Singapore Flights

Okay, so let's start with how to get to this fantastic country!
From Europe there are plenty of flight companies that goes here, so you can choose from a wide range of options depending on if you want great service or a cheap price. Or both of them.

On my five trips during 2008-2009 I've gone with in total six different companies. From Sweden the cost range from €650 and up to €900 (of course you can find way more expensive too if you want...) and so far most of them I would say that half of them have been good. On all of them both food and drinks (alcohol and non-alcohol) are for free.

Singapore Airlines: The best and most wellknown company, so of course also the most expensive one. But if you're booking early you can find good prices with SA too. Service is amazing, with stewardesses taking care of you during the whole flight. During the whole flight they walk around with drinks (water/juice/cola) for everyone who wants, and if it's still not enough you can just ask them for more. Good range of movies and tv-shows to watch in the video system. TV-screen on each place. And for sure the best tasting food I've ever gotten on a flight. +++++

KLM: The Dutch company was a positive surprise. Costed around €750 t/r. Okay food, the travellers got plenty of drinks (water/juice) often during the trip and the service was good. Huge difference in service on the flight from Sweden to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam to Singapore though. For some reason crap within Europe. On the long distance flight there was a good range of movies and games in the entertainment system. TV screen on each seat. If you go with them often it can be a good idea to become a Flying Blue member, but to even get close to gain anything on it you'll need to fly to Singapore once a month... crappy bonus system if you ask me. ++++

SAS: The Scandinavian company have economical problems and there is no doubt about why when you fly with them. Crappy service, if any at all. I'm glad I just took the flight within Europe with them. Plenty of space in the seat though. ++

Thai Air: Is supposed to be a fantastic company and the service was really good too! But how they thought when they decided to not have a TV screen on each seat I'll never understand. 12 hours flight from Copenhagen to Bangkok, and the only entertainment I got was two movies on a rather small screen five meters away... Have never been so bored in my whole life! Doesn't matter that the price was low when the whole flight is about to kill you... 2 plus only because of the good service. ++

Lufthansa: Quite good service although not even close to the one I got with the Asian companies. Just went with them within Europe. They had a great sale for flights to Singapore last winter according to their home page, but when trying to book the flights all of them were suddently sold out, no matter which flight and date I tried to book. Very strange... ++

Turkish Airlines: Have just started to fly to Singapore from Europe via Istanbul. Great, low, price (€650 from Gothenburg t/r) but it's not really worth the torture onboard (well, apparently it is as I've just booked a new trip with them...). Service is crap, to say the least. Then the flight was also delayed with 1-3 hours from both Gothenburg and Istanbul, in Turkey we sat on the flight for 1,5 hour before finally taking off, and with no explanation. The food made me stomach sick for three weeks.
TV screen on each seat and a quite good range of movies. Didn't have much fun with the turkish ones without english subtitles though...
Also watch out for with whom you're actually flying, as Singapore Airlines has just started to cooperate with Turkish Airlines. Meaning that you can book an expensive trip with Singapore Airlines, but end up on a crappy flight with Turkish Airlines. My advice, stay away from the flights taking off from Istanbul. Just wished I had followed that advice myself... +

There is also the Plaza Premium Lounge in the new Terminal 3. (plus one in transit in Terminal 2)
website http://www.plaza-ppl.com/sg_en/lounge.php#05
Friends of mine used that for an extended stopover in Jan this year & are still raving about it. It has food, drinks , chairs , internet and papers, plus a napping facility.

Ok Changi Airport is so comfortable that students actually camp there to study when exams are round the corner. Been there done that.

The skytrain shuttles passengers from one terminal to another (T1, T2, T3, excluding budget terminal where you have to take shuttle buses) so it's really convenient. There's lots to see, not like the big but boring KLIA.

If you're a backpacker or do not have large pieces of luggage, you can take the MRT/subway/metro/whateveryoucallit from the airport itself. It'll cost less than SGD2 to get to anywhere.

The budget terminal at Changi is pretty good. There is free internet access and a special gadget recharge lounge where you can recharge your mobile and other devices such as IPOD's and MP3s.

Of course there's a duty free shop for perfumes, a newsagency, a 7-eleven, a chocolate shop, duty free liquor & tobacco, general merchandise, a sports shop, delicatessen, Hang Ten and Tiny Toons. There's also a number of places to eat at, which looked pretty good. There's even a prayer room.

If you've got a fair amount of time to fill in, visit the Woodblock Rub - a popular Singaporean artform from the 50s and 60s.

There was definitely a lot more here than I was expecting.

There's airport shuttle services from the aiport and a cab to the city will cost around $18 - $32 SGD.

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Singapore Airlines is one of the Great Airlines of the World and one of the keys of being A Great Airline unfortunately is being partly or heavily Subsidized by their national governments and Singapore Airlines is one such Airline (In Asia, only the Philippines don't give subsidies to its National Airline). Singapore Airlines was formerly Malayan Airways Limited and Started Operations in 1947 but in 1972, it split into Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines. Obviously its hub is in Changi Airport and flies to 65 destinations in 35 countries on five continents. Singapore Airlines operates a wide-body aircraft fleet from four aircraft families: the Boeing 747, the Boeing 777, Airbus A380 and the Airbus A340 and also has a subsidiary, Silk Airlines, a budget regional carrier serving secondary routes.

Address Changi Airport Terminal 2

Unit 026-023/024
Departure Hall
Singapore 918141
Operating Hours Daily: 0600 hours to 0030 hours

Cheapest way to fly is to take AirAsia from K.L. to Johor Bahru and then take a bus/taxi into Singapore from there.

They have some "Fly Free" deals going on right now.

Go to their website and check out the schedule. www.airasia.com Personally, I am not going to fly again from Singapore to K.L., because I feel the bus I took was so much more comfortable and relaxing.

Ron

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Changi is an exceptional airport. While KLIA likes to beat its own chest saying it is the best, it has about half a century before it woudl catch up with Changi for its efficiency. I asked a chinese friend of mine why is that most of the immigration and service personnel at Changi or either Indian or malay, her answer was: they are better looking!

The longest flights in the world are the Singapore Airlines non-stop to Los Angeles and Newark. It uses long range A340-500 versions specially fitted with fewer seats to trade capacity for increased range. This results in a more comfortable flight. Singapore Airlines only has a special small fleet of 5 of these 500 series A340. It would not be too much of a surprise if these planes were sold and replaced with the new Boeing 777-200LR version as Singapore Airlines operates other versions of the 777 and has ordered the long range 787-9.

Note the A340's are becoming all business class starting in May and will be completely converted by September, 2008. No more economy (economy plus) class.