Cabin upgrade is move to offer wealthy passengers greater luxury as airlines compete for their business
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Singapore Airlines has said it will offer the “largest double bed in the sky” as part of a S$2bn (£1.2bn) cabin upgrade as super-rich passengers demand ever greater levels of luxury travel.
The first-class premium cabins will feature what the airline claims is “the largest double bed in commercial aviation”.
The bed for two people travelling together spans two adjoining seats and measures 203cm (80in) long and 152cm (60in) wide. A standard double bed mattress in the UK is 190cm long and 135cm wide.
The bed will include a mattress topper from the German luxury bedding company Paradies, a duvet and a choice of pillows.
Some business-class seats would be able to be made into a double bed, the airline said. The upgrade includes curved sliding doors to give passengers more privacy and ultra-high-definition 4K touchscreens.
A broader race to the top in luxury travel is under way, where a one-way ticket can cost upwards of £10,000. While Singapore Airlines was ranked as the world’s best overall airline by the researcher Skytrax this year, it has lost market share to rivals who have invested heavily in cabin upgrades.
In 2022, Emirates launched a fleet-wide $5bn retrofit programme, including refreshing its first-class suites with more space and updated tech. This year Air France introduced la Première, a redesigned first-class cabin, which the airline says is akin to a private jet experience. British Airways is also working on a new first-class cabin for its A380 planes.
The industry has been rocked by a rise in fuel prices this year triggered by the war in the Middle East, which has in turn pushed up air fares. However, Singapore Airlines has benefited from an increase in passengers routing their flights between Asia and Europe rather than taking connecting flights through the Gulf.
Singapore Airlines added that economy passengers would gain more leg space, as well as a new storage layout for personal items. All passengers would get upgrades to the in-flight entertainment service and an expanded meal selection, it said, and there would be onboard internet connectivity via Elon Musk’s satellite company Starlink.
The new cabins would be introduced from the second half of 2027, the airline said.
