Tag: sydney

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.

2018 Run-Through: Reuniting & Travelling With Friends

Hey, you! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday with your families & friends. 2019 is just a few hours away. Another year will soon pass. Before we go into 2019, join me as I look back on how another year of travels went by.

2016 was all about going solo & exploring places by myself. 2017 was about exploring both known & relatively unknown places. 2018’s theme is about reuniting & travelling with friends. After months & years of travelling alone, I reunited & travelled with friends in all of my trips this year.

Let me share with you where my friends & I went to this year. It was a fun & memorable year exploring with friends!

sapporo🇯🇵

Last February, Shane & I went to Sapporo for a week. We flew in to Tokyo & took another domestic flight to Sapporo. We explored Sapporo city on our 2nd day – walked around historic buildings & structures plus tried the famous Genghis Khan meat for late lunch. We tried the world-famous Hokkaido king crab in Nijo Market on our 3rd day, then went to explore the port city of Otaru in the afternoon.

Shane & I went skiing on our 4th day. We took a beginner’s ski course in the morning & skied on a downhill slope in the afternoon. It was tiring but a fun experience. We enjoyed it & we plan to do it again on our next winter trip. We chose to relax on our 5th day & tried a traditional Japanese onsen on a snowy day. At first, it was weird walking around naked but hey, everyone’s naked so there’s nothing to worry. We flew to Tokyo on our 6th day & do some last minute pasalubong shopping before flying back to Manila on our last day.

Believe it or not, we only spent less than ₱45,000 each including airfare & hostel accommodations. It was a trip of many firsts (my first legit winter trip) & also an affordable one. Check out the Sapporo blog list below.

Blog List:
Hokkaido Winter Series: The Ultimate Japan Winter Experience Without Breaking The Bank (7 Days For Less Than ₱45,000 all-in)
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO – A Winter Paradise City
Hokkaido Winter Series: OTARU – An Afternoon In The Nearby Historical Harbor City
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO TEINE RESORT & HOHEIKYO ONSEN – Recommended Day Trips From Sapporo City
Hostel Of The Day: THE STAY SAPPORO – Budget Sapporo Accommodation With Top-Notch Amenities
Hostel Of The Day: OAK HOSTEL ZEN – My Favorite Tokyo Hostel
Tuesday Tip: 7 SAPPORO Eats You Shouldn’t Miss

Hong Kong🇭🇰

My high school friends & I went on a weekend trip to Hong Kong last March. We left for Hong Kong on a Friday late afternoon & arrived back in Manila Sunday night. It was a quick 48-hour trip but we managed to visit a number of interesting places. Jericho & I explored went to Victoria Peak, Quarry Bay Monster Building, Nan Lian Garden & Kowloon Pier while our friends went to Hong Kong Disneyland. We met them in Mong Kok for dinner & went shopping together.

The following day, the whole group went to mass at St Teresa’s Church in Kowloon Tong in the morning. We all went to Ngong Ping via the cable car in the afternoon & went last-minute shopping at Citygate Outlets. We headed back to our accommodation to pick up our bags & went straight to the airport for our flight back to Manila.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In HONG KONG

Nacpan Beach🇵🇭

Maanne, a friend who is now based in Vancouver, went home for a few weeks & asked us to join her visit Nacpan Beach in El Nido. I’ve been to El Nido & Nacpan Beach a number of times. It was Maanne’s 1st time in Nacpan. We spent a whole day at the beach area. The weather didn’t cooperate so we found ourselves having a good time (having lunch + free drinks / shots) at Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. Our stay in El Nido & Nacpan was mostly spent in our hostels, Mad Monkey & Outpost Beach Hostel due to rainy weather.

Blog List:
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL NACPAN BEACH – Beach & Party In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: OUTPOST BEACH HOSTEL – Social El Nido Hostel By The Beach

Port Barton 🇵🇭

After spending 2 days & 2 nights in El Nido, we headed down south to the small coastal village of Port Barton. I’ve been to this place in 2017 & had the best times so I decided to bring my friends to this paradise. We spent another 48 hours here, went island hopping, relaxed on the village beach & had great times with old & new friends.

