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Scoot 787 Dreamliner to Athens & Greek islands: Mykonos and Santorini

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  • As someone who hasn't flown more than 4 hours on an LCC (SIN-HKG on tigerair), I'm actually seriously considering giving it a try on Scoot to Greece! Very heartened by your experience en route as well as the destination itself. But it's gonna be a bummer fishing around for my wallet for every perk in-flight.

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    • Originally posted by CarbonMan View Post
      Well done, yflyer!! Definitely an epic TR that will become reference material for anyone heading there.
      Thanks, CarbonMan!

      Originally posted by CarbonMan View Post
      I'm definitely taken aback by your endorsement of Scoot's long haul! But I trust your judgement, will definitely consider it.
      Haha...for the record I still detest 9-abreast 787's and 10-abreast 777's. When flying a full service carrier, I avoid these types at all costs. That said, I will never say that I will NEVER fly an airline or a type, because I inevitably do at some point (Either for schedule, or for cost reasons etc.).

      All that said, for holiday/leisure travel, which for many people (myself included) involves a trade-off between budget and comfort, I think I am very willing to fly an LCC if it enables me to get to a faraway destination for a holiday that I would not otherwise be comfortable shelling out $$$ for.

      For those who are used to business class, I think ScootBiz is not a bad way to travel on vacation if you can't bear to travel Y (Which is understandable in 9-abreast Y on a 787). You can use the cost savings for a better hotel or nicer meals, or shopping. It is not J by any means -- it is really a kind of PEY, but definitely gives you a large step up from economy. Will Scoot ever do a proper flat bed or slanted lie-flat? I think this would bring huge price pressure, but it might be worth a try. I think there is a market for a "no-frills" LCC flat bed product, that does without the fancy F&B etc but just gives you what you need for a good night's sleep: a flat bed.

      As for economy....let's make no mistake: Scoot Y is no match for SQ's Y, which is I think the best in the industry. Scoot Y fares better when compared to other, more average airlines (I won't name names here, but many large airlines would fall into this category), where the difference between the LCC and full service carrier experience is smaller that you might expect.

      In terms of cabin layout, 9-abreast Y on a Dreamliner is slightly more cramped compared to other current economy aircraft cabin. A 9-abreast 777, or even an 8-abreast A330, is more comfortable. I would not look forward to a flight on a 9-abreast 787 if it was full. And if I had a middle seat, I would really suffer. That said, many full service carriers configure their Dreamliners like that too. Scoot is no worse. And Scoot, as an LCC, could potentially be a lot cheaper, and that is a compromise I am willing to accept for a holiday trip.

      What I really like is how Scoot gives you the choice (At a price, of course) of making yourself more comfortable. You can sit in the ScootInSilence part of the cabin, or pay for extra legroom seats, and even bid for one or two empty seats next to you. These cost money, but if these are important to you, they don't cost that much more, and if you do have an empty seat next to you, the flight can be very comfortable indeed!

      One factor which also make a difference is the fact that Scoot currently flies new Dreamliners...modern state of the art aircraft with clean, new interiors. Compared to flying an older aircraft with grubby Y seats, even on a full service carrier (Some of SQ's older 772s come to mind...), Scoot's Dreamliners are far superior....

      So yes, I would recommend both ScootBiz and Scoot Economy. ScootBiz for holiday travel is better than any Y. For Scoot Economy, while a basic fare with no add-ons can potentially be quite torturous (middle seat, no F&B etc), but just by adding a few extras, it is possible to have a very comfortable flight.
      Last edited by yflyer; 30 September 2017, 09:58 PM.

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      • Originally posted by 9V-SML View Post
        As someone who hasn't flown more than 4 hours on an LCC (SIN-HKG on tigerair), I'm actually seriously considering giving it a try on Scoot to Greece! Very heartened by your experience en route as well as the destination itself.
        Thanks, 9V-SML! I enjoyed the trip: both the flights and the destination!

        Originally posted by 9V-SML View Post
        But it's gonna be a bummer fishing around for my wallet for every perk in-flight.
        Yes, having to pay for every little item takes a little getting used to! Scoot, and other LCC's, should come up with a way just to keep a running tab for each pax, and do a single bill/charge at the end of the flight! Sounds like an opportunity for a tech vendor here to come up with something!

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        • Excellent TR yflyer. The 787 Dreamliner looks great, as far as the fact it is flying longhaul routes such as ATH, for 14+ hours, I guess it's best to bring your own device, assuming accessing the entertainment via WiFi. I hope they also have the USB pins and plug to charge other electronic devices.

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          • Originally posted by SQfanatic View Post
            Excellent TR yflyer. The 787 Dreamliner looks great, as far as the fact it is flying longhaul routes such as ATH, for 14+ hours, I guess it's best to bring your own device, assuming accessing the entertainment via WiFi. I hope they also have the USB pins and plug to charge other electronic devices.
            Thanks, SQfanatic! The Dreamliner is a great plane. 9-abreast Y on the 787 is cramped compared to A350 or 9-abreast 77W, but on an LCC I think it is an acceptable compromise.

            Yes, best to bring your own device, either to use the onboard wifi/entertainment, or to view your own preloaded iTunes/Netflix etc. No USB, though! Just a universal A/C power socket that you need to pay for to use.

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            • Originally posted by yflyer View Post
              Thanks, SQfanatic! The Dreamliner is a great plane. 9-abreast Y on the 787 is cramped compared to A350 or 9-abreast 77W, but on an LCC I think it is an acceptable compromise.

              Yes, best to bring your own device, either to use the onboard wifi/entertainment, or to view your own preloaded iTunes/Netflix etc. No USB, though! Just a universal A/C power socket that you need to pay for to use.
              I can imagine especially for longhaul. For short haul it wouldn't bother me because 90% of the time I sleep (except when the meal is served as well as take off and landing). I definitely want to fly it one time though.

