Posts Tagged ‘singapore airlines’

Scoot deals from Singapore to Sydney and Gold Coast

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

Scoot, Singapore Airline’s mid-haul budget arm has some introductory flight deals on offer from its Singapore hub. The carrier starts services from Singapore to both Sydney (SYD) and Gold Coast (OOL) from June 26th 2012. It will also fly Singapore to Tianjin in China from August 2012 and possibly other Chinese cities by the year end.

Scoot is offering a AUD199 one-way “Fly” fare from Sydney and Gold Coast to Singapore. Returns are priced at just over AUD400. Note that we found booking a separate one way out of Singapore was actually cheaper (equivalent to about AUD150 vs the AUD203 when booked as an ex-Australia return leg – though be aware of your credit card forex fees).

sydney australia flights

Scoot is a budget carrier and its Fly fare includes no frills – only 7kg of hand luggage is allowed. You will pay around AUD22 per flight extra for a “FlyBag” fare which offers 15kg of checked luggage. Add an additional AUD13 for a “FlyBagEat” fare which gives you meals and drinks on board.

Scoot will use Boeing 777-200ER aircraft (ex-Singapore Airlines) which can carry up to 402 passengers. The economy cabin will be the tighter 10 abreast 3-4-3 configuration with 31″ seat pitch. Extra legroom seats (35″ pitch) by exits will be available at extra charge, as will pre-assigned seating choice.

There will also be a ScootBiz cabin (essentially premium economy Zim leather recliner seating of 38″ pitch, 22″ width in a 2-4-2 config). ScootBiz will include seat selection, a dedicated check-in counter, priority boarding, meals and drinks, an iPad for in-flight entertainment, 20kg checked luggage plus 15kg carry-on allowance and in-seat power. ScootBiz fares are priced at around AUD600 each way though some dates are showing a AUD499 limited special offer.

Scoot will fly from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2. Scoot plans to expand its fleet of aircraft from 4 to 15 by 2015 with plans to serve New Zealand, Asia and possibly the Middle East and Europe. However, with competitor Air Asia X (which flies Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, Gold Coast) having pulled its longer flights to Europe and New Zealand, it remains to be seen whether the budget long-haul concept can work economically in the light of high oil prices and increasing flight taxes.

Scoot’s arrival on the scene should ensure some competitive fares on similar routes – keep a watch for Air Asia X and Jetstar sale fares.

Scoot sale fare are available until April 9th 2012. Note that flights are subject to regulatory approval.

Tags: scoot, singapore airlines, sydney
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How to Get the Best Economy Seat on a Singapore Airlines A380

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Singapore Airlines has recently started selling “Preferred Seats” in economy (coach) class. These are seats located on exit and bulkhead rows which have extra legroom.

The seats are now available for passengers booking online at Singapore Air’s website and cost US$50 per sector. Preferred seats can be purchased at the time of booking or at anytime up to 48 hours before departure using the “Manage Booking” facility.

The number of Preferred seats varies by aircraft type:

Airbus A380-800 – 23 seats
Airbus A380-800A – 11
Airbus A330 – 4
Boeing 777-300ER – 8
Boeing 747-400 – 8
Boeing 777-300 – 4
Boeing 777-300A – 6
Boeing 777-200 (3 Class) – 4
Boeing 777-200 (2 Class) – 4
Boeing 777-200ER – 0 (no exit rows)

A Preferred seat is marked as ‘P’ on the seat maps. They are not available on short-haul routes around south-east Asia or flights to Taiwan and Japan.

Best seats on the A380 plane

The best seats to get are on the Airbus A380-800 upper deck which has a small economy cabin at the back of the aircraft with a 2-4-2 configuration. The pick of the bunch are the window seat pairs on row 81 – seats A/C or H/K at the “mini” cabin right at the back. Further forward, row 71 also has great legroom but is windowless.

singapore airlines a380 upper deck seatsWe recently tried out the A380 upper deck economy cabin on a 13 hour flight between London Heathrow and Singapore Changi airport. We found the $50 investment for row 81 was money very well spent. In comparison, Qantas charges AUD80 (around US$80) for a pre-assigned exit row (A380 lower deck or 747) on the same route.

The upper economy deck has a quieter and more intimate ambience than the large cabins on the lower deck. However, Singapore’s newer A380 deliveries have the economy cabin removed so that the entire upper deck is dedicated to business class. The original configuration will remain on SQ’s first 12 A380s for the time being.

On the lower deck, preferred seats can be purchased for exit rows 44 and 55, and also middle row seat 48D which has no seat (47D) in front.

It is likely that the newer config aircraft (A380-800A) with no economy upper deck will eventually be deployed on the London-Singapore route – so check your aircraft type carefully when booking. You should also book early to secure a Preferred seat – particularly if flying on the A380 upper deck.

