Restaurant A380 @ Changi, where members of the public can dine inside an SIA Airbus A380, is currently one of Singapore Airline's more popular new experiences introduced in lieu of air travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since its launch on the midnight of Oct. 12, over 900 seats were sold within 30 minutes. Prices start at S$50 for dining seats in Economy Class, while seats in the Suites cost S$600.

And despite murmurs online of cabin crew not being paid for the event, an air stewardess who spoke to Mothership, Tessandra Ong, revealed that staff who volunteer for the event will receive a lump sum allowance, on top of their basic pay.

However, Ong did not reveal the exact amount of the allowance.

Prior to volunteering for the restaurant, Ong stated that she had just started working on a part-time basis at the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board handling call enquiries.

Before that, she had been working part-time at the Ministry of Health, since the Circuit Breaker, in the same role.

88 cabin crew to be deployed each day for the restaurant

Ong further revealed that crew members who volunteer for the Restaurant A380 @ Changi must be trained for the A380 flight as a pre-requisite.

They will also have to undergo an additional day of training on Oct. 21, in preparation for the restaurant's operations on Oct. 24, 25, 31 and Nov. 1.

Each day will see a total of 88 crew deployed to the two A380 airbuses for the dine-in experience. Half of the seats on each airbus will be available for diners, after taking into account restrictions such as group limits and safe distancing.

Excited to "doll up", work with colleagues once again

When asked why she volunteered for the role, Ong said that she was excited to "doll up and wear my uniform after so long", and showcase her service skills.

Ong also highlighted that she had only served on three flights since the Circuit Breaker began and was therefore eager to work with her colleagues once again.

Ong also touched on brand loyalty by customers as a factor for why seats for the restaurant were sold out within 30 minutes of its launch.

At that time, the seats were only for Oct. 24 and 25, with Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 added in response to overwhelming demand, CNN further reported.

The restaurant was also touted by Ong as a "good chance" for people who have a phobia of flights to come experience the airline's service standards.

Customers can expect to interact more with the cabin crew

This brought up Ong's point of how customers can expect to look forward to an enhanced dining experience and greater interaction with the cabin crew compared to a flight.

The air stewardess elaborated that on a flight, interaction is usually constrained by factors such as turbulence.

The food will also be prepared by the cabin crew onboard the plane.

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Top photo by TOH TING WEI/AFP via Getty Images