SIA defends new business class seats following public outcry, says colours, materials and finishes ‘carefully selected’

“So please, can you change the business class colour palette or not? It’s not too late because you all haven’t revamped yet.”

SIA is investing more than S$2 billion (US$1.57 billion) in the new cabin products across all four cabin classes, which it has described as “a key part of SIA’s elevated end-to-end travel experience”.

Mr Aaron Wong, founder of travel website The MileLion, wrote after the unveiling that he was “still shaking (his) head at the business class colour scheme and aesthetics” and that the seats’ use of plastic did not feel very premium.

Mr Wong also highlighted criticism from The MileLion’s Telegram group, with one reader likening the seats to Secretlab chairs.

Mr Ben Schlappig, founder of travel website One Mile at a Time, said SIA had “botched” its business class finishes.

“It looks like Scoot and Spirit Airlines had a baby,” he said, referring to the SIA subsidiary and the now-defunct US carrier. Both are known for prominently using yellow in their branding.

He also described the finishes of the first class and business class products as “completely mismatched”, saying the latter looked “cheap”.

“I guess the argument from executives is that they want the cabin to look more modern and high tech, and go after a younger crowd, but I just don’t follow the logic,” Mr Schlappig wrote on his website.

“What in the world happened to this business class seat?” said Mr Max Do of Max Miles Points on Facebook.

“This neon yellow colour is not really part of the Singapore Airlines colour palette, and the light grey colours kind of just make it feel cheap.”

He also compared the seats to furnishings one would be more likely to see in doctors’ or dentists’ offices.