Showing posts with label Scoot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scoot. Show all posts

Airline Review: Fly Scoot from Singapore to Sydney

Posted by Unknown at 3:30 PM Friday, September 6, 2013 Labels: , , , 0 comments
Sydney . 2013 . May 19


This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

This was the second time that we had taken Scoot, the first time being our trip to Gold Coast when Scoot has just started flying in 2012. It was another impulse travel decision as we simply couldn't resist the offer that Scoot was promoting that we took the plunge in December 2012, way ahead (close to 6 months!) of our planned travel dates in May 2013!



Air Ticket Costs

A pair of return "FLY" tickets to Sydney costs us SGD $382.40 per person (inclusive of ticket, taxes and seat selection). We bought our check-in luggage allowance separately, spending an additional SGD $85 for a shared luggage allowance of 20kg to Sydney and 25kg on the flight back to Singapore. Thus, the total cost for 2 person works out to be SGD $849.80 (or SGD $424.90 per person), which we would consider it relatively cheap as compared to full service airlines with promotional tickets of SGD $700 per person on average.

Total Luggage weight when we returned from Sydney was 22.7kg, within the 25kg luggage allowance that we purchased.



Check In

Our flight to Sydney was on FlyScoot TZ2 and was scheduled to depart Singapore Changi Airport at 2.10am. We were at the airport relatively early for the flight (almost 4 hours before flight departure) and went for our supper before boarding the flight.



Compared to our previous experience taking Scoot, this was a much better experience as there wasn't much queue at the check-in counter and we were able to check in our luggage and got our tickets in probably 10 minutes time! :)



The check-in at Sydney Airport when we returned. There was a longer queue compared to Singapore.



The Gate was opened earlier than scheduled time at around 1am and we were soon ushered into the waiting area before we board the aircraft.


On Board the Aircraft

Yellow Stretch Seats on board Scoot. They sure look spacious!

ScooTV - FlyScoot's on board entertainment option. We didn't try it as we had brought along our own IPADs on board the aircraft. We did see some passengers renting them for their children to play some games. If you have tried ScooTV before, we would appreciate it if you could give our readers some feedback / review of the system! :)


Legroom was spacious even for our normal seats. Using the Boeing B777 aircraft with a 3-4-3 configuration in the economy class, this was certainly a refreshing change from the single aisle budget carriers that we were used to taking for our trips to nearby destinations.







ScooTV Magazine. You may want to check out what's on offer on board your flight if you are interested in renting their IPADs.


Scoot In Flight Magazine and Scootalogue (Duty Free Shopping). For those who can't sleep on board the night flight. There were interesting articles about the destinations that Scoot flies in the in flight magazine.

Scoot Meal Menu, EAT. There seems to be more options compared to our first time on board a Scoot flight to Gold Coast.



Hot Set Meals cost SGD $17 and includes Coke/ Coke Zero, Pringles and a limited edition Coke Toothpick Holder besides the Main Course.



Being a night flight, we were soon in ZzZzZ land, but were lucky to wake up to this sunrise view from our window seat.


Soon we were approaching Sydney and we can't help by taking some shots as our aircraft makes the approach.

 Making our final approach towards Sydney Airport's beautiful coast line.





 Landed at Sydney Airport.


Final Verdict:

Overall, we thought that Scoot has improved its services and reliability since we last took it on our trip to Gold Coast. We love the extra space on board the bigger aircraft as compared to typical budget carriers. We would certainly take another Scoot flight when there are promotions to the destinations that they fly in future! :)

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.


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Our Scoot Airline review of our flight to Gold Coast on Scoot - The "Works in Progress"

Posted by Unknown at 6:00 PM Sunday, August 19, 2012 Labels: , , , 0 comments
Gold Coast . 2012 . Aug 07-13

As mentioned in our previous post, Scoot is still a relatively new airline and there are certainly areas where it can still improve.

In this post, we will share with our readers the areas where we think Scoot can still improve.

