[no_fear]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

Singapore Airlines is rated better than Qantas (WRT food, inflight entertainment etc.), and they have frequent flights to Singapore and Sydney. My question has to do with overbooking,

From personal experience - my family and I are long time SQ customers. SQ does not overbook flights. Unless there is an equipment issue, there has never been a situation in my 30 years of flying with SQ where I had to miss a flight due to overbooking.

All SQ seats are guaranteed when bought, and they will pro-actively notify you 1 month ahead if there is any equipment change.

Moreover, you can always ask for family seating at the check in counter and the SQ agents will always help you out, especially for families with children.

Qantas is an excellent airline but it lacks the customer centric focus that SQ has. A stopover in Changi airport is always a welcome break and the airport has tons of stuff for children to do.

Since you are flying to Australia, you can get the visa free transit facility in Singapore (for 96 hours). That means you can get out of the airport and go visit Jewel for some retail therapy + food options. The basement at Jewel Changi has several restaurants including my favourite Japanese sushi chain - Sushiro.

If possible, try to play with the SQ schedule and get in a 24 hour stopover in Singapore. You can spend a day, and see the sights, and get your money's worth for the Rs 30k ticket price difference

https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-transit...ansit-facility

[dearchichi]

Thank you no_fear for the helpful response.

Originally Posted by no_fear

you can always ask for family seating at the check in counter and the SQ agents will always help you out, especially for families with children.

Can you let me know what is meant by "family seating" (apart from having members of a family seated in adjacent seats)? I am assume Qantas too would oblige (and not overbook seats).

Thanks for the information about the VFTF. I don't think we would be able to take the same up this time since our holiday schedules have already been allocated to days in Australia. Perhaps next time.

Thanks.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

Can you let me know what is meant by "family seating" (apart from having members of a family seated in adjacent seats)? I am assume Qantas too would oblige (and not overbook seats).

Most of the airlines now charge for choosing seats when booking tickets. Qantas charges around AUD 45 per seat. SQ also charges similar amounts.

However, if you fly with children, the SQ site allows you to choose seats during the ticketing process and not charge any fees. The age limit for children is up to 12 years old, but if you call SQ customer service hotline - they often help you to select the seats while booking without charging any fees (depending on agent), when flying with kids.

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/s...with-children/


All seats can be selected for free 48 hours before departure, during online check in. However, since you have a stop over at Changi, you may not get seats all together as a family (2 adults + 1 child seated in a row of 3 seats) on the online portal, for both the BLR - SIN and SIN - SYD legs.

SQ ground staff usually help to assign you seats all together, when you are traveling as a family, if you can't find seats together during online check in.

[dearchichi]

Originally Posted by no_fear

However, if you fly with children, the SQ site allows you to choose seats during the ticketing process and not charge any fees. The age limit for children is up to 12 years old, but if you call SQ customer service hotline - they often help you to select the seats while booking without charging any fees (depending on agent), when flying with kids.

Thank you for this very useful information. I will check if Qantas too has similar provisions (free booking of seats while purchasing tickets for families with children).

Could you also let me know if flying Scoot from Singapore to Sydney (and vice versa) would be a good option? We could give up on lack of native in-flight entertainment (since we would have our devices), perhaps compromise with lower legroom and seat width, and purchase check-in baggage allowances and meals, but would would be worried about overbooking, delays with the consequent inability to find other aircraft to plug them and longish layovers.

Thank you.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

check if Qantas too has similar provisions (free booking of seats while purchasing tickets for families with children).

Could you also let me know if flying Scoot from Singapore to Sydney (and vice versa) would be a good option? We could give up on lack of native in-flight entertainment (since we would have our devices), perhaps compromise with lower legroom and seat width

Qantas does not have similar provisions. Only flights originating from Australia offer free seat selection. Since you are booking a ticket from India, you will have to pay seat selection fees during ticket booking.

AVOID SCOOT for any long haul segment. They will put Indigo to shame with the nickel and diming. Everything, and I mean everything has to be bought, including water. A 300 ml bottle costs 5 SGD... do the math for a 8 hr flight. With no blankets, pillows or amenities, it becomes a challenge. It is a LCC, and something that everyone in Singapore avoids, unless there are no alternatives.

I know several folks who flew Scoot to Athens / Berlin / Sydney and vow never to fly long haul on LCC. Scoot is good for short haul trips within Asia and is barely bearable for a 4 hr flight. Nothing more. Unless you have a backpacker mentality and want to save pennies, avoid Scoot like the plague.

You mentioned you will have your devices - how will you charge them in flight? Scoot seats don't have power sockets. You are at the mercy of your power banks.

