DISAPPOINTED WITH SQ A350 BUSINESS BED

[shane2603]

After flying SQ to and from Joburg this week on the A350, we all found the bed very hard and difficult to sleep on. I chose row 11 so we had more foot space but still found it way too hard to sleep on. I hope SQ look at a more substantial mattress in the future. I am surprised that they have gone with this setup on a new aircraft, basically the back of the seat becomes the bed with no padding at all and a very thin mat covers it that is already there when pulled over. I will make sure I dont fly long haul on this again.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

After flying SQ to and from Joburg this week on the A350, we all found the bed very hard and difficult to sleep on. I chose row 11 so we had more foot space but still found it way too hard to sleep on. I hope SQ look at a more substantial mattress in the future. I am surprised that they have gone with this setup on a new aircraft, basically the back of the seat becomes the bed with no padding at all and a very thin mat covers it that is already there when pulled over. I will make sure I dont fly long haul on this again.

SQ's A350 seat hasn't won many accolades from Western folk - many posts similar to yours and more... hard, not enough legroom in the seated position, tight cubby for the feet. Best avoided.

 

[RooFlyer]

Yup. SQ has dropped the ball with this one.

 

[kamchatsky]

Actually we were fine with it. One thing though is that all my relatives (Asians) prefer hard bed, including the ones in hotels. They find most of the beds in western hotels way too soft.

 

[Fifa]

I had SQ award seats on hold for the SIN-SFO route on the A350 but when availability popped up for SIN-HKG-SFO on the 777 I snapped them up.
So pleased I did!

 

[digpomi]

Having done both A350 and 777 from SIN to SFO, my choice would be A350 hands down. I found seat not too dissimilar to 777 and not having your sleep interrupted by the stop in HKG is the
deciding factor.

I had SQ award seats on hold for the SIN-SFO route on the A350 but when availability popped up for SIN-HKG-SFO on the 777 I snapped them up.
So pleased I did!

 

[Fifa]

Having done both A350 and 777 from SIN to SFO, my choice would be A350 hands down. I found seat not too dissimilar to 777 and not having your sleep interrupted by the stop in HKG is the
deciding factor.

I also changed so I can waitlist in F on the 777.

 

[RooFlyer]

You can find AFFers reviews of both SQ products here: Airline Trip Reports

 

[penegal]

My comments from last year:

A350 First Time Flyer

 

[Mattg]

Shane, have you flown on SQ's Boeing 777-200 with 2-2-2 angle-flat J seating? How would you compare the J product on the A350 to that?

 

[ansett7e7]

We flew the exact same flight CPT-JNB-SIN. While the feet cubby was a worry, the main objection we found was that storage was lacking. No nooks to put my specs,, camera etc: other than on an open shelf. I was in a window seat and unlike the A380, there was no storage space betwixt seat and wall...I guess I'm a light sleeper so the hard bed didn't give me a different experience than on any other plane i.e: I don't sleep long anyway...and yes SQ soft-product is one I wouldn't aschew...but they didn't get the hard product right on the A350.

 

[clementine6]

The 777-300 ER is no better. Tiny foot well at an angle and the seat pitch is way too small. Very claustrophobic. Wouldn't do it again. Overall very disappointed in SQ business class. Also the SQ lounge in Singapore is badly in need of an upgrade. Worn furniture, mouldy crumbling showers, non functioning power points, dreadful food. Not the SQ it once was.

 

[travelislife]

The 777-300 ER is no better. Tiny foot well at an angle and the seat pitch is way too small. Very claustrophobic. Wouldn't do it again. Overall very disappointed in SQ business class. Also the SQ lounge in Singapore is badly in need of an upgrade. Worn furniture, mouldy crumbling showers, non functioning power points, dreadful food. Not the SQ it once was.

Which SQ lounge were you in? I have found them pretty bloody good in Singapore.

 

[clementine6]

Terminal 3 Silver Kris

 

[daft009]

I had no qualms sleeping for 8hrs from SIN to MUC flight & back in July 2017 on the A350.
Had bulkhead in one direction and the cubby in the other.

heading to FRA in June and have the a380 in one direction and the 777 in the other, lets see how we go

agree with the T3 lounge showers, yes in definite need of an upgrade. got taken the F showers once and they too weren't much better from memory (queue was too long for the J showers so staff came and took a few of us over)

 

[RealRick]

After flying SQ to and from Joburg this week on the A350, we all found the bed very hard and difficult to sleep on. I chose row 11 so we had more foot space but still found it way too hard to sleep on. I hope SQ look at a more substantial mattress in the future. I am surprised that they have gone with this setup on a new aircraft, basically the back of the seat becomes the bed with no padding at all and a very thin mat covers it that is already there when pulled over. I will make sure I dont fly long haul on this again.

 

[RealRick]

Totally agree that the bed is very uncomfortable. Also the standard of service and amenities is not the SQ of old. Frankly its like the accountants have got hold of the airline and just slashed. Traveled to Scandinavian on Emirates via Dubai and returned on SQ via Moscow and Singapore to Perth.
Emirates were far better in every respect.

 

[RooFlyer]

The new A380 J bed doesn't seem much better. From OMAAT: Singapore’s New A380 Business Class Seats: Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary - One Mile at a Time

The seat itself feels a bit tighter than the old seat, which is good, because the old seat actually felt too wide, in my opinion. While the seat doesn’t feature a door and isn’t enclosed, it features a significant amount of privacy, which represents a big improvement over their old business class.

There’s one very big major huge issue with the seat — it’s hard as a rock. This is the same problem Singapore Airlines had with their old seat, and I can’t really wrap my head around why they didn’t change that. While the seat comes with a mattress pad, in reality it’s more of a sheet than anything. If the flight isn’t full I recommend requesting an extra duvet, and then sleeping on top of that.

The reason I say Singapore Airlines is using the same basic “bones” of the seat is because you still have to sleep at an angle. The area for your feet is in the far corner, so you sleep at a 30-45 degree angle. I don’t view this as a big deal, though it does eliminate a few potential sleeping positions. The good news is that in the past you had to get up in order to put the seat into bed more (as the seat essentially “flipped” over), though you no longer have to do that.

 

[daft009]

The new A380 J bed doesn't seem much better.

my wife, my 10mo son (with the infant seatbelt on) and I had a wonderful ~5hr sleep on our SIN to SYD flight in late Dec '17.
All 3 of us, our bub sleeping in the middle.

not sure what some people expect?!? it's obviously not going to be the same as one's bed at home

 

[MEL_Traveller]

not sure what some people expect?!? it's obviously not going to be the same as one's bed at home

There are many available designs. SQ chose one that probably suits the Asian market, but is not as suited to a taller Western audience. The pitch in seated position is tight. There's a weird angle to sleep on the diagonal, and your feet are funneled in to a tiny cubby.

Apex suites or reverse herringbone... no such issues. Even 2-2-2 fully forward seating arrangements that lack privacy can have exceptionally generous pitch up to 80 inches.

So there are seats and there are seats. BA, SQ, UA (with their 2-4-2) went it alone and came up with mixed results.

If First class in general is akin to railway sleeping berths, and business on most carriers is about the equivalent of a couchette, SQ has given something like a horizontal hammock.