Tag: australia

Flight Report: VIRGIN AUSTRALIA VA 943 – Sydney to Brisbane – Quick Interstate Hop to Australia’s River City [August 2023]

In August 2023, I flew to Australia with my parents for a week-long vacation and family visit. I toured them around Sydney for the first three days, and I brought them to my aunt (my dad’s sister) in Brisbane for the remainder of the trip.

I have been to both Sydney and Brisbane in 2018, so I will no longer write about our itineraries. I hope you can check out my posts about these previous trips here: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City, Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours, BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches, and BRISBANE Weekend.

I flew to Sydney from Manila with Singapore Airlines on board flight SQ 921 from Manila to Singapore and flight SQ 231 from Singapore to Sydney. I wrote about these two flights in my previous flight reports. I hope you can also check them out. After three days in Sydney, I, together with my parents, flew with Virgin Australia on their domestic service from Sydney to Brisbane on flight VA 943. I will share with you details about this quick interstate hop on this newest flight report feature.

Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia is an Australian-based airline founded by British businessman Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Group) and Australian businessman Brett Godfrey. Previously known as Virgin Blue, the airline commenced operations the following year as a low-cost carrier. The airline started growing its route network and market share after the collapse of Ansett Australia in 2001. It eventually became the country’s second-largest airline after the national carrier, Qantas. The airline went through a massive transformation in 2011, offered business class products, and changed its name to Virgin Australia.

In April 2020, Virgin Australia went into voluntary administration due to the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. A few months later, American private investment company Bain Capital agreed to take over the airline management and bring the airline back to the skies.

As of writing, Virgin Australia flies to over 30 domestic and international destinations using over 80 Boeing-only aircraft. It operates its Boeing 737 aircraft from its main hubs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane and its secondary hubs in Adelaide and Perth. The airline is not part of an airline alliance, but it has codeshare and interline agreements with many of the world’s carriers. It also has its own frequent flyer program called Velocity Frequent Flyer.

Virgin Australia is a semi-full-service carrier, like Air France. The airline provides inflight refreshments on their short domestic routes. It also offers a complimentary check-in baggage allowance, but it will depend on the purchased fare bundle: Lite, Choice, Flex, and Business. It also offers basic (lite) fares, which only include a 7-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance. Any additional services outside the fare bundles are available for purchase during initial booking or up to hours before the scheduled flight. The airline offers inflight entertainment via the passengers’ personal devices.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

I booked this ticket a little over 3 months before the intended flight date and paid 109 AUD per person ~ roughly ₱4,000 including foreign conversion service fees. I got the Choice fare option, which includes 7 kilograms of carry-on baggage, 23 kilograms of checked luggage, a complimentary standard seat, and the usual domestic onboard service.

Domestic airfares in Australia are, by nature, expensive. These fares only get cheap when flying basic (no add-ons), booked way in advance, or when offered during seasonal promotions. I flew with Virgin Australia on the same route back in 2019 and paid a higher fare for a basic fare bundle for a Saturday morning flight. I guess that is how domestic fares are in Australia.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service and a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Flying domestically in Australia only requires the usual identification document. As a tourist, I presented my passport and printed boarding pass at the bag-drop counter.

In case you missed it, I wrote about the steps on how to get an Australian tourist visa. I hope you can check out this quick guide.

Before The Flight

Virgin Australia sent five emails before this flight happened. 7 days before the flight, I got an email offering me to bid for a business class seat. Two days later, I got another email offering to upgrade my standard seat to an EconomyX seat for more legroom and priority boarding. I also got a reminder to purchase additional baggage allowances in case I need to.

3 days before the flight, I got the same upgrade bid offer email I got a week before the flight. 2 days before the flight, I got 2 emails from the airline: the first email reminding me about my flight, the ticket inclusions, airport procedures, and flight check-in reminder, and the second email solely explaining the online check-in to airport procedures. The contents of these two emails are pretty much the same, only with different email layouts and sending schedules.

Kudos to Virgin Australia for offering these add-ons and for keeping their upcoming passengers aware of everything about the upcoming flight.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Sydney-Brisbane Virgin Australia flight utilized a 5.8-year-old (at the time of the flight) Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft. The next generation aircraft, delivered to the airline in November 2017, has 8 business class seats in a 2-2 configuration and 168 economy class seats in the standard 3-3 layout.

The flight took off from Runway 34R/T6 of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport at 1:14 p.m., headed north, and landed at Brisbane Airport 5 minutes ahead of schedule at 2:25 p.m. This domestic flight only took 1 hour and 11 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

Virgin Australia’s domestic flights depart from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport Terminal 2.

CHECK-IN

Upon arrival at Sydney Airport Terminal 3, I went to the Virgin Australia check-in counters on the left side of the terminal building. I checked in for the flight using the self-service check-in kiosks and printed my boarding pass and luggage tag. After this, I went to the bag-drop counter and surrendered my check-in luggage.

This efficient check-in process only took me 10 minutes to finish. The ground staff at the bag drop counter was nice and friendly.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in and bag drop, I went through a security check and went to our assigned gate, Gate 38. I left my dad in the pre-departure area and went to the food court with my mom to get food for lunch. I, together with my mom, walked back to Gate 38, had our lunch there, and waited for boarding to start.

BOARDING

Boarding commenced at 12:33 p.m. The ground staff asked business class and priority passengers to board the aircraft first. Then, they asked the economy class passengers to board next. The crew asked passengers assigned to rows 1 to 14 to board using the jet bridge. They advised passengers with seat numbers 15 to 30 to board using the stairs at the back of the aircraft.

The boarding process only took 15 minutes. The airline crew closed the aircraft doors at 12:48 p.m. The aircraft was pushed back 11 minutes later, at 12:59 p.m. and taxied to the runway for take-off.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Sydney-Brisbane flight was operated by a Boeing 737-800 next-generation aircraft. This aircraft featured 8 recliner business class seats on a 2-2 layout and 168 regular economy class seats on a 3-3 configuration.

According to our friends at SeatGuru, each business class recliner seat has a seat pitch of 37 inches and a seat width of 19.5 inches. These seats have thicker and softer padding and adjustable head rests. They also feature portable entertainment systems, individual reading lights, overhead air vents, and power sockets.

On the other hand, each economy class seat has a seat pitch of 30 inches and a seat width of 17 inches. The seat also features leather seatback padding with adjustable headrests, a normal tray table, a seat pocket with a safety card and inflight connectivity card, an individual air vent, and a personal reading light. The economy class seat does not feature a personal entertainment screen.

I got window seat 17F for this short hop to Brisbane. I found the seat to be nice and comfortable for this 1.5-hour flight.

INFLIGHT SNACK SERVICE

Virgin Australia offered complimentary drink service on this flight to Brisbane. The cabin crew offered water, coffee, and tea to all passengers. They advised that snacks and other drink options are available for purchase and directed all passengers to check the inflight menu for these options.

Back in 2018, I remember Virgin Australia offering a complimentary granola snack and a drink of choice (coffee, tea, water, juice, or soda) on the same Sydney to Brisbane route. It was sad to see that they no longer offered the free snack on this short domestic flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

The airline offered inflight entertainment options to all passengers via the passengers’ personal screens. They made ‘Virgin Australia Entertainment’ available for free via the passengers’ personal devices. The entertainment options include movies, series, and a moving inflight map. All the passengers need to do to access this system is connect to the onboard Wi-Fi connection.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Virgin Australia offered a paid Wi-Fi service on this flight to Brisbane. They have two available flight Wi-Fi passes: a 30-minute pass for 9.75 AUD and a flight pass (for the entire flight duration) for 14.95 AUD.

