Bidders have opened their wallets with generosity to support the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 First Flight Charity Auction, with the total committed to charities from sold packages so far approaching Sin$2 million (US$1.4mn).Just 24 seats, listed especially for ‘last chance’ bids, remain for those who are still keen to be part of the historical flight. The seats, in Business and Economy Class in both directions, and Singapore Airlines Suites on the Sydney-Singapore leg, will be open for bids until the end of this week.

Throughout the two weeks of the auction, conducted on eBay, around 2,000 bidders pre-qualified by paying a security deposit, while several thousand others registered, so far buying 638 seats on both legs of the flight.

All the proceeds raised from the auction will be split three ways, between Singapore and Sydney charities, and a global humanitarian organisation. One third goes to Singapore’s Community Chest, another third between the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, which are both in Sydney and one third to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Cheques will be presented to the beneficiary organisations in conjunction with the First Flight on 25 and 26 October.

A record was achieved for the sale of the first Singapore Airlines Suites package on the Singapore-Sydney flight, which sold for US$100,380 (Sin$153,000). The bargain of the auction was a single Economy seat from Sydney to Singapore, which sold for US$560 (Sin$853).

One Singaporean purchased three Singapore Airlines Suites, two Business Class seats and an Economy Class seat on the Singapore-Sydney sector, paying US$56,000 (Sin$85,280) for the six seats.

Australians made up the largest nationality of successful bidders (15%), followed by Singaporeans (11%), Britons (6%), Americans (4%) and Germans (3%). The other 60% come from all over the world.

Successful bidders ranged in age, from a San Francisco man who will turn 22 on the day of the flight, to a 76 year old from Vancouver, Canada.

Data suggests internet users from over 160 countries visited the auction pages at some point during the auction.
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