Blog: PORT BARTON Revisited – 48 Hours In Palawan’s Next Popular Destination

Siargao 🇵🇭

My colleague & friend, Shiela, & I went to Siargao for 4 full days last July. We booked our tickets a few months back before I left for the airport for my Sapporo trip. Another friend in the name of Geof (from Siquijor 2017 trip) was also on the island with friends. We met up on our 1st day for dinner & decided to go together for crazy party nights & inland tours. We took the Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Rock Pool tour together & met a new set of friends. This marked the birth of the Siargao Squad. Half of the group left the island on our 3rd day while we took the Sohoton Cove & Tri Island Tour.

Shiela & I also had crazy nights with our roommates at Bravo Beach Resort & our ex-colleague Vanessa. This trip was all about exploring the island in the morning & drinking / partying at night – typical Siargao getaway. I look forward to flying back to Siargao to do the same time.

Blog List:
4-Day Siargao Weekend: It’s All About Epic Tour Days & Crazy Party Nights
Hostel Resort Of The Day: BRAVO BEACH RESORT SIARGAO – Reasonably Priced Shared Luxury Accommodation in Paradise Island

Sydney 🇦🇺

Last August, I flew to Sydney with my N9 buddies, Shane (from Sapporo trip) & Leng. It was my first trip outside Asia (finally lol). We took the free walking tours & explored Sydney by foot. The weather was not too hot & not too cold (well for me) so it was perfect for walking. My friends & I also went to see Bondi Beach & Coogee Beach, 2 of the many suburban beaches of Sydney.

We took a wine-tasting day trip to the mountains of Hunter Valley. We went to 3 wineries, tried different kinds of wine & had lunch at a fancy country club. We drowned ourselves with free wine that same day. We took another day trip to Blue Mountains National Park in Katoomba. The place is about 2 hours by train from Sydney. We walked around the peaceful rainforest of Jamison Valley plus enjoyed the thrilling rides of Scenic World. It was a perfect day out with the nature. Check the N9 in Staya Series blog list below.

Blog List:
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 🇦🇺

I left my friends in Sydney & flew to Brisbane to spend a weekend with my relatives & cousins. My uncle, aunt & cousins took me around the city. We went to the koala sanctuary, had lunch at Mount Coot-tha overlooking Brisbane CBD, walked around South Bank, rode the Brisbane Wheel & drove around the central business district. They also took me to Gold Coast to see the famous beach, to go up Gold Coast’s highest view deck & to have lunch in a revolving restaurant.

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

Bohol 🇵🇭

My high school friends & I went on a quick weekend getaway to Bohol last September. We flew in Saturday morning, went straight to the countryside tour. We saw both the chocolate hills & the tarsiers on our first few hours on the island. We decided to skip the Loboc River Cruise & went to Bohol Bee Farm to have lunch. We passed by a few more places before heading to our booked accommodation near Alona Beach. On our 2nd day, we chased dolphins, swam with the turtles & snorkelled in Balicasag Island. We flew back to Manila the morning of the 3rd day. The trip was just right for a small island like Bohol.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In BOHOL

Penang 🇲🇾

Both planned trips in November got cancelled so I booked a last-minute trip to Malaysia. My initial plan was to spend 3 days in Penang & another 3 days in Kuala Lumpur but I had to cut short my trip for another last-minute invite. This 36-hour Penang stopover was the only ‘trip’ of the year when I was alone.

I flew in to Penang via Kuala Lumpur on the 1st day, explored Kok Lek Si & Georgetown (plus the murals) on the 2nd day & left for Singapore on the 3rd day. I stayed in a very cool shop-turned-guesthouse property called The Frame Guesthouse. I haven’t posted about my Penang trip, but watch out for the article soon.

