Singapore Airlines Ltd is introducing first class on its ultra-long haul flights for the first time as part of a sweeping S$1.1 billion ($835 million) upgrade to its cabin products.

Singapore’s flag carrier, already routinely ranked as the world’s No 1 airline with its generous pourings of champagne and ability to book the cook and order Lobster Thermidor, unveiled its fresh and completely redesigned first and business class seats — with all-new privacy doors — on Monday.

To start, Singapore Airlines’ seven Airbus SE A350 jets that fly the 18- or 15-hour crossings between Singapore and New York or Los Angeles will get four first class seats installed. The move comes as rival Qantas Airways Ltd prepares to launch non-stop flights between Sydney and London and New York as part of Project Sunrise.

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Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said the investment is designed to show the carrier’s “unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional travel experience.”

The retrofit will also apply to the rest of the carrier’s long-haul configured A350 fleet, or 41 planes in total. Down the track, the same premium seats will appear on its future Boeing Co 777-9 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines’ pledge to “push the boundaries of comfort, luxury and modernity,” comes as other airlines also up their premium game. Gulf superconnectors Emirates and Qatar Airways also offer some of the most expensive seats in commercial air travel, and win the accolades to match.

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd also recently unveiled its own premium offering overhaul.

Singapore Airlines' new seats will come with the airline’s next iteration of in-flight entertainment that offers greater personalization. Passengers will start to see changes from the second quarter of 2026 and the upgrade should be complete by the end of 2030.

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As well as the addition of a first class, the A350 jets flying those ultra-long routes will get slightly more business class seats — 70 from 67 currently — meaning premium economy will shrink in capacity to 58 seats from 94.