Other airlines that have a small economy cabin on the upper deck of the A380 are Air France and Thai Airways.

Tags: airbus a380, singapore airlines
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Europe to Buenos Aires Flight Route Analysis

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Buenos Aires is one of the great South American cities and the gateway to Argentina. The main airport is Ezeiza International/Ministro Pistarini (EZE) and flight time from Europe takes approximately 12-14 hours non-stop.

The distance between Madrid (Spain) and Buenos Aires is 6,250 miles – even longer from northern European cities.

buenos aires flights

Fares – Airfares from Europe to South America in general tend to be higher than more competitive routes of similar distance – such as Europe to south-east Asia. The cheapest fares are often found ex-Madrid which is the principal Latin American hub in Europe. Reasonable fares can also be found ex-London.

Below is a rough guideline to “value” for the Europe-Buenos Aires route in economy class priced in pounds sterling:

Excellent Deal – under £500
Good Deal – £500-£600
Average – £600-£750
Expensive – £750-£1,000
Ouch – over £1,000

Normal business class fares are priced in the £2,000-£2,500 range – anything under £2,000 is a good deal whilst biz fares under £1,500 are considered excellent.

Exchange Rate – The Argentine Peso (ARS) has been consistently weak (currently 1GBP = 7.8 ARS, 1EUR = 6.5 ARS, 1USD = 4.9 ARS). Argentina remains good value for visitors despite experiencing some heavy price inflation of late.

Airlines – The following airlines fly non-stop between various European airports and Buenos Aires:

Iberia - Spanish carrier (now merged with British Airways under  International Airlines Group IAG) which flies 2x daily from Madrid using Airbus A340 aircraft. Plenty of connections are available to many EU airports – but note, Iberia’s short-haul flights are no-frills. Service standards on long-haul can be variable, especially in economy class.

iberia madrid

Alitalia - The Italian airline flies daily from Rome Fiumicino (FCO) to Buenos Aires using a Boeing 777-200 with 3-3-3 config in economy class and 2-2-2 in business.

Air France - Flies daily from Paris CDG also using a Boeing 777-200. Config is 3-3-3 for economy, 2-3-2 business and 4 first (Premiere) seats up front.

Lufthansa - The German Star Alliance carrier flies daily between Frankfurt and Buenos Aires using a Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Upper deck has LH’s first class cabin with 8 seats.

KLM - The Dutch carrier flies a 4x weekly service between Amsterdam and EZE operated by a 2 class Boeing 777-200. KLM has a good feeder network to/from many UK regional airports.

British Airways – BA operate a daily non-stop flight from London Heathrow to Buenos Aires using a 3 class Boeing 777 – including a premium economy service which normally costs around £1,400 return.

Air Europa - This Skyteam airline flies daily from Madrid to EZE using an Airbus A330-200. Includes a small 2-2-2 business cabin. Prices can be competitive although service is probably lacking compared with the major carriers.

Aerolineas Argentinas - The Argentine national carrier flies from daily from Madrid to Buenos Aires using an Airbus A340. It also serves both Barcelona (BCN) and Rome (FCO) 4x weekly with an Airbus A340. Again, service standards are known to vary and it wouldn’t be our first choice.

Other airlines serving Europe to BA via stops:

LAN Chile/TAM - LAN, the OneWorld carrier is probably south America’s best airline and has recently merged with TAM of Brazil. LAN  flies Frankfurt-Madrid-Santiago using an Airbus A340 – this is due to be changed to a Boeing 787 in 2013. The 700 mile SCL-EZE sector is done with either A320s or B767s.

TAM flies to Sao Paolo (GRU) from Madrid, London, Milan, Paris and Frankfurt. (Variety of aircraft used: A340/A330/B777). Onward connecting flight from GRU to EZE done on TAM or LAN A320s.

Emirates - Flies daily from Dubai with a stop in Rio de Janeiro using Boeing 777-300ER which includes 8 private first class suites. Emirates serves multiple regional cities in Europe from Dubai. Qatar Airways also flies daily to EZE from Doha with a stop in Sao Paolo, using a Boeing 777. Etihad and Turkish Airlines look likely to serve EZE via Brazil in 2013.

Singapore Airlines - The Star Alliance carrier flies 3x weekly from Barcelona to Sao Paolo using a Boeing 777-300ER. From GRU take the TAM flight onward to EZE.

For Europeans willing to go through the relative hassle of a US stopover there are the following options:

American Airlines flies New York (JFK) and Miami (MIA) to Buenos Aires using Boeing 777s. Delta Airlines flies from Atlanta (ATL) to Buenos Aires using Airbus A330s. United Airlines flies to EZE from Newark (EWR) and Houston (IAH) Washington (IAD) using Boeing 767s. Alternativley, one could fly with AeroMexico via Mexico City.

