Los Angeles-Singapore Airlines celebrated the inaugural flight of its new
Boeing 777-300ER fleet during a special event at Los AngelesInternationalAirport Tuesday night.
The new aircraft, which heralds innovations and improvements in all three
classes, represents a $360 million investment, with an emphasis on providing
passengers with more space, comfort and control of the in-flight experience,
the carrier said. Travel Agent attended the event, which was held in an
airplane hangar and included a dramatic moment when the huge bay doors opened
to present the 777-300ER waiting on the tarmac. An inspection of the plane and
an up-close look at the new seats made the case that Singapore Airlines was
continuing to raise the bar. We asked a spokesperson for the company what was
driving the changes and he responded, "Luxury, luxury, luxury." He
noted that customers' expectations are higher and that they want at least the
level of technology they can get at home. According to Singapore Airlines, the
new seats in first class are the largest in the sky at 35 inches wide.
First-class passengers also have 23-inch LCD monitors with USB ports. Business
class features horizontal flat bed seats at 30 inches; seats are arranged in a
configuration that allows all passengers direct access to the aisle. Economy
class also has screens with USB ports and remotes that have a full keyboard on
the reverse side. All three classes have the KrisWorld in-flight entertainment
system, providing entertainment, connectivity-with office tools such as
spreadsheet and word processing on each system-and education, including
instruction in 22 languages through Berlitz World Traveller. The new planes
will operate between Los Angeles and Singapore every
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, expanding to daily service next
April. Visit [www.singaporeair.com].