It's
time to put the A380 sex question to bed.
Perhaps we should
rephrase that.
Singapore Airlines,
responding to reporters' questions last week, decided to make it
clear that the carrier expects its passengers to refrain from
sexual activities if they book adjoining suites to create a double
bed option in the premium class of its new A380
aircraft.
Questions arose
because in addition to the double bed, the suites have sliding
doors and roller blinds, creating a cozy space that might seem like
a perfect airborne love nest.
Alas, however, the
privacy is not complete. The suites have no ceiling, making it
possible for curious passersby to peek over the top, part of the
blind is see-through netting, and the suites are by no means
soundproof.
After prurient-minded
reporters kept raising the question, Singapore last week responded
to The Times of London and Reuters. The airline did not proactively
issue a statement, as the wording of some of the stories implied,
said James Boyd, a U.S. spokesman for Singapore Airlines.
Subsequent reports quoted the airline declaring sexual activities
to be forbidden, and those stories quickly got picked up by
newspapers and Web sites.
"If couples used our
double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely
ask them to desist," The Times quoted Singapore spokesman Stephen
Forshaw as saying.
Boyd wasn't quite as
direct, but he did say: "We're certainly confident in the
discretion and appropriateness of our customers."
Sex speculation might
have been fed by Singapore's publicity photos for the A380, which
include a romantic shot of an unoccupied double bed festooned with
champagne, strawberries and rose petals. On the other hand, the
only photo of a couple in the double bed shows a man and a woman
fully clothed -- and playing chess.
To
contact reporter Andrew Compart, send e-mail to [email protected].