Note that Buenos Aires has a second airport – Jorge Newbury (AEP) nearer the city centre – where many domestic flights depart. Be aware that domestic airfares for Argentine residents are lower than for non-residents. We recommend flying LAN Argentina over Aerolineas for domestic flights.

Article last updated January 2013.

Tags: buenos aires, iberia, london, singapore airlines
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How to Fly on the Airbus A380

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

The Airbus A380 aircraft has remained a popular attraction since its launch in 2007.  Its double-deck layout offers more space on board, especially in the premium cabins. Engine noise is surprisingly quiet. The following is a guide to which airlines have the A380, fleet sizes and configurations and where they currently fly.

Singapore Airlines
A380 launch customer
First flight: Oct 2007
A380s in service: 19 (order total is 24)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: (1) 12 first suites-60 business-399 economy; (2) 12 first suites-86 business(all upper deck)-311 economy

Routes from Singapore (SIN):
Hong Kong (HKG), London (LHR), Melbourne (MEL), Paris (CDG), Sydney (SYD), Tokyo (NRT), Los Angeles (LAX), Frankfurt (FRA), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO) and Zurich (ZRH). First class suites on the SQ A380 offer a private, individual cabin. On config 1 there is a small economy cabin at the rear of the upper deck.

singapore airlines a380

Emirates
First flight: Aug 2008
A380s in service: 31 (order total is 90)
Engines: Engine Alliance GP7200
Config: 14 first suites-76 business-399 economy

Routes from Dubai (DXB):
London Heathrow (LHR), Sydney (SYD), Bangkok (BKK), Toronto (YYZ), Paris (CDG), Seoul (ICN), Jeddah (JED), Beijing (PEK), Manchester (MAN),  Hong Kong (HKG), New York (JFK), Shanghai (PVG), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Rome (FCO), Munich (MUC), Tokyo (NRT), Melbourne (MEL), Amsterdam (AMS), Moscow (DME) and Singapore (SIN) – plus the fifth freedom routes to Auckland (AKL) from SYD and MEL.

emirates airbus a380

Emirates has a special A380 Hub terminal at Dubai airport which opened in 2013. Emirates First Class on the A380 includes a private individual suite cabin and 2 onboard Shower Spas.

Qantas
First flight: Oct 2008
A380s in service: 12 (order total is 20)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 14 first-64 business-35 premium economy-371 economy

Routes from both Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL):
Singapore (SIN) and on to London Heathrow (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX). Plus Sydney-Hong Kong (HKG). On the Qantas A380 a small premium economy cabin is located at the back of the upper deck.

Air France
First flight: Nov 2009
A380s in service: 8 (order total is 12)
Engines: Engine Alliance GP7200
Config: 9 first-80 business-38 premium economy-389 economy

Routes from Paris (CDG):
New York (JFK), Johannesburg (JNB), Tokyo (NRT), Los Angeles (LAX), Singapore (SIN) and Washington DC (IAD). Air France has small premium economy and economy cabin at the rear of the upper deck.

Lufthansa
First flight: Jun 2010
A380s in service: 10 (order total is 17)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 8 first-98 business-420 economy

Routes from Frankfurt (FRA):
Beijing (PEK), Johannesburg (JNB), Tokyo (NRT), Singapore (SIN), San Francisco (SFO), Miami (MIA) and Houston (IAH). Lufthansa also operates the Boeing 747-800.

Korean Air
First flight: Jun 2011
A380s in service: 6 (order total is 10)
Engines: Engine Alliance GP7200
Config: 12 first-94 business (all upper deck)-301 economy

Routes from Seoul (ICN):
Frankfurt (FRA), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG)

China Southern Airlines
First flight: Oct 2011
A380s in service: 4 (order total is 5)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 8 first-70 business-428 economy

Routes: Guangzhou (ICN)-Los Angeles (LAX); Beijing (PEK)-Paris (CDG).

Malaysia Airlines
First flight: Jul 2012
A380s in service: 4 (order total is 6)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 8 first-66 business-420 economy

Routes: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London Heathrow (LHR) and Beijing (PEK).

Thai Airways
First flight: Oct 2012
A380s in service: 3 (order total is 6)
Engines: Rolls Royce Trent 900
Config: 12 first-60 business-435 economy

Planned Routes in 2013: Bangkok (BKK) to Frankfurt (FRA), Tokyo (NRT), Paris (CSG), Osaka (KIX) and Sydney (SYD).

In the coming 2 years the likes of British Airways, Etihad, Asiana, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic are expected to take delivery of the A380.

Article last updated January 2013.

Tags: airbus a380, emirates, qantas, singapore airlines
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