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              • Belated thanks for the review. Just booked our first Scoot flights in ScootBiz for a quick long weekend dash in June to surprise Mum for her milestone birthday. The pricing looks unreal - $758 per pax SYD-SIN return. PY on SQ, QF and BA are all more than double or nearly triple our fare. Scoot also offers day flights in both directions which minimises the amount of leave we need to take.

                I had a moment of 'WTF have i done?', but I'm feeling more assured after reading some very positive TRs by yourself and others.

                It's a pity you can't bring your drinks onboard as the wine they sell inflight doesn't look too inspiring. We were thinking of BYO'ing our own bottle of champagne from duty free before noticing the prominent 'no outside food & drinks' T&C on the website.

                These are also our first flights on the 787 .
                All opinions shared are my own, and are not necessarily those of my employer or any other organisation of which I'm affiliated to.

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                • Originally posted by KeithMEL View Post
                  Belated thanks for the review.
                  Thanks for reading, KeithMEL!

                  Originally posted by KeithMEL View Post
                  Belated thanks for the review. Just booked our first Scoot flights in ScootBiz for a quick long weekend dash in June to surprise Mum for her milestone birthday. The pricing looks unreal - $758 per pax SYD-SIN return. PY on SQ, QF and BA are all more than double or nearly triple our fare
                  What a nice treat for your mum! And the pricing for Scootbiz does look unreal...am tempted myself! I was just talking to Mrs yflyer about our vacation plans for the year and we are considering Perth. Scoot is of course one of the airlines we are looking at, although at this point, we are looking at all possible LCCs and FSCs to see who can give us the best deal...

                  Originally posted by KeithMEL View Post
                  I had a moment of 'WTF have i done?', but I'm feeling more assured after reading some very positive TRs by yourself and others.
                  All about expectations I guess! I am feeling very positive about long haul LCC these days...new planes like the 787 appear to have transformed the economics of offering low-cost long haul. Am willing to give LCC's a try for my future holidays. Speaking of long haul LCCs, I just saw a Norwegian 787 landing at Changi a few days ago while out on a run along ECP. Beautiful plane with a very distinctive red and white paint scheme.

                  Originally posted by KeithMEL View Post
                  It's a pity you can't bring your drinks onboard as the wine they sell inflight doesn't look too inspiring. We were thinking of BYO'ing our own bottle of champagne from duty free before noticing the prominent 'no outside food & drinks' T&C on the website.
                  I think it is a little unfair of them not to allow pax to bring their own F&B, but this is something I can live with, especially since the onboard F&B is pretty decent. I would have no qualms about smuggling a sandwich or other small item onboard and eating it in secret, though .

                  Originally posted by KeithMEL View Post
                  These are also our first flights on the 787 .
                  Have fun with the electronically dimmable window shades!

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                  • Great TR to read over the weekend , thanks so much @yflyer.

                    Great photos as well, what brand of camera and lens did u use?

                    Cheers!

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                    • Originally posted by SilverKrisSRG View Post
                      Great TR to read over the weekend , thanks so much @yflyer.

                      Great photos as well, what brand of camera and lens did u use?

                      Cheers!
                      Thanks for reading, SilverKrisSRG! I used both an iPhone 6 and an Olympus E-P2, which is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a humble 12.3 megapixel sensor. For the Olympus, I used a 14-150mm lens (Micro 4:3 format, which is equivalent to 28-300mm lens for 35mm format.)

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                      • Inspired by your trip, we'll be in Turkey and Greece almost at the end of the tourist season in October this year. As such, most of the ferries would have stopped operating and we will be flying inter-islands.

                        Our itinerary is SIN-IST-CHQ-JTR-ATH-SIN.

                        Most accommodation have been booked with the exception of Santorini. As we only have 2 nights in Santorini would you suggest splitting one night at Fira and one night at Oia or just go for 2 nights at Oia?

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                        • Originally posted by GLAM82 View Post
                          Inspired by your trip, we'll be in Turkey and Greece almost at the end of the tourist season in October this year. As such, most of the ferries would have stopped operating and we will be flying inter-islands.

                          Our itinerary is SIN-IST-CHQ-JTR-ATH-SIN.

                          Most accommodation have been booked with the exception of Santorini. As we only have 2 nights in Santorini would you suggest splitting one night at Fira and one night at Oia or just go for 2 nights at Oia?
                          Hi GLAM82! Sounds like you have planned a wonderful trip! I've not yet been to Istanbul, although it has been on my to-see list for a long time!

                          For Santorini, I would actually suggest staying both nights in Oia, simply to avoid the hassle of unpacking, since Fira isn't far from Oia and you can just take a bus there to look around. I would recommend the walking trail between Fira and Oia too, if you like this sort of thing!

                          SQflyergirl: Your opinion on this? You're the most familiar with Santorini!

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                          • Will take your advice and stay both nights in Oia.

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                            • Both nights in Oia. Fira is a (relatively) big town with less charm than Oia or Imerovigli

                              I actually think months like March or October are interesting months to visit Santorini. The cruise ships are gone, the summer workforce is gone. Half the restaurants aren't open, and it's a lot cooler.

                              I visited in March once, and it had an ethereal feel to it. Still achingly beautiful mind you - just without the crowds.
                              Last edited by SQflyergirl; 10 April 2018, 08:31 PM.

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                              • Originally posted by SQflyergirl View Post
                                Both nights in Oia. Fira is a (relatively) big town with less charm than Oia or Imerovigli
                                Nice. Thanks.

                                Any recommendations for accommodation?

                                Will be celebrating our 10 years wedding anniversary

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