Should I Fly Singapore?

[Vincero]

Hi everyone, recently me and my family moved out from the UK to New Zealand. At the end of the year, (december time) I'm looking to come back on my own so that I can visit some family members. (I'm 17).

We came over with Air New Zealand, via LA. Part of me says that I should go with them again, and suck up the extra cost - just because I know the route a little better. (having said that, the majority of flights with air nz around that time seem to involve me getting on 3 planes atleast one way... Don't like the sound of that!)

I've heard that if I travel with air singapore, i'll be put in a waiting room for 6 hours atleast one way. It looks like that from the tickets I've seen too. What happens during these 6 hours? do I need to get my bags off and re check in -then find the waiting room where my flight should be?

From the tickets that I've looked at online, it seems to be one way: Christchurch to Singapore, then six hours to get on a new flight... Then Singapore to London.

On the way back there seems to be only a two hour wait instead of the previous six.

I'd just like to know exactly what happens during this route - because I've never travelled alone before. I hear that air singapore provides exellent service on board, and apparently Singapore airport is one of the best airports in the world... Doesn't sound bad at all, and the prices seem really good - I just don't like the thought of getting lost!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks

Vincero

[mr_botak]

I'd most definitely route via Singapore in preference to LAX. Six hours in Changi is no problem. Many shops and restaurants "airside". Take some time to enjoy what an airport should be. Nothing stopping you doing a quick tour of the city either, immigration is usually quick and hassle free.

You won't need to worry about your bags, they'll go straight through to LHR.

I'd recommend SQ to anyone. You'll always get good service onboard, peerless IFE, and if you pick the right flights you'll fly on an A380 to London.

[jhm]

Vincero, welcome to SQTalk!

As mr_botak said, you don't need to worry about your bags. You check-in your bags at the airport in New Zealand and the airline will take care of transferring your bags between the planes. You'll see your bags again when they come out on the luggage conveyor belt at Heathrow airport.

When you arrive at Singapore Changi airport, you do NOT need to wait in a room for 6 hours for your next flight. There's lots to do in the airport - shops to browse; many food options; an outdoor pool for you to use; etc. It's one of the best airports in the world so I'm sure you will definitely enjoy the experience! You can read more about the airport and what there is to do here:

http://www.changiairport.com/changi/...e/?__locale=en

You only need to look out for the time of your next flight departing Singapore and make sure you get to the gate (where there's a waiting room) around 20-30 minutes before your flight is due to leave. So before that time, you're free to wander around the airport or even (if you wish) go outside the airport and into Singapore itself (there's an overground/underground train which will take you into the city centre in about 30 minutes) but if you do that, make sure you arrive back at the airport in time for your flight (so perhaps get back to the airport about 1 hour before your flight is due to leave to allow time for the security checks etc).

Please ask if you have any questions! In any event, whether you take Air New Zealand or Singapore Airlines, enjoy your flight!

[kkjay77]

CHC-LHR on NZ would be something like CHC-AKL-LAX-LHR, right?
It will be definitely better to take SQ CHC-SIN-LHR, and SIN-LHR will be A380 if OP is interested in flying the whalejet.
6 hour transit at SIN isn't that bad, and one can take transit tour to kill time.

[Guy Betsy]

6 hours is perfect to do so much !

Sometimes I wish I have more time to see all and do all and I go through one of the 3 terminals several times a year.

Now in LAX, you will not only be put in a holding room, but you would have to clear US INS as well !

With Singapore Airlines, you might even have enough time to take a free city tour offered courtesy of Singapore Tourism!
http://www.changiairport.com/changi/...ee_sgtour.html

Enjoy!

[dreamwatch]

Hi Vincero.

The first time I flew from London to Brisbane I flew on my own. I have to say I was very anxious about it; I flew BA/Qantas but stopped at Changi. I found the airport very easy to get around, and people were very helpful - it's major international hub and they are very used to seeing people like yourself there.

I fly to Oz every year if possible and we choose to fly with Singapore. SO far I've had nothing but excellent and friendly service, great food (for airline food!), and brilliant in flight entertainment. For us they're not the cheapest, but when you're flying for that amount of time you do anything and everything you can to make yourself more comfortable.

I've never flown the LA route, but my brother in law has done it a couple of times and hates it; he found it a total hassle and refuses to go that way again. That could just be him, but I have to admit he's put me off for life! I had a 10 hour stop over at Changi once and wasn't bored at all. It's a fabulous place.

Hope that helps.

[kkjay77]

SIN >>> (X 10,000) TBIT, period.

Not sure if OP has lounge access or not, but even with lounge access at TBIT, I'd choose SIN without lounge over LAX with lounge access.

SIN is one of the best (if not THE best) airport for long transit.

[9V-JKL]

Welcome to SQTalk Vincero

Whoever told you that you'll be in a waiting room for 6 hours has certainly got their facts utterly wrong. Its the absolutely opposite. You'll be free to roam the entire airport during that time.
You'll have nothing to worry about transiting SIN. Its a fabulous place to wait 6 hours. Its a walk in the park compared to LAX.

