Singapore Airlines
Singapore ⇄ Malé Schedule
(From 29th March 2026)

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ432 Airbus A350 LH
SIN 10:20		MLE 11:50
	SQ438 Airbus A350 MH
SIN 20:45		MLE 22:10
	SQ431 Airbus A350 LH
MLE 13:15		SIN 21:05
	SQ437 Airbus A350 MH
MLE 23:25		SIN 07:10*

* Next day

As you can see the Airbus A350 Long Haul will be operating all SQ432/431 flights on this route, fitted with 42 of the airline’s 2013 Business Class seats, which are the widest on offer to and from Malé, and still have direct aisle access.

These will replace the newer but narrower 2018 Regional Business Class seats on the Airbus A350 Medium Haul which currently feature on these SQ432/431 flights, and also continue to serve the daily SQ438/437 rotation even after this change.

Many passengers on this route connect to or from other destinations across SIA’s network, including Australia, Europe and the USA, meaning they can enjoy a long-haul Business Class product on both legs of their journey in many cases – provided they connect via SQ432/431.

Premium Economy is sold as Economy Class

SIA’s Airbus A350 Long Haul aircraft, which will soon be operating daily to and from Malé on a permanent basis, are three-class models with Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins installed.

While Premium Economy class was briefly offered on this route during the COVID-19 pandemic, when these aircraft were used on Malé-Singapore Vaccinated Travel Lane flights (remember them?), that’s not the case this time round.

Singapore Airlines has instead decided to sell Premium Economy seats as Economy Class, and allow customers to pay an additional fee for the wider seat in this cabin with additional legroom, but with no service differentiation offered.

This is already the case on the airline’s regular Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta flights, using aircraft equipped with Premium Economy Class cabins.

While there is no priority service on the ground, enhanced miles earning or upgraded F&B on board when sitting in this cabin on these flights, here’s what SIA’s Premium Economy seat offers:

• 38″ seat pitch (6″ more than Economy Class)
• 19″ seat width (1″ more than Economy Class)
• 8″ seat recline (2″ more than Economy Class)
• 2-4-2 seating layout (3-3-3 in Economy Class)
• 13.3″ HD touchscreen monitor (2.1″ bigger than Economy Class)
• In-built calf rest and footrest
• 2 USB ports and AC power supply
• Adjustable reading light

One of the major benefits, especially on routes like this which tend to attract more leisure passengers, is the couple seating option by the window in Premium Economy, thanks to the 2-4-2 layout.

Here’s how the seat selection fees look for choosing a spot in the Premium Economy cabin on these Malé flights.

There are discounts applied, based on you KrisFlyer status, while for PPS Club members advance seat selection in the Premium Economy section is free of charge, which is a nice perk.

Singapore Airlines Premium Economy Seat Selection (on Malé flights)
Status	PY Standard	PY Extra Legroom
Non-KF	US$50.00 (~S$64)	US$90.00 (~S$116)
KF Basic	US$47.50 (~S$61)	US$85.50 (~S$110)
KF Elite Silver (full details)	US$45.00 (~S$58)	US$81.00 (~S$104)
KF Elite Gold (full details)	US$42.50 (~S$55)	US$76.50 (~S$98)
PPS Club (full details)	Free	Free

These seat selection fees do not vary based on your Economy Class fare type (e.g. Lite, Standard, Flexi). They also apply to those booked on any award redemption in the Economy Class cabin (i.e. Promo, Saver or Advantage).

Here’s an example for a non-KrisFlyer member reserving a Premium Economy seat from Singapore to Malé on an Airbus A350 Long Haul flight.

There’s an alternative tactic though, if you don’t wish to pay extra to sit in this cabin.

When online check-in opens at exactly 48 hours prior to your flight’s departure time, all seat selection fees are cancelled and any passenger can select any available seat for free within their cabin class.

In this case, that includes the Premium Economy section, for those booked in Economy on these specific A350 Long Haul Malé flights.

We therefore strongly recommend checking the Manage Booking portal as soon as the clock hits 48 hours prior to your departure time, at which point you should then see the same Premium Economy seat selection that existed for a fee just a few minutes before, all available to select for free.

This strategy won’t always work, but it’s definitely worth a try.

One slightly frustrating “feature” of the Singapore Airlines website and app is that since COVID-19, once online check-in opens 48 hours before departure it often no longer allows you to modify your seat selection, making it impossible to move into an empty seat.

In this case, you can still switch your seats by calling SIA or using Kris the Chatbot (click “Chat with a live agent”). They will happily assist to move you to an unoccupied seat in our experience.

Award rates

Here are the current award redemption rates you’ll pay when booking a Singapore Airlines flight between Singapore and the Maldives.

Remember these rates apply regardless of the aircraft type used, so you’re paying the same mileage rate to fly on the Airbus A350 Long Haul as you are to fly on the Airbus A350 Medium Haul.

The Business Class cabin products on these types do differ, so pick wisely where you have a choice.

It probably won’t have escaped your attention that Singapore Airlines is devaluing its KrisFlyer award chart for bookings made from 1st November 2025 onwards, as we recently reported.

For Maldives flights, here’s how award pricing changes for bookings made from 1st November 2025 onwards. For waitlisted flights, if your waitlist clears on or after this date, the new rate will apply, regardless of when you first joined the waitlist.

As you can see it will actually cost fewer miles to redeem an Economy Saver award on this route if you lock your booking in from 1st November 2025, but for other award types the rates are increasing by 5-15%.

Malé is often included in KrisFlyer’s monthly Spontaneous Escapes deal, typically offering 30% off for those who can travel the following month.

That can bring Business Class awards down to 30,100 miles each way based on current KrisFlyer rates, and there will still be two more Spontaneous Escapes deals offered before the devaluation for Business Class kicks in, so keep an eye out for this great-value route potentially appearing during those deals.

Unfortunately the Maldives hiked its departure taxes for those redeeming in Business Class, back in December 2021, meaning there’s still a large cash outlay of US$120 (~S$157) for your award seat in this direction.

From 26th October 2025, Singapore Airlines will permanently upgrade one of its two daily Singapore – Malé flights to the Airbus A350 Long Haul, featuring wider 2013 Business Class seats with direct aisle access on SQ432/431 services.

Economy passengers can secure more spacious Premium Economy seats for a fee starting at S$64, albeit with no service differentiation, or try selecting them for free during online check-in (48 hours before departure).

With Malé frequently included in KrisFlyer’s Spontaneous Escapes deals, offering awards from 14,000 miles in Economy or 30,100 miles in Business, keep an eye out for upcoming offers especially those that launch before the KrisFlyer devaluation kicks in on 1st November 2025.

(Cover Photo: Sorbis / Shutterstock)