Weekend Palembang exploration on Scoot

[SQfanatic]

Great TR ycp81 and excellent pics of Palembang. Looking forward to many more

[ycp81]

Turning into the runway and takeoff. PLM has a 4km runway and hence we did not require the full runway length for departure.







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWbQtD53yOY


Climbing




Service was as usual, a quick BOB sales service with a few takers. During the cruise, the pilot informed that due to bad weather at Changi, we would be required to hold for 20min mininum. Hence started circling halfway through the descent.






Finally cleared for approach and landing into Changi Rwy02L.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5EAWQKAB8U


Taxied to the gate at Terminal 2.






Disembarked.






Again, a quick and efficient short-haul flight on Scoot.

Thanks for reading!

[ycp81]

Boarding pass issued.




International departure lounge is small with limited facilities. Most facilities are before immigration and security.






Full Tiger-liveried A320 arrived and would be operating this flight.





10 December 2017
Scoot
TR 251
Palembang (PLM) - Singapore (SIN)
A320
9V-TRL
Economy Class
Flight Time: 1H23M


Boarding the aircraft.




Legroom is definitely tighter on the A320 than on the A319.




View out the window.




Boarding in progress. Flight was very full again.





Pushback and taxi, passing a range of Indonesian airlines.

[ycp81]

Palembang city centre




Musi River. Definitely not the cleanest river around.






Ampera Bridge, the icon of Palembang.






Colourful buildings at the market area






Chinatown (Jl Sayangan)








Back to the airport and check-in for the return flight.

[ycp81]

Palembang is the co-host of the upcoming 2018 Asian Games. Hence, there is currently a lot of infrastructure developments underway, including a metro system linking the airport to the city under construction.




Street of Palembang




Some of the sights in Palembang includes:

Palembang Fountain Circle




Masjid Agung Palembang




Ampera Monument






Stayed at The Arista Hotel, which is one of the better hotels in Palembang and across from the modern Icon shopping mall.




View from room.




The hotel breakfast buffet was outstanding!








Palembang is famous for its pempek, which are Palembang-styled fishcakes. Tried it at very popular eatery, Pempek Vico.

[ycp81]

Approach and landing in Palembang.














Videos of the approach and landing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTEKk8XVi0Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFlL--pmXVI


Parked at the gate.




Disembarked.




Wings Air ATR72 beside and a last look at the A319.






A short and comfortable flight on Scoot A319 at a ridiculously low fare.

Immigration took a while before we were out of the arrival hall.




Arrivals. Very limited international flights into Palembang.

[ycp81]

Scoot's A319, fitted with only 144 seats, definitely felt more spacious than the 180-seater A320, even at the second last row of the aircraft. Seat pitch is probably about an inch more than on the A320.




The stuff in the seatpocket.




Boarding in progress and surprisingly, the flight was pretty full.




Taxiing to the runway and passing the seriously understilised Terminal 4. Only a couple of AirAsia aircraft docked at the 17 narrow-bodies stands.






Departure from Rwy02C. It was a pretty cloudy day for flying.







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0LnGIueoa0


Buy-on-board service commenced and there were a few takers. I guess SilkAir and SQ code-share passengers were offered free refreshments.




The view for most of the flight.




Descent commenced soon after and skies got clearer.

[ycp81]

From late November this year, Scoot has taken over SilkAir's service to Palembang in Sumatra Indonesia, and has also added additional frequencies. To promote the new destination, sale fares were launched at a mere SGD$1 for the base fare. Taking advantage of the promotional fare, I booked a weekend trip to Palembang, all for a mere SGD$50 inclusive of taxes. A real steal!

Checked in at Terminal 2 and printed my boarding pass for the 1105am flight.






Terminal 2 aircraft movements.






The hybrid-livery baby Airbus A319 operating my flight being towed to the gate.






Departure Gate E1. This Scoot flight is code-shared with SilkAir and Singapore Airlines.





09 December 2017
Scoot
TR 250
Singapore (SIN) - Palembang (PLM)
A319
9V-TRA
Economy Class
Flight Time: 55M


Boarding the aircraft.








The usual black leather seating.




View out the window. I was seated at the second last row.