With the food costs, checked luggage, seat selection and miscellaneous costs, it's far cheaper to book a ticket on SQ.

Keep your beloved happy by flying SQ

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

Which flight do I book?

A few days ago, I had posted a query regarding the upcoming vacation to Australia with my wife and daughter (12 years). I received a very useful response from Dieseltuned.

I am now finalising itinerary and have decided on a roundtrip to Sydney from Bengaluru.

I have two options:

1. Flying Qantas:
- Cost: Rs. 222,00
- Direct flight to Sydney
- We would be flying out of Bengaluru on Friday. Their flights depart on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday (from both BLR and SYD).

2. Flying Singapore Airlines:
- Cost: Rs. 255,000
- Flying to Sydney via Changi with a ~5.5 hour layover onward and ~2.5 layover return
- flexible dates

Singapore Airlines is rated better than Qantas (WRT food, inflight entertainment etc.), and they have frequent flights to Singapore and Sydney.

My question has to do with overbooking, especially on the onward journey. In case we get bumped to the subsequent flight (the next day for Qantas, the same day or the next day for Singapore Airlines), we would lose about a day or so of the trip. So, I am guessing we would still be okay (since our accommodation at Sydney is for two days). Would this be a reasonable risk to take to go ahead with the Qantas booking, thereby saving about Rs. 33000? Or, should I book Singapore Airlines since they might stick to the schedules better, or can arrange for alternate aircraft faster in case of delays?

Of course, we will try to web check-in as soon as the window opens in order to increase chances of landing boarding passes and thus confirmed seats.

Apologies, i just saw your post. I am a loyal customer of SQ for more than half a decade now and we as a family have never faced this issue of getting bumped off flights in SQ. Top notch service, good food and time management is SQ forte. A stopover at Changi is always refreshing as that terminal has a lot of activities, shopping, butterfly garden, the waterfall. i think your daughter will love the stop over at Changi. I think i have spoilt my daughter now as she asks for a Changi stopover just to buy those awesome choclates and macrons. (But thats what daughters do to their fathers )

Since your onwards flight will also be on SQ , the airline will take care of your transfer, so no issues there as well. If you are booked on a single PNR than it becomes the airlines responsibility to see that the passanger makes the connection. Please dont book LCC as those cramped seats will be a nightmare + i have heard instances of they even charging for a glass of water !! and you need to be fresh post your flight to enjoy your holidays.

The only advantage Qantas has is of a non-stop flight saving you those 5 hours at Changi.

Also, you mentioned 2 days in Sydney , my opinion is that's too less. I would keep at least 4 nights 5 days.

day 1 : harbour tour. Opera house is amazing, take the guided tour. take a Sydney ferry (green ones) to move through the harbour and don't miss the botanical garden.
day 2 : city tour, chineese friendship garden, hay market, sydney main town station, sydney tower
day 3 : Blue mountains tour. your sydney train pass works in outstation trains as well.
day 4 : Taronga zoo, sea world
day 5 : Ferry to Manly beach

sorry for this unsolicited advice ....

Happy holidays, Australia is a very beautiful country with very nice people. you will have good time there.

Regards
Diesel

[dearchichi]

Thank you no_fear and Dieseltuned once again for your detailed responses.

Originally Posted by no_fear

With the food costs, checked luggage, seat selection and miscellaneous costs, it's far cheaper to book a ticket on SQ.

You are right. Here is a comparison of the costs of full-service carriers over LCCs, and indeed, the former seem to be much better in terms if service, baggage allowance and costs: https://ibb.co/DgbHNpC.

Just a note of the seat selection costs. On Singapore Airlines (at least for the dummy booking I did), there are no fees for choosing seats in the middle, and for flights on the return leg (SYD-SIN-BLR). On Qantas, there are no fees for choosing seats on the onward leg (BLR-SYD).

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

I am a loyal customer of SQ for more than half a decade now and we as a family have never faced this issue of getting bumped off flights in SQ.

Thank you Dieseltuned. I have heard this sentiment from several folks, and it looks like a hassle-free option indeed (but for the layover, which would be entertaining in itself).

About the time to be spent in Sydney, we would spend 2 days after landing and 3 before taking off (after working on various permutations of taking off from Brisbane, we decided to keep that city for our next trip which would include the Reef). My wife and I have already done the drive from Melbourne to Sydney in 2015, but flew Malaysia Airlines that time. The transit periods were very tight both ways (90 mins), and delays in departure did have us stressed about making the connecting flight. During the return leg, the airlines misplaced our baggage and had it home delivered a few days later. Since we wanted to avoid those issues this time, I wanted to gather the wisdom of others before booking flights.

