Scoot, a low-cost airline owned by Singapore Airlines, was established in 2011 and took to the air in 2012, making it a relatively young airline. Initially Scoot operated entirely in Asia, but is now expanding to offer more long and medium-haul flight options, though destinations are still limited.
I was initially drawn to Scoot when comparing flights for a recent trip to Europe. My plans came together at the last minute, on a very tight budget. I found that I could fly from Melbourne to Athens, via Singapore, for less that $1000 return. This was less than half the cost of some other competing airlines, and around $400 less than the next-cheapest option.
Had I looked at reviews before I bought my tickets, I might have been deterred. Of the 4174 reviews on TripAdvisor, just 741 people rated their experience as ‘excellent’, while 952 rated it as ‘terrible’. However, 1372 people rated their travel experience as ‘good’ and 776 said it was ‘average’. Overall, the airline received a three-star rating.
In comparison, Jetstar and Tigerair, both popular budget airlines, also received three-star ratings. AirAsia received three-and-a-half stars.
One thing I did notice when booking my tickets was that nothing but your seat is included in your ticket. If you want access to inflight entertainment, wifi, meals, snacks or even water you will have to pay extra. You must also pay extra to choose seats or receive more legroom. If you choose to add these extras, the price of your ticket quickly rises, yet likely stays cheaper than the next budget airline. Upon arriving at the gate, I was told that you aren’t allowed to bring your own food and drink onto the flight. One girl told me that last time she flew, a flight attendant asked her to put away her packed lunch and she was made to go hungry for the next seven hours or pay the hefty inflight food costs. I proceeded to scoff down eight hours’ worth of food and drink in preparation.
If you’re expecting first-class treatment, I recommend looking elsewhere, but if you are happy to squish in and save, then Scoot is great value for money. The aircrew were happy, professional and patient. All in all, I found Scoot clean, cheery and efficient. I would recommend flying Scoot to a friend.
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