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Flight Report: SCOOT TR 390 – Singapore to Manila – Affordable Low-Cost Afternoon Flight Back to Manila [March 2023]

Last March, I flew to Singapore for 5 days and 4 nights with my relatives. We celebrated my cousins’ birthdays by walking around the Lion City, enjoying the rides at Universal Studios Singapore and watching the beautiful sea creatures at the S.E.A. Aquarium.

I have been to Singapore a lot of times in the past so I will not write about this trip. Instead, I will share with you my flight experience with a Singapore-based airline – Scoot. A few weeks ago, I shared with you how my Manila to Singapore flight on Scoot TR 397 went. Today, I will elaborate my experience with Scoot on TR 390 from Singapore to Manila. Join me in today’s flight report as I discuss why this flight was worth every peso.

Planning to fly to Singapore soon? It is not a cheap country to visit. I have been there a few times and I want to share to you some hacks on how explore the country on a budget. Check out this Tuesday Tip post on how to save some cash while in Singapore!

Scoot

Scoot is a Singapore-based low-cost carrier that is wholly-owned by the Singapore Airlines Group. This low-cost subsidiary was first announced by Singapore Airlines in 2011. It took its first flight back in June 2012. Over the years, the airline has expanded its network from the neighboring Southeast and South Asian countries, up to North Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea), to Australia and even far west to Greece and Germany. In 2017, Scoot merged with another airline – TigerAir Singapore – with Scoot as the surviving entity.

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, Singapore Airlines, Emirates & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Scoot is based in Singapore Changi Airport. It flies more than 50 Airbus A320, A321 and Boeing 787 aircraft to over 50 destinations across Asia, Australia and Europe. As of writing, it also has around 30 Airbus, Boeing and Embraer aircraft on order to join the fleet in the next few years.

The airline has adopted the frequent flyer program of its parent airline called KrisFlyer. It also has a codeshare partnership with its parent airline. Scoot is a member of Value Alliance – an alliance of low-cost carriers across Asia Pacific. Alliance members include our very own Cebu Pacific Air, Nok Air from Thailand and Jeju Air from South Korea. The airline also has partnerships with other airlines such as Virgin Australia, Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air.

Scoot is a low-cost carrier. The airline provides basic fares for an affordable price. Any extra flight perks like check-in baggage allowance, seat selection, inflight meals and inflight amenities can be purchased on top of the basic fare. This no-frills fare system allows the airline to offer low fares across their network.

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

Airfare

My relatives and I booked our tickets 1.5 months before our intended flight dates and paid ₱9,758.39 each roundtrip. The competitors’ prices were way higher than Scoot’s at the time of booking.

This return ticket included a random seat assigned during check-in and 10 kilograms of carry-on baggage. It did not include check-in baggage and inflight snacks or meals. These ticket add-ons were available for purchase during initial booking and up to a few hours before the flight.

I believe this return ticket was affordable given tickets were booked relatively last-minute. Also, the ticket already included the high airport fees and taxes charged for flights from Singapore Changi Airport.

Travel Requirements

The Philippines has simplified its arrival procedure for all passengers and adopted an online travel declaration system. All arriving Filipino and non-Filipino passengers need to register in the online portal – www.etravel.gov.ph – and obtain a unique QR code to be presented upon arrival in the country.

Fully-vaccinated arriving passengers are exempted from providing a Covid-19 pre-departure test result. Partially or unvaccinated arriving passengers are still required to present a negative pre-departure test result. If unable to provide one, the passenger will be required to undergo a test upon arrival in the Philippines.

Please take note that some nationalities still require additional requirements such as a visa (if needed) or proof of onward ticket when entering the Philippines. These requirements can be changed anytime. It’s always best to check the Covid-19 Travel Information page of the airline you’ll be flying with to the Philippines.

Before the Flight

7 days before the flight, Scoot sent an e-mail reminding of the available add-ons for purchase. These add-ons include check-in baggage, preferred seats, meals, snooze kits, etc.

48 hours before the scheduled flight, the airline also sent an e-mail informing us that online check-in was now available. They also reminded us of the check-in process and the safety protocols for the flight.

A day before our flight, we checked in online and got our randomly assigned seats.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Singapore to Manila Scoot flight TR 390 was operated by a 1.3-year-old Airbus A321neo aircraft. This neo aircraft, delivered to the airline in December 2021, has 236 seats in an all-economy class configuration.

