Singapore Airlines voted ‘best airline in the world’, announces fuel surcharge hike!

Singapore Airlines, the world’s second-biggest airline by market value, will increase fuel surcharges for tickets issued from June 24, 2008, in order to cope with the dramatic rise in the costs of jet fuel. The new surcharges for flights of  Singapore Airlines and its wholly owned subsidiary SilkAir are as follows:

* On regional routes, US $40 (up from US$35) per sector, for flights between Singapore and the member-countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
* US $180 (up from US $150) per sector, for flights between Singapore and gateways in the United States and Canada on a single-sector basis.
* US $110 (up from US $95) per sector, on all other flights.

The new surcharge is subject to official approval in some markets, and some local variations may apply where regulatory approvals dictate, a statement from Singapore Airlines said.

Singapore Airlines, according to the company statement, has had an exceptional year, becoming the first airline to fly the new Airbus A380 superjumbo in October 2007. In March 2008, the airline began flights on the A380 from London’s Heathrow Airport to Singapore.

Another Airbus A380 is expected to join the Singapore Airlines fleet by the end of June 2008. In addition, the airline also has placed orders for another 15 Airbus A380 planes, plus an option to buy 6 more.

Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines has been voted the “best airline in the world” in a survey conducted by the United Kingdom-based consumer magazine Which?

The airline has won the Which? award only weeks after being recognised as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the Official Airline Guide (OAG).

The Which? magazine’s survey covered over 70 airlines and over 30,000 long-haul and short-haul flights.

According to the magazine Which?, Singapore Airlines won top marks for the “helpfulness and efficiency of its iconic cabin crew and for its in flight dining. The airline was also praised for its check in, the cleanliness of its aircraft, comfort and in flight entertainment. The carrier performed especially well when it came to evaluating its cabin crew. Flight attendants received top marks for their helpfulness and overall efficiency. Additionally, the carrier’s meal service was also rated as far above average, while the cleanliness of its planes and in-flight entertainment options were both seen as being in the best of shape.”