I did not connect to the paid Wi-Fi service since it was only a short domestic flight. Also, I believe the rates seem to be on the high-end price tier compared to internet passes offered by other carriers.

LAVATORY

I did not visit the plane’s lavatory on this 1.5-hour flight from Sydney to Brisbane. I did not want to disturb my parents, who slept throughout the flight.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight was just alright. The crew did their job, assisted the passengers, and served snacks and drinks. Nothing more, nothing less.

Disembarkation & Luggage Claim

Disembarkation was quick, orderly, and efficient. The plane reached the assigned gate 10 minutes after landing. Business class passengers got off the plane first. Economy passengers deplaned row by row.

Luggage claim was also quick. We got our checked bags within 10 minutes from the time we got off the plane. Brisbane Airport’s domestic arrivals area is small and easy to navigate around.

Flight Experience

It was a usual flight with Virgin Australia. It was my second time flying the airline, but it was my first after it survived going under during the pandemic. I have noticed some changes in the service, but I think they are understandable given what happened a few years ago.

Some parts of the flying experience stood out to me. First, the airline’s check-in and bag drop processes were quick and efficient. It even included fast-track security. Second, Virgin Australia’s boarding process is fast and unique, given that the airline uses jet bridges. They board passengers from both the jet bridge and the rear door through the stairs.

Third, the airline notifies their passengers through the mobile application once their check-in luggage is loaded onto the aircraft. Fourth, the inflight entertainment option on personal devices is always a bonus in the age of low-cost flying. Lastly, the airline still provides complimentary on-board drinks (coffee, tea, or water) on short domestic flights like this to Brisbane.

This flight was not all good; it also had its misses. First, I noticed the reduction on inflight snack service. The airline removed the complimentary snack (granola bar) and other drink options such as soda and fruit juices which they served back in 2018.

Second, the inflight Wi-fi prices are expensive. Other airlines, like Emirates, offer Wi-Fi access at cheaper prices, while Singapore Airlines offers it for free to all Krisflyer members. Lastly, the airline sent a lot of pre-flight reminders and offers. I received five promotional emails within 7 days. I believe that is too much. These promotional offers and emails are fine if they are not sent this often.

Nevertheless, I still had a nice flight with Virgin Australia. I will still consider them for my future flights within Australia, especially when their competitor offers more expensive flights.

Here are some details of this flight:

Airline: Virgin Australia
Flight Date: 30 August 2023
Flight Number: VA 943
Route: Sydney, Australia (SYD) to Brisbane, Australia (SYD)
Duration: 1 hour & 11 minutes
Seat Number: 17F
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 Next Generation
Aircraft Registration: VH-YWD
Engines: 2 x CFM International Engines
Age: 5.8-years-old
Delivered: November 2017

Have you flown Virgin Australia recently? How was your experience? Will you fly them again soon or by any chance have questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to share your ground and flight experiences or post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope you can check out my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Philippine Airlines. I hope you also look forward to more flight reports in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 231 – Singapore to Sydney – Exceptional Overnight Airbus A380 Superjumbo Flight to Land Down Under [August 2023]

In August 2023, I flew to Australia with my parents for a week-long vacation and family visit. I toured them around Sydney for three days and then took them to my aunt in Brisbane for the remainder of the trip.

I have been to both Sydney and Brisbane in 2018, and I have written about my previous trips to these cities. I hope you can check out the following: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City, Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours, BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches, and BRISBANE Weekend.

My parents and I flew with Singapore Airlines on our flights to and from Australia. We flew from Manila to Sydney via Singapore and back to Manila from Brisbane via Singapore. Previously, I shared with you details about our almost-perfect first flight to Singapore on flight SQ 921 – check out the flight report here. Today, I will share with you details about our exceptional SQ 231 flight from Singapore to Sydney onboard Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380 superjumbo.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s national carrier. This award-winning world-class airline is based at one of the world’s best airports, Singapore Changi Airport. The airline started as Malayan Airways in 1947; it then rebranded, and commenced operations as Singapore Airlines in 1972. The airline has been a top contributor in terms of the world’s revenue passenger kilometers and the number of international passengers carried worldwide.

The airline currently flies to over 70 destinations in more than 30 countries across five continents. Singapore Airlines is one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot. The airline’s previous regional subsidiary, Silk Air, has been incorporated into SQ’s operations as of March 2021.

Singapore Airline flies a modern aircraft fleet consisting of the Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 Max, and Boeing 737-800 NG. The airline is the world’s largest Airbus A350-900 operator, with 63 currently in service and two more on order. 7 of the 65 Airbus A350’s in service have the ultra-long range (ULR) premium (only business and premium economy class) configuration. These ULRs are mostly used on North American routes.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. It means that every flight includes all the necessary in-flight amenities and services you can think of. All SQ tickets include free check-in baggage, meals, and in-flight entertainment. The airline has a frequent flyer program called KrisFlyer & PPS Club. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance, one of the world’s biggest airline alliance networks.

Singapore Airlines is not a new airline on this website. In fact, it is the second-most-reviewed airline after Cebu Pacific Air.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

As mentioned in my previous SQ 921 Manila to Singapore flight report, this four-sector ticket from Manila to Sydney and Brisbane to Manila only costs $497 (US dollars) per person. This return ticket was booked five months before the intended flight schedule. It includes a 25-kilogram check-in baggage allowance, a 7-kilogram carry-on allowance, inflight meals and snacks, personal entertainment screens on all flights, and a 5-star flight experience with a well-trained cabin crew.

I booked our ticket directly with the airline using my credit card and paid $1,491 (US dollars) for three people. I got charged ₱83,537.75 for all three tickets, including foreign transaction service fees. This translates to only ₱27,845.92 per person. Considering when the ticket was booked against the intended flight schedule, this ticket was definitely a steal. It already has everything a passenger needs on a long-haul flight, from food to amenities to entertainment. The other airline competitors offered way more expensive ticket prices at the time of booking for our planned August schedule.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service and a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Regular Philippine passport holders going to Australia for holidays need to obtain a tourist visa prior to the scheduled flight. I applied for my visa back in January last year, and I was approved for a multiple-entry visa valid for one year. I helped my parents obtain their visas, and I was pleased to see they were granted the same validity as mine.

In case you missed it, I wrote about the steps on how to get an Australian tourist visa. I hope you can check out this quick guide.

Before The Flight

Unlike my previous Singapore Airlines flights, I did not receive an upgrade offer for the Manila to Singapore and Singapore to Sydney sectors. I only got a mobile check-in reminder on the airline’s mobile application exactly 48 hours before the Manila to Singapore SQ 921 flight.

Upon getting the check-in reminder, I immediately chose our seat for both Manila to Singapore and this Singapore to Sydney sector and checked-in for both flights. The airline offers complimentary seat selection during mobile or web check-in.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Singapore-Sydney SQ flight was operated by an 11.9-year-old (at the time of flight) Airbus A380-841 aircraft. This superjumbo, delivered to the airline in April 2012, features all four airline classes with 6 enclosed first class suites, 78 lie-flat business class seats, 44 premium economy class seats, and 343 regular economy class seats.

