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SIA has scrapped plans to reinstate daily Airbus A380 operation on its Shanghai route from early January 2024, with only a handful of superjumbo flights in early February, followed by a proper return for the type next summer.
Back in early July 2023, Singapore Airlines had a change of heart over replacing the daily Airbus A380 on its Shanghai route with a Boeing 777 for the entire northern winter season, and instead decided the superjumbo would feature on this route after all, from 4th January 2024, nearly four months earlier than originally planned.
Obviously that was great news for those with bookings on SQ830/833 flights in January, February and March 2024, or for those who went on to book after the announcement, especially in First Class where the A380’s Suites cabin lay in store.
Unfortunately there’s now bad news to report.
SIA has now decided to retain the Boeing 777-300ER downgauge for this service through to the start of the summer season on 31st March 2024, with the exception of a short 17-day period in early February, where a lucky few will still get the Airbus A380 treatment (barring any further changes).
That means if you have a booking on SQ830 or SQ833 early next year and you were expecting the A380 – it’s likely you’ll need to reset those expectations, and if you scored Suites you may even wish to make alternative plans, assuming that was the main appeal for booking your trip.
What’s changing?
SIA’s Shanghai services will continue to be operated by Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350 Medium Haul aircraft between now and the end of the northern winter season on 30th March 2024.
That’s replacing the previous plan to operate daily SQ830/833 flights on this route with the Airbus A380 from 4th January 2024 through to the end of the season.
However, the airline is planning a short-term 17-day Airbus A380 operation to and from Shanghai between 2nd February 2024 and 18th February 2024, when the superjumbo briefly takes over from the Boeing 777-300ER.
Here’s how the revised Shanghai schedule now looks, with up to four daily flights during the rest of the summer season.
Singapore Shanghai
1st December 2023 – 30th March 2024
All services operate daily
| Aircraft | Dates | |||
 |
SQ826 |
A350 MH | All | |
| SIN 01:15 |
PVG 06:30 |
|||
|
SQ828 |
A350 MH | 1 Dec – 2 Dec 31 Dec – 30 Mar |
|
| SIN 07:20 |
PVG 12:45 |
|||
|
SQ830 |
777-300ER | 1 Dec – 1 Feb 19 Feb – 30 Mar |
|
| SIN 09:20 |
PVG 14:35 |
A380 | 2 Feb – 18 Feb | |
|
SQ836 |
A350 MH | All | |
| SIN 17:05 |
PVG 22:20 |
|||
Shanghai Singapore
1st December 2023 – 30th March 2024
All services operate daily
| Aircraft | Dates | |||
|
SQ825 |
A350 MH | All | |
| PVG 00:10 |
SIN 06:00 |
|||
|
SQ827 |
A350 MH | All | |
| PVG 08:20 |
SIN 14:10 |
|||
|
SQ831 |
A350 MH | 1 Dec – 2 Dec 31 Dec – 30 Mar |
|
| PVG 13:50 |
SIN 19:40 |
|||
|
SQ833 |
777-300ER | 1 Dec – 1 Feb 19 Feb – 30 Mar |
|
| PVG 16:25 |
SIN 22:15 |
A380 | 2 Feb – 18 Feb | |
We’ve updated our dedicated Business Class seats by route and First Class seats by route pages to reflect this latest change.
There you can find the aircraft types and seat types deployed on all SIA services between now and the end of March 2024, with an update to include the summer 2024 season coming soon.
Suites passengers are hardest hit
For those already booked on SQ830/833 flights, between 4th January 2024 and 30th March 2024, apart from the lucky ones whose trips fall in the short-term A380 operation period in early February, it will mean the experience changing from this…
to this…
Obviously that’s quite a downgrade and may be enough make you consider whether your miles or cash outlay for this cabin is still worthwhile.
However, we do still enjoy the 2013 First Class product installed on the Boeing 777-300ERs. You can read our review of the product here.
