment offerings to our customers. This will include the latest hardware systems with new screen and handset technology, in addition to much more video and audio content. Details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

[Wezza]

Those wifi prices seem very steep.

[koresh]

Go Scootin @ SYD