SQ 231 took off from Singapore Changi Airport at 1:18 a.m. and landed at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (or Sydney International Airport) at 10:21 a.m. local time. The 6,546-kilometer journey took 7 hours and 3 minutes, shorter than the 7 hours and 40 minutes declared flight time.

Ground & Airport Experience

This Singapore-Sydney flight on SQ 231 is a continuation of my Manila-Singapore SQ 921 flight. I checked-in on this flight back in Manila and only stayed airside at Singapore Changi Airport. I did not clear immigration and customs in Singapore.

SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT TRANSIT EXPERIENCE

Transit at Singapore Changi Airport is back to how it used to be before the pandemic. Passengers can transit through the airport, provided both flights (to and from Singapore) are under the same ticket or itinerary. The passenger’s bags should have been tagged from the airport of origin to the final country or airport of destination.

I already checked in for this Singapore-Sydney flight in Manila. Upon arrival at Changi Airport Terminal 3, Gate A5, I got off the plane and leisurely walked to our assigned gate, Gate B2, on the same terminal. The transit experience was quick and hassle-free.

PRE-DEPARTURE

Singapore Changi Airport is one of the few airports in the world where final security checks are conducted before entering the flight’s assigned boarding gates. Depending on size of the flight, the boarding gates open 1 to 2 hours before the scheduled time of departure.

At 11:10 p.m., I was told by the ground staff that Gate B2 is now open for passengers flying to Sydney. I submitted myself for a final security check. Afterwards, I secured a comfortable seat in the spacious Gate B2 pre-departure area while I waited for the flight boarding announcement.

BOARDING

The ground staff announced boarding commencement at 12:03 a.m. They first called passengers traveling with infants and those needing special assistance. The ground staff then announced boarding for first class passengers, then for business class passengers and PPS Club members. They called in Star Alliance Gold and Krisflyer Elite members, then followed by premium economy class passengers.

The local staff called the economy class passengers last. They asked these passengers to board according to their assigned groups. The whole boarding process only took 37 minutes.

The airline crew closed the aircraft doors at exactly 12:40 a.m. The aircraft pushed back 13 minutes later, at 12:53 a.m. and taxied to the runway for take-off.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Singapore-Sydney flight by Singapore Airlines was operated by an Airbus A380-841 superjumbo aircraft. The plane has the newer 4-class configuration with 6 enclosed first class suites, 78 lie-flat business class seats, 44 angle-flat premium economy class seats, and 343 regular economy class seats.

Each enclosed first class suite features a reclinable leather seat, a single bed (which can be turned into a double bed with the adjacent suite), a 32-inch high-definition monitor, Bang and Olufsen noise-canceling headphones, premium dining, and a whole lot more. According to SeatGuru, the reclinable first class seat has a seat pitch of 81 inches and a seat width of 35 inches. It is an ultra-premium, multi-awarded luxury suite; it is one of the best in the market.

The business lie-flat seats have a seat pitch of 55 inches and a seat width of 30 inches. The business class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, with each seat having direct aisle access. All business class seats in the A380 are equipped with 18 inches of personal entertainment screen paired with noise-canceling headphones. Each seat also includes a pillow, a blanket, several storage spaces, an amenity kit, and a large tray table. Both the first class and business class cabins are on the upper deck of this Airbus A380.

The premium economy class seats feature a seat pitch of 38 inches and a seat width of 19.5 inches. These seats are arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration in the forward lower deck cabin of the Airbus A380. Each seat features a generous angle-flat recline, a 13.3-inch entertainment screen, a personal reading light, 2 USB ports, a universal power outlet, and an adjustable headrest. All seats also come with a pillow, a blanket, and a noise-canceling headphone.

Economy class seats in the Airbus A380 have a seat pitch of 32 inches and a seat width of 19 inches. The seats are arranged in a 3-4-3 configuration. Each seat comes with a spacious leg room, an adjustable headrest, and a personal entertainment screen. Seats also feature a seat pocket with inflight safety cards, a foldable tray table with mirror, a coat hook, small storage space below the screen, a foldable cup holder, a USB charging outlet, a comfortable pillow, a blanket, and two universal power outlets in between seats. Other amenities such as eye mask and disinfectant wipes are available upon request. These economy seats are identical to those on some of the airlines’ Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft.

I got window seat 72K in the rear economy cabin for this 7-hour flight down to Sydney. I loved how everything was spacious in the Airbus A380. The only thing I did not like was the entertainment box found under seats A and K. I had a hard time stretching my legs because of this entertainment box.

INFLIGHT MEALS

Singapore Airlines served midnight refreshments and breakfast on this Singapore-Sydney flight. The snack, meal, and drink options can be found in the airline’s inflight portal, Krisworld. The airline got rid of physical menus during the pandemic.

30 minutes after take-off, the cabin crew started serving the midnight refreshments. The crew gave out the only snack option, a margherita pizza bar, and a drink of choice (coffee, tea, juice, water, etc.) to passengers who were keen on a snack. I got one and paired it with a glass of orange juice. I found the pizza bar too hot and the pizza crust too hard; I was not able to finish the snack.

2 hours and 30 minutes before landing, the crew started the breakfast service. They offered the popular SQ dish, nasi lemak, and an omelette with sausage for breakfast main courses. This came with a bowl of fruits, a small yogurt snack, a bread roll with butter, a bottle of water, and a drink of choice – coffee, tea, wine, beer, soft drinks, water, or juice. After giving out meals to all passengers, the crew went around to offer a second round of drinks and gave out coffee, tea, and water to those who wanted.

I got the signature Nasi Lemak dish with a glass of orange juice. Now, I understand why this nasi lemak main course is popular. I found the dish to be tasty and flavorful. The meal portions were alright; I did not get hungry until at least after Sydney lunchtime. I like that the airline still uses metal cutlery and reusable food containers for their medium to long-haul flights. I admire the environment-friendly initiative. I just hope they find a more environment-friendly alternative for the disposable drinking cups.

Overall, it was a pleasant meal experience. I will choose the Nasi Lemak option again when it is available.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system, Krisworld, offers thousands of options for passengers to choose from. It has hundreds of movies, television series, and music albums from different parts of the world. It also has games and local Singaporean media for passengers to enjoy. It also features an inflight map, which shows the plane’s current position, its flight path, and other flight-related details. All these entertainment options can be accessed via the touch-screen personal monitors found in front of every seat.

The personal entertainment system on seat 72K was quick and easy to navigate. Krisworld gives frequent flyers the option to personalize their experience. The system asks for the passenger’s KrisFlyer membership number and then shows the passenger’s favorites or the last song, movie, or television show he or she watched or left unfinished. I hope the airline also installs cameras on their aircraft, which passengers can view during the flight.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

In July 2023, Singapore Airlines started offering complimentary, unlimited onboard Wi-Fi access on all its flights except those operated by Boeing 737-800s. Passengers are required to log in using their Krisflyer accounts to use the onboard Wi-Fi service. Those not registered with Krisflyer can register during the flight to access the said service.

The complimentary Wi-Fi service worked on this Airbus A380 flight from Singapore to Sydney. The connection was decent; it allowed me to browse the internet and connect with friends and families while on the flight. Kudos to Singapore Airlines for giving this service complimentary to all Krisflyer members.

LAVATORY

The lavatory on the Airbus A380 is spacious compared to those in the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. It contained the same amenities available on our Manila-Singapore SQ 921 flight. It was maintained well and kept clean during this 7-hour flight to Sydney.

