Singapore Airlines unveils new beds and privacy doors—but passengers face a long wait

The seats arrive after the unveiling

Singapore Airlines unveiled new long-haul cabins on November 6, including first-class seats that join into a double bed and the airline’s first business-class seats with sliding privacy doors. Passengers will have to wait: the airline says the products will be introduced progressively from the second half of 2027.singaporeair +1

The carrier is investing more than S$2 billion (about US$1.6 billion) in the products. The plan covers 41 Airbus A350-900 long-haul and ultra-long-range aircraft to be refurbished and 31 Boeing 777-9s on order, according to the airline and FlightGlobal.singaporeair +1

More privacy, with trade-offs

In first class, a centre pair can become a sofa or an 80-by-60-inch double bed. Each seat also supports face-to-face dining with a companion. The new first-class cabins are planned for the ultra-long-range A350s and the 777-9s, not the standard long-haul A350s.pointhacks +1

Business class gets a sliding door, a seat that reclines directly into a flat bed and, at selected centre pairs, dividers that can be lowered for companions. Point Hacks reports that the bed is about 79 inches long. The new A350 business seat is narrower than the airline’s existing 2013 design: 22 inches versus 28 inches, according to Mainly Miles.pointhacks +1

Not every cabin gets the same upgrade

The 777-9 will have new seats across all four classes, but the A350 refurbishment brings new business-class seats and, on the ultra-long-range version, first class. Its premium-economy and economy seats will not be replaced. The 777-9’s new premium-economy seats will have 40 inches of pitch, up from 38 inches, FlightGlobal reports.singaporeair +1

The ultra-long-range A350 will lose premium-economy capacity as the layout changes: from 94 seats to 58, alongside four new first-class seats and 70 business-class seats, up from 67. That matters to travelers seeking the less expensive premium cabin on the airline’s longest routes.pointhacks +1

Why travelers must wait

The seats were originally designed for Boeing’s delayed 777-9. The airline expanded the programme to the A350 so passengers would not have to rely on the new Boeing’s arrival alone. The new seats are certified on the 777-9, but that aircraft itself is not yet certified; the seats still need certification on the A350, an airline executive told Reuters.reuters

The airline has not confirmed which aircraft or route will debut the new cabins. Its original 2024 A350 plan had targeted the second quarter of 2026 for the first refitted plane.mainlymiles