Singapore Airlines Unveils New Suites With Double Beds—Rollout Slips Again, And Many Planes Miss Out

Singapore Airlines has unveiled new first class suites with double beds and a business class seat that finally fixes two of the most frustrating things about its long-haul product: having to flip the seat over to make a bed, and sleeping diagonally with your feet tucked into a corner. First class is coming to the ultra-long-range Airbus A350s that operate the world’s longest flights. Business class gets doors, a different sleeping position, and more foot space. We’re not going to see the first aircraft with the new cabins until the second half of 2027, and several fleets won’t ever get these seats at all. I flew to Singapore in November 2017 for the unveiling of their last new A380 business class and Suites. Nine years later, plenty of their aircraft still have an older product. And even the 380 itself didn’t finish installation until late 2023. Long haul A350 and Boeing 777 seats date to 2013. I flew to Seattle for delivery of the first 777 that had them. The Biggest Business Class Improvement Is Sleeping Singapore’s new business class was designed with BMW’s Designworks and built by Recaro. It’s a bespoke seat, with a forward-facing, staggered 1-2-1 layout with doors and direct aisle access throughout. The biggest improvement is being able to adjust the seat continuously from upright to flat, choose a comfortable lounging position, and sleep without angling my body across the seat. The new features include: Sliding doors and adjustable center dividers. Selected center pairs can become companion beds. This isn’t every middle pair, and it isn’t Qatar’s four-person Qsuite arrangement. A 79-inch bed and a larger footwell. The tray table stows at an angle under the screen, freeing space for your feet. Adjustable lumbar and leg support, plus more cushioning. Padded bed covers incorporate memory foam. More usable storage and charging. There are compartments beside the seat and screen, wireless phone charging, USB-C ports and universal power outlets. Updated entertainment and controls. Bluetooth headphone pairing, 4K touchscreens, spatial audio and saved seat preferences are part of the new experience. The A350 seat goes from 28 inches wide to 22 inches. On the wider Boeing 777-9, it’ll be 24 inches. So that’s a real tradeoff in seat width. Singapore’s old seat was exceptionally wide, but short and you had to angle your feet. A350 business class gets a 22-inch OLED screen, while the new 777-9 gets a smaller 20-inch screen without OLED. First Class Double Suite For The Longest Flights The new first class, designed by PriestmanGoode and manufactured by Collins Aerospace, will have four seats on the ultra-long-range A350 and six on the 777-9. The center pair can remain two independent suites or open into one shared space. Each passenger still has their own entrance, screen and table. Those seats can form a sofa for two or an 80-by-60-inch double bed. That’s the size of a standard U.S. queen mattress. Singapore calls it the largest double bed in commercial aviation. Individually, the beds measure 80 by 30 inches. The seats are 23 inches wide with the armrests raised. Curved sliding doors, warm colors, Poltrona Frau leather and batik details make this look much more like Singapore Airlines than the new business cabin. Companion dining is available at every first class seat, using the ottoman, which restores something missing from the current A380 Suites experience. The joined center suites can accommodate four people dining together. Other features include a personal wardrobe, an illuminated vanity drawer, carry-on storage beneath the ottoman, wireless charging and a 32-inch 4K screen. Bang & Olufsen wireless headphones are supplied, and you can pair your own headphones. A small information panel shows flight details and lavatory availability without requiring you to turn on the main screen. Seat and lighting preferences can be saved for future flights. This isn’t the A380’s separate armchair-and-bed concept. The chair becomes the bed. It’s a massive improvement over today’s 777 first class, while the A380 retains its current expansive Suites layout. There is only one center pair on each aircraft. Six first class seats on the 777-9 means four window singles and one potential double suite, not three double beds. Which Planes Get Which Seats The announced program covers 41 existing A350s and Singapore’s 31 ordered Boeing 777-9s. Only the 777-9 gets all four new seat designs. Aircraft Configuration After The Changes What It Gets 34 long-haul A350-900s 42 business, 24 premium economy, 192 economy New business seats; existing premium economy and economy seats refreshed. No first class. 7 ultra-long-range A350-900s 4 first, 70 business, 58 premium economy New first and business seats; existing premium economy seats refreshed. No economy cabin. 