Singapore Airlines Transferring A Third Of SilkAir Routes To Low Cost Scoot

I think they should order additional A320Neos to replace those 737 in the future... to ensure effeciency..l

I've flown SilkAir a couple of times. Most recently about a year ago from PNH to SIN. It's nothing special but gets the job done. Folding them back into SQ sounds like a sensible move. I guess that most of these regional subsidiaries are mostly about contracts with their employees. I wish CX would fold Cathay Dragon back into CX instead of farming out more of their regional flights to them.

Sounds like a sensible and well thought out plan. Making sure that the right aircraft / product already flies to these markets will make the transition much smoother.

I have flown Scoot once HKG-SIN in ScootBiz (787) and I regretted paying for that the moment aircraft door was closed. Barely anyone on board (around 10% seats taken). Many in Y took the opportunity to stretch out by having their own "rows", while I was coffined into the narrow premium-economy-at-best seat with fixed armrest.

I can't wait to see what illogical, excessively hard flat-bed seat SQ picks to replace the antiquated MI recliner seat. Ugh. Arrogance is going to be the death of SQ.

For some of these destinations it will be quite disappointing as it will remove potentially the only full service international flight into their destination. For corporate travel and luxury travelers this can be a major factor in dissuading travel to that destination.
Last year SilkAir’s service from SIN to LGK (Langkawi, Malaysia) was switched to Scoot. This meant that there was no premium cabin service into Langkawi other than Malaysian through KUL. This is an island with Four Seasons, St Regis, Ritz Carlton, Taj resorts and many more 5 star deluxe destination hotels trying to attract international business. Coming off a first class SQ flight and being shoved onto Scoot (even for short haul) would suck epically and they say it has impacted on their business levels.
But I assume SQ has done their homework. Silk air would work well for short haul destinations with corporate load. The destinations they have chosen to changeover appear to be mostly leisure destinations who would be more cost conscious and less comfort focused.

@Jack you are completely correct. Nothing reeks of arrogance more than a hard seat.

I have flown Silk Air a few times, especially in/out of India. They are ok. Not as good as SQ but WAY better than Scoot

@Jack and @Adrian Do you guys have an inference or an estimate on the timeline for SIA’s demise? Have you combed through the data (if any) on SIA’s business class bottomline? Share them with us, please.

So if SQ absorbs Silk Air and acquires their planes, they will no longer be an all wide-body airline. Who does that leave? Just Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, and Emirates?

@ Weymar - I'm trying to think of more - Air Tahiti Nui? Thai Airways?

@james, French Bee and Air Asia X are also widebody-only. If they resume scheduled ops, Air Belgium....

@James @Jack I was thinking more major airlines although I don't have a concrete definition of that so Air Tahiti Nui could count. Thai Airways has A320's if you include Thai Smile and I'd group Air Asia X in with Air Asia even though I know they are technically separate companies.

@Glenn My comment was not meant literally. The Singapore government would never allow SQ to go under. I did mean to suggest, however, that SQ will likely continue to struggle financially (as it has for some time) in spite of all its marketing hype. SQ needs every loyal business traveler it can find, but it doesn't seem to listen to such travelers (particularly non-Singaporean ones). When CX customers complained about the herringbone seats in business class, CX ripped them out and installed an industry-leading reverse herringbone seat. When SQ customers complained about the excessively wide business class seat with limited recline, a weird foot cubby for bed mode, and excessively hard seats, SQ . . . installed more of those seats, with an extra leather pillow. Even with Crazy Rich Asians to attract visitors to Singapore, SQ still needs transit passengers, as the Singapore-only market is too small. With new planes, SQ has tried to compete more effectively against the Japanese carriers and CX for US-Asia traffic, as it's once again possible to reach Singapore from the United States in a single hop. Still, Changi is not blessed geographically as a transit airport for traffic from the US (or Europe), as it's so far south.

I fly a LOT to/from and within Asia each year and try to avoid SQ at all costs, instead giving my business to CX, NH, and (much as I hate Doha bus gates) QR.

Goddamnit. Flying SQ from the United states to Laos or Chiangmai was the easiest way to get there (requiring one transfer in singapore as opposed to hopping from Tokyo to Bangkok) if you're loyal to Star Alliance with status. I totally get their logic to reduce it to Scoot service, but ughh. after a 17 hour flight across the pacific, it sucks having to be stuck with a lcc especially if you're flying with a bunch of bags across the ocean.

flown Scoot many many times. Its really a great option within Asia. I've even flown Scoot from Singapore to Australia once for around $250 USD. As long as you expect an unpleasant experience, you'll find that it serves its purpose very well

SilkAir will be transferring 14 of its Boeing 737-800 to Scoot to operate these flights (presumably the crew are going with them too). I assume they will be reconfiguring these 737s with a much denser configuration, as Scoot does not have a premium class on their narrow body aircraft.

SilkAir also has some A320, why don't they transfer that to Scoot instead?

@John: because they are retiring the A319/A320 and are switching to 737.

Silk's 737-800s are still fairly new and SQ won't ditch them so quickly. With the routes are now split between SQ and Scoot and also marketing, it makes sense that SQ will take the more modern 737max and transfer the 737NG to Scoot and drop Silk's old A320

I’m shocked that I don’t see more leisure destinations. For example, Silkair flies to Cairns (primarily filled with Asian tourists and worldwide tourists looking to scuba) and CNS isn’t listed as a route transferred to Scoot.

Interesting.

So, I have an overnight SilkAir flight from SIN to CNS scheduled for next August. Any chance the new lie flat beds will be there for me then?

Another superficial article. As an Australian, James, you could have at least mentioned that MI flies to DRW and CNS. It may be that Sydney people are ignorant of MI, but for those of us in the Northern tropics, it is a lifeline, as well as a much quicker way of getting to Europe via SIN. It doesn’t compare with Jetstar at all. They have proper food, comfortable seats and a very nice business class. I’m surprised that on an elite travel blog you are completely ignoring the fact that MI recognises Virgin Australia status. It’s not only KF status. It’s not your fault that you haven’t flown them before, but a tiny amount of research would have made a better and more relevant article.