The Singapore Airlines flight to New York carries far fewer passengers than a normal A350 flight but they are premium passengers rather than discount economy fare payers. What if airlines start offering low density first and business class ULH flights between major cities and leave the economy passengers to do the connecting flights via the usual hubs ?
eg. a non stop LHR - SYD flight might be quite attractive to those who can afford it and could see a reduction in premium passengers connecting through DXB. Effectively an aircraft would be split in two with the front half going non stop and the rear half refueling en route.
Airlines such as Emirates could see a change in passenger make up and a corresponding drop in revenue as their Platinum and Gold members go non stop instead. They could become the new low cost carriers as they chase the lower end of the market.
Obviously its not a total game changer as only certain routes would support an all premium operation, SYD - JFK would be another possibility, and many long haul routes which previously required a stop can be easily done in one hop with a mixed cabin.
Unlike the A380 which is a stand alone aircraft designed for a particular niche, the A350 long range is simply a derivative of an existing, successful type and if the concept of premium ULH doesn't work it's still a B777 competitor.
Last edited by krismiler; 15th Oct 2018 at 12:13.