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(Bloomberg) – When Singapore Airlines Ltd. said that seats in its superjumbo-turned-restaurant sold out in 30 minutes, a common question was, “Who the hell would want to do that?”
Turns out there are a lot of people. For every person who doesn’t like to fly, let alone go to the airport and hop on a parked plane to buy reheated airline food, there is another who cannot get enough aviation experience and is willing to shell out (a lot of money) because.
Singapore Airlines will open two of its Airbus SE A380s at Changi Airport as temporary restaurants for two weekends later this month, offering dishes from its menu, two complimentary alcoholic beverages and free-flow other beverages. A meal in a suite costs S $ 642 ($ 472), while prices are S $ 321 for a Business Class seat, S $ 96.30 for Premium Economy Class and S $ 53.50 for Economy Class.
At the higher end, that amount of money would easily allow you to buy an eight-course tasting at Odette, consistently ranked as one of the best restaurants in the world, or a dinner for two, plus wine, at Cut, the Marina Bay Sands steakhouse. which is part of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s stable.
Mayur Patel was ready to request the seat in the sweet suite. The regional sales director for travel data provider OAG Aviation Worldwide said he wanted to experience the suite again after flying one from Sydney to Singapore. As a member of Singapore Airlines’ top-tier Solitaire PPS Club for 21 years, Patel also wanted to support the airline because he feels attached to the brand.
Here are some of his thoughts on what drew people to the offer:
The dining experience of the SIA A380 was something that surprised many. Why someone would spend S $ 50 in economy class at S $ 600 in suites was mind-boggling for some. However, there are many aspects to analyze this.
The economy class price wasn’t that bad considering you can experience the A380, perhaps for the first time, and get food, drinks, and entertainment on board.
Some would say you can do all of this at home with Netflix and a takeout, but there is a sense of national pride and a patriotic aspect to supporting SIA given the headlines about its financial struggles.
For some, it would be like going to the cinema with more legroom (for those who go for the premium economy) with added value included.
There are also those who are looking for novelties and want to try business class or suites that could not otherwise afford the premium cabin experience in the air.
Some are influencers on social media or want Instagram moments of splurge.
In addition to capturing new revenue streams, this is a publicity event to showcase the A380 flagship product to travelers.
The economy class A380 and other cabins were renewed in recent years, so it is relatively new.
It allows people who have not traveled long-haul flights to experience the new cabins.
The airline can hook potential travelers on its product and service offerings once travel picks up.
It is not expected to generate a significant amount of cash, as there are food and beverage costs that need to be accounted for. Airlines typically allocate S $ 20 per meal for economy class, and there are related costs, so the contribution is not significant. What they achieve is publicity.
Patel did not get his suite in the end due to the high demand for reservations and because prior commitments meant that he could not change to another offered date.
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