Passengers to experience ‘a class beyond first’

WELL-HEELED travellers will experience new levels of in-flight luxury on board Singapore Airlines’ new Airbus A380 superjumbos.

The carrier has used the extra space afforded by the huge aircraft to create 12 special “suites”, which it describes as “a class beyond first”.

Adjoining suites can even be brought together to create a double bed for a romantic encounter in the clouds.

Every detail of the suites, which were designed by French yachting designer Jean-Jacques Coste, suggests extravagant luxury.

The leather chairs — 58cm wide between the armrests and 89cm wide with the armrests folded up — are upholstered by Poltrona Frau, which makes seats for Ferrari and Maserati cars.

Each self-contained suite also has a separate chaise longue for a companion to sit on and a 23” LCD screen for watching any of the 100 movies and more than 180 TV programmes on the aircraft’s KrisWorld entertainment system.

A separate full-size flat bed with Givenchy-designed linen and a single-piece mattress comes down over the seat.

The suite can also be transformed into an office in the sky, including a wide table that can be used as a workstation or even a meeting table.

Suite passengers will dine from a menu designed by a panel of top chefs from around the world, including Gordon Ramsay, Georges Blanc from France, Australia’s Matt Moran and Sam Leong from Singapore.

Singapore Airlines has not confirmed exactly how much the suites will cost, but the carrier’s chief executive Chew Choon Seng said they would be 20%-25% more expensive than regular first class.

Even the 399 economy class seats offer more for passengers, including more leg room, an in-seat power supply and a non-intrusive reading light under the 10.6” seatback LCD monitor.