Flying with Singapore for first time in ages -- Y seat selection

[MarkB]

Hello everyone

Have been lurking around for a little bit (since we booked out flights from LHR to BNE in January, actually!) but decided to post since our flights are on Saturday and I'm just too excited.

I haven't been back to Australia for 4 years, so looking forward to it, and flying with Singapore again (who my wife and I always fly with when we go that way). We're on SQ317 on Saturday, so looking forward to the new big bird

Anyway, just was wondering about whether you all think the flights on the weekend, even with it being end of Easter school holidays in the UK, will still be quite busy? I just did online check-in (as soon as I was able to, so 47hr 59mins before departure!) and most of the seats were already taken?

Also, has anybody flown this route recently? What were the meals like?

Sorry for such a 'newbie' first thread, just very excited.

[zxcvbn]

Hi Mark. Welcome to SQTalk.

SQ317 LHR/SIN 19Mar08
Seat counter shows full availability in B,E,H,K,L,M,N,Q,S,T,V,W,Y, with the rest being zeroed out except R class with 1.


Everytime I do OLCI, most seats are taken. SQ allows advanced seat reservations for Y class if tickets are booked online, or requests if bought from TA. J and R class are allowed advanced seat reservations no matter where the ticket was bought.

Food is based on class of travel, but there will be two full meals I presume. Catering thread has specimen menus.
Enjoy SQ.

[zxcvbn]

Forgot to add - if you are flying J or R you can BTC, or book the cook (order your meal from a variety of choices before departure, and enjoying it on the flight).
BTC is available exLHR and exSIN.

[SQflyergirl]

Welcome to SQTalk

[MarkB]

Thanks both

We are flying economy (is that 'Y' class?).

So regardless of what OLCI might suggest, the flight could not be very busy at all? (or, could be as busy as it suggests).

Thanks again

[zxcvbn]

There are many fare booking classes for Economy, the most notable is Y (so economy class is generally classified as Y class).

Yes, I doubt the flight will be full, but thats only from data from SeatCounter.

Try getting upperdeck seats.

[astroboy]

Hi Mark, welcome back to the Best Airline in the World!

Just to give some sort of perspective. SQ has 3 flights daily SIN-LHR vv. They've been trying to obtain additional landing slots for ages, but have always been denied by BAA, ostensibly due to max-out capacity at Heathrow. (Okay, to be more accurate, they were offered slots, but at really inconvenient times, like 3 a.m.) So SQ had to resort to using the super-jumbo A380 to service one of the 3 daily flights.

All this is because the load factor for this route is so high. I'm pretty sure that if they doubled their flights to LHR, the flights would still be in the black.

So do you reckon the flights will be anything less than busy?

But rest assured, you will still be getting "the inflight service that even other airlines talk about..."

[kelvgoh]

actually, contrary to what seatcounter may suggest, the OLCI seatmap doesn't lie.

every single ex-LHR SQ flight i've been on in the past two years in Y have been chock full, maybe save for a couple of seats here and there. That's the reason why I buy the tickets through SQ website - its nearly the most decent chance a Y pax will have to get a decent seat for his flight. OLCI doesn't serve that purpose anymore.

What i'm guessing is the seatcounter doesn't reflect AC/VS codeshare seating arrangements, or blocked seats.

anyhow, just to be sure, do everything doubly early on your departure date. you don't want to be bumped down to 319 if you're late.

[zxcvbn]

Oops, I thought SeatCounter was reliable.
Anyways, you will still enjoy your flight.
IFE is also the newest ex2 KrisWorld system: with over 100 movies and programmes to choose from!

[zxcvbn]

Btw, how do Y class pax get assigned seats way before OLCI opens?

[kelvgoh]

if you book through singaporeair.com, you can choose your seats from the "my bookings" tab once your booking is ticketed.

[MarkB]

Hey all - thanks again for the replies

I did the OLCI thing this morning as my wife was keen we got two seats together with nobody beside us (ie, upper deck) - all the window ones were taken, so I had to grab the two seats riiiight the back of upper deck. Seatguru gives them a yellow score ('be aware') due to them being right beside the toilets, which I don't really mind - I always hate wondering if the toilets are engaged or not anyway, so now I'll know for sure Was hoping we'd have our pick of seats, doing it first thing, but obviously not.

Very much looking forward to flying with Singapore. Have flown with most of the carriers that do the Kangaroo route, and Singapore is definitely the best (and Changi Airport is heaven compared to some others).

I think next time we'll bite the bullet and book through singapore's site tho - we weren't sure if it was reliable so went to a TA.

[zxcvbn]

if you book through singaporeair.com, you can choose your seats from the "my bookings" tab once your booking is ticketed.

What if tickets are issued through a TA?
Any way of having an advanced seat reservation?

[kelvgoh]

What if tickets are issued through a TA?
Any way of having an advanced seat reservation?

not that i know of. even my requests for aisle seats don't go through if and when i book through a TA.

you could try calling the SQ Reservations in your area and see if they can reserve a seat for you, but in my experience, most of them politely refuse to deal with TA reservations.

[zxcvbn]

not that i know of. even my requests for aisle seats don't go through if and when i book through a TA.

you could try calling the SQ Reservations in your area and see if they can reserve a seat for you, but in my experience, most of them politely refuse to deal with TA reservations.

Thanks. So far, I have had no luck with SQ Reservations at all. They once said "we cannot process your seat request till check in opens 48 hours before departure"..