Two weeks ago I was in Japan. Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re saying to yourself, “Hold on Damo, you’re in Japan now. And you were in Japan two weeks ago? What’s the go?”. Well, true story. I was back in Sydney last week and am now back in Japan, but aside from severe jet lag and a wallet full of yen, it did give me a bit of an eye opener when it came to airline options.

My point is this. When I flew to Japan the first time, I flew Singapore Airlines economy on its A380 via Singapore. In the A380 you get massive 10.2-inch screens, power plugs in EVERY seat, USB ports in every seat and a huge selection of media. That’s not to mention that it feels a hell of a lot more spacious than your average economy cabin as it’s so big and you can freely walk from the top level to the bottom level.

It gets even better if you happen to live in Adelaide. While you may not get to fly the A380, Singapore Airlines sends its A330 there. Sure, it’s not quad-engined or double-decker, but in economy you can connect your iPod or iPhone to the screen and watch your content on the bigger screen. Economy!

For this trip to Japan I flew JAL (Japan Airlines). My flight actually took off from Brisbane and it was an older 767-300. Now, don’t get me wrong, a bad business class flight is still a good flight, but the seats were old, the screens were small, the media selection wasn’t that great and it was hard to connect to a power point. For this the price was almost 10 times what I paid for economy.

It seems to me that if you fly business, you really have to keep an eye out for the airline and the actual aircraft they deploy on that route. New economy really has outdone itself on a few airlines. I would much rather fly in the Singapore Airlines A380 (it’s heaven for tech buffs) in econo than an old aircraft in business just because I have more legroom. My view may differ on a flight more than 10 hours though. Would you choose new econo style or old business style? Do you perhaps look up airlines websites to see which aircrafts they deploy on the route first before booking? I know I do.

In JAL’s defence, its newly refurbished aircraft are quite the bomb. Oh, I just put bomb and aircraft in the same line… lucky I didn’t write this near the airport security gate. Hahahaha… You’re not laughing are you?

Damian Francis is the editor-at-large for Australian T3 and contributing technology editor for GQ Australia. He is in Japan as a guest of Toyota Australia.

If you don’t happen to own an iPod or iPhone, never fear, because the entertainment port also includes a USB port and an AV port, which you can use to connect pretty much any media player via composite cabling, although it won’t charge your device like the iPod jack. In other words, if you’re thinking of flying to Singapore on Singapore Airlines, make sure you’ve got an iPod or iPhone.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES BRINGS iPOD/iPHONE CONNECTIVITY TO ALL CLASSES

NEW A330 AIRCRAFT BRINGS THE BEST IN TECH TO AUSTRALIAN SKIES

Sydney, 22 January 2009 – Singapore Airlines today announced customers in all classes, including those in Economy, will be able to enjoy iPod and iPhone connectivity on board its brand new A330-300 aircraft; which was unveiled overnight in Toulouse, France.

Singapore Airlines is the first in the world to present this unique feature in its Economy Class cabin, after the innovative function made its debut on the Airline’s all-Business Class A340-500 aircraft last year.

In more exciting news for technology fans, Australians will be the very first to have access to the new Economy Class features – as the A330 will enter commercial service on the Brisbane – Singapore route on March 30, before being phased in to Perth and Adelaide routes in April and June respectively. The Aircraft will also service forward connections to some Japanese ports from Singapore.

The function forms part of the new multi-port panel conveniently placed next to each customer’s individual inflight entertainment screen. In addition to the iPod and iPhone connectivity, the multi-port panel contains a USB port, enabling customers to listen to their own music, view their photos or read PDFs. It also contains an audio-video input, which enables them to plug in their portable media players and watch their favourite videos via the inflight entertainment system.

The introduction of the iPod and iPhone connectivity feature means customers will now be able to enjoy their favourite iPod and iPhone videos and songs through the inflight entertainment system onboard.

In addition to the A330-300, iPod and iPhone integration is currently available on Singapore Airlines’ A340-500 all-Business Class non-stop flights between Singapore and Newark and Singapore and Los Angeles.
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In addition, Singapore Airlines Economy Class customers travelling on the A330-300 can also look forward to the Airline’s latest product and service offerings, currently available on the Airline’s newer aircraft, such as the A380 and B777-300ER aircraft.

This includes the new Singapore Airlines Economy Class seat, ergonomically designed to provide customers with an unsurpassed level of comfort. Using improved design and construction, the seat boasts smart features, elegant finishes, more personal space and increased legroom. Each seat also comes with a larger 26cm monitor to access the inflight entertainment system.

Other smart features include the installation of the handset on the seatback for easier reach, a non-intrusive reading light installed underneath the seatback screen, and in-seat power supply. Others include:

Front mounted footrest for maximum comfort
Height adjustable leather headrests with side panels which can be folded for head and neck support
Intelligent stowage features such as coat hook and spectacle receptacle to enhance travellers’ personal space
Givenchy-designed fabric seat cover

Note: The pic above is of the entertainment units in the Singapore Airlines A380, not the new A330-300.

“So they’ll sell you a double bed, and give you privacy and endless champagne — and then say you can’t do what comes naturally?” asked Tony Elwood, a 76-year-old passenger who booked the suite with his wife, Julie. “Seems a bit strange.”
Let’s not forget that Singapore Airlines is based in a country which still deems it okay to smack people with a rattan cane for even the slightest transgression, so you’d better keep that johnson in your pants, big boy. “There are things that are acceptable on an aircraft and things that aren’t, and the rules for behaviour in our double beds are the same ones that apply throughout the aircraft,” proclaims Stephen Forshaw, a Singapore Airlines official. He warns, “If couples used our double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely ask them to desist.”

Since the doors close on the suites, how on earth are Singapore Airlines flight attendants going to know who is engaging in the old in/out and who isn’t? It’s always so noisy in aircraft anyway, you could be screaming to high heaven and no one would ever know.

We’re thinking one of the most difficult temptations to resist aboard a Singapore Airlines double-bed flight is avoiding asking one of those gorgeous flight attendants, known as “the Singapore Girls,” to join us inside the comfy suite. But then, for the $14,320 price for two tickets in one of the suites, we’d hope a good swift caning would be included in the ticket price. [Times Online, via Fleshbot (NSFW)]

AU: I was quite looking forward to seeing this sucker make a pass over the city. Damn that weird, crappy weather completely ruining any chance of a good bit of geeky plane spotting. -SB