Cabin Crew Service

I only had minimal interactions with the crew, given that I feel asleep for a few hours on the flight. I even forgot to ask for a glass of Singapore Sling because I was so tired and sleepy. Well, the crew did its job. They welcomed us to the flight, served both pizza snacks and breakfast meals, and wished us a lovely stay in Sydney during disembarkation. During the flight, they also went around and offered drinks to those who wanted.

Disembarkation & Luggage Claim

Upon arrival in Sydney, all personal entertainment screens flashed a note from the airline saying, “We hope you had a pleasant journey.” It also showed a reminder to the passengers to take their personal belongings with them when leaving the aircraft. The mobile application also had a notification saying that our luggage could be claimed at Belt 5.

Disembarkation took some time due to passenger volume. We were one of the last ones to leave, and we got out of the plane 20 minutes after the airline parked at the assigned gate. We passed by immigration and claimed our luggage at Belt 5.

Flight Experience

It was an exceptional flight with Singapore Airlines on SQ 231 from Singapore to Sydney. It may not be a perfect one, but it surely had its hits and misses. Let us start with the hits.

First, the US$497 return ticket from Manila to Sydney via Singapore and Brisbane to Manila via Singapore is cheap. The ticket included carry-on and check-in baggage, inflight amenities, and superb service on modern aircraft. Second, the transit experience at Singapore Changi Airport was easy, smooth, and quick. The airport facilities were exceptional; I had nothing more to ask for.

Third, this flight was operated by an Airbus A380-841. Like my Dubai to Paris CDG Emirates flight, flying the A380 superjumbo is always a delightful experience. There is so much space inside the economy class cabin. Fourth, the seats on the Singapore Airlines A380 were spacious and comfortable. I do not mind flying the A380 for 12 to 15 hours.

Fifth, I admire Singapore Airlines’ product consistency across their fleet. The seats are almost identical across various aircraft types, the entertainment system is the same for the whole fleet, and the flying experience is exceptional regardless of the aircraft used. Lastly, the complimentary Wi-Fi service on this flight worked well. It was the total opposite of how the service did not work on my Manila to Singapore SQ 921 flight.

This flight was not all good. It also had its misses. First, the breakfast catering was superb, but the midnight refreshments after takeoff were underwhelming. We only had one option: the pizza bar, which was too hard to eat. Emirates, who even have shorter flight times between Dubai and Europe (EK 073 DXB-CDG and EK 256 BCN-DXB as examples), provide two tasty pastries for refreshments.

Second, the entertainment box found under the K seats hinders the spacious A380 legroom. I found it difficult to stretch my legs because of the entertainment box. It was a minor inconvenience, but it still affected the flying experience. I hope modern entertainment systems do not need these boxes anymore.

Lastly, Singapore Airlines can learn from its competitors flying the same aircraft type by installing cameras for passengers to enjoy. These cameras are good add-ons to the entertainment system.

Nevertheless, it was still a memorable flight with Singapore Airlines on this Singapore-Sydney route. It has been a pleasure flying the superjumbo. I cannot wait to fly the airline and the superjumbo again in the future. I do not have anything booked yet, but I have plans.

Allow me to share with you some of the geeky details of this flight:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 27 August 2023
Flight Number: SQ231
Route: Singapore (SIN) to Sydney, Australia (SYD)
Duration: 7 hours and 3 minutes
Seat Number: 72K
Aircraft: Airbus A380-841
Aircraft Registration: 9V-SKQ
Engines: 4 x Rolls-Royce Trent 970
Age: 11.9-years-old
Delivered: April 2012

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope I gave you a comprehensive review of how it is flying with Singapore Airlines on their Airbus A380 aircraft to Sydney.

Have you flown with Singapore Airlines or on the Airbus A380? How was your flight experience? Are you looking to book a ticket with the airline soon? If yes, let me know if you have questions so I can respond to them. post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

I hope you can check out my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines and other airlines like Emirates, EVA Air, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Philippine Airlines. I hope you also look forward to more flight reports in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 921 – Manila to Singapore – Almost-Perfect Intraregional Flight Under 3 Hours [August 2023]

A few months ago, I flew to Australia for over a week. I brought my parents to Sydney and Brisbane for some long-overdue family time. I walked them around Sydney for 3 full days and took them to my aunt (my dad’s sister) for the rest of the trip.

I have been to both Sydney and Brisbane in 2018, and I have written about my previous trips to these cities. I hope you can check out the following: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City, Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours, BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches, and BRISBANE Weekend.

My parents and I flew with Singapore Airlines on our way to and from Australia. We flew from Manila to Sydney via Singapore and left the country from Brisbane to Manila via Singapore. Our first Singapore Airlines flight, SQ 921, from Manila to Singapore will be today’s flight report feature. Allow me to share with you how this supposed-to-be delayed flight turned into an almost-perfect one.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s national carrier. This award-winning world-class airline is based at one of the world’s best airports, Singapore Changi Airport. The airline started as Malayan Airways in 1947; it then rebranded, and commenced operations as Singapore Airlines in 1972. The airline has been a top contributor in terms of the world’s revenue passenger kilometers and the number of international passengers carried worldwide.

The airline currently flies to over 70 destinations in more than 30 countries across five continents. Singapore Airlines is one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot. The airline’s previous regional subsidiary, Silk Air, has been incorporated into SQ’s operations as of March 2021.

Singapore Airline flies a modern aircraft fleet consisting of the Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 Max, and Boeing 737-800 NG. The airline is the world’s largest Airbus A350-900 operator, with 63 currently in service and two more on order. 7 of the 65 Airbus A350’s in service have the ultra-long range (ULR) premium (only business and premium economy class) configuration. These ULRs are mostly used on North American routes.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. It means that every flight includes all the necessary in-flight amenities and services you can think of. All SQ tickets include free check-in baggage, meals, and in-flight entertainment. The airline has a frequent flyer program called KrisFlyer & PPS Club. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance, one of the world’s biggest airline alliance networks.

Singapore Airlines is not a new airline on this website. In fact, it is the second-most-reviewed airline after Cebu Pacific Air.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

This SQ 921 flight is part of a four-sector ticket from Manila to Australia and back on Singapore Airlines. The return ticket, booked 5 months before the intended flight date, only cost $497 (US dollars) per person. This return ticket includes a 25-kilogram check-in baggage allowance, a 7-kilogram carry-on allowance, inflight meals and snacks, personal entertainment screens on all flights, and a 5-star flight experience with a well-trained and passionate cabin crew.

I booked our ticket directly with the airline using my credit card and paid $1,491 (US dollars) for three people. I got charged ₱83,537.75 for all three tickets, including foreign transaction service fees. This translates to only ₱27,845.92 per person. Considering when the ticket was booked against the intended flight schedule, this ticket was definitely a steal. It already has everything a passenger needs on a long-haul flight, from food to amenities to entertainment. The other airline competitors offered way more expensive ticket prices at the time of booking for our planned August schedule.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service and a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Regular Philippine passport holders are required to get a visa to enter Australia. I applied for my visa back in January last year, and I was approved for a multiple-entry visa valid for one year. I helped my parents obtain their visas, and I was pleased to see they were granted the same validity as mine.

All departing passengers from Manila are required to fill out the details and obtain a QR code from the eTravel website. The QR codes are scanned by the immigration officers on the day of the trip.

In case you missed it, I wrote about the steps on how to get an Australian tourist visa. I hope you can check out this quick guide.

