Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 15 minutes ago
SIAÂ’s A380 charity flight auction raises over S$1.9m
SINGAPORE : Almost all seats on the Singapore Airlines A380 First Flight Charity Auction have been sold and more than US$1.32 million (or S$1.9 million) has been raised.
SIA said bidders have opened their wallets generously and enthusiastically to support the online charity auction over the last two weeks.
638 seats have been snapped up for the two—leg the inaugural commercial flight.
The bids ranged from a bargain of US$560 (S$853) to a whopping US$100,380 (S$153,000).
One Singaporean bought 3 Singapore Airlines Suites, 2 Business Class seats and an Economy Class seat on the Singapore—Sydney sector and paid US$56,000 (S$85,280) for the 6 seats.
Australians made up the biggest group of successful bidders — 15 percent while 11 percent are Singaporeans, 6 percent Britons, 4 percent Americans and 3 percent Germans.
The rest of the 60 percent come from all over the world.
The ages of the successful bidders are just as interestingly diverse.
The youngest is a man from San Francisco, who will turn 22 on the day of the flight, to a 76—year—old from Vancouver, Canada.
Only about 20 seats are left.
Bidding closes at the end of this week.
SIA said the proceeds from the auction will be split three ways.
One third will go to SingaporeÂ’s Community Chest, one third to two childrenÂ’s charities in Sydney (the Sydney ChildrenÂ’s Hospital in Randwick, and The ChildrenÂ’s Hospital at Westmead) and the remaining third to global humanitarian organisation Medicins Sans Frontieres (also known as Doctors without Borders).
The cheques will be presented to the beneficiaries when the A380 makes its inaugural flight on October 25 and 26. — CNA/ch