SilkAir merged into SQ, takes up SQ regional routes, gets lie-flat business class
 

A bit of a triple-whammy out of Singapore to start the day!

SIA's regional arm SilkAir will be rolled into its mainline parent Singapore Airlines, take over some of SQ's regional routes and get new lie-flat business class seats (along with seatback IFE from tip to tail) in a massive $100m+ program

https://www.ausbt.com.au/silkair-ado...business-class

That's quite a change in strategic direction!

Ahhh I can just imagine getting a sudden equipment swap to a non-refurbed Silkair plane doing some of the longer 'regional' routes. Unlikely to happen but fun times if it does. :p

I'm surprised that they would suddenly dilute the SQ brand business class from being all flat-bed when the A330s are fully replaced, back to a mix of flat-bed and lie-flat given the marketing and branding they did for the new regional product.

Good news as far as *A is concerned.

I wonder which routes will go to SQ and which will be transferred to Scoot? One suspects India, Australia, Japan and China will stay in SQ stable, but the Indonesia routes will go to Scoot, and perhaps PEN, LGK, HKT, CNX? Not sure about those going to Laos, Cambodia, DAD or Philippines.

Didn't mean CGK, DPS or SUB, but maybe places like Manado, Makassar etc. I noticed they've just moved Pekanbaru across to Scoot from Silkair.

Exactly my thoughts. And hopefully a bit more consistency in treatment as well.

Same comment as above, I don't think it'll be split by country (e.g. MNL-SIN full in business more often than not, but obviourly the same wouldn't apply to Boracay). It's already not split by country today anyway.

Can't speculate on how they'll divide the other routes, but I can see CEB and DVO go to SQ using re-branded Silk Air planes. Given that Kalibo being a secondary airport for Boracay is more of a leisure route it would go to Scoot.

Does it though? At non-holiday off peak periods I've been on some quite empty flights to the near haul destinations ( Saturday afternoons is something that comes to mind). Many carriers, in particular the US carriers, now employ capacity discipline techniques, throttling capacity off peak and increasing frequency using smaller aircraft during peak periods to maximise traveller flexibility and maximise yield. Of course it may not be a regular year round thing , and bilateral rights place constraints on the concept of higher frequency/smaller capacity, but the beauty of folding MI into SQ is it gives another tool in the toolbox for SQ to manage yields more carefully and yes I'm afraid to say ultimately that may see 737's put into service on business/trunk routes when loads are historically lighter.

Ok, let's go with your scenario of Saturday afternoon loads are usually light compared to other days. How does this downgauging play out? You're saying the 777s or A330s on near regional routes are swapped on Saturday afternoons and replaced by 737s. But then what about the other side of the coin? Those 777s and A330s you just swapped out, would they then be put on MI destinations like Danang, Manado and Siem Reap?

A route can be a high load route and still have certain flights that experience low load.

Can anyone confirm this? Any link to SIA someone can share?

Of course they can. And they use smaller aircraft on the historically lighter loaded flights if they have the fleet flexibility.

Not saying this is exactly what SQ will do, but it is fun to speculate :). The airline isn't run by complete fools and there are probably several reasons why it makes sense to do this. Having smaller capacity aircraft operating under the SQ brand makes them more nimble, and could be one of those reasons. HAN is a great example, one flight on 737 and one on 330, in the future both will be SQ flights.

I still don't really get your approach. If they pull a 737 off a light MI route, then put it on a light SQ route, on the flip side, you'd end up putting a SQ 777/330 on an even lighter MI route, which makes no financial sense.

My bet, SUB will be downgraded to both flight served by MI.
DPS may still see mix fleet.
CGK will definitely unchanged
The rest of smaller cities (KNO, SRG, BDO, PKU, PLG, LOP, UPG, MDC, BPN, JOG) will still be served by MI.

Also RGN may go back to all MI. HAN may also be downgraded to both MI.

Perhaps KUL will be another all MI destination

Actually the winner is *A
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It may be true on one direction but may not be true on the return direction.

I was on SQ963 on Sunday with less than 100 people (or even less than 50) in economy. I saw the incoming flight was quite full.

I bet the other way around. HAN was both SQ flights before later flight was downgraded to MI.

My assumption they need to keep SQ flight on the morning flight due to connecting from European flight. So need to maintain this as *A, just like SUB.

So if MI merged into SQ, they can pass both flight to MI, maybe add the third flight ?

Vietnam route I guess it is tight margin as there are quite some budgets airlines there.

There is a lot of money to be made out of MDC (Manado) as there are a lot of diving operators in North Sulawesi (read: Lembeh Strait, and liveaboards), and the non-stop SIN-MDC is far, far, far preferable to taking GA via CGK. It also helped that QR interlined all of the diving equipment to MI.

Now, if only there could be a direct SIN-AMQ, but that may be a bit of a reach.

As for the Philippines, I'm fairly certain that CEB will remain, but since the Philippine government has restricted access to Boracay, KLO may be suspended. But, MI also currently flies SIN-DVO-CEB.