Check In


There were kinks in ground handling and as a result, we waited for almost an hour in the queue to check in at Changi Airport, despite arriving early at the check-in counter.  This was a dampener at the start of our holidays, as we had plans to shop in the transit lounge.  Dinner was also a hurried affair because of the delay in check-in, thus leaving us with little time to rush to the boarding gate.


Service 


Most of the flight attendants were probably still fresh in the job and inexperienced, as observed from their interactions with fellow passengers. We ordered our meal on board and it took a few reminders before the meal was served.  We would like to think that this could be improved as the cabin crew gains more experience.

Cleanliness


The maintenance of the aircraft can still be improved. On our return flight from Gold Coast, we noticed food crumbs in our seat pockets and seat. The Scoot in-flight magazines were crumpled and well-worn after only 2 months in operation. While we understand the short turn-around time for the cabin crew to get the aircraft ready for boarding, the in-flight experience could have been much better if passengers were greeted with a clean seat. We also noticed water dripping at the window seat during landing, and as we had different seats for our departure and return flights, it only means that the problem was not isolated at one area.



Expensive Meals


Food does not come cheap on board and it is difficult to abstain from food and drink for an 8-hr flight.  A main course (without drinks) costs SGD$10, as compared to about SGD$6 at Air Asia.  A small can of Pringles costs SGD$5.

Flight Delay


We cannot comment on the frequency of flight delays, but we were unfortunate enough to meet with one on our return flight.   On the flip side, we should say that we were rather fortunate that the delay was just for an hour.



Final Thoughts


Overall, the flight experience was still quite acceptable given the low pricing of tickets and bearing in mind that this is not a full service carrier.  Many operational details would still need to be ironed out and most of their flight attendants are probably still inexperienced. The introductory fares were quite attractive, which explains the almost full flight loads we experienced on both the two sectors of our trip.

We would certainly choose to pack our bags and scoot outta here again if the price remains attractive.

Scoot's Flights to Gold Coast


Scoot flies to Gold Coast from Singapore five flights per week (Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri and Sat).  Flight TZ6 will depart Singapore at 10.25pm and arrives at the Gold Coast at 7.50am the next day with the return TZ5 flight leaving the Gold Coast at 9am and reaching Singapore at 3pm.

For more details, visit FlyScoot.com or check out Scoot's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/flyscoot



Check out our in depth review of Scoot Airlines below!

Read these articles about our Gold Coast / Brisbane Trip too!

Check out the Hotel we stayed

Check out the good eats!



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Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!

Scoot Airline Experience - Review of our flight to Gold Coast on Scoot - The Good

Posted by Unknown at 4:30 AM Labels: , , , 1 comments
Gold Coast . 2012 . Aug 07-13

This is Part 2 to our previous post on Scoot. Check out our previous post if you have googled your way here.. :)

Let's have a closer look at the Scootitude on offer...In this post, we will look at the Good points about Scoot Airline.

The Low Price


Considering the long journey and flight time of around 7 to 8 hours from Singapore to Gold Coast, a return ticket of around SGD $400 (including taxes, 15 kg baggage allowance and seat selection) per traveller is pretty attractive to a budget traveller.  We had a look at the rates charged by full service airlines and found that they could easily charge double the price, even during a fare sale! Not so long ago, before the advent of budget carriers, a flight from Singapore to nearby KL on a full service airline would have cost you just as much! 

For a more valid comparison, we also checked Air Asia promotional ticket prices.  This will come up to about SGD$670 per pax with comparable such as taxes, 15kg baggage allowance and seat selection included.  There is also a lot more hassle in taking the Air Asia flight from Singapore to Gold Coast because they would have to transit for at least an hour at Kuala Lumpur first.  Other than Scoot and Air Asia, most other carriers also fly from Singapore to Brisbane and not directly to Gold Coast.

The Seat


The seating space was quite sufficient and comfortable for a long haul flight. We managed to catch a quick wink on our standard economy class seats during our overnight flight from Singapore to Gold Coast. Legroom was adequate with a seat pitch of 31" and between 18.9 and 19.7" wide.


