The Definitive Guide to Singapore Airlines Direct Routes From the U.S. [Plane Types & Seat Options]

Here at Upgraded Points, we often get questions about the best routes to fly on a particular airline. Singapore Airlines is definitely an aspirational airline with fantastic service, great business and first class seats, and solid award availability.

In addition, Singapore Airlines is known best for its first class suites, complete with impeccable dining, which just makes for a phenomenal experience.

In this guide, you’ll find an exhaustive repository of Singapore Airlines routes that are flown to/from the U.S. We are also going to show which planes are flown on the various routes and the different seat types for each plane.

Singapore Seat Options by Aircraft Type

Singapore Airlines chiefly operates 4 planes on flights to/from the U.S.:

• 777-300ER
• A350-900
• A350-900ULR
• A380 (Until May 15, 2023)

Below is a table that summarizes the routes from U.S., planes flown, cabin classes, and frequency:

Best Ways To Earn To Fly Singapore Airlines

Using Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles is pretty much your only option when it comes to booking premium economy, business, or first class.

Although Singapore Airlines’ premium cabin awards will cost you a lot of miles, it’s also your only option.

The good news is that it won’t levy any fuel surcharges on its own metal, so your out-of-pocket payments will be minimized.

There are tons of ways to earn a boatload of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, so it’s a little easier on that front.

Now that we’ve illustrated the route options and their associated aircraft, let’s see what our options are for each seat!

Singapore First Class Suite Options

Ah, the Singapore Airlines first class suite. This beauty is one of the best ways to fly anywhere in the sky. The fact that this flight is even offered to/from the U.S. is already a blessing.

Hot Tip: Unfortunately, the A380 will be pulled from the New York to Frankfurt route beginning May 15, 2023. It will be replaced with a Boeing 777-300ER.

Singapore Airlines New A380 First Class Suite

The only A380 first class suites option from the U.S. is on a 5th freedom flight between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt (FRA).

This flight continues on from Frankfurt to Singapore, which you can also book! Additionally, once you get to Singapore, you can continue onto essentially any destination, such as Sydney (SYD).

Here’s what the seat map looks like:

To get an idea of what the experience is like, check out our review of the newer A380 first class suites!

Singapore Airlines 777-300ER First Class

The other first class product you can fly with Singapore Airlines is the 777 first class. Though not as glamorous as the A380 first class suites, it is still tremendously private and luxurious. There are just 4 seats spread out across 1 row in a 1-2-1 configuration. Talk about privacy!

These seats are also gigantic, with a width of 35 inches and a pitch of 81 inches! 

Here’s what the seat map looks like:

Your 2 first class seat route options, ironically enough, are also not nonstops directly to Singapore. They are actually 1-stop flights!

These 2 routes are:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Singapore (SIN)

Hot Tip: Looking to fly one of these Singapore Airlines products on points? Read about the many ways to earn Singapore KrisFlyer miles to book your next award flight.

Singapore Business Class Seat Options

Buckle up, because this is where it gets crazy! There are a lot of different business class seats flown by Singapore Airlines.

You can sit in business class on all the planes we mentioned above — but they’re not all the same. So we’re going to pass on a few nuggets about each product.

Singapore Airlines New A380 Business Class

Our favorite business class product is on the new A380 aircraft. Each of the seats is hand-stitched with Poltrona Frau’s full-grain leather and a ton of privacy.

These seats can become double beds, making it one of the only business class products in the sky with a double bed.

The new A380 business class seat is 30 inches wide, has a pitch of 55 inches, and is spread out in a 1-2-1 configuration.

Here’s the seat map:

Smart travelers will do well to choose row 96 seats, which have enhanced legroom and more privacy. You can find the new A380 flown on this U.S. route:

• New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines 777-300ER Business Class

The 777 was retrofitted in 2013 — which means the seats are still very spacious — but it also features a crisp entertainment screen, tons of storage space, and modern finishes.

Also, the 777 business class seat is wide at 28 inches (particularly for the upper body). The hard product is retrofitted, which means that it’s still a relatively new seat.

However, the main problem is that the 777 has a restrictive footwell (more so than the A380). This means it might be difficult to move your feet in the 777 compared to the A380’s business class seat.

