SIA UNVEILS THE NEW US$100 MILLION SPACEBED - THE BIGGEST BUSINESS CLASS BED IN THE SKY

The Raffles Class cabins of Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) long-range aircraft will soon undergo a major transformation with the introduction of a new-generation seat that reclines into a flat-bed, offering unprecedented comfort and style in the world of business class travel.

Dubbed the SpaceBed, the state-of-the-art seat becomes the widest and longest business class bed in the sky. The SpaceBed will be installed at a cost of US$100 million on 45 Boeing 747 Megatops and Boeing 777-200ER (extended range) aircraft serving Europe, North America, and Australasia.

The first retrofitted B747 Megatop will operate from early November 2001 on the Singapore-London route. The entire retrofit programme will take 12 months to complete.

Said SIA’s Senior Executive Vice President (Commercial) Michael Tan: “SIA considered a wide range of options, carried out extensive market studies and sought customer feedback when developing the SpaceBed. Our focus was to develop a design that was wider, longer, more comfortable and more stylish than any other business class product because that is what we believe our customers want. We also had to take economic factors into account, of course.”

Mr Tan said the investment of US$100 million underscored SIA’s continual commitment to product and service innovation, to offer customers the world’s best travel experience.

When fully extended, the SpaceBed is the longest business class bed in the sky and will offer total comfort for passengers. With armrests that can be recessed easily, the Spacebed is up to eight inches wider than any business class seat or bed.

The SpaceBed’s unique seat cushion was developed for the US space agency NASA and conforms to the contours of a passenger’s body, in whatever posture they sit or sleep. Combined with the SpaceBed’s record width and length, this means that customers will be able to wake up feeling refreshed.

Together with the SpaceBed comes SIA’s new-generation inflight entertainment system, KrisWorld, which offers a choice of 40 movies and short features and 50 games on 10.4-inch (26.5cm) high resolution monitors.

Based on the latest Matsushita Avionics’ MAS3000 system, KrisWorld offers audio-video on demand in all classes, allowing customers to begin viewing whenever they wish, and enjoy the highest-quality pictures and sound. A new AC power system built into the SpaceBed allows customers to send and receive e-mail and browse the Internet on their laptops using a normal power cord.

Said Mr Tan: “With more non-stop flights over long distances, seat-beds with the latest technological features are becoming essential for the customer who wishes to work, sleep or simply to relax on board. Today’s businessperson is often rushing from meeting to meeting, sometimes thousands of miles apart. They want to arrive in good shape, refreshed and ready to go. With its unique design, the SpaceBed will offer unprecedented comfort for our long-haul Raffles Class customers.”