On the flights, you'll have a huge choice of In-Flight Entertainment and you'll not be bored

[flo]

Welcome to the Club, Vincero!

I would take SQ over NZ anytime. Not that NZ is bad or not as good as SQ, they are awesome. It is just that my AKL-LAX experience was not that good and LAX was just a pain. Having a 6hr layover in Singapore is good, this way you can see the airport or maybe even go for a quick snack to a nearby Hawker Center. Great food there. You said you were 17 ... don't worry about getting lost in Singapore if you decide to pop in, it is a very straight forward and organized city: probably the best organized city I have yet been to - Asian efficiency at it's best. Everybody speaks English and you might just explore the area a bit - that would be a total plus for me. I did the same when I had a solo layover in Singapore ... my parents and my sister went ahead wile I spent a day in SIN on my own when I was 18 ...

The airport in Singapore is probably one of, if not the best airport in the world when it comes to efficiency and passenger comfort. You could under no circumstances just not find your gate: the signage is great and I am a typography and usability freak ... believe me when I tell you. The ways can be long-ish if you arrive at the one end of the B gates and have to walk up all the way to the A-gates but you should definitely be fine.

Changi is also a great place to kill time: although I had lounge access, I managed to kill 8hrs there when I had my around the world trip this summer (Thanks again Jubilee777 and singaporu_kooku for providing me with wake-up calls haha!). There are massage chairs in T3, many restaurants and cafés, shops and everything a passenger can wish for. There is also free Wi-Fi internet (!) which is great: in LAX, you would have to pay T-mobile some bucks. If I am not mistaken, there are also internet-terminals ... 6 hours will pass in the blink of an eye

Singapore Airlines is my favorite airline for my whole life (I am 23). They always managed to make my flight most enjoyable, even in Y ... even under the worst circumstances like flying alone and heavy turbulences, Singapore Girls always took great care of me. SIA offers you great in-seat entertainment (IMO better than NZ), modern aircraft, a fantastic transit airport and the chance to ride on the Airbus 380. If SQ were cheaper on CHC-(SIN)-LHR, I would not even think about taking another airline.

Yes, this sounds fanboy-ish. But it does not come without a reason... it's the reason why most of us are here: we really enjoy flying SQ.

[Guy Betsy]

..
Singapore Airlines is my favorite airline for my whole life (I am 23). They always managed to make my flight most enjoyable, even in Y ... even under the worst circumstances like flying alone and heavy turbulences, Singapore Girls always took great care of me. SIA offers you great in-seat entertainment (IMO better than NZ), modern aircraft, a fantastic transit airport and the chance to ride on the Airbus 380....

The only advantage NZ has over SQ is that their seat pitch in economy is 34" compared to SQ's 32". Though NZ 's IFE is not as good as SQ's, they have some great avante garde movies as well as all 3 Lord of The Rings movies! The grey economy class blankets are also cushier than SQ's !

Now if you take NZ via LA, you will get more baggage allowance. 25kg x 2 pieces. But if you take SQ, you'll only be allowed 20kg !

Of course you don't have to fly via LA if you take NZ, you can fly with them on their AKL-LHR flight via HKG! Baggage becomes 20kg of course.

The other option you must consider if you're collecting miles .. is which fare SQ will allow you to earn miles. At least with NZ, you earn miles on their FFP no matter how cheap the ticket is. SQ's on the other hand have many fares that do not earn you any miles.

[red_october]

I've always travelled SQ from PER to LHR via SIN, there's heaps of things to do at the airport. This time I'm flying out from PER to KCH with a 12 hr stopover in SIN in April, so I'm going into the city for some shopping :-)

[KeithMEL]

Go via SIN for sure - a no brainer over LAX. They don't lock you up in a waiting room at SIN and you don't have to go through US immigration - how's that for starters? There are heaps of activities to partake in at SIN, 6 hours should quickly (comparatively speaking) fly by.

Of course there's always the NZ flight via HKG as beforementioned, but it seems like going via SIN on SQ would be the more direct option for you.

SQ is generally rather dependable in any class of service - I'm sure you'd have no worries on that front.

[Russ]

6 hours in Changi is 1000x better than a the best connection at LA.
No brainer.

There are shops, restaurants, even places to recline and rest/sleep, it is not crowded, it is relaxing. LA is the opposite. I avoid the USA like the plague - we are not people as far as they are concerned - just suspects who can be considered guilty via accusation of someone else.... and end up being denied entry to aircraft.

And if there is an airport where you are unlikely to lose bags, its Changi.

[kris]

Flew SQ from SIN to LHR last year when I was 17. Like you it was my first time traveling alone and a complete breeze. Changi is a brilliant airport and if you fly SIN-LHR you might get on an A380.

Good luck!

[aviationfreak]

6hrs is easy to kill in Changi, you can catch a movie (free) or surf the internet (free) in the terminal, eat, shop, and you can register for a short singapore tour with that amount of time! Here are some privileges if you fly with SQ and transit in Changi http://www.makingmomentsunforgettabl...it-activities/


Here is the link to the info for the free tour in SIN:
http://www.changiairport.com/changi/...ml?__locale=en