Blog List:
Penang Blog – To Follow
(Hostel) Guesthouse Of The Day: THE FRAME GUESTHOUSE PENANG – Beautifully Restored Heritage Property In The Heart Of Georgetown

Singapore 🇸🇬

As mentioned above, I had to cut my Malaysia trip for another trip in Singapore. I flew into Singapore a day before the event. I headed my hostel near Haji Ln & Arab St & met up with my friend Lord who is now based there. We first had late lunch in a Japanese restaurant at Bugis Junction Mall then headed to ATLAS Singapore to have afternoon drinks.

I sneaked in a quick trip to Marina Bay Sands & Gardens By The Bay before heading over to Zouk Singapore for the pre-sailing party of Its The Ship 2018. Check out how I managed to spend by 24 hours in Singapore. It was a quick one, but hey, I’ve been to a lot of places in such a short span of time.

Blog List:
SINGAPORE Stopover: Quick & Packed 24 Hours In The Lion City
Tuesday Tip: SINGAPORE Tipid Hits – 9 Ways to Explore On A Budget

Its The Ship 2018 🇸🇬🇹🇭

Its The Ship 2018 was the main reason why I had to cut short my Penang / Kuala Lumpur planned trip & why I flew to Singapore on the 3rd day. Lord, my friend based in Singapore, invited me to join him in this party cruise. Thank you, Lord! Double meaning, I know. LOL.

This yearly 4 days / 3 nights cruise trip to Phuket (from Singapore) & back is Asia’s largest festival at sea. This year, the cruise turned into a massive party boat with international DJs over 3 stages. The cruise also had scheduled fun activities with the artists, plus an international buffet (which runs almost 24/7). This was my 1st cruise experience & will definitely be not the last.

I haven’t posted anything yet about my Its The Ship 2018 experience. Make sure to wait for that post next month.

Blog: To Follow

Cancelled Trips 🇨🇳🇲🇳🇯🇵

I know I have a long list of trips that pushed through this year, but I also had 2 international trips that didn’t push through. First is the 10-day trip to Beijing, China & Mongolia. My friend & I booked tickets to Beijing for less than ₱1,800 each & planned to go to Ulanbaatar by land. Unfortunately, we had to forego of this trip due to visa restraints. Apparently, the Chinese consulate does not grant double entry visas to first time applicants. We need this type of visa because we planned to go back to Beijing to catch our flight back to Manila.

Another cancelled trip was another set of flights to Japan. I was supposed to fly to Tokyo & Nagoya with my high school friends (from Hong Kong & Bohol trips) but I had to cancel. I had to attend an important family event that falls in the middle of that supposed to be 11-day trip. These China, Mongolia & Japan trips might have been cancelled, but I know I’ll visit these places soon. I’m still thankful most of my planned trips pushed through.

This pretty much sums up my year full of travels with friends. It was a year of many firsts – first winter trip, first out-of-Asia trip, first cruise experience & the list goes on. It was a year full of unforgettable experiences & memorable laughs. I may not have a clear plan on what’s in store for 2019 but I am positive it will be another year full of travels. Thank you very much for joining me. Happy new year & cheers to more fun travels in 2019!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 in Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place

Hello & welcome to the final installment of the N9 in Straya Series. Last week, I shared with you our Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney. My friends & I had fun going around wineries & cellars & trying the best wines these businesses have to offer. Today, I will share with you some details & photos of our day trip to Scenic World Blue Mountains.

Hello Blue Mountains National Park! 😍

Blue Mountains National Park is a famous go-to place of people visiting Sydney. This World Heritage Site is the perfect place for everyone’s nature needs. It has a lot of walking tracks, camping sites, trekking & outdoor activity areas. It is also the home of the famous Three Sisters, Echo Point, Katoomba & Wentworth Falls.

Group photo at the Cliff View Lookout. Thanks Shane for the photo!

One of the famous destinations in Blue Mountains is Scenic World Blue Mountains. It is a private tourist facility located in Katoomba that offers great views of Jamison Valley, Three Sisters & Blue Mountains in general. The facility has 4 main attractions – Scenic Railway, Scenic Walkway, Scenic Cableway & Scenic Skyway. I will share more information about these attractions later in the post.

