SIA defends new Business Class seats following public outcry, says colours, materials and finishes ‘carefully selected’
SIA says it will continue to closely monitor feedback and draw on operational insights to “refine and enhance elements of the customer experience”.
The Business Class centre seats feature enhanced seat ergonomics to provide a smoother, more natural reclining experience, with coordinated adjustments that support the back, legs, and body. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)
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SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Wednesday (Nov 11) that the cabin colour palette for its newly unveiled Business Class seats was “carefully selected” after the reveal drew criticism from some content creators and travel writers, including those who likened them to dental chairs.
Much of the reaction has focused on the grey-and-yellow colour palette of the seats, which were developed by SIA in collaboration with seat manufacturer Recaro and creative design firm Designworks.
In response to CNA’s queries, an SIA spokesperson said the new seats were “designed to enhance comfort, privacy, and functionality, while supporting a more seamless travel experience”.
“The colours, materials, and finishes were carefully selected to create a fresh, contemporary, and refined ambience, complemented by adjustable in-flight LED lighting throughout the journey,” SIA added.
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The spokesperson pointed out that the seats feature full-grain premium leather upholstery, sliding privacy doors, an electronically powered centre divider, enhanced ergonomics, a full-flat bed, and a spacious footwell that gives customers greater freedom of movement while resting.
“Frequent flyers who attended the launch praised its privacy, spaciousness, comfort, and thoughtful convenience features, including the larger display screen, enhanced charging options, intuitive physical seat controls, and companion-bed configuration,” SIA said.
The airline said it appreciated the feedback on the cabin’s colour palette and is committed to offering a world-class end-to-end travel experience.
“As with all our products, we will continue to closely monitor feedback and draw on operational insights to refine and enhance elements of the customer experience,” SIA said.
The national carrier unveiled on Nov 6 its next-generation long-haul cabin products, which include new First Class suites with double beds, redesigned Business Class seats with sliding doors, and upgraded Premium Economy and Economy Class cabins.
DESIGN DRAWS FLAK
The backlash over the new Business Class seats has largely focused on their aesthetics.
Content creator and former Singapore Airlines cabin crew member Darshen Kuna was among the critics.
“As a PPS (Priority Passenger Service) Club member, I’m very loyal to you guys, but after I see the new Business Class seats, it’s very hard for me to be loyal,” he said on Instagram.
“You all spent more than S$2 billion for the new Business Class seats to look like what? Dental chairs?”
While he welcomed the sliding doors for added privacy, he took issue with the colour scheme, particularly the “green line” on each seat.
“I sit on that new Business Class seat, instantly I will think I’m seeing my dentist, which is not usually a good experience,” he said.
“So please, can you change the business class colour palette or not? It’s not too late because you all haven’t revamped yet.”
SIA is investing more than S$2 billion (US$1.57 billion) in the new cabin products across all four cabin classes, which it has described as “a key part of SIA’s elevated end-to-end travel experience”.
Mr Aaron Wong, founder of travel website The MileLion, wrote after the unveiling that he was “still shaking (his) head at the Business Class colour scheme and aesthetics” and that the seats’ use of plastic did not feel very premium.
Mr Wong also highlighted criticism from The MileLion’s Telegram group, with one reader likening the seats to Secretlab chairs.
Mr Ben Schlappig, founder of travel website One Mile at a Time, said SIA had “botched” its Business Class finishes.
“It looks like Scoot and Spirit Airlines had a baby,” he said, referring to the SIA subsidiary and the now-defunct US carrier. Both are known for prominently using yellow in their branding.
He also described the finishes of the First Class and Business Class products as “completely mismatched”, saying the latter looked “cheap”.
“I guess the argument from executives is that they want the cabin to look more modern and high tech, and go after a younger crowd, but I just don’t follow the logic,” Mr Schlappig wrote on his website.
“What in the world happened to this Business Class seat?” said Mr Max Do of Max Miles Points on Facebook.
“This neon yellow colour is not really part of the Singapore Airlines colour palette, and the light grey colours kind of just make it feel cheap.”