Here’s the seat map:

We recommend choosing rows 11 and 15 (pick row 11 when you can for complete privacy!). Currently, the 777-300ER is operated on just 2 routes:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines A350-900 Business Class

On the A350, your business class seat is the same width as the 777 at 28 inches. The main difference is that you have less overall space on the A350.

Depending on what you make of it, the screen is much closer, and the footwell is smaller than the 777’s.

Basically, the A350 business class seat is a more compact version of the 777. You might be well-suited to reserve bulkhead seats in rows 11 and 19 if you would like extra legroom.

Keep in mind that these seats are near galleys and/or lavatories, so you might encounter more noise and foot traffic.

The A350-900 is flown on the following routes:

• Houston (IAH) – Manchester (MAN) – Singapore (SIN)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Taipei (TPE) 
• San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN) on SQ 31
• Seattle (SEA) – Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR Business Class

Last, but not least, the A350-900ULR is Singapore Airlines’ ultra-long-range aircraft flown on its longest routes. In fact, this unique aircraft doesn’t have an economy class cabin at all, just business and premium economy.

The A350-900ULR’s business class seat is identical to the A350-900’s business class seat, so keep that in mind.

And its business class cabin is enormous with 67 lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 arrangement shown here:

The best seats are in rows 10, 11 (except 11A), and 19, with the bulkhead’s extra legroom. Here are the A350-900ULR routes operated by Singapore Airlines:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Singapore (SIN)
• New York (JFK) – Singapore (SIN)
• Newark (EWR) – Singapore (SIN)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN) on SQ 33

Bottom Line: In summary, the new A380 business class product is the best available. But you probably won’t be upset if you fly on any other business class product Singapore Airlines has to offer! Just remember to choose bulkhead seats in business class if you need more legroom. 

Singapore Premium Economy Seat Options

You can fly on premium economy aboard all the planes and all the routes mentioned in the table at the beginning of this guide.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what premium economy looks like on each aircraft.

On both the A350-900ULR and the new A380, you’ll enjoy cutting-edge technology.

Ultimately, each plane’s premium economy cabin has its own strengths and weaknesses. The seats on the A350-900ULR are our favorite, especially if you’re a solo traveler.

Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR Premium Economy Class

On the A350-900ULR, there are 94 premium economy seats spread out across 9 rows in a 2-4-2 arrangement, plus 3 rows in a 1-4-1 arrangement, and 1 row of 4 seats in the center back of the aircraft.

Size-wise, the premium economy seats on the 777, A380, and A350-900ULR are the same: 18.5 inches wide and 38 inches in pitch.

However, the A350-900ULR is our winner because if you sit on the sides of rows 40 to 42, you’ll essentially have your own row to yourself. You’ll also get your own overhead bin!

Here are the routes offering the A350-900ULR:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Singapore (SIN)
• New York (JFK) – Singapore (SIN)
• Newark (EWR) – Singapore (SIN)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN) on SQ 33

Singapore Airlines New A380 Premium Economy Class

The A380 has 36 premium economy seats spread out across 4 rows in a 2-4-2 arrangement, and 2 pairs of 2 seats at the back of the premium economy cabin on each side of the plane.

The new A380 can be found on this U.S. route:

• New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines 777-300ER Premium Economy Class

The 777-300ER’s premium economy seat is identical in size to the new A380, but the difference is that the 777-300ER may be less comfortable to ride in from a cabin humidity perspective.

That said, the 777-300ER premium economy cabin is smaller than the A380’s.

On the 777-300ER, there are 28 premium economy seats spread out across 3 rows in a 2-4-2 arrangement, followed by an extra middle row of 4 seats in the back of the cabin.

Here are the routes on which you can find this cabin:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines A350-900 Premium Economy Class

On the A350-900, there are 24 premium economy seats spread out across 3 rows in a 2-4-2 arrangement.

Premium economy seats on the A350-900 are slightly more cramped, sitting a half-inch narrower at 18 inches wide.

However, the big benefit of the A350-900 premium economy cabin is that there are only 3 rows of 8 seats each in a 2-4-2 configuration — it’s more intimate! 

That said, the seat is smaller, which is why it falls at the bottom of our ranking list.