The flight took off from Singapore Changi Airport at 3:23 in the afternoon and landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 6:36 in the evening – 1 minute later than the scheduled time of arrival. The whole flight took 3 hours and 13 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

Scoot operates from Terminal 1 of Singapore Changi Airport.

CHECK-IN

We arrived at Singapore Changi Airport a few minutes past 12 noon. We headed over to the mobile check-in kiosks and later found out that we need to check-in via the regular check-in counters. Passengers travelling with kids are not eligible for kiosk check-in.

We walked to the regular counters and the nice guy checked us in for our flight. The whole process took less than 10 minutes for 3 adults and 2 kids. The regular check-in desks had no queue because most people use the check-in kiosks and the bag drop counters.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, we cleared immigration and headed to the food court for a quick grub. After lunch, we walked straight to Gate B7 and waited for the security lines to ease. Singapore Changi Airport is one of the few airports in the world that have the final security check in every boarding gate. The security process and boarding gates open only an hour before the scheduled flight departure.

BOARDING

Boarding commenced at 2:20 pm – exactly 30 minutes before the flight departure. Passengers who require assistance and those who availed of the BoardMeFirst add-on went inside the plane first. They were followed by those seated at the back of the plane. Passengers assigned in the front cabin boarded the plane last.

The cabin crew gave out masks and wipes to every passenger boarding the aircraft. The whole boarding process took 32 minutes; the aircraft doors closed at 2:52pm.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This flight to Manila used an all-economy class configured Airbus A321neo. The plane has 236 seats configured in a 3 x 3 set-up with a single aisle in between. According to SeatMaps website, the seats feature 28 to 29 inches of legroom and 18 inches of seat width.

Each seat features a decent recline, a foldable tray, a seat pocket with the aircraft safety card and onboard menu and a coat hook. The seat also comes with an individual air nozzle, a reading light and a crew call button. Unfortunately, the seats do not feature headrests, pillow and blanket and USB or universal power outlet.

I was assigned window seat 7A in the forward section of the cabin. I got a seat with a decent legroom and a perfectly-positioned window beside the seat.

INFLIGHT SNACK

Scoot does not offer complimentary inflight snack or meals onboard. Passengers can pre-book inflight meals up to days before the flight; they can also buy snacks and drinks during the onboard service. The snack service immediately commenced after the seatbelt sign has been turned off. The ‘shop’ remained open until 45 minutes before landing. I did not avail of any snack or meal on this short flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Scoot aircraft do not feature personal entertainment screens. Instead, they have a feature called ScootHub – an inflight portal accessible from the passenger’s mobile devices. ScootHub offers fun games, real-time flight map, magazine and other inflight features. In future, it will also offer food and drink order services and duty-free shopping.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Scoot did not offer in-flight Wi-Fi on this short flight to Singapore. Passengers can connect to the onboard connection only to access ScootHub and not to use the internet or messaging applications.

LAVATORY

I was seated by the window and I did not have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 3.25-hour flight back to Manila. Besides, the front lavatory was always occupied by one passenger after another.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew on this flight was more visible and noticeable on this flight compared to the Manila to Singapore flight on TR 397. The crew welcomed the passengers with the warmest greetings and distributed face masks and sanitary wipes upon boarding. They gave the same greetings when we deplaned in Manila. They were strict with the flight safety measures and made sure that all passengers complied during the flight.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

Disembarkation was a little chaotic because many passengers wanted to leave the aircraft as soon as the aircraft doors were opened. Upon leaving the aircraft, all passengers went through the E-travel QR check before going through immigration.

The whole immigration and baggage claim only took us 10 minutes. By the time we finished immigration, we already saw our bags and strollers at Baggage Belt B.

Flight Experience

It was an excellent flying experience with Scoot on flight TR 390 from Singapore to Manila. I would say that this flight was better than the Manila to Singapore leg because of Singapore Changi Airport – obviously one of the best in the world.

This flight has a long list of plus points than negatives. First, the return fare price was affordable and reasonable. The fares were competitive and cheaper than other low-cost cost airlines, like Cebu Pacific Air and Jetstar Asia, flying the same route. Second, the flight schedule was just perfect. It was ideal after hotel check-out and the arrival was in time for dinner here in the Philippines.

