OnTheCentreline

You raise an important question. However, I don’t have the answer!

Except to say that where we would have travelled to (SIN to) FRA on SIA first, we are now considering C-class to DUS on the A350 – whether we make that change is still under consideration, but given the dumbing down of F-class, it’s certainly looking more inviting.

Guy Betsy

I've a friend who is a SQ cabin crew and he says he dreads it everytime he has to work in F as he says SQ always caters exactly the number in each cabin. Which means that if you order BTC, there isn't an extra meal for you to choose from and if you decide that you don't want that and orders something else, the crew will have to split whatever is left after everyone else orders.

SQ is all about profits and will scrimp and save wherever possible. That includes cabin crew allowance. What airline would ask their staff to return their allowances because there has been a devaluation of the Singapore dollar against all currencies? SQ did. As cabin crew get their long haul overnight allowances paid directly into their own bank account (unlike some carriers which hand them out at each outstation), SQ therefore calculates the differences based on what should be and what is at year end.. and they actually just told their cabin crew that they have overpaid them. So they just docked their pay the following month !

Many of their good staff are leaving SQ in droves. Hence the drive for new cabin crew (Singapore Girls effectively) are taking place now.

RTW1

I really see nothing wrong with that..... the allowance is clearly intended for use at a destination, if the exchange rate varies so should the allowance in SGD. The same would be happening is the local currency was paid at the destination.
And flight crew probably know how it works. It might seem a small matter but as a whole it might be a lot, and they are competing with other airlines.

Maybe not the most generous way to run an airline, but hardly something to change jobs over.

Phaze

True, but what you have described is not exclusive to Singapore's airline - you have just very accurately summed up the mentality of the country in my opinion. I only know a handful of people who work for local firms but those who do have told me stories that range from those in the vein of the above to some which would be deemed complete hyperbole and untrue, but they aren't.

shuigao

Well, the crew get to eat your BTC meal so I don't really see how that's necessarily a bad thing

Unless you eat your BTC and order seconds off the menu.

shuigao

I wouldn't be so sure about that. For the routes I fly (somewhat) regularly like Africa, North East Asia, Australia, CX has never put forth a competitive proposition.

ME3, on the other hand ... SIN-JNB, SIN-Anywhere in Europe undercuts SQ on price SO much ...

cricketer

Interesting thread. I certainly agree with the ground services contention. I haven't flown AF in F, but the LH experience (either if FCT or a remote stand) is great. Bear in mind though, that if you're in an FCL in FRA and it's not a remote stand, you're walking to the gate, same as SQ in SIN.

I just flew the A380 SYD-SIN, and the 77WN SIN-HKG. Food was excellent, but I had BTC for the 2 big meals (lamb shank curry & nasi padang), and a special meal for the arrival refreshment on the first sector. My big criticism is the bed in the new F on the 77WN. SQ claim it's 82 inches long, but that's simply not true. It's possibly 74 inches at best. I know, because I'm 74.5 inches long, and I can't quite lie down straight end to end. It might be 82 inches along the diagonal, which is I guess how SQ expect taller people to sleep. Yet another fail from an SQ premium cabin for me, sadly.

The bed on the refreshed suites, on the other hand, is very comfortable, and plenty long enough.

Service - pretty much excellent on both sectors, but we were 12/12 and 8/8, and they did struggle to keep the pace up.

SFO777

Nope. Using FCL B or the FCT always gets you limo service regardless of whether your connecting flight departs from a remote stand or a traditional gate.
The only LH FCL at FRA where you don't get limo-to-the-gate service is Schengen FCL A.

KACommuter

I think this is the right question to ask. And no, S.E. Asia/Australia to Europe is not a big F market. In fact it's a VFR market (visit friends and relatives). S.E. Asia to North America - possibly, but that is also where SQ is weak with very low flight density.

stargold

My understanding was that two categories of passengers do not receive the car from FCL B:

i) Aircraft departing from a B-gate; and
ii) Departing on a Schengen flight.

Has that changed?

vantage03

I flew FRA-LHR out of FCL B yesterday and did not get a limo, I had to walk to gate B27 (which, to be fair, was. 1 minute walk)...

SFO777

Did you request a limo and if so, was it denied?

cricketer

This adds insight - it never occurred to me (silly, perhaps) that you could request the drive when it was not proactively offered.

Thanks for the tip for the future!

vantage03

No I didn't. To be honest I would have felt silly asking. The gate was a bit of a zoo though, so I'm sure it would have been a much nicer experience..!

SFO777

I agree about feeling a little silly asking for a car if the gate was a short walk-away. That's why I prefer the FCT where there is no option to walk to the gate.