Info not on website, then how I know?

So we all (ok majority of travellers) know the check-in deadline for most airlines is 45 minutes before departure, including budget carriers.

And if you assume Scoot practices the same policy, it's time to read their Conditions of Carriage NOW, or carry on reading here.

Clause 7 clearly spells out the check-in deadline to be 60 minutes.

7 – CHECK-IN / BOARDING

7.1 – CHECK-IN DEADLINE

You must present yourself for check-in with your Booking reference, Baggage, official documents and any other items necessary for travel at least sixty (60) minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of your flight.

7.2 – BOARDING PASS AND BAGGAGE TAGS

We will issue you a boarding pass and baggage tag(s) for any Checked Baggage. Please ensure you keep these documents with you until you complete your travel with Scoot.

7.3 – BOARDING DEADLINE

You must be at the boarding gate at least forty-five (45) minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of your flight.

7.4 – REFUSAL TO TRANSPORT

Failure to meet the deadlines specified in 7.1 and/or 7.3 may result in Scoot being unable to accept you for transport. In such case, your fare and all associated fees may be forfeited without refund, in Scoot's sole discretion. 

With no information whatsoever on its website or itinerary, the onus is on the passenger to read the "Conditions", where the Preface sets the tone for indemnity against all sorts of claims.

PREFACE

It’s very important to Scoot that the Conditions of Carriage governing our relationship are clear and understood. We therefore strongly encourage you to read this document and to seek any necessary clarification from us prior to making your purchase – Further information can be found on our website www.flyscoot.com or by calling our guest call centre. Please note that, upon completing the purchase process, you will be deemed to have read, understood and accepted these Conditions of Carriage.

A consumer has no right to contest the 60-minutes check-in deadline, but at least have it somewhere on the website. The absence of check-in information on flyscoot.com is confirmed as of 16 August.

Check-in information not on FAQ or Travel Information

Other than the three main LCCs that have been mentioned in previous posts, most if not all airlines have check-in information clearly listed or hidden somewhere on their websites. Even the notorious Ryanair says in a FAQ that its Bag Drop counters (all check-ins have to be done online) "closes strictly 40 minutes before departure".

China's first LCC Spring Airlines even has a chart showing the check-in process and deadlines. 

The check-in deadline of 45 minutes is not unique to LCCs, legacy carriers operating widebodies are also practicing the same policy, some like Thai Airways are even generous enough to extend the deadline to just 30 minutes before departure. 

Scoot clearly needs to communicate the real serious stuff better to its customers. Consumers too, should look beyond the cheap fares and get to know the details, such as the exorbitant fees - highest amongst all Singapore-based LCCs.  

Check-in anytime anywhere

AirAsia was among the first LCCs in this region to start online/mobile check-in, and they've pushed the envelope further by opening check-in from seven days before flight to the moment your ticket is confirmed.

Reach airport two hours before flight, queue and waste precious time getting irritated by the slow-moving queue? That's so 90s.

Once the name and passport details are entered, and after declining the travel insurance option, an 'Important Notice' page will pop-up at the 5th stage of the check-in process-reminding you of the deadlines for checking of documents and luggage deposit, and other usual security notices.

While they recommend 45 mins as a cut-off time for documents check (self-printed boarding pass and passport), and do not say explicitly whether you will be denied boarding if you reach the counter later than that, I'd say 30 mins is the latest if you want to clear immigration and make it to your gate on time.

Not sure if they still handle 'counter check-in', but all of AirAsia's counters at Changi only display 'Baggage Drop'.

The last I checked, there was no need for document check at KL's LCCT.

Jetstar has an online check-in function too, but it's only open for flights 48 hours before departure, and you'll still have to go to the counter to get a proper boarding pass.

Standard check-in cut-off deadline of 40 mins apply.

Tiger and Scoot do not have web check-in facilities.

Jetstar $168 NON-STOP to Osaka

Jetstar flies DIRECT to Osaka from 1 Nov!

Finally a cheap non-stop flight to Japan - $168 one-way all in now on sale!!

Long-haul flights are on A330 so not to worry, its not the usual squeezy A320 used on regional flights.

Awesome schedule:

SIN 2230 - 0600 KIX

KIX 1030 - 1620 SIN

1 Nov - 17 Dec on Thurs, Fri, Sat

18 Dec onwards Mon, Thurs, Fri Sat

With the new service, they have up to 4 flights a day to Osaka, the two others via Taipei and Manila, so make sure you select the right 'Direct flight'.

According to their sale page, fares to Tokyo, Fukuoka and Sapporo are also available on a single through fare via Osaka (domestic flights on Jetstar Japan)!

At just $261 one way, Sapporo suddenly seems alot closer! Then again, with so many new budget flights flying to Hokkaido, I'm sure there's always another promo to be had.