Third, the airline’s 10-kilogram carry-on policy in economy is above the industry standard. Most full-service and low-cost airlines only allow up to 7 kilograms of carry-on luggage. The only airline I can think of that offers more in economy is Air France with 12 kilograms carry-on allowance. Fourth, the airline’s check-in system and process at Singapore Changi Airport is modern and efficient. There were no queues at all even if there were multiple Scoot flights departing during that period.

Fifth, Scoot’s inflight portal, ScootHub, is something worth noting. It is great to see low-cost airlines investing on this type of amenity for the passengers. Lastly, the airline provided face masks and sanitary wipes to passengers during boarding. It was something I did not expect from a low-cost carrier like Scoot.

This flight is not all good; it also had some minor inconveniences. First, the security process at the boarding gates took longer than expected. There were only 2 lines for more than 200 passengers. On top of this, the boarding dates only opened an hour before and boarding commenced 30 minutes after it opened. It was more of how the airport was designed but it was just a minor setback. Second, the disembarkation process was chaotic. Everyone was excited to stand up and leave the plane once the aircraft door was opened.

Nevertheless, it was still an amazing flight with Scoot. Will I fly them again? Yes! The airline may not have the 1-peso base fare but they still have a great product with competitive fares. The good schedule (for this flight – not the red eye ones) also adds value to it. Scoot has interesting and affordable long-haul routes which I aim to fly with in the future.

Here are the geeky flight details for our aviation enthusiasts out there:

Airline: Scoot
Flight Date: 28 March 2023
Flight Number: TR 390
Route: Singapore (SIN) to Manila (MNL) Philippines
Duration: 3 hours & 13 minutes
Seat Number: 7A (window seat)
Aircraft: Airbus A321-271NX
Aircraft Registration: 9V-NCF
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines
Age (at the time of the flight): 1.3 years old
Delivered: December 2021

Have you flown Scoot in the past? How was your experience? I hope you can share your flight experience in the comments section below. If not, I hope I convinced you to try them in the future. They are a good budget carrier! Do you have questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to shoot me an e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com with your question.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Scoot flight report. I hope you can also check out my previous flight reports with Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Air France. All previous flight reports can be found under the Flight Reports category. Feel free to check them out. Please look forward to more flight reports in the future.

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 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: SCOOT TR 397 – Manila to Singapore – Reasonably-Priced Early Morning Flight to the Lion City [March 2023]

Last March 2023, I flew to Singapore with my relatives to celebrate my cousin’s birthdays. We spent 5 days and 4 nights around the beautiful Lion City. We explored the usual areas and mostly went to the kid-friendly places such as the S.E.A. Aquarium and Universal Studios Singapore.

Unfortunately, I will not post our itinerary and trip details because it was just all fun, fun and fun with the kids. Instead, I will share with you the details of and experiences on our flights to and from Singapore with Scoot. Join me in today’s flight report as I go you through the first leg – our Manila to Singapore flight with Scoot on TR 397.

Scoot

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

AIRFARE

Fares to and from Singapore are probably one of the most expensive here in Southeast Asia; it is because of its relatively high airport taxes and fees. My relatives and I booked our return tickets 1.5 months before our intended flight date and paid ₱9,758.39 each.

This return ticket included 10 kilograms of carry-on baggage per way and a randomly-selected seat during check-in. It does not include check-in baggage and inflight meals or snacks. These add-ons were available for purchase up to a few hours before the flight.

I personally think that this was a reasonably-priced return fare considering it was booked relatively close to the intended trip schedule. A return ₱1-fare ticket with Cebu Pacific Air costs a little over ₱6,000 and it must be booked over 6 months before.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Singapore has removed all Covid-19 restrictions as of February 2023. The country still requires all incoming tourists and visitors to fill out the SG Arrival Card declaration form at least 3 days before arrival.

Philippine passport holders can enter Singapore without a visa and are allowed to stay up to 30 days after entry.

I have been to Singapore a few times in the past. In fact, I previously shared with you 2 Singapore trips which you can read about in this website: Throwback Thursday Treat: 2016 New Year in Singapore & SINGAPORE Stopover: Quick & Packed 24 Hours In The Lion City.

BEFORE THE FLIGHT

7 days before the flight, Scoot sent an e-mail to remind me of the latest Singapore entry requirements. The airline also offered me to purchase add-ons for the flight such as check-in baggage, meals, etc.

48 hours before the flight, I did not receive an e-mail notification saying that online check-in is now open for our flight. My theory is that I needed to check-in through the counters because I was flying with 2 kids.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Scoot flight TR 397 from Manila, Philippines to Singapore Changi Airport was operated by a 1.3-year-old Airbus A321neo aircraft. This neo aircraft, delivered to the airline in December 2021, has 236 seats in an all-economy class configuration.