Before The Flight

Unlike previous Singapore Airlines flights, I did not receive any premium economy or business class upgrade offers for this SQ 921 flight. I only got a flight check-in reminder on the airline’s mobile application 48 hours before this flight.

Upon getting the said check-in notification, I immediately chose our seats for both Manila to Singapore and Singapore to Sydney flights and checked-in for both flights. Singapore Airlines allows its passengers to choose their seats for free during mobile or web check-in.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Manila-Singapore SQ flight was operated by a 4.6-year-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A350-900 aircraft. This plane, delivered in February 2019, features the airline’s regional configuration with 40 lie-flat business class seats and 263 economy class seats.

Flight SQ 921 took off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport about 45 minutes late at 7:17 p.m. and landed at Singapore Changi Airport 13 minutes ahead of time at 10:07 p.m. The flight only took 2 hours and 50 minutes, an hour shorter than its declared flight time.

Ground & Airport Experience

Singapore Airlines flights depart from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

CHECK-IN

Singapore Airlines check-in counters at NAIA Terminal 3 open three hours before the flight. The well-manned counters opened earlier than usual, at 2:55 p.m. and were divided into the following: Business Class, Regular Economy Class, Internet Check-In Economy Class, and Special Assistance.

I was traveling with two senior citizens, so I accompanied them to the special assistance check-in line. I noticed that this line moved slowly (20 minutes in line), and I asked them to join me in the internet check-in line.

We were immediately entertained at the internet check-in counters, and we finished our check-in process in about 5 minutes. We checked in our bags all the way to Sydney, Australia.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, my parents and I cleared immigration and security and spent some time at Marhaba Lounge. I used my Security Bank Platinum Mastercard (not sponsored) to access the lounge and to bring in my father using the yearly complimentary passes.

We stayed in the lounge for a few hours, stuffed ourselves with food and drinks, and waited for boarding. A few minutes before the scheduled boarding time, we left the lounge and walked towards Gate 108.

BOARDING

We reached Gate 108 before 6:00 p.m. and noticed that boarding has not started. The pre-departure area was chaotic and did not have the usual by-group segregation by Singapore Airlines. The pre-boarding preparations were announced at 6:25 p.m. Five minutes later, the formal boarding process started.

Business class passengers and PPS Club passengers boarded the plane first. Krisflyer Elite and Star Alliance Gold members came next. Economy class passengers boarded the plane by seat numbers. Those seated at the back (group 4) boarded the plane first. Groups 5 and 6 economy class passengers eventually boarded the plane.

The entire boarding process only took 21 minutes. The aircraft doors were closed at 6:51 p.m. The plane pushed back after three minutes at 6:54 p.m.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Manila-Singapore flight was operated by one of Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The plane sports the regional seat configuration with 40 lie-flat business class seats and 263 standard economy seats. According to SeatGuru, each business class seat has a 60-inch seat pitch and a 28-inch seat width. The seats have a 1-2-1 configuration, with each seat having direct aisle access. All business class seats are equipped with a large personal entertainment screen paired with noise-canceling headphones. Each seat also includes a pillow, a blanket, several storage spaces, and a large tray table.

Economy class seats have a seat pitch of 28 inches and a seat width of 18 inches, slightly bigger than the Boeing 787-10’s 17.5-inch seat width. Each seat comes with a spacious leg room, an adjustable headrest, and a personal entertainment screen. Seats also feature a seat pocket with inflight safety cards, a foldable tray table with mirror, a coat hook, small storage space below the screen, a foldable cup holder, a USB charging outlet, a comfortable pillow, and a universal power outlet in between seats. Blankets, face masks, and disinfectant surface wipes are available upon request.

The seats on this Airbus A350 aircraft are complete and comfortable enough for a short-haul international flight. It has more than what a normal economy class passenger needs for a 3-hour flight.

INFLIGHT MEALS

Singapore Airlines served complimentary hot meals on this 3-hour flight. The airline has let go of physical menu cards and have incorporated them in the inflight entertainment system and in the onboard connectivity service. The airline has also brought back the appetizer which went missing during the pandemic.

Passengers had the option to choose between creamy tuna pesto pasta and chicken rice as the main course. The main dish came with a mixed seafood salad, a bread roll and butter, coffee jelly with tapioca, a cup of water, and another drink of choice – coffee, tea, wine, beer, soft drinks, water, or juice. The crew went around again to offer a second round of drinks and offered water, coffee, and tea to those who wanted them.

I went for the chicken rice meal with a glass of apple juice and enjoyed it. The chicken was soft; it tasted good. The food portions were just right, enough to make me full during the flight. I admire the airline for using metal cutlery and recyclable food containers during meal service. It helps a lot in eliminating solid waste; it is environment-friendly. I hope they can find a sustainable alternative to plastic cups.

An hour after the dinner service, I requested for the airline’s signature cocktail, the Singapore Sling. The crew came back and gave me two Singapore Slings and two packs of peas and crackers. This Singapore Sling drink is already a staple every time I fly with the airline.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Krisworld, Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system, offers thousands of options to choose from. They have hundreds of movies and TV shows to watch, thousands of songs to listen to, games to play, and a few local media pieces to check out. All these options can be accessed via the touch-screen personal entertainment screens found in front of every seat. The touch-screen screens were responsive and easy to navigate. It also showed the flight path and even details of onward connecting flights. The provided earphones were alright. They are not noise-canceling, but they did their job.

Krisworld also gives frequent flyers the option to personalize their experience. The system asks for the passenger’s KrisFlyer membership number and then shows the passenger’s favorites or the last song, movie, or television show he or she watched or left unfinished. I hope Singapore Airlines installs cameras in their A350’s that passengers can access and view during flights.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Since July 2023, Singapore Airlines has offered complimentary unlimited onboard Wi-Fi access on all its flights except those operated by Boeing 737-800s. Passengers are required to log in using their Krisflyer accounts to use the onboard Wi-Fi service. Those not registered with Krisflyer can register during the flight to access the said service.

Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi service on this flight did not work. I tried to connect multiple times, but I always got no internet in my mobile browser.

LAVATORY

The lavatory on this Airbus A350-900 aircraft was clean throughout the flight. It had additional amenities such as paper cups, dental kits, and moisturizing hand lotion. The sink had cold and warm water and had hand soap and tissue beside it.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight was excellent. From the time we entered the aircraft, to the meal service, and until disembarkation, the cabin crew served us with their biggest smiles. The crew had to pause the dinner service due to turbulence, and the crew apologized for the delay. Several members of the flight crew went around the cabin throughout the flight and attended to every passenger’s requests. They even went around and offered glasses of water to those who wanted them.

The assigned crew on this flight showed true Singaporean hospitality. They made sure that passengers had an enjoyable flight onboard Singapore Airlines. Their top-notch service made the flying experience a lot better.

Disembarkation

Before arriving in Singapore, the airline displayed on the inflight screen the list of flights and assigned boarding gates for passengers with connecting flights. The airline also indicated the assigned luggage belt for those who need to get their bags to Singapore. They also had the same announcement in the mobile application.

Upon arrival in Singapore, all passengers disembarked in an orderly manner. The business class and forward economy class passengers went out first. The middle and rear economy class passengers followed.

Flight Experience

It was an almost-perfect flying experience with Singapore Airlines on this SQ 921 flight from Manila to Singapore. It could have been a perfect mark if only everything went right during boarding and onboard. The onboard product is indeed one of the world’s best, especially on the modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Let me share with you the hits and misses of this short hop to Singapore.