====

I have a question regarding COVID vaccination status. While many countries have relaxed the rules, India still "recommends" passengers on international flights aged 12 and over to be fully vaccinated.

My daughter turns 12 late April, and we would like to depart to Australia mid-May. She will likely not be vaccinated at all (assuming COVID vaccines are not recommended for those aged below 12).

Would this pose any issue during the return leg (SYD-BLR), or even on the forward leg? What can I do about this? My wife and I are fully vaccinated (no booster doses though).

Thank you.

[rajivr1612]

Team, is it OK to carry approx. 800 pounds cash from India to UK for expeneses during my upcoming business trip. Company does not provide travel cards.

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

====

I have a question regarding COVID vaccination status. While many countries have relaxed the rules, India still "recommends" passengers on international flights aged 12 and over to be fully vaccinated.

My daughter turns 12 late April, and we would like to depart to Australia mid-May. She will likely not be vaccinated at all (assuming COVID vaccines are not recommended for those aged below 12).

Would this pose any issue during the return leg (SYD-BLR), or even on the forward leg? What can I do about this? My wife and I are fully vaccinated (no booster doses though).

Thank you.

As per this news article manadatory RT-PcR is no longer needed even from arrivals from high risk countries.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/97819218.cms

Also refer this link from the singapore airlines website, it clearly shows the travel advisories and what is required and not required for vaccinated/not vaccinated travellers ::

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/i...info/covid-19/

Since your daughter would have already turned 12 by the time you fly, i would highly recommend getting her atleast the 1st dose. My parents recently came back from Adelaide via SQ and they were not asked for vaccine certificates anywhere either while leaving/entering India or leaving/entering AUS. But I would err on the side of caution and atleast get the first dose as we never know when the government changes their guidelines and the governments tend to not give any early notice as well to flying passangers. so better be prepared. I am a very risk averse guy when it comes to international travel and this is my view, others might have a different opinion.

I would also recomm

Regards
Diesel

[dearchichi]

Hello,

Could you please suggest reputed vendors to buy travel insurance from (for our trip to Australia mentioned a few posts up)?

We are looking to cover health, costs of delayed or cancelled flights, lost baggage, car rentals etc.

Dieseltuned suggested New India Assurance in #91. Any other options I could look into?

Thank you.

[benu9714]

[quote=dearchichi;5524144]Hello,

Could you please suggest reputed vendors to buy travel insurance from (for our trip to Australia mentioned a few posts up)?

All insurance companies quote the same price for overseas travel insurance - health, lost baggage, delayed flights etc. The packages are also almost, if not totally, identical. You can check them out on internet quite easily.

Bajaj Allianz and ICICI Lombard are two examples. I have bought travel heath insurance from both many times in the past, including on a 2 month A-NZ tour which I am on currently. Fortunately, I have never had to claim, so I cannot tell you how these companies are in settling claims.

[2000rpm]

Guys,

I has booked London Iceland tickets on British Airways during 2020 which got cancelled due to the Pandemic.

The airlines has provided us with Vouchers which anyone can use.

I dont have any plans to travel and would like to sell off these vouchers to anyone with a discount.

If you know anyone who wants to book BRITISH AIRWAYS, let me know.

[libranof1987]

Slightly off-topic.

According to the Henley 2023 list of world's most powerful passports, basis the no. of countries where the holder has visa-free or visa-on-arrival access, Singapore has claimed the top spot, with 192 destinations.

In comparison, the Indian passport gets you in at 57 destinations.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/power...023/index.html

Meanwhile, just out of curiously, I looked for these countries on the MEA, India website: https://mea.gov.in/visa-facility-for...onals-menu.htm

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

In comparison, the Indian passport gets you in at 57 destinations.

There hasn't been any noticeable movement in ranking of Indian passport in last few years. I guess with a combination of more Indian tourists vis à vis from other countries and an overall improvement in per capita GDP, Indian passport may be able to manage few more countries with VoA / visa waivers in this decade itself.

Something in range of current rank of China (rank 64 with visa waiver to 80 countries).

Anything above that will require getting visa waiver in Schengen block, which I don't think will happen in foreseeable future.

[itwasntme]

Was looking at BLR-LHR flights and found a great itinerary via Etihad transiting via Abu Dhabi. BUT the gap between the flights is exactly 1 hour.

I've rarely seen such a through ticket being sold with such a short transit time. Mind you, there is a terminal change involved, which also means a security check/frisking.

It's a 'through ticket' sold as a single itinerary, so Etihad will (hopefully) manage the baggage part. Is the risk worth taking?

I have seen Euro carriers like Lufthansa etc. totally ditch their similar transit passengers saying it is solely the passenger's responsibility to reach the outbound gate, not the airline's!