{"id":60601,"date":"2026-06-14T09:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T01:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=60601"},"modified":"2026-06-14T09:03:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T01:03:00","slug":"singapore-airlines-boeing-747-slumberettes-so-good-that-other-airlines-complained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=60601","title":{"rendered":"Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 747 Slumberettes: So good that other airlines complained"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A good night\u2019s sleep is taken for granted in First Class these days, with luxurious seats that convert into full-flat beds at the touch of a button, complete with sumptuous bedding, silky high-thread-count linens, and indulgently plush pillows. On some airlines, you can even snuggle up with a partner.<\/a><\/p>\n

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A380 Suites \u2014 the ultimate sleep experience?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But it wasn\u2019t always this way.<\/p>\n

In fact, the story of how sleeper seats made it onto Singapore Airlines is a fascinating one, featuring sky-high slumber parties and some very unhappy Brits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meet the Slumberettes<\/h2>\n
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Singapore Airlines first installed slumberettes on its B747-200s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Singapore Airlines, of course, was not the first-ever airline to offer sleeping facilities for passengers. Back in the 1940s, Pan American Boeing 314 Clippers already had bunk beds for overnight accommodation \u2014 probably a good idea, since it flew three times slower than a modern Boeing 777!<\/p>\n

However, with the advent of modern jets and commoditisation of air travel, beds had become a rarer and rarer sight. So it was still big news when in 1975, SIA announced a S$670,000 plan (S$1.9M in today\u2019s money) to outfit all its Boeing 747-200s<\/a> with \u201cberthable divans\u201d<\/strong>, which someone in the marketing team had the good sense to rebrand \u201cSlumberettes\u201d.<\/strong> These came factory-equipped on its fifth jumbo jet from Seattle, with the other four retrofitted shortly after.<\/p>\n

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Slumberettes on B747-200 upper deck | Photo: Singapore Airlines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SIA was the\u00a0first carrier to install sleeping facilities on a jumbo jet, and what\u2019s more, passengers could reserve them completely free-of-charge. When competitors eventually introduced similar innovations, the common practice was to impose a fee.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unlike today\u2019s convertible First Class seats, the Slumberettes were a separate amenity altogether. Measuring seven feet long and four feet wide, these were located on the upper deck of the 747 in what was called the \u201cRaffles Lounge\u201d.<\/p>\n

There were a total of six slumberettes:<\/p>\n