The first and probably biggest win of this flight is its cheap return tickets. My parents and I got the return Manila-Australia-Manila tickets for only US$497 each, or around 28,000 PHP. The tickets included carry-on and check-in baggage, inflight amenities, and superb service on an Airbus A350. Second, the Manila-Singapore legs utilize modern Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft. The A350 we used on this flight had modern cabin features, state-of-the-art inflight entertainment systems, and comfortable seats.

Third, Singapore Airlines onboard hard and soft products are exceptional. The entertainment system had thousands of choices, and the onboard meals and snacks were great. The airline has brought back the appetizers to the meals. Fourth, the cabin crew service on this flight was warm, hospitable, and world-class. Lastly, the airline’s sustainability efforts are worth commending. The airline uses metal cutlery, reusable food containers, and has removed physical menus.

The flight also had its misses. First, the ground staff did not make any announcements regarding delayed boarding. They announced that the flight from Singapore has arrived, and that is it. It would have been ideal if the passengers were informed that there would be delays in boarding. Despite this delay, the flight still managed to touch down in Singapore ahead of schedule. Acceptable.

Second, the onboard Wi-Fi did not work during the entire flight. Bummer. Lastly, I hope the airline can find sustainable alternatives for the plastic cups used on this flight. There were over a hundred plastic cups used on this flight alone. Changing these cups to environment-friendly options is ideal.

Despite these misses, I still had an enjoyable and almost-perfect flight to Singapore with Singapore Airlines. I was happy to introduce and let my parents experience the airline’s world-class and 5-star service for such an affordable fare. Will I fly them again? Definitely. I am already excited for my next flight with the airline, even if I do not have anything booked as of this writing.

Here are some of the aircraft and flight details about this quick hop to Singapore:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 26 August 2023
Flight Number: SQ921
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Singapore (SIN)
Duration: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Seat Number: 63K
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Aircraft Registration: 9V-SHC
Engines: 2 x Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
Age: 4.6-years-old
Delivered: February 2019

Have you flown Singapore Airlines recently? How was your experience? Will you fly them again soon or by any chance have questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to share your ground and flight experiences or post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report! Watch out for my onward flight from Singapore to Sydney also on Singapore Airlines. In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here.

Before you go, I hope you can like and follow my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

2019 Rewind: Crossing Borders & Making Dreams Come True

Another year of travels is coming to an end. Those of you following me since 2016 know that I always post a year-end blog detailing what happened to me & where I went in that specific year. 2016 was all about travelling solo, exploring places by myself; 2017 was exploring relatively known & unknown places & 2018 was all about reuniting & travelling with friends. 2019 is a mix of all 3 years of recaps. I went & explored places by myself, I flew & took trains to both & unknown places & I had a few trips with my friends. I can say 2019 is my best year yet for travelling – I’ve crossed many borders & made my long-time dreams come true.

Allow me to share with you details of my 2019 in terms of trips taken. I will also give insights of the interesting content developments here in my website.

trips recap ✈️

SORSOGON 🇵🇭

I started off the year with a day trip to the beaches of Matnog, Sorsogon. I didn’t post about this day trip in this website but I believe it’s worth sharing here. My cousins from Australia welcomed the new year in our hometown. Days after the new year, we took them to the islands of Subic, Matnog in Sorsogon. We first went fish feeding in a sanctuary then continued to Subic Beach. It was a fun day spent with cousins in the beach.

JAPAN 🇯🇵

Back in February, I flew to my favorite Japan for 9 days. My supposed-to-be trip to Nagano, Kanazawa & Toyama turned into a family trip around Tokyo & Kansai Region (Osaka, Nara & Kyoto). I flew with them to Tokyo then took a side trip to Nagano then met my sisters in Osaka afterwards. It was a delight seeing the snow monkeys in Nagano & spending some alone time in a very cold & snowy place in Japan. I then flew to Fukuoka to spend a day around the city before catching my flight back to Manila. I may not have been to Kanazawa & Toyama in this trip but I’ll make sure to go next time.

I didn’t post much about this but I went to Japan again a few months ago. My friend & I decided to surprise another friend in her flight to Fukuoka & to ruin her first ever solo trip. We spent 48 hours around Fukuoka, Japan, went to pretty interesting places, savored every Japanese meal & drowned ourselves with the Lipton milk tea drink.

Blog List:
Japan Highlights 2019: TOKYO – 36 Hours In The Land Of The Rising Sun’s Most Famous Metropolis
Japan Highlights 2019: NAGANO – 48 Hours In The Inland Prefecture Of The Snow Monkeys
Japan Highlights 2019: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN – A Theme Park That Brings You Back To Being A ‘Kid’ Just For A Day
Japan Highlights 2019: KYOTO – Japan’s Ancient Capital In One Day
Japan Highlights 2019: NARA – A Morning Visit To The Deer Park
Japan Highlights 2019: MATSUMOTO & FUKUOKA Stopovers

BACOLOD 🇵🇭

Office friends & I went on a spontaneous Bacolod weekend trip last February. We flew to the city & went to the famous Ruins then had chicken inasal for dinner in Manukan Country. We then went to the town of Don Salvador Benedicto to check out Negros’ Little Baguio. After a few hours around the mountains, we went back to the city & decided to just eat out until we flew back to Manila.

Blog: Spontaneous BACOLOD Weekend: 48 Hours In The City of Smiles

MELBOURNE 🇦🇺

I flew to Melbourne, Australia with Leng & Shane (from Sydney 2018 trip) during the Holy Week break last April. I spent 8 days around the city & the nearby suburbs. We also went to the Brighton Bathing Boxes, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Country. My friend Lord, who I was with on It’s The Ship 2018, joined us on our first few days in Melbourne.

We didn’t make out Melbourne itinerary that busy compared to our Sydney one. We just enjoyed our time there, strolling around the beautiful city, trying out different cuisines & hoarding every single interesting item in the supermarkets.

Blog List:
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 1 – Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 2 – Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas
N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb
N9 in Straya Series: GREAT OCEAN ROAD – A Day Trip To The World’s Largest War Memorial
N9 In Straya Series: PHILLIP ISLAND – A Perfect Day Out With Nature & Australian Wildlife
N9 In Straya Series: PUFFING BILLY RAILWAY & YARRA VALLEY WINE TOUR – Victoria’s Heritage Steam Railway & Wine Region In A Day

TAIWAN 🇹🇼

It’s been years since our last family trip to Singapore. My parents decided to bring the family to Taiwan for the Fathers’ Day weekend. We went to the city of Taichung on our first day as per my sister’s request. She wanted to see the flower farms in Taichung plus take nice photos with the family. We then went around the city on Fathers’ Day – went to church, strolled around Daan Park, ate at Din Tai Fung, hiked the Elephant Hill & walked around Raohe Night Market.

On our third day, we took the Klook guided tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street & Shifen then finished the day around Ximending. We spent our fourth day in Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, Liberty Square & in the airport for our flight back to Manila. I met with my good friend Richard, whom I knew in Komodo, Indonesia in 2018, for a few nights in Taipei. He was also in the city waiting for his flight back to Europe. It was fun catching up with this man over food & drinks!