The flight took off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila at exactly 6:22am and landed at Singapore Changi Airport 23 minutes ahead of schedule at 9:27am. The whole flight only took 3 hours and 5 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

Back in March 2023, Scoot operated out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. The airline has now transferred its Manila operations to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 as of 16 April 2023.

CHECK-IN

I arrived at the airport at 2:43 in the morning and noticed that check-in counters are already open. I paid my travel tax and went to meet my relatives in the priority lane (we were travelling with kids). The whole check-in and bag-drop process, including the queue, took 48 minutes. The regular check-in lines moved faster than the priority lane queue.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, we passed through immigration and final security check. We decided to kill time in the central common areas because the boarding gate and lounge were still closed.

An hour before boarding, Gate 16 opened to all Singapore-bound passengers. This pre-departure area lacked proper ventilation; it was small and cramped. There were not enough seats for all passengers of a 236-seat plane.

BOARDING

Boarding process started at 5:28am. Passengers who availed the BoardMeFirst add-on and those who need assistance went inside the plane first. Passengers travelling with infants, small children, persons with disability and senior citizens boarded the plane next. Regular passengers came in last and boarded the plane by zone.

The boarding process on this Singapore-bound flight was chaotic. Priority boarding was not followed; passengers lined up from everywhere. The ground staff had difficulty managing the boarding process and ended up boarding all passengers at the same time. The whole process took over 30 minutes. Aircraft doors were closed around 6:00am; the plane pushed back at 6:06am.

INFLIGHT HARD & SOFT PRODUCT

SEAT FEATURES

The Airbus A321neo aircraft used in this Singapore-bound flight has 236 seats in a 3 x 3 all economy-class configuration. According to SeatMaps website, each seat features 28 to 29 inches of legroom and 18 inches of seat width.

Each seat features a tray table and a seat pocket with aircraft safety card and onboard menu. It also features individual reading lights, air nozzles and attendant call button. The seats on the A321 do not have headrests and USB or power outlets.

I was assigned seat 13E, a middle seat in the front section, on this 3-hour flight.

INFLIGHT SNACK

Scoot does not offer complimentary inflight snack or meals onboard. Passengers can pre-book inflight meals up to days before the flight; they can also buy snacks and drinks during the onboard service. The snack service immediately commenced after reaching the flight’s cruising altitude. The ‘shop’ remained open until 45 minutes before landing. I did not avail of any snack or meal on this short flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

LAVATORY

I was seated in a middle seat and I did not have the chance to get up and visit the lavatory during the flight. The person seated next to me was asleep almost throughout the flight.

CABIN CREW SERVICE

Unfortunately, I did not have a direct interaction with the cabin crew on this flight. I noticed that the crew did their job in greeting and assisting passengers from boarding to the snack service and up to disembarkation.

DISEMBARKATION & BAGGAGE CLAIM

The aircraft touched down at Singapore Changi International Airport at 9:27am. It taxied to gate D35 in less than 10 minutes. All passengers disembarked from the front door into the terminal.

We finished the whole disembarkation, immigration and baggage claim process in less than 20 minutes.

Flight Experience

I had a pleasant flying experience with Scoot on this Manila to Singapore leg last March 2023. Allow me to expand this statement further by sharing the positives and points for improvement for this specific flight.

In my opinion, Scoot excelled in the following areas. First area is price point. The airline offered budget-friendly and competitive airfare for such last-minute tickets. The return fare from Manila to Singapore cost ₱9,758.39 per person, a few thousands cheaper (at the time of booking) than other low-cost competitors such as Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia Philippines and JetStar Asia.

Second, the ticket included a generous carry-on baggage allowance of 10 kilograms per passenger. Most airlines only allow up to 7 kilograms of complimentary cabin baggage while a low-cost carrier like Scoot offers more than the industry standard. The only airline I can think of that offers more in economy is Air France with 12 kilograms carry-on allowance.

Third, the airline used a modern Airbus A321neo aircraft on this flight to Singapore. This newer plane provided better inflight experience and offered more optimized cabin spacing and features. Lastly, Scoot has improved in the inflight experience with ScootHub – the airline’s inflight portal. It is rare for low-cost airlines to offer this type of portal but it is nice to see that Scoot is pioneering it here in Southeast Asia.

