Carrier is first to offer them across the Pacific

Singapore Airlines on May 15 kicked off the first-ever all-business-class service across the Pacific, using an Airbus A340-500 with 100 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration for the non-stop flights between Newark and Singapore. The new service is being gradually phased in on the route, and won’t be offered on a daily basis until the end of June. The same service will also be phased in on the non-stop Los Angeles-Singapore route, increasing to daily frequency by the end of September. Once the all-business schedule is fully operational, economy class passengers will have to take one-stop service between New York-Singapore and LAX-Singapore. The new service features Singapore’s latest business class upgrades, with seats that are 30 inches wide (“almost 50 percent wider than most products in this class,” a spokesman said) and that recline into fully flat beds. The airline’s Krisworld in-flight entertainment system has also been upgraded on the all-business flights. Besides offering passengers 1,000 “on-demand” entertainment options, the system also lets them plug in their own iPods or iPhones and play their personal playlists. Passengers can also plug in personal USB thumb drives to see their photos or watch videos. And they can take advantage of unique offerings from the Singapore system, like Berlitz foreign language lessons or Zagat hotel and restaurant guides.