Blog List:
TAIWAN All Over Again – Family Long Weekend In Taipei
TAICHUNG Photo Blog: Picturesque Places Outside Taipei
YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN Klook Tour – Perfect & Hassle-Free Taiwan Northeast Coast Day Tour

YOGYAKARTA 🇮🇩

One spontaneous trip I took this year was that to Yogyakarta. I saw a piso-fare ticket to Jakarta last June for an August trip & decided to buy that ticket. I contacted Yudi, a friend I met on Its the Ship 2018 who is now based somewhere in Indonesia. We then agreed to meet in Yogyakarta & volunteered to take me around.

Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, who joined me in Melbourne last April, decided to join me a week before the trip. We then met with Yudi & his friend Dallin in Yogyakarta & we went around the city. We went to different temples (Borobudur, Prambanan, Taman Sari) & also took the lava trail tour in Mount Merapi. We ate in different local restaurants & tried several local dishes. We spent most of our time in Yogyakarta in the road, in restaurants & in our hotel. It was a relaxing trip; not the usual busy one. It’s nice to step back for a while & just enjoy chilling.

Blog: The Wonderful Indonesia Series: YOGYAKARTA – A Relaxing Weekend In Indonesia’s Special Monarchy Region

BORACAY 🇵🇭

My buddy Rick & I flew to Boracay last September to surprise our high school friends having their holiday in the island. They didn’t know that we were coming so we decided to show up on the afternoon of their 2nd day, right after arriving in the island. We ate in nice restaurants, walked along the shore, swam on the beach & spent some quality time with the group.

Rick & I stayed for 2 more days in the island & just spent most of the time relaxing, eating, walking & drinking. I didn’t expect this September trip to have its 2nd part after the Bohol weekend in 2018 but I hope there will be a 3rd installment in 2020, 4th installment in 2021 until this becomes a regular trip with them. By the way, I didn’t join my family in Hong Kong to join these people plus I also don’t have my passport during this time.

E-U-R-O-P-E!!! 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 🇨🇿 🇩🇰

Finally made it to Europe this year!! It’s me in Grand-Place de Bruxelles -the center of Brussels. 🇧🇪

Finally, A TRIP TO EUROPE! This is the highlight of my 2019. It was a dream come true. I haven’t posted anything about this trip in the website but I’m happy to share that this long-time plan of going to Europe happened last October to November 2019.

One of my Europe trip highlights – a trip to Český Krumlov. This town is picturesque & peaceful. 🇨🇿

It all started with an affordable ticket I got from the Singapore Airlines & BPI promotion last January 2019. I got tickets flying from Manila to Amsterdam, Netherlands & leaving from Copenhagen, Denmark, both via Singapore. I saved up the whole year, planned my itinerary, booked my hostels & booked the inter-country flights ahead of time. I applied for a tourist visa on my own – no help from any agency & got it after a week.

Nyhavn – my favorite place in Copenhagen… It’s where the Danish Christmas market is found! 🇩🇰

And the trip happened. Due to busy work schedule, I didn’t have time to do more research & make my final itinerary. I arrived in Amsterdam with no plans, not even a single idea how to go to my hostel. I got scared at first but I ended up having the best days of my life around Europe. I went to 4 countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark), explored cities & small towns, reunited with friends I met from previous trips, met cool new friends along the way, took walking tours in every city / town, drank more beers than waters in a day, walked thousands of steps & tens of kilometers a day & ate all local food I can in every place. I did all of these alone! Yes, I FLEW TO EUROPE ALONE & I SURVIVED. It was probably the bravest thing I did this year.

Obligatory photo with the canals of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.. Can’t wait to go back here! 🇳🇱

I have so much to share about this trip but I am reserving that for the individual posts. I hope you’ll watch out for those write-ups.

Blogs: TO FOLLOW.

blog highlights ✨

Aside from the usual blog contents I post, there were 2 significant developments in this blog. First is the continued posts for the Tuesday Tips & Hostel of the Day features. I had 3 Tuesday Tip posts & 7 hostel of the day features published in my website solely for 2019. I still have a long list of Tuesday tips to share & hostels (especially the ones from Europe) to publish so watch out for those. My main goal of posting these Tuesday tips & hostel features is to show the world that there are nice things out there that don’t need hefty amounts of money. You can have the same fun & memorable experiences by paying small amounts.

Blog List:
Hostel of the Day: DOT HOSTEL NAGANO – Wooden House Turned High-Rated Affordable Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: KHAOSAN WORLD ASAKUSA RYOKAN & HOSTEL – Clean & Affordable Traditional Japanese Accommodation In The Heart Of Tokyo
Hostel Of The Day: NEW WORLD INN OSAKA – Simple, Affordable & Modern Property Near Tennoji
Hostel Of The Day: FUKUOKA HANA HOSTEL – Fukuoka’s In-Demand & Best Valued Tourist Accommodation
Hostel Of The Day: FLINDERS BACKPACKERS MELBOURNE – Budget-Friendly & Extremely Popular Hostel In The Heart Of The City
Hostel Of The Day: UINN TRAVEL HOSTEL – Modern, Space-Themed & Excellent Taipei Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL BORACAY – Paradise Island’s Hidden Party Hostel Gem
Tuesday Tip: 4 TRUSTED HOSTEL GROUPS To Check When Looking For AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION in JAPAN
Tuesday Tip: 6 WAYS To SAVE MONEY In MELBOURNE
Tuesday Tip: Do-It-Yourself SCHENGEN TOURIST VISA Application With VFS NETHERLANDS

This year, I introduced a section in my website called Flight Reports. You guys know I love flying & my interest in aviation is something else. I thought of sharing my flight experiences with different airlines – how the service is from check in to boarding to in-flight services & cabin crew service. Since I started the section in June, I already published 8 flight reports about 5 local & international airlines. I didn’t expect this section to get hits but I’m happy that I get regular website visits for these specific posts. I still have about 5 or 6 flight reports to share with you, most of them from my European trip. I hope you’re excited for these flight reports as I am!

Blog List:
Flight Report: EVA AIR BR 277 – Taipei to Manila – Taiwan’s 5-Star Airline For An Affordable Fare
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 328 – Legazpi to Manila – ₱600 ($11.50) Flight Back To Manila
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 759 – Manila to Jakarta – ₱1,236 ($24) International Flight To Indonesia
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7550 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta – Low-Cost Domestic Flight To Indonesia’s Royal City
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7551 – Yogyakarta to Jakarta – Redemption Flight Back To Indonesia’s Capital
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 905 – Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) – Short & Relatively Empty Flight To Paradise Island
Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6244 – Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila – Quick Turboprop Flight Back To The Metro
Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 915 – Manila to Singapore – 5-Star Economy Class Experience In A New Generation Boeing Dreamliner

By the way, this just came in. This website has finally hit 90,000 site views! This is another milestone hit before the end of the 2019. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the endless support – from sharing my articles & posts, to commenting & liking the posts that appear on your timelines to your comments & questions. I appreciate all of these.

Thank you for giving me the reason to continue sharing more content in this website. I can tell you this is not the end, it is just the start of more tips, flight reports, itineraries & blog posts. I have a long list of topics to share & upcoming trips & flights to take. You’ll definitely see more in this website next year.

Here’s to an adventure-filled 2020. Happy New Year, dear readers!

PS. Some photos were taken using my HTC U11. Shout out to my friends Junelle, Mark & Richard for allowing me to use your photos in this post.