Offical news release:

http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/au/media-centre/press-release/article/?q=en_UK/2018/April-June/ne1718-180518

So is SQ going to benefit from increased *A codeshares to the regional routes of MI?

I agree with many of the comment here. Here's my two cents worth (which includes a number of which include prior comments)
There are probably multiple ideas floating around that led to this decision
First, bringing everything under one brand makes sense. Running two separate airlines that were supposed to be the same, doesn't make sense. Silkair has been a thorn for many a *A frequent flyer and this allows SQ a chance to retake the high road on service/product.
Second, differentiating budget from full service The merging of Scoot and Tiger meant that they now have have a large budget fleet, and there is a risk that people lump SIlkair with the budget option. And given it is more expensive (as a full service option) people would get disappointed if they expect SQ level service/product for the price, or they might be confused as to why it is more expensive.
Third and most out there. The arrival of high speed rail will be a game changer. There were numerous reports that Kuala Lumpur - Singapore was the busiest air route in the world. I suspect that SQ realises that when this route comes online (supposedly in 2026) they will see a precipitous drop in the number of passengers who would prefer the ease of the high speed rail. Rather than fight it with it's full service flights,it seems more likely that SQ will use its budget arm to compete. There will always be passengers who are sensitive to price, so they would use budget.
I think the timing also matters here. Most of the time, (Correct me if I'm wrong), when carriers make these kind of announcements, the rebranding starts immediately. In SQ's case, they are saying they will start in 2020. What does that say? It says to me that they haven't fully committed to the timing yet. It seems convenient that the rebranding will start taking place in 2020, when it will take a couple of years to refit their planes, maybe 3-4 years. And then ... HSR is almost upon us.

I doubt any ff will really bother to read the financial report. If they are, must be minority, unless they are SQ shareholders.

I don't think High Speed Train is matter for SQ. Seriously with the change of regime, many people is betting that this project may be delayed or even scrapped.

Without the HST, in fact many Malaysian did indeed fly via SIN and you notice sometimes it is cheaper to fly ex KUL compare ex SIN on SQ especially on PE.

Currently there is only 3 SQ flights (1 on weekend) between SIN and KUL, with the rest of flights are MI flight.

This definitely a big hindrance if you are *A and limit the connection US on weekend. Luckily TG does not fly to US.

If now MI is merged into SQ, then as *A you can take any flights. This is also why I am betting KUL will become all narrow body destination probably with increase frequencies

Well you can eliminate PKU from that list well before 2020 ... (along with LGK & KLO) ... Scoot to Take Over SilkAir's Langkawi, Pekanbaru and Kalibo Services

I would not at all be surprised to see other routes go the same way eventually, depending on market dynamics over the next 2-3 years.

Yeah forget that. I think those Indo non core market may end up with TR. Other than PKU, I think even LOP may end up with TR

Well I do not know what SQ management is thinking. I were them I won't transfer all. There must be right balance for those have inward connection to other destinations target SQ target.

KUL is interesting destination in my opinion. It is so short, and most people really do not care which aircraft is being used. After all there will be no real service that you can experienced.

Will we see the MI crew in a kebaya now?

When will this happen? I am flying with silk air in DPS soon and would like them to honour my *G status :/

If "soon" is in geological timeframes, you'll be OK. :p

If "soon" is in the context of normal human experience, alas, you are out of luck. They are looking at SilkAir being folded into SQ brand from around 2020 onwards, and have reported timeline dependent on when seat manufacturers can deliver the new product. They need to upgrade SIlkAir hardware to SQ standards first.

That sucks...

I will try asking this elsewhere but:

I am *G with ANA flying DPS - SIN - NRT.

DPS - SIN is marked as SQ 5275 but operated by Silk Air. Departs at 10:25. Then, SIN - NRT on Singapore Airlines departs the next day at 9:25.

I have the hope that being less than 24 hours connection they would let me check my luggage directly to NRT and access the lounge in DPS.

Is this possible?

Most likely you can check through your luggage at DPS to NRT. Unfortunately you will not have lounge access in DPS as Silk Air is not a member of *A. You should have booked an SQ flight which departs an hour later if you want to enjoy your lounge access in DPS..

You will have access to Krisflyer Gold Lounge in T3 SIN.

You can almost certainly check your bags through but I won't hope for lounge access. Doesn't hurt to ask but departing on an MI-operated flight doesn't entitle you to *G benefits -- SQ code or not.

The lounge in DPS is an absolute and utter disappointment, you won't miss anything. We fly J to and from DPS and could access based on that, but we haven't stepped into the lounge the last 4-5 trips. In SIN you can use the KF Gold Lounge as *G travelling in Eco.

Good to know, thanx!

Thank you!

SilkAir has chosen the Thompson Vantage seat for the 737 MAX Business Class. Upgrades commence in May 2020.

For what it's worth, Singapore Airlines has confirmed to Australian Business Traveller that the SilkAir B737 seat will be Thompson's Vantage: https://www.ausbt.com.au/singapore-a...business-class