For those who don’t mind paying more for a bit more comfort, you may want to consider their Super seats (in bright yellow) which offers 35" of legroom for a fee of SGD$30 or the S-T-R-E-T-C-H seats at a fee of SGD$99 for a seat located at the front row of each section of the economy cabin, behind the bulkhead wall or the emergency exit door, for maximum legroom. Each seat has a small footrest to make the ride a little more comfortable.

Plus point here – the armrest of the seat could be turned up for you to cozy up with your partner beside you.  The only down side of the seats is the placement of the call buttons on the inside area on the right arm rest of each passenger.  We found our reading lights accidentally switched on many times while moving around the seat.  We also found programming faults in the reading lights – the button on one seat actually activates the reading light of its neighbouring passenger!

Again, as this is a no-frills airline, blankets and back pillows are not provided for, so if you need those, do remember to bring your own, unless you wish to purchase them on-board


 

The Flight Timing


The flight will depart Singapore at 10.25pm and arrive at Gold Coast at 7.50am the next day.  For the budget conscious traveller and the working class hard-up on annual leave, this means that you can board the flight after work and begin your holiday in Gold Coast the very next morning!

You’ll also get to watch the spectacular sunrise above the Australian coastline on board.  Not a sight to be missed if you are sitting on the left hand side of the aircraft.



More Flexibility, More Choices with Fly, Fly-Bag, Fly-Bag-Eat & Scootbiz


Scoot offers four different choices for travellers with different needs. For the basic traveller who just wants to reach his destination safely and on time, he can opt for the most basic "FLY" ticket, which simply means a blue fabric aircraft seat with the usual hand-carry cabin bag of 7kg and a laptop bag / handbag for ladies.

If you are anticipating a lot of shopping or souvenirs to bring back from your trip, you might want to consider the Fly-Bag ticket which includes a check-in luggage with a limit of 15kg.  Most full-service airlines will offer a 20-kg baggage allowance, but we found that we could easily fit into the 15kg limit given by Scoot.

For those who anticipate hunger during the journey, you can choose to purchase Fly-Bag-Eat which includes a set meal on board for each one-way flight sector.  The meal would cost SGD$17 if you decide to order it on board.


Finally, for those who wants to travel in class, you can consider one of the 32 Scoot's business class seats, aptly named as Scootbiz which are at the front of the Scoot aircraft. Each leather-clad seat is 22 inches wide, with an 8 inch recline and footrest and "at least 38 inches of legroom". All seats have their own AC power socket so that you can recharge your tech devices during the eight hour flight between Singapore and Gold Coast. The Scootbiz package also comes with the set meal as well as an amenity kit (includes a fleece blanket, an eye mask and an inflatable neck pillow) which would have cost SGD$18. Also, an IPAD is also provided for your entertainment during the flight.  Another advantage of the Scootbiz – you get a dedicated check-in counter with no queue at all.

Tip: For those undecided, you might want to book a FLY seat as you can easily add the frills before your flight or while you are on board. After completing your purchases, you can revisit your booking through Scoot's manage your booking website and choose the add-ons to your flight booking.

You can also pre-order your meals at a slightly discounted price of SGD $16 (It costs SGD$17 if ordered on board) for a set meal with a main course (chicken briyani, beef lagsana, soya sauce chicken, creamy chicken stew, mushroom lasagne) with a cold drink of your choice and a refreshing fruit cup. A sandwich set will cost SGD$13.

There is no in-flight entertainment provided unless you are flying Scootbiz.  However, you can choose to pay SGD $22 ($20 if ordered online) to rent an iPad preloaded with movies and games for the entire duration of the journey.

Smooth Flight


The aircraft that Scoot uses are actually refurbished aircrafts from its parent company, Singapore Airlines.  Overall, the journey was smooth and safe.  Landing and take-off was also smooth.

As Scoot is still a new airline, there remains many operational details that would still need to be ironed out and most of their flight attendants are probably still inexperienced. In this following post, we will share our thoughts on what we think Scoot can still improve on our next post.. do check it out!
 

Check out our in depth review of Scoot Airlines below!

Read these articles about our Gold Coast / Brisbane Trip too!

Check out the Hotel we stayed

Check out the good eats!



We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!
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