Singapore Airlines lowers seat selection fees on US “Fifth Freedom” routes

In July this year, we reported the news that Singapore Airlines had quietly increased the cost of seat selection for Economy and Premium Economy class passengers, the second increase in these fees in less than three years.

While overall increases were around 50 percent compared to previous levels, we noted in particular that the airline's “fifth freedom” costs between the US and Europe and between the US and Japan were subject to a double price adjustment.

This was because In addition, a zone band change was made These routes saw an increase from Band 4 to Band 5, resulting in the highest fee increases ever at up to 75%, but now there is good news to report.

USA flights of the “Fifth Freedom” return in Volume 4

Effective August 15, 2024, Singapore Airlines has changed its pricing for these flights. The changes apply to travelers on the following city pairs:

• Frankfurt to/from New York JFK (SQ26/25)
• Manchester to/from Houston (SQ52/51)
• Tokyo Narita to/from Los Angeles (Question 12/11)

This was achieved by moving these flights back into the Band 4 price category for seat selection fees, which is not only good news but also a fair decision in our opinion.

For flights USA – Europe, these are between 7 hours 45 minutes and 9 hours 50 minutes, while for flights USA – Japan they are between 10 hours 10 minutes and 11 hours 30 minutes.

Between 1 July 2024 and 14 August 2024, seat selection fees on these flights were harmonized with the mammoth nonstop flights of up to 19 hourswhich seemed extremely disproportionate.

SIA seat selection fees are charged per person and flightunless you travel from your departure point to your destination on the same aircraft without any stopovers.

For flights like SQ26, which flies a SIN-FRA-JFK route, those who changed planes in Frankfurt to fly exclusively to New York (for less than 8 hours) paid an identical amount to select a seat in Economy or Premium Economy Class, as passengers travel on the same plane the entire way from Singapore to New York (over 20 hours)!

Fortunately, this problem has now been fixed.

New prices for “fifth freedom” flights to the USA

Following this stripe correction, the new fee structure for “standard seats” in Economy Class will apply on these routes.

The recent fee increase for these places on July 1, 2024 from $20 to $35 was an increase of 75%but at least this has been alleviated somewhat, with a reduction of 14% now in force.

Standard seat selection in Economy Class is payable for cash bookings in the following classes:

Exempt from this fee are KrisFlyer Elite Silver and above, all award redemptions and all passengers travelling with at least one child (ages 2 to 11) on the same booking.

Economy Value fares were waived from standard seat selection fees earlier this year.

Here is the new fee structure for Forward Zone Seats.

The recent fee increase for these places on July 1, 2024 from $40 to $60 was an increase of 50%but at least this has been alleviated somewhat, with a reduction of 17% now in force.

Seat selection in the Forward Zone in Economy Class is payable for cash bookings in the following classes:

• Economy Lite
• economy
• Economy Standard

Seat selection in the Forward Zone in Economy Class is paid for by those who book award tickets in the following classes:

KrisFlyer Elite Gold and PPS club members are exempt from this fee, regardless of whether they book cash or award tickets. The same applies to all Economy Advantage award ticket holders.

Pro tip: Seats with baby cots are often located in the “Forward Zone” in Economy Class. If you have a booking with an infant, you can select a seat with a baby cot free of charge, subject to availability and regardless of your fare type.

This is what the changes for seats with extra legroom look like.

The recent fee increase for these places on July 1, 2024 from $100 to $130 was an increase of 30%but at least this has been alleviated somewhat, with a discount of 15% now in force.

The extra legroom fee is paid by most Economy and Premium Economy passengers, as it is included in bookings in any Tariff class or redemption any Award ticket in these two cabins.

Only members of the PPS Club and the Solitaire PPS Club are exempt from this fee.

Discounts for KrisFlyer members

If you have to pay a seat selection fee for your cabin and booking class, remember that you will receive a discount based on your KrisFlyer membership level, while no fees due for PPS Club members as listed in the table below.

Seat selection fees KrisFlyer Member Price discounts
	standard	Forward zone	More legroom PEY “Upgrade” Single seats
Non-KF	No discount	No discount	No discount
KF Basis	5% discount	5% discount	5% discount
KFES	Free	10% discount	10% discount
KFEG	Free	Free	15% discount
PPS Club	Free	Free	Free

Travel companions on the same booking may receive a discount on seat selection fees if they themselves have a lower status than the highest status holder on the same booking, as shown below.

Seat selection fees KrisFlyer companion Price discounts
Holder of the highest status in the same booking	standard	Forward zone	More legroom PY “Upgrade” PY solo seats
Non-KF	No discount	No discount	No discount
KF member	No discount	No discount	No discount
KF Elite Silver	5% discount	5% discount	5% discount
KF Elite Gold	10% discount	10% discount	10% discount
PPS Club	Free	Free	15% discount

For more information on this benefit and all other perks of KrisFlyer Elite and PPS Club status, please see our dedicated and recently updated guides at the following links:

Seat selection is free of charge at T-48 hours

Exactly 48 hours before departure, additional seat reservation charges will be cancelled and every passenger can choose every available seat within their cabin class free of charge.

This does not apply to those hoping to secure a seat in the Premium Economy cabin on shorter Band 1 flights, as this will then be closed to everyone except PPS Club members.

There is another chance to reserve a seat with extra legroom, a seat in the front zone or a solo seat free of charge. However, we recommend that you log in to the booking portal. Exactly If you want to try this, you should do so at least 48 hours before your flight departure time, as all available seats go quickly – especially the solo seats on ULR flights on the Airbus A350.

A somewhat frustrating “feature” of the Singapore Airlines website and app is that since COVID-19, you are often unable to change your seat selection after online check-in opens 48 hours before departure, making it impossible to move to an available seat.

In this case, you can still change your seats by Call SIA or via the chatbot Kris (click on “Chat with a live agent”). In our experience, they are happy to help you assign a free seat.

Complete guide to SIA seat selection fees

Following this recent revision, we have updated our comprehensive guide to seat selection fees on Singapore Airlines flights, giving you a full overview of the fees applicable in all cabins and on all routes by fare type, so you know in advance what to expect.

This guide covers in detail all the rules for travelling with infants and/or children in your booking and is a must-read for many families.

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Last month, Singapore Airlines increased its early seat selection fees in Economy and Premium Economy Class cabins, but one group was particularly affected.

These were the ones who flew on one of the aircraft carriers. “Fifth Freedom” Flights between the US and Japan or between the US and Europe, with fee increases of up to 75% due to a double price adjustment – ​​a fare change Plus a band change to the most expensive in the network.

Fortunately, Singapore Airlines has come to the conclusion that changing its fare structure, which linked these services to the longest passenger flights in the world, was not logical.

The “Band 4” price category now applies again for these routes. Although this led to an increase in the cost of seat selection in July, the prices for these routes are now much more in line with flights of similar duration.

With your KrisFlyer status you still save some money and as a PPS Club member you still don't have to worry about the seat selection fee in any cabin on any route.

The best strategy to avoid these fees (aside from a PPS Club membership) remains to go online exactly 48 hours before your flight, as this will waive the seat selection fees and allow you to select the remaining seat for free.

(Cover photo: MainlyMiles)