Hooray no more expensive SIA charter flights! Also, SIA is the only other airline operating direct flights between Singapore to Osaka.

Scoot to Taipei $88 nett!!

Update 11 Jul: New round of promo fares to all destinations - $49 to Bangkok and $99 to Sydney, Gold Coast, Tianjin and Taipei. For travel dates, visit http://bit.ly/NSOOvi

Scoot to Taipei $88 ONE-WAY ALL-IN

Book now decide later!

Travel between Sept and March 2013

Schedule:
Sept 18 to Oct 27 - 3 flights weekly, Tue, Sat and Sun
Oct 28 onwards - Daily


SIN 0105 - TPE 0540
TPE 1540 - SIN 2010

Scoot launching Taipei on Monday

update 8 July : Scoot says its promo launch fares to Taipei will be  for travel till March 2013. I think we can assume its from October till March, including the December holidays.

Scoot has announced on their FB page that they're launching promo fares to Taipei on Monday 9 July.

But what about Tokyo? Perhaps it's a marketing tactic to separate the two launches to gain maximum publicity.

Stayed tuned for launch details on Monday. Start planning your trip now.

Nom Nom

They've recently their booking page to include more ancillary products such as pre-booking of meals, iPad rental and insurance.

By showing huge pictures of hot dishes, you can be sure those meals will be pre-booked like hot cakes.

At $16 for a hot dish, a drink and fruit cup, it's only $1 cheaper than purchasing onboard. If you find the hot dishes familiar, that's because Jetstar Asia also serves them. The hot meals are from the same supplier.

More information on inflight F&B here http://www.flyscoot.com/index.php/en/in-flight/food-beverage.html .

You can also view the entire very colourful PDF menu here http://www.flyscoot.com/images/Ref_PDFs/ancillaries/scoot_menu_resized.pdf .

Get ready for Taipei and Tokyo

Scoot should be launching ticket sales for its Taipei and Tokyo route either this week or next. If you need to plan, it's advisable to start now.

What we already know:

• The new route will start in October
• It's a daily service
• It will fly to Tokyo via Taipei, which means the entire journey will take at least 9 hrs - 4 hrs 35 min to TPE, followed by a 1 hr 15 min layover, then another 3 hr 10 min to NRT 

What we're anxious to know:

• The flight schedule
• Launch fares

A direct flight from Singapore to Tokyo takes between 7 hrs and 7 hrs 15 min.

Economy seats

Like Jetstar's Taipei - Osaka service, all connecting passengers will have to disembark and go through security screening again at Taipei airport.

Soya chicken rice 

But will you subject yourself to such inconvenience for a SG$300 nett return fare to Tokyo? To leisure travellers, I think the answer is a resounding yes.

So, are you ready to grab those dirt cheap launch fares?

Economy stretch seats

My guess is SG$68 to Taipei and SG$88 to Tokyo, one-way, all-in. 

12 inches - Bigger the Better?

New Economy screens

Do you see what I see?

Yes those are humongous IFE screens, 12.1 inches to be exact, with new control handsets beneath. 

Emirates have installed these on the Economy seats of their new B777s and new A380s from next year.

The current screens are just 10.9 inches, 0.3 more than other airlines'. 

Current Economy screens

Not only will IFE screens get bigger across all three classes, they will also feature HD resolution, with content increasing from 1200 to 1300 choices. A new interface system developed by Panasonic and Emirates will also make navigation easier.

New Business Class screens

New Business Class screens will increase to 20 inches, and First Class seats will feature 27-inch screens.

Emirates' ICE system is still the world's best inflight entertainment system, but the same cannot be said for its onboard service, which is often hit-or-miss, or at times simply unacceptable. 

Do note that the economy class layout on their B777-300ERs is 3-4-3 or 10 in a row, can be quite a squeeze if the flight is full. Other airlines using the same aircraft typically install only 9 seats or 3-3-3 per row.

Emirates B773ER's 3-4-3 layout 

While some continuously upgrade their IFE hardware, others like Cathay Pacific recently said it has plans to remove IFE systems to save one or two tonnes of weight per plane. Instead, it would install power sockets at every seat so passengers could plug in their tablets. 

Cathay Pacific's new Economy seats with 9-inch (only) screens

For LCCs like Scoot, this concept is a no-brainer. But for premium carriers such as Cathay, it seems odd that they are even considering scrimping on passenger experience and comfort, given the state of competition and yes, high fuel prices.

Emirates president Tim Rice once said airlines that don't offer IFE "are fools". 

Oh one disadvantage I foresee from the big screens is that, the flickering "light" from your neighbouring screens could be a nuisance if you're trying to sleep on an overnight flight. Then again there's always the complimentary eye-shade.