On this Throwback Thursday, I’d like to throw back to an old post that throws back to the tight spot that Singapore Airlines flew into in 2001. 

Not as tight as the middle seat 46B, but quite a stressful one indeed!

Similar to the pandemic of our times, the dot-com recession then had shaken the earth and even the skies.

As one of the world’s best airlines, Singapore Airlines was all set to implement the new-look, lie-flat seats in business class when the 2001 recession created turbulence in the travel industry. 

Suddenly, a sure-shot upgrade that would have made them pip many other airlines seemed to be staring at the possibility of cancellation. 

Would investing in new business-class seats kill their estimated revenues since many business-class fliers were no longer flying those lie-flat seats?

But Singapore Airlines held on to what made Singapore Airlines one of the world’s best airlines. 

When in a spot, they dug deep and doubled down on their plans.

That turned out to be a masterstroke as the new-look, lie-flat seats replaced a bigger batch of extra-premium economy seats.

Those extra-premium seats were not being filled anyway because of the economic downturn. 

And the passengers who were still flying business class during the recession now found a reason to prefer Singapore Airlines over other airlines who deployed outdated business-class products.

If any, the dot-com recession was the best time (when lesser seats were being sold anyway) to test and try out a revenue multiplying and innovative product for their primary target market – business class.

Two decades later, COVID-19 has reminded us of tumult, trouble, and turbulence. 

So how will you fly through this turbulence?

Will you cancel your plans to keep flying high above your competitors?

Or will you double down now and come back soon, ready for the post-pandemic world?