Singapore Airlines borrowed from car design for its new business class seats. One of its former flight attendants took a look and thought of their next dental check-up.
The carrier, named the world’s best airline by Skytrax in September, unveiled its new long-haul cabins on 6 November.
It’s spending more than $1.5 billion across all four classes, but much of the chatter has centred on a single detail in business class: bright yellow trim on grey leather.
Former Singapore Airlines crew member Darshen Kuna said on Instagram that the seats reminded him of dental chairs.
Travel writer Ben Schlappig saw a different resemblance. «It looks like Scoot and Spirit Airlines had a baby,» he wrote, naming two budget carriers known for their yellow branding.
Singapore Airlines told Channel News Asia on 11 November that it had chosen the colours for a more contemporary cabin, with adjustable lighting that changes throughout the flight. It said it would continue to listen to feedback.
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What people who sat in it said
Singaporean singer Tay Kewei told CNA that the privacy door was the best part of the seat. She thought the seat felt narrower than before, even with more space for her feet. Former radio presenter Rosalyn Lee found it comfortable, with room for her bags, and called the reaction to the colours ‘wild.’
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The seats are due to enter service in the second half of 2027. Singapore Airlines plans to fit them on 41 long-haul and ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900s and its new Boeing 777-9s. The airline has yet to announce the first route.
