lsquare

SIN is becoming an alternative to HKG as companies reevaluate their presence there. SIN has changed so much since I first went there as a kid. We need more flights there, not less. Also, for those that have UA status, I have a hunch they rather fly UA than SQ.

nomad420

Pre-pandemic I had a business in SIN and flew there regularly for several years. I closed the operation down for a variety of reasons several years ago and thankful that I did as I would have been forced out of business over the last 18 months. I can only wonder how a business with operations in SIN were dealing with this situation over the past nearly two years, it must have been horrific even in this digital age. Sometimes boots are the ground are needed and this is definitely a step in the right direction. The HK situation is just another huge global mess but at least SIN will hopefully turn around quickly and I am optimistic it will.

JNelson113

And UA, seems like there is demand at least at FT for a VTL UA flight to SIN!

uastarflyer

Definitely.

But the calculus may well change for me when I hit MM lifetime Gold in a few weeks.

lsquare

Why would the calculus change for you? You're still better off flying on UA than SQ unless you're in the business class cabin.

WineCountryUA

A number of off topic; non-UA related; OMNI posts have been removed. Regional politics is clearly off topic, so let's stick to the topic of UA flying to SIN. There are other better forums for those other topics.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

bocastephen

I can't think of many people, or pretty much anyone, who would choose UA over SQ, especially with the 787 pre-Polaris seats they were using before the flights halted. Whether Y, PY or J, what possible product feature does UA offer that SQ doesn't fly circles around? I've flown SQ regional Y that offered better service and food than Polaris, heck I even had TWO hot towel services vs just one on pre-virus Polaris.

Now if you're talking about mileage and PQP accrual, that's a different issue and would be fare class dependent. If I was PQP focused, then I am looking at a bulk ticket to SIN on UA while holding my nose at what I could have experienced on SQ....but if I am paying for business or even PY outright, there really isn't much of a comparison. It's like someone who can afford either saying they prefer Walmart over Nordstrom.

GoSh4rks

IMO SQ's 77w (and by extension the A350?) J seat isn't as good to sleep in as UA's Diamond or Polaris seats.

uastarflyer

Price (UA isn’t always cheaper) and on itineraries that go beyond SIN.

hence why I am hoping UA can codeshare with SQ

Also I have bought PE on SQ in the past, which UA still doesn’t sell on it SIN route.

If doomed to Y, then E+ is a UA advantage

JNelson113

For me, there are two clear advantages in UA vs. SQ to SIN: 1) using my Plus Points to upgrade to business, and 2) getting the BIS miles on United. I'm at 2.5MM and am trying to get to 3MM and lifetime 1K. SIN was my favorite BIS run before the pandemic because it was over 20K BIS from where I live and I've always enjoyed a few days in SIN. Whenever my family has visited Southeast Asia we always went to SIN and used it as a jumping off point for wherever we wanted to go. I pray it comes back in January so I can hop over there for Lunar New Year.

Sykes

I would. I couldn't sleep in SQ's 77W business class seat--it was terrible for me--so I'd take UA any day of the week.

jgreen1024

I would. I don't understand the FT love of SQ. When I flew in Y, I missed UA E+ seat pitch, and when I flew them in J I found the seat uncomfortable, and I don't like the whole over-the-top robotic service thing they do. Plus it's a lot of miles toward lifetime status.

exp

Aren't SQ fares usually higher than UA fares?

Or at least for UA MP award redemptions, you used to be able to find J awards via BR or NH but not SQ or for that matter UA.

uastarflyer

Not necessarily for destinations beyond SIN.

bocastephen

Fares are dynamic, so it really depends. The SQ PY seat product is vastly superior to UA's, and the Y seat while being about the same as UA, offers far better inflight service. I've seen very affordable and reasonable PY fares on SQ. I get it that some people don't like some of the SQ fleet J seats, but looking at the product in its entirety, you just can't compare. So, it seems me theory is right - loyalty to United is mostly driven by "I need the BIS miles", "I am trying for lifetime", "I can buy a cheap ticket and use Plus Points to upgrade" - etc etc. No one is really saying the overall United product is better than SQ.