Tuesday Tip: 6 WAYS To SAVE MONEY In MELBOURNE

I’ve been to Australia twice (August 2018 to Sydney & Brisbane & April 2019 to Melbourne) in the last 2 years & I can tell you it’s not a cheap country to visit. Everything, including drinking water, has a price tag – not just an affordable price, but an expensive tag on it. A cheapo meal will cost you AU$10 (₱350-ish in our currency) & this meal will probably be a bland or a simple one. A normal meal in a restaurant will cost you about AU$15 – AU$25, drinks not included. A private room in a 2 or 3 star hotel can cost you about AU$100 per night while a room in a branded hotel can cost you double or even triple that price just for a night.

Australia has a high cost of living, this is also supplemented by the high wages & better government services. Filipino tourists like us, with the current cost of living here in the Philippines, will have a hard time coping with the daily expenses when travelling around this country.

Interested to know how I got my Australian tourist visa in 8 working days? Check out this post to know more.

Having been to different expensive countries in the past, I still believe that there are ways on how one can survive & save some money while travelling around these costly places. Today’s Tuesday Tip will be all about ways on how to save some money in Melbourne, Australia. Last April, my friends & I went & explored the city for 8 days & 7 nights. It was not a cheap trip but we managed to save some cash by doing the following:

stay & cook in hostels

Staying in hostels in one way of saving some cash while in Melbourne. Nightly rates range from AU$25 – AU$50, depending on the dormitory room configuration of choice. The more people in one dormitory room, the cheaper it gets. These hostels also provide kitchen & food storage facilities. Guests are allowed to store & cook their own food at any given time the kitchen is open. It is another way of saving money instead of eating outside.

My dormitory bed in Flinders Backpackers Melbourne.. Very basic but I have everything I need! 🙂

Unsure if staying in a hostel is something for you? Check out this article & know the ups & downs of staying in hostels. It might just help you decide.

Staying in hostels is also a perfect time to meet other people travelling around. If you are up for free accommodation & have the courage to stay in a stranger’s place, check out CouchSurfing. It is an application where travelers can find people to host them in their own pads in their city of destination.

Flinders Backpackers provides cook-your-own pancake breakfast, bread & cereals to all its guests!

Now back to staying in hostels.. Last April, we stayed in Flinders Backpackers Melbourne. It is an affordable hostel with a large kitchen suitable for preparing meals & cooking. The hostel also provided free cook-your-own pancake breakfast, including cereals & bread. I actually made a separate post about our stay in this hostel. Check out the Hostel of the Day feature here.

Go For A Supermarket Haul

Supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths & Aldi have wide variety of food & drinks one can enjoy. My friends & I always drop by these supermarkets before going back to our hostel to buy something that we’ll bring in our tour the following day. It helped us save some money, instead of buying expensive snacks in tour stopovers.

You can also get sandwiches, cookies & even cooked meals in these supermarkets for a very low price. You can never go wrong with these supermarkets. Just a tip, I believe Aldi & Coles are cheaper than Woolworths in most items.

Join Free Walking Tours

The best way to explore & know more about Melbourne is by joining free walking tours. The walking tours are conducted by freelance guides who know about the history of Melbourne & Australia in general. The guides will bring you to different interesting locations & spots that have connection to the history of the city.

Currently, there are 3 companies running these walking tours in Melbourne – I’m Free Walking Tours, Walks 101 & Strawberry Tours. These walking tours operate on a tip-based program, where the guests are not required to pay for the tour, but rather give tips on what they think the worth of the tour is at the end of it. From experience, the usual tip is about AU$10 per person.

We took a walking tour with I’m Free Tours in August 2018 & only gave a tip at the end of the tour.

We joined the I’m Free Walking Tour in Sydney back in August 2018 & decided to skip the Melbourne one. We found out that most (not all) of the tour information / details are the same as that of Sydney’s – basically about Australia’s history & how everything started in the country. I recommend that you take these walking tours. You will know a lot about Australia.

Hop On & Hop Off The Free city Trams

Tram rides within the Melbourne Free Tram Zone do not incur any charge. These includes the city circle trams & all trams that operated within the Spring St, Flinders St, La Trobe St, Victoria St, William St, Elizabeth St & part of Docklands. Anyone can just hop on & hop off in these trams at any time of the day for free as long as you don’t go beyond the free tram zone.

My friends & I used these city trams a lot. We got tired of walking around at some point during the day & decided to just take the trams around the central business district. They’re free of charge anyway.

Explore Places For Free

Melbourne has a long list of places where you can go & explore for free. You can go & walk around Federation Square & continue to the famous mural street of Hosier Lane. You can also walk towards the State Library of Victoria & view the main hall from the topmost floor. You can also go to Queen Victoria Market, Shrine Gallery of Remembrance, Royal Botanic Gardens, Yarra River & Chinatown all for free.

These places found around Melbourne can be visited for free. Yes, no fees & absolutely for free!! 🙂

We walked to & through these places several times without even spending a dollar. They were all for free & these buildings, streets / lane ways pretty much make up most of the major places to visit in the city. I recommend going back to these places after the free walking tour to take your time in exploring.

Take Advantage of Lunch Sets & Happy Hours

Restaurants & bars around Melbourne have regular promotions on lunch sets & happy hours (for alcoholic drinks). They offer the meals & drinks for cheaper prices at specific times of the day. Make sure to always ask the waiter or bartender before ordering your food / drink.

Bonus Tip – Share Meals With Friends

Most of the meal size servings in Melbourne are big enough to stuff 2 people. These sizes come with the price – they’re expensive that’s why they’re served big. We, Filipinos, were used to regularly sized meals & we were shocked by the amount of food served to us in some restaurants.

We ordered these dishes in 3 different restaurants. Too much for one person; they’re all for sharing!

I ordered a chicken parmigiana meal worth AU$ 14 that was as bigger than by hand. It came with some chips (we call these fries) & salad. I was not able to finish the whole meal. It looks like a normal meal for the locals but I see it as something I can share with my friends.

If you’re travelling with friends, it pays to share these kinds of meals with them. You save some cash, you can even try more dishes in the menu!

There you go! I hope these tips will help you save some money in your upcoming Melbourne trip. Melbourne or Australia in general may be expensive to explore, but there are ways on how you can get away with these high costs. In case you are wondering about the details of my previous trips o Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne, I have compiled all posts into a list below:

SYDNEY

N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours
N9 In Straya Series – BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches + BOUNCE SYDNEY HOSTEL Tribute
N9 in Straya Series: HUNTER VALLEY Day Tour – Australian Wine Tasting At Its Finest
N9 in Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: THE POD SYDNEY – Minimalist & Contemporary Hostel In The Middle Of A Busy City

BRISBANE

N9 In Straya Series: BRISBANE Weekend – Quality Family Time In QLD

MELBOURNE

N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 1 – Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 2 – Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas
N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb
N9 in Straya Series: GREAT OCEAN ROAD – A Day Trip To The World’s Largest War Memorial
N9 In Straya Series: PHILLIP ISLAND – A Perfect Day Out With Nature & Australian Wildlife
N9 In Straya Series: PUFFING BILLY RAILWAY & YARRA VALLEY WINE TOUR – Victoria’s Heritage Steam Railway & Wine Region In A Day
Hostel Of The Day: FLINDERS BACKPACKERS MELBOURNE – Budget-Friendly & Extremely Popular Hostel In The Heart Of The City

Can you think of other money-saving tips in Melbourne? Feel free to share your suggestions & experiences in the comments section below. You can also send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll surely have a look at ’em. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you very much for joining me in today’s set of Tuesday Tips! Until the next one.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.