‘We’ll look at it, we’ll see what is feasible’: SIA CEO on new business-class seat colours

[SINGAPORE] Singapore Airlines ( SIA ) has not closed the door on changing the colours of its recently unveiled business-class seats, said CEO Goh Choon Phong.

The helmsman was addressing SIA staff at the group’s town hall on Wednesday (Nov 11) when he noted the negative feedback on the colours of its new long-haul business-class seats.

“We’ll look at it, we’ll see what is feasible,” said Goh, though he believes customers will like the seats after experiencing the space, privacy and convenience offered.

The business-class seat colours and accompanying Nasa’s Juno space mission-inspired motif have sparked public outcry after the product was unveiled alongside first-class, premium-economy and economy seat designs on Friday.

Some have levelled criticisms against the grey and yellow colour scheme and overall aesthetics, pointing out that SIA has departed from the colours that it usually uses. Some have also taken issue with the seats not featuring the brand’s signature batik motif.

Online, netizen-edited images have circulated of the business-class seats with colours taken from the first-class cabin, complete with the batik motif. A petition calling for the yellow accents’ removal has also been launched on Change.org.

Speaking at Wednesday’s townhall held at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, SIA’s chief commercial officer Lee Lik Hsin acknowledged the negative feedback on the business-class seats’ design, describing it as a good learning point.

“I suppose you know it’s the 80/20 rule; you can’t please them all,” he said. The hope, he added, is that customers will not mind the aesthetics as much after experiencing the seats for their comfort and functionality.

The seats’ functional improvements over the existing versions have indeed won nods from some airline reviewers.

New features addressing pain points in the current business-class seats include a larger and less awkwardly angled footwell, a sliding privacy door, as well as a seat that can fully recline into a fully flat bed at the touch of a button.

Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics, believes that the aesthetics “won’t hurt the bottom line at all”.

An SIA spokesperson told The Business Times before the townhall that the colours, materials and finishes were selected to create a fresh, contemporary and refined ambience, noting that this is complemented by adjustable in-flight LED lighting.

“As with all our products, we will continue to closely monitor feedback and draw on operational insights to refine and enhance elements of the customer experience,” the spokesperson added.

BMW Group’s Designworks came up with the design of the new business-class seats and cabin interior, while Recaro is the seat manufacturer.

The final design for the business-class seats was approved after at least six prototypes were produced, The Straits Times reported.

Shares of SIA rose 0.4 per cent or S$0.03 to close at S$7.17 on Wednesday, before the group’s second-quarter earnings went public.