This flight is not all good; it also has areas where the airline or the staff can improve on. First, the priority line check-in process took longer than the regular check-in line. We were 6^th on the line and took 48 minutes to finish the check-in process.

Second, the airline’s pre-departure area for this flight was small, crowded and cramped. This concern has now been addressed with the airline’s recent transfer of operations to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. Lastly, the boarding process was chaotic. Priority boarding was not followed; the ground staff had difficulty managing the boarding queues.

Overall, it was still a good flight with Scoot. I flew with them years ago from Penang to Singapore and I can confidently say that the airline has improved a lot in terms of passenger flying experience. I cannot wait how can they can further improve their product. Will I fly with them again? Yes! I am keen on trying their low-cost long-haul routes in the future.

Let me share with you some geeky details of this flight:

Airline: Scoot
Flight Date: 24 March 2023
Flight Number: TR 397
Route: Manila (MNL) Philippines to Singapore (SIN)
Duration: 3 hours & 5 minutes
Seat Number: 13E (middle seat)
Aircraft: Airbus A321-271NX
Aircraft Registration: 9V-NCJ
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines
Age (at the time of the flight): 1.3 years old
Delivered: December 2021

Have you ever flown with Scoot? When and to where was this? Also, what did you like most about your flight with the airline? I hope you can share your trip details and experiences in the comments below. Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to also post them below. Alternatively, you may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: PHILIPPINE AIRLINES PR 2920 – Daraga (DRP formerly Legazpi LGP) to Manila – Last-Minute Mabuhay Miles Redemption Ticket to the Metro [December 2022]

Hey, long time no post! Not many of you know, but I recently finished a 24-day trip around Paris, Italy & Barcelona. Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to start writing about the trip. I’ve been busy with Christmas festivities & reunions since I arrived back from Europe. Don’t worry, I will start writing about them in the next few weeks.

For today, I want to share with you my recent experience with Philippine Airlines on their PR 2920 flight from Daraga, Albay (DRP – formerly LGP Legazpi) to Manila (MNL). This flight was unique because it happened during the 1^st day of using the new 3-letter DRP airport designator code & it was booked using Mabuhay Miles – Philippine Airlines’ loyalty program. Join me in today’s flight report & find out how this flight went.

Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines, commonly known as PAL, is the Philippines’ flag carrier. The airline started operations back in 1941 & is currently the region’s oldest commercial airline. Majority of the stake in PAL is owned by PAL Holdings under Dr. Lucio Tan – also the owner of one of the country’s biggest conglomerates – LT Group. World-famous ANA Holdings, the parent company of All Nippon Airways, also owns a minor stake in the airline.

Philippine Airlines operates around 60 Airbus, Bombardier & Boeing aircraft to over 40 international & 31 domestic routes. Its hubs are located in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark & Kalibo. PAL is the country’s biggest full-service airline offering premium experience to its passengers. They offer business class, premium economy & economy class to most of its routes.

PAL is not a member of any airline alliance but has code-share flights with major carriers such as All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Turkish Airlines, Gulf Air & many more. PAL also has its own frequent flyer program called Mabuhay Miles. PAL is also the only Philippine-based carrier to receive a 4-star rating from world-renowned air transport rating organization Skytrax.

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, Singapore Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare & Inclusions

It’s not a secret that airfares are more expensive during the festive season. Many people take advantage of the Christmas holidays & go home to their respective hometowns. The demand for plane seats is higher than usual. I didn’t have a fixed schedule at that time, so I had no choice but to book the ticket last-minute. The one-way bare fares for both Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air at the time of booking were at around ₱4,000 to ₱5,000 without baggage. On the other hand, there were no available CEB Super Pass seats on my preferred flight.

I checked my Mabuhay Miles account & saw that I have enough miles to use for a one-way ticket to Manila. I immediately redeemed these miles using the airline’s portal & booked this PR 2920 flight from Daraga to Manila. I used 4,500 miles & only paid ₱870 for taxes & fees. The redeemed Mabuhay Miles ticket included 7-kilogram carry-on baggage, 20-kilogram check-in baggage allowance & a free standard (non-aisle & non-exit) seat.

I may have used up most of my Mabuhay Miles, but I believe I got a good deal with this ticket. I booked it 9 days before the intended flight date during a peak travel period. I was also happy that the ticket included a free check-in baggage allowance. This ticket was definitely a steal!