• Houston (IAH) – Manchester (MAN) – Singapore (SIN)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Taipei (TPE) 
• San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN) on SQ 31
• Seattle (SEA) – Singapore (SIN)

Bottom Line: Personally, we would always pick the premium economy seats in rows 40 to 42 on the A350-900ULR, because you essentially get your own side of the plane to sprawl out in. It’s very private, features the best technology, and has new seats.

Singapore Airlines Economy Seat Options

Last, but not least, Singapore Airlines offers a great experience even when flying economy!

In this section, we’ll hash through all of the specifics in each aircraft, including which seats you should try to reserve.

It’s important to note that the A350-900ULR doesn’t actually have an economy cabin. It’s a 2-cabin aircraft with business and premium economy only.

These planes were designed for ultra-long-haul flights, so it makes sense that the airline wouldn’t sell tickets allowing anybody to subject themselves to that level of discomfort.

Let’s get to it!

Singapore Airlines New A380 Economy Class

The seats on the 777 and A380 are the same size, measuring wider than the A350 at 19 inches wide and 32 inches in pitch. For this reason, you will always want to fly on either the 777 or A380 in Singapore Airlines’ economy!

Most would lean towards flying on the A380 over the 777 if the seats are the same. This is because the A380 is a much more thrilling ride due to its sheer size and novelty. There’s just something about the ridiculous noise isolation in the A380 that makes for a pleasant experience.

Many also think the A380 is more aerodynamically stable, some people believe that the 777 is better — it’s ultimately up to you to decide.

The A380’s layout is 10 abreast in a 3-4-3 configuration:

We recommend reserving any of the green-colored seats above; these seats have extra legroom for more comfort. We recommend avoiding rows 57, 58, 68, 78, and 79 at all costs due to the proximity to the lavatories and limited recline.

Currently, the new A380 is flown on just 1 U.S. route:

• New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines 777-300ER Economy Class

Our runner-up is the 777-300ER in economy. Remember, the seats are the same on the 777-300ER and the A380.

The main difference is the flying experience — the cabin has seats in a 3-3-3 arrangement:

Smart travelers will try to snag seats in row 41 before everybody else!

You can find the 777-300ER flown on these U.S. routes:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines A350-900 Economy Class

Lastly, let’s talk about the Singapore Airlines A350-900 economy class cabin.

The cabin is laid out in a 3-3-3 configuration with slightly smaller seats compared to those on the 777-300ER or the A380.

Each seat measures 18 inches wide and 32 inches in pitch. Here’s the seat map:

Row 41 seats are the best, as are 48A and 48K, particularly for solo travelers.

If you can, we recommend avoiding rows 46, 61, and 62 seats due to the lack of recline and proximity to lavatories and galleys.

You can find the A350-900 on these nonstop U.S. routes:

• Houston (IAH) – Manchester (MAN) – Singapore (SIN)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Taipei (TPE) 
• San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN) on SQ 31
• Seattle (SEA) – Singapore (SIN)

Final Thoughts

We’ve now discussed all the route options and described the seating arrangement and experience for Singapore Airlines flights departing the U.S.!

As far as the best first class route options go, there’s simply no better way to fly from the U.S. on Singapore Airlines than on the new first class suites! Unfortunately, this route is only available on the flight from New York to Frankfurt (and onwards from Frankfurt to Singapore).

If this route isn’t close to anything on your agenda, you can also fly the ridiculously wide first class seats (more like private thrones) on the 777 from Los Angeles to Tokyo or San Francisco to Hong Kong!

Among business class route options, we believe the best business class is on the A380 due to its updated product that can become double beds. It has cutting-edge technology, tons of space (especially for your feet in the bulkhead seats!), and plenty of storage compartments.

Premium economy is without a doubt a worthwhile consideration. You can easily upgrade, and depending on where you sit on each plane, it can make for a solid experience. We would always fly on the A350-900ULR and sit in rows 40 to 42 on the sides of the plane, due to the fact that you get your own private seat and row!

Lastly, economy is a bit difficult to differentiate between Singapore’s routes and flights. We find the A380 superb because of its inflight comfort and noise cancellation. Avoid the A350-900 if you can because the seats are (slightly) narrower.

No matter what class you fly, you’ll ultimately be satisfied by the stellar Singapore Airlines service on every flight!