Applying for an Australian tourist visa soon? I shared with everyone how I applied for my visa a few months ago. Check out these 6 easy steps on how you too can get your visa to Australia.

How We Went By Public Transportation

Katoomba Station is the nearest station to the Blue Mountains!

Scenic World Blue Mountains is very accessible from Sydney. We took the Blue Mountains Line from Sydney Central Station to Katoomba Station. The ride takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours & 5 minutes, depending on the stops included in the trip. One way train ride costs AUD 12.20. After getting off at Katoomba Station, we walked for 110 meters to the Katoomba St before Bathurst Rd bus stop. We boarded Bus 686 to Scenic World Blue Mountains. The bus ride took us 30 minutes to the tourist facility. We took the same modes of transportation back to Sydney. By the way, the Opal Card works for both the train & bus rides.

Guide map to locate the stop of Bus 686

Attraction Tickets

Scenic World Blue Mountains tickets cost AUD 37 – 43 per person, depending on season. We got our discounted tickets from Klook. My friends & I paid AUD 29* each instead of the regular ticket price on the day of visit. Redemption was easy – there is a dedicated fast line for tickets & vouchers purchased online.

Three Sisters & Jamison Valley in one photo 😍

*Regular tickets during our visit were at AUD 33 per person because 1 of the 4 attractions was closed & under redevelopment.

Scenic World Attractions

Scenic World Blue Mountains has 4 main attractions. Of these 4, Scenic Cableway was closed due to an ongoing upgrade of the cableway cabins. My friends & I enjoyed every second spent in the other 3 attractions.

Scenic Railway

Welcome to the Scenic Railway!

Right before boarding the world’s steepest passenger railway

Scenic railway is the world’s steepest passenger railway in the world, with seats that incline up to 52 degrees. The glass-roofed carriage passes through a cliff tunnel & a forest before reaching the final stop. The ride takes about 5 minutes per way & passes through a 300+ meter railway.

View upon getting off the train 😍

Scenic Walkway

Pathways around the rainforest 😍

The Scenic Railway exit will lead you to the Scenic Walkway. It is a 2.4 kilometer pathway around the base of Jamison Valley. The elevated walkway gives stunning views of the rainforest. Walking around the forest can be tiring & relaxing at the same time.

What a peaceful & relaxing place..

Scenic Skyway

The other side of the Scenic Skyway

The Scenic Skyway is a little over 10-minute cable car ride suspended 270 meters above the forest. The ride goes back & forth a 720-meter pathway & gives a 360-degree view of Blue Mountains. The ride also gives the best views of the Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters & the Jamison Valley.

View from the aerial cable car – beautiful!! 😍

That’s me after the thrilling Scenic Railway ride!

My friends & I had fun in the rides & walking through the peaceful rainforest at the foot of Jamison Valley. There were other nice places to visit such as the Echo Point Lookout & Wentworth Falls but we didn’t have enough time & we had things to do back in Sydney. A visit to the Blue Mountains is a perfect nature day trip from the very busy city life. I am so glad we took this day trip.

The day trip up to the Blue Mountains was worth it! 😍

This pretty much sums up our day trip to the Blue Mountains. This is also the last post about our N9 Sydney trip last August. Thanks a lot to everyone who took their time to read all the blog posts.

In case you missed the other posts, allow me to give a quick recap about the trip. My friends & I took our time exploring Sydney by foot. We joined a free walking tour & went around different heritage buildings & city icons. We also went on day trips to the Hunter Valley, the suburban beaches of Coogee & Bondi & the beautiful Blue Mountains National Park. I left my friends in Sydney & spent a weekend with my relatives in Brisbane. It was indeed a packed but fun week in Australia. I look forward to visiting Melbourne soon!

Do you have questions about Scenic World Blue Mountains or Sydney in general? Don’t be shy & post ’em in the comments below. You can also send it to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll try to answer your queries as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow my social media pages – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Like & share my Facebook page too!

Again, thank for reading & see you in the next Australia trip! ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.