In Business Class the impact is less of an issue, with the newer 2017 seats on the A380 being replaced by the 2013 seats on the 777-300ER, since they are quite similar in most respects.
The A380 returns to Shanghai in summer 2024
Shanghai will get a consistent daily Airbus A380 operation back during the summer 2024 season, based on SIA’s currently-published schedules.
Importantly though, the superjumbo shifts to an overnight Singapore – Shanghai flight, with a morning flight in the return direction, taking over the SQ826/827 rotation.
The former A380 service SQ830/833 will continue to use a four-class Boeing 777-300ER, meaning two flights per day on the route will feature a First Class option.
Furthermore, A350 flights get an upgrade from the two-class Medium Haul variant, with 2018 Regional Business Class seats, to the three-class Long Haul version, with 2013 Business Class seats and a Premium Economy offering.
This includes a fifth daily service, SQ832/835, which will restore pre-pandemic frequencies to five times daily on this city pair.
Only a single daily Boeing 787-10 flight (SQ836/825) will offer a two-class service on the Shanghai route next summer.
Here’s how the summer 2024 schedule looks, including daily A380 services.
Singapore Shanghai
31st March 2024 – 26th October 2024
All services operate daily
Shanghai Singapore
31st March 2024 – 26th October 2024
All services operate daily
* Next day
Not only does this schedule restore pre-COVID flight frequencies on the Shanghai route, it actually slightly exceeds pre-COVID seat capacity, with 11,046 seats in each direction per week compared to 10,878 in July 2019.
That means Singapore Airlines will actually offer 102% of pre-COVID seat capacity on this route next summer.
KrisFlyer award rates
Here are the latest KrisFlyer award rates for the Singapore – Shanghai route, including for the Suites cabin (once it’s finally operating again!).
| KrisFlyer Redemption Singapore ⇄ Shanghai |
||
| Saver | Advantage | |
| Economy | 21,500 | 40,000 |
| Premium Economy | 34,500 | n/a |
| Business | 43,000 | 65,000 |
| First / Suites | 58,500 | 98,000 |
Where else are SIA’s A380s flying?
Singapore Airlines is currently flying its Airbus A380s on seven routes, which will continue through to the end of the northern winter season on 30th March 2024, in addition to the 17-day Shanghai stint noted above.
- Auckland
SQ285/286 - Delhi
SQ406/403 - Hong Kong
SQ892/893 - London
SQ308/319
SQ322/317 - Mumbai
SQ424/423 - Sydney
SQ221/232
SQ231/222 - Tokyo
SQ638/637
For the northern summer 2024 season, schedules have not been fully finalised yet and some changes may still be in the pipeline, but for now the airline’s A380 schedule looks like this:
- Delhi
SQ406/403 - Frankfurt
SQ326/325 - Hong Kong
SQ892/893 - London
SQ308/319
SQ322/317 - Mumbai
SQ424/423 - Shanghai
SQ826/827 - Sydney
SQ221/232
SQ231/222
Unfortunately Tokyo and Auckland drop off the list next summer, and there currently looks to be no sign of a seasonal A380 flight to Melbourne like there was earlier this year.
Singapore Airlines has reversed its decision to upgauge daily SQ830/833 flights on its Shanghai route from the Boeing 777-300ER to the Airbus A380 from 4th January 2024 to 30th March 2024.
That’s bad news for those booked in the Suites cabin, but there’s a small period of reprieve. For 17 days between 2nd February 2024 and 18th February 2024 the Airbus A380 allocation remains in the schedule, so some of you will still be lucky.
Despite the withdrawal of the A380 from this route, it’s back again from the start of the summer season on 31st March 2024, though it does swap to an overnight service up to Shanghai with a morning flight in the return direction, which won’t suit everyone.
Overall, Singapore Airlines will operate 100% of pre-COVID frequencies and 102% of pre-COVID seat capacity on its Shanghai route from April 2024.
(Cover Photo: Plane’s Portrait Aviation Media / Malcolm Lu)
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