Flights Option SIN-MCO

[SGRBL]

Dear All,

Am exploring the above to visit a close relative in the US. Travelling period 1-15 Oct.

Option on SQ seemed to be only SIN-MUC-MAN-MCO with the MAN-MCO flight on VS. MAN-MCO is on a 747. Never flew VS before so not sure of the inflight service and seat comfort.

Was trying to compare with SIN-DME-IAH-MCO with the IAH-MCO flight on UA. Was quoted a ridiculous airfare (> $25000 on J) by SQ Reservation.

There are other cheaper J options on SkyTeam eg on DL but I'd prefer to fly *A.

Anyone has other advice and suggestions ?
Thanks.

[yflyer]

Was trying to compare with SIN-DME-IAH-MCO with the IAH-MCO flight on UA. Was quoted a ridiculous airfare (> $25000 on J) by SQ Reservation.

One suggestion is to book the SIN-North America ticket separately from the domestic leg to MCO. There are usually great deals to MCO on the US carriers from different cities in the US.

On previous visits to Orlando, I've flown via SFO and EWR on SQ, then taken domestic flights on AA /UA from SFO-MCO or New York (I flew LGA-MCO but there are many other flights from other NY airports too).

I did a test booking JFK-MCO-JFK for Oct 1/Oct 15 on JetBlue and you can get airfares (with some restrictions) for USD 124 each way (Total USD248). A domestic first class booking on AA JFK-MCO-JFK is available for USD 510. (Also with restrictions. A refundable domestic F fare looks to be about USD1000).

Just ensure you build enough buffer time in the US transit stop, or better yet, stop for a few days to get over the jetlag before heading over to MCO.

[CarbonMan]

If you want to stick to SQ, both SIN-IAH-MCO and SIN-JFK-MCO is equally long. Both of them arrive in the US at a time that'll give you sufficient choice to get a connecting to MCO. And as yflyer suggested, book the international and domestic separately. The SQ website's all-in fare for the whole journey is ridiculously high - probably quoting the list price. It's around a 3 hour flight to MCO from IAH and JFK, so I would just endure it.

If you want to stick to *A, then UA via NRT and IAH seems to be your shortest alternate options .... and faster and probably cheaper than SQ combination. As to whether UA's J is any good, I'll leave it to others to comment, since I've no experience on any international UA flight (domestic UA F/J is nothing to shout about but still a magnitude better than UA Y).

[259850]

Or you could do SIN-FRA-MCO on LH. Just 1 stop.

[MAN Flyer]

Dear All,

Am exploring the above to visit a close relative in the US. Travelling period 1-15 Oct.

Option on SQ seemed to be only SIN-MUC-MAN-MCO with the MAN-MCO flight on VS. MAN-MCO is on a 747. Never flew VS before so not sure of the inflight service and seat comfort.

Was trying to compare with SIN-DME-IAH-MCO with the IAH-MCO flight on UA. Was quoted a ridiculous airfare (> $25000 on J) by SQ Reservation.

There are other cheaper J options on SkyTeam eg on DL but I'd prefer to fly *A.

Anyone has other advice and suggestions ?
Thanks.

If you are flying J then VS have flatbeds on their 744's, and their A330's which they also fly from MAN.

VS and SQ actually code share on their respective SIN-MAN and MAN-MCO flights and they do get a bit of feed to them through MAN. I don't know how the VS timings to and from MCO are but both flights operate out of T2 at MAN.

[SGRBL]

Thank you everyone for your advice and suggestions. Will check out the domestic flight options.

SGRBL

[SQ228]

If you are flying J then VS have flatbeds on their 744's, and their A330's which they also fly from MAN.

VS and SQ actually code share on their respective SIN-MAN and MAN-MCO flights and they do get a bit of feed to them through MAN. I don't know how the VS timings to and from MCO are but both flights operate out of T2 at MAN.

SQ PDF timetable suggests a mid-afternoon arrival into MCO on a 77W is what's currently on offer. The departure time out of MAN isn't shown, rather the layover at MUC

[WBT]

The website is generally useless for itineraries that include partner airlines, resulting in the kinds of absurd fare quotes you got.

As for getting to MCO, I've done both the VS flight via MUC and MAN (in Y), as well as flying NH/UA via NRT and IAH (in J). The VS leg in Y was not great with cramped seats and limited service, but more importantly the connection in MAN was very poor. The VS staff had to create hand-written boarding passes for all connecting SQ passengers. This took a long, long time. Maybe it's changed since my flight in November 2011, but the experience was positively archaic.

Flying to NRT on NH in J was disappointing as the J seats on their 787 are not, shall we say, cutting-edge. The NRT-IAH flight on a UA (ex-CO) 777 was decent with a relatively easy connection in IAH. You can get some good fares if you are willing to put in some clicking.

I've flown NYC-MCO many times, and B6 is perfectly acceptable options on the relatively short flight, so you could do SIN-NYC on SQ with a separate ticket onward. Usual risks apply though in case of delay.

[MAN Flyer]

SQ PDF timetable suggests a mid-afternoon arrival into MCO on a 77W is what's currently on offer. The departure time out of MAN isn't shown, rather the layover at MUC

Well there is definitely no 77W flying MAN-MCO. VS operate 744's and A330's on the route and even the bucket and spade airlines flying the route don't have 777's.

but more importantly the connection in MAN was very poor. The VS staff had to create hand-written boarding passes for all connecting SQ passengers. This took a long, long time. Maybe it's changed since my flight in November 2011, but the experience was positively archaic.

Sadly that doesn't surprise me. Being the same terminal is should be straight forward but sadly parts of the airport are a farce. Having said that, as both flights are codeshare with each other, I am surprised you couldn't get your MAN-MCO boarding pass at Changi ?.

[SQ228]

Well there is definitely no 77W flying MAN-MCO. VS operate 744's and A330's on the route and even the bucket and spade airlines flying the route don't have 777's.

Well of anyone here, I trust you the most to know such things!

So then, not only does the PDF timetable show the relatively unimportant layover at MUC instead of the layover at MAN, it also indicates the aircraft for the SIN-MUC/MUC-MAN sectors, instead of SIN-MAN/MAN-MCO. Smart.

[WBT]

Having said that, as both flights are codeshare with each other, I am surprised you couldn't get your MAN-MCO boarding pass at Changi ?.

Not half as surprised as I was when checking in at Changi!

The flights being codeshares had led me to expect a less seamful connection. Hoping for seamless is obviously pushing one's expectations into the unreasonable.