He also compared the seats to furnishings one would be more likely to see in doctors’ or dentists’ offices.
MORE THAN JUST LOOKS
Not all reactions were negative, however. Some who tried the new seats praised their comfort and practical features.
MileLion’s Mr Wong said he had “no complaints” about the functionality.
“The seat is comfortable – at least as comfortable as a seat can be for a 10-minute on-ground tour – and fixes a lot of the long-standing issues customers have had with the current 2013 Business Class seat,” he wrote on his website.
Singaporean singer-songwriter Tay Kewei, 43, told CNA that “the privacy doors are the best part of the upgrade”.
In an Instagram post showing her trying the new seats, she said: “Just the best in the business showing everyone how it’s done!”
In captions accompanying the video, she described the experience as being “cocooned in luxury with lumbar and leg support”.
However, she told CNA: “I’m not sure why the seats are now not as wide as before, even though the footwell has now more space.”
Content creator Edo Lio, who tried the new seats, told CNA that he “can see why some people are upset about the colour palette, as SQ has definitely strayed from the warmer, more traditional colours they usually use”.
However, the 29-year-old said that there was more to the seats than just the colours. He said he also enjoyed the added privacy the new Business Class seat doors provide, as well as the seats’ “ergonomics and space design”.
“I love Singapore Airlines for many reasons beyond just the aesthetic of the brand – among others, I find them reliable, I believe in their safety standards, and find the overall experience of flying with them a pleasant one.
“These are all factors we must take into consideration when assessing them as a brand.”
The new cabin products will be progressively introduced from the second half of 2027 on the airline’s 41 retrofitted Airbus A350-900 long-haul and ultra-long-range (ULR) aircraft, as well as its new Boeing 777-9 fleet.
THE THINKING BEHIND THE DESIGN
The new First Class cabins were designed by PriestmanGoode, while Premium Economy Class and Economy Class cabins were designed by Factorydesign. The three cabin classes were manufactured by Collins Aerospace in collaboration with SIA.
According to SIA, the new cabin designs were informed by research involving more than 5,000 frequent travellers, customers, staff and industry experts worldwide.
In an Instagram video posted by user Zappchrisone, Designworks CEO Julia de Bono said that Singapore Airlines “wanted to go with something more progressive and refreshing”.
When asked about public reactions to the new colour palette, she described the design as “modern and fresh”, with the yellow accents “adding to the freshness”.
She noted that yellow already features in some of SIA’s design details, but said its use in the new Business Class cabin was “something that is not seen so much”.
Writing for aviation news website Runway Girl Network, Ms Mary Kirby said the seats’ grey tones would “act almost like a blank canvas, reflecting virtually any LED cabin lighting cast upon them”.
“Clad in full-grain premium leather, the 1-2-1-configured seats are primed to undergo a continual visual transformation during boarding, mealtimes, bedtime and landing – and during simulated sunrises and sunsets,” she wrote.
“Ambient lighting within each mini-suite and custom embroidery on both the seat bottom and seatback will add further depth.
Former radio DJ Rosalyn Lee, who now organises tours and attended the unveiling, voiced approval for the seats, describing the reactions to their colour scheme as “wild”.
“Look. Singapore Airlines is our national carrier, so I completely understand why expectations are sky high, and where the disappointment stems from,” she said on Instagram.
“But to get so worked up by a colour scheme is just wild.”
She added: “It’s literally just a colour palette. If a splash of yellow or a shade of grey gives you an existential crisis about your luxury status, then it really sounds like a you problem.”
She also took issue with what she saw as “disrespect” towards Scoot in the criticism, calling it one of the world’s best low-cost carriers.
Ms Lee said the Business Class seat she tried out was “really, really comfortable” and had a “generous footwell” and enough space for bags.
She added: “If you think millions of dollars in customised ergonomic engineering, next-gen privacy doors and premium finishes look ‘cheap’ just because of a colour accent, you’re missing the forest for the trees.”
Source: CNA/rk
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