{"id":493,"date":"2020-10-05T12:02:16","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T12:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/?p=493"},"modified":"2020-10-05T12:02:16","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T12:02:16","slug":"singapore-airlines-drops-flight-to-nowhere-idea-but-will-let-people-eat-in-an-a380","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/05\/singapore-airlines-drops-flight-to-nowhere-idea-but-will-let-people-eat-in-an-a380\/","title":{"rendered":"Singapore Airlines drops \u2018flight to nowhere\u2019 idea but will let people eat in an A380"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Singapore

A Singapore Airlines A-380 Airbus aircraft on the runway at Sydney’s main international airport, Kingsford Smith, on March 15, 2020 in Sydney, Australia.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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Usually when passengers find themselves sitting on a grounded commercial airplane, reactions range from impatience to downright anger.<\/p>\n

But these are not usual times.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one of several activities that Singapore Airlines is launching instead of what media reports have dubbed \u201cflights to nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

The airline announced this week it was abandoning plans for\u00a0destination-less flights\u00a0\u2014 which were to take off and land at Singapore\u2019s Changi Airport\u00a0\u2014 \u00a0in favor of ground-based activities designed to relive the feeling of air travel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Three new ideas<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Singapore Airlines is debuting three activities that replicate elements of flying \u2014 but without actually flying anywhere.<\/p>\n

On Oct. 24 and 25, the airline will let customers dine inside an A380 double-decker superjumbo \u201crestaurant.\u201d Customers can eat Singapore Airlines dishes while watching movies on the plane\u2019s in-flight entertainment system.<\/p>\n

Bookings are $50 Singapore dollars ($37) to dine in economy class, SGD$300 ($220) for business class and SGD$600 ($440) for a private suite. Those who arrive wearing traditional clothing, such as a \u201csarong kebaya, cheongsam, saree, batik shirt or even a kilt\u201d receive a special gift, according to the\u00a0company website.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bookings open on Oct. 12 at KrisShop.com, the airline\u2019s e-commerce website, and KrisFlyer members can earn or use miles for the purchase.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Diners<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Diners will be seated in groups up to five, and face masks are required (except when eating) on the A380 restaurant experience, dubbed \u201cRestaurant A380 @Changi.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Courtesy of Singapore Airlines<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The company is also creating tours of the SIA Training Centre, with optional flight simulator training sessions, junior cabin crew activities for kids, and grooming workshops with Singapore Airline\u2019s famously immaculate flight attendants. Tour bookings open on Nov. 1 on KrisShop.com and will be held on Nov. 21, 22, 28 and 29.<\/p>\n

The third service doesn\u2019t require customers to even leave the house. Starting Oct. 5, a new initiative called SIA@Home will let Singapore residents receive first-class and business-class food delivered straight to their homes.<\/p>\n

Meals can be booked to include luxury items that passengers can get while flying, such as Dom Perignon Champagne, Wedgwood and Narumi dishware and\u00a0Lalique sleeper suits. Packages are accompanied by music playlists that recreate the ambiance of a Singapore Airlines\u2019 flight.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s even an option to book a private chef who will reheat, plate and serve the meals in customers\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Why \u2018flights to nowhere\u2019 were dropped<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Singapore Airlines decided against destination-less flights after conducting a \u201cmarket study and comprehensive review\u201d which took into account environmental implications, financial viability and feedback from the general public.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn idea for a one-off, short-tour flight, or a \u2018flight to nowhere,\u2019 was also initially considered but not pursued after the review,\u201d a Singapore Airlines spokesperson told Global Traveler.<\/p>\n

Media reports about airlines\u2019 plans to launch flights to nowhere have been met with\u00a0criticism, mostly related to the environmental impact of flying for the sake of flying.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of how \u2018flights to nowhere\u2019 will look 10 years from now as the more potent effects of climate change begin to hit us,\u201d wrote Terence Chin Yuen Yeen\u00a0<\/strong>in a letter\u00a0<\/strong>to The Straits Times. \u201cIs there no better way to boost business?\u2033<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a letter to Singapore Airlines\u2019 CEO Goh Choon Phong, animal rights group PETA Asia asked the airline to serve only vegan meals on the flights, in order to help offset carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

Some took to social media to criticize the concept, which has already\u00a0become a small trend among airlines\u00a0in Taiwan, Japan, Brunei and Australia.<\/p>\n

Others simply didn\u2019t understand why anyone would subject themselves to an activity that, at least for economy passengers on many airlines, is criticized for being uncomfortable and cramped.<\/p>\n

In the end, the blowback may have proven too much for a company that isn\u2019t routinely the target of criticism in its home country and which is regularly named as one of the best airlines in the world.<\/p>\n

As to those holding out hope that these flights may be reconsidered in the future, Singapore Airlines told CNBC:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWe currently have no plans to revive the idea.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Singapore residents react<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

Tanuka Mittra was excited about Singapore Airlines\u2019 \u201cflights to nowhere\u201d and considered booking a seat on one until she heard the idea had been canned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019m devastated by the news,\u201d she said. \u201cI get it from an environmental point of view; it\u2019s probably good to not have a large carbon footprint.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the new services are less appealing to her because they don\u2019t involve being in the air, Mittra said she would consider the food delivery service \u201cbut only if it\u2019s first-class food, not economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who have had it, love it,\u201d she said. \u201cSingapore Airlines has a reputation for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Through<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Through Singapore Airlines\u2019 \u201cBook the Chef\u201d service, a private chef will reheat, plate and serve a first-class or business-class meal in customers\u2019 homes.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Courtesy of Singapore Airlines<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Michael Culme-Seymour believes ground-level services are a better way to engage the airline and its customers than an expensive \u201cflight to nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not keep the plane on the ground? People who want to experience the in-flight service can still enjoy Singapore Airlines\u2019 reputable brand,\u201d he wrote on LinkedIn to a Singapore.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine all of us who can never afford a first-class flight \u2014 to now have the ability to sit in first-class for a few hours, enjoy a good meal and a glass of bubbles,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

A Singapore Airlines representative told that the company \u201ccontinues to be invested in conducting our businesses responsibly and will be stepping up our sustainability efforts in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

When creating content to post on social media, you ought to be asking yourself: How to make sure the content would contribute successfully to the<\/i><\/strong> digital marketing<\/i><\/b><\/a> of your brand? To help answer your question, it is important to raise two main points: First of all, you need to identify what makes your brand unique, and what it is that only your brand can offer.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Usually when passengers find themselves sitting on a grounded commercial airplane, reactions range from impatience to downright anger. But these are not usual times. That\u2019s one of several activities that Singapore Airlines is launching instead of what media reports have dubbed \u201cflights to nowhere.\u201d The airline announced this week it was abandoning plans for\u00a0destination-less flights\u00a0\u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[83,81,82],"class_list":["post-493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-flight-entertainment-system","tag-singapore-airlines","tag-singapores-changi-airport"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/singapore-airlines-mc-.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paieQt-7X","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":495,"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493\/revisions\/495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/menamap.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}