31 ordered Boeing 777-9s 6 first, 54 business, 36 premium economy, 204 economy All four new cabins, on new aircraft. https://viewfromthewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/firstclasscabinwalkthrough.mp4 The A380, existing 777-300ER, medium-haul A350, 787-10 and 737-8 aren’t included in this seat program. Those aircraft keep their current cabin products under the announced plan. The A380 is separately getting Starlink. The rollout has already slipped twice: the first refurbished long-haul A350 was originally due in the second quarter of 2026, then the first quarter of 2027. Now it’s the second half of 2027. The airline still targets the end of 2030 to complete the A350 retrofits. Boeing’s delays explain why seats originally intended for the 777-9 are going onto A350s. But seat certification is also holding things up: the 777-9 seats have been certified, while the airplane hasn’t. The A350 seats still need certification. The ultra-long range A350 doesn’t have a firm separate debut date or announced launch route for its new first class. Premium Economy Improves On The 777-9. Economy Gets Denser With Another Seat Across. The new premium economy seat offers 40 inches of pitch, up from 38, and nine inches of recline instead of eight. It’s 19 inches wide, in a 2-4-2 cabin, with adjustable leg and footrests. It gets a 16-inch 4K screen, Bluetooth audio, USB-C and power outlets, plus a separate cocktail tray, a device holder and additional storage. Factorydesign styled both this cabin and economy, with Collins Aerospace manufacturing the seats. That’s more legroom and a better screen, but the seat doesn’t gain the substantial privacy wings or shell that some passengers were hoping for. 777-9 economy cabin goes to 3-4-3 and 31 to 32 inches of pitch. It’s a wider cabin, but Singapore’s current 777-300ERs are 3-3-3. There are redesigned cushions, adjustable headrests and a revised recline mechanism intended to improve knee and shin clearance, plus 13-inch 4K screens, Bluetooth and USB-C. Meanwhile, an A350 retrofit won’t bring these new premium economy or economy seats. Those cabins get refreshed upholstery and an updated entertainment interface, while keeping their existing seat hardware. There will even be two hardware versions within the 777-9 fleet. Premium economy and economy on the first 12 aircraft get conventional 4K screens. The later 19 get OLED screens but lose USB-A. Economy also loses universal power outlets on those 19 aircraft, retaining USB-C. Premium economy keeps universal power. On those later jets, coach will have OLED while first and business won’t. First Class Is Getting Praise. Business Class Is Getting Compared To Scoot. The early reaction is much warmer toward first class than business. In the FlyerTalk discussion folks like the larger bed, the return of companion dining and the ability to separate the middle pair into two proper suites. That’s a better arrangement for unrelated passengers than Lufthansa’s shared center suite. The business class thread is much rougher. Gray surfaces and bright yellow trim draw comparisons to Scoot, car interiors and a loss of Singapore’s warmth. Reddit reactions echo the complaints about generic styling and lost identity. Still, folks like the doors, storage and companion beds. Several Other Changes Arrive Before The Seats Singapore’s broader announcement bundles together upgrades with different schedules: Sleepwear and amenity kits. New kits begin rolling out this month on flights over six hours: Sisley in Suites and first, Byredo in business, INK & WATER in premium economy, and travel essentials in a batik pouch in economy. Business class gets pajamas for the first time, on all long-haul flights and selected overnight medium-haul flights over six hours. First class and Suites get new cotton sleepwear. Dining. The package includes more than 100 new or refreshed dishes, expanded drinks and Christofle serviceware in Suites, first and business. Lounge and ground-service improvements are also part of the broader investment. Entertainment and internet. The next KrisWorld system adds easier navigation, personalization, a wellness planner and more than 2,500 entertainment options, with hardware varying by cabin. Starlink begins rolling out from early 2027 on the A380 and long-haul and ultra-long-range A350s. The announced Starlink list doesn’t include the 777-9. The Biggest Commercial Change Is At The Back Of The Longest Flights The ultra-long-range A350 goes from 67 business and 94 premium economy seats to four first, 70 business and 58 premium economy. That’s 36 fewer premium economy seats or a 38% cut. Total passenger capacity falls from 161 to 132, or 18%. Singapore is replacing a substantial portion of its lowest-priced cabin on these aircraft with space it expects to sell for more. First class provides a new way to monetize the nonstop flights. Net net I expect this to mean tougher award space overall (certainly in premium economy).