A question that admin may direct to SQ themselves, but I ask the learned community all the same.
I’m travelling to Singapore in January (QF81) en route to the Maldives
The plan involves entering Singapore and spending the night in the city before returning to Changi the next morning and continuing on. This requires a clear test prior to leaving Sydney and a clear test at Changi, likely returned within six to twelve hours after arrival, unable to leave the city hotel until a clear test is received
My question is whether I’ve interpreted the rules correctly or, generally, if this plan is naive or better changed to just transiting immediately upon arrival at Changi, avoiding the Singapore governmental nightmare.
My rationale is that while travel in January may be sketchy, it’s likely to be sketchy in March or June or September. So what difference does it make.
Hi DVDA: you have indeed interpreted those rules correctly. If you want to leave the airport and enter Singapore proper (ie go through immigration) then you need to do an ~$150 PCR test on arrival at Changi, and then wait in your hotel room for the results to arrive (allow around six hours).
As you're on QF81 which arrives around 5pm, you probably wouldn't get your test results back until close to midnight, and there's nothing happening at midnight in Singapore these days, so your actual time spent poking around the city would be limited to whatever hours you have before heading back to Changi for your onwards flight to the Maldives.
As you're just looking at a one-night stopover, I would honestly skip the city stopover entirely and change my plans to make Singapore a transit and hop onto an SQ flight to the Maldives. The complication there might be your connection time between the Qantas and Singapore Airlines flights, and indeed if you can do that or if you'd need to do the entire journey on SQ.
I agree with David's points above, a one-night stopover simply isn't worth it in this current environment. The old days, the pre-COVID days, absolutely it could be nice to break up the trip, stay at a hotel not too far from Changi and have dinner at that East Coast Lagoon food village. But these days you'd be better off just staying airside. But also check about the Maldives as a VTL destination and if you are allowed to do a QF to SQ connection for that, I think if possible it would be better just to do SQ all the way.
I'm in a similar situation. I booked a return flight from Singapore to Munich with Turkish Airlines. And then booked another Qantas flights with points to get me to Singapore. I remember years ago that there was a transfer desk airside, where someone picked up your bag and checked it in to your next flight, even if it was on a separate booking, with no interlining (I could be wrong). To be on the safe side, I cancelled my QF booking and booked the Sydney to Singapore part with Singapore Airlines instead, as they interline with Turkish (both Star Alliance).
To complicate it further… Turkish Airlines have now cancelled my IST-SIN leg, with the option to fly a day earlier or a day later. If I go earlier, I would need a night in Singapore, if later, I would miss my connection.
There is a direct flight from Munich to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, but I guess I can't get TK to put me on that one?
SYD-SIN with SQ is in economy, SIN-IST-MUC is with TK in business.
Sorry for hijacking your thread. But keen to know how your transiting will go in January. My flights are in February.
The Singapore stopover is dead for the foreseeable future. It's not worth the hassle, uncertainty and cost. Even transit through SIN is tricky with multiple (often conflicting) rules on allowed origin/destination, approved airlines and itineraries, VTL status (whatever that means now with omicron), and transit thru terminals.
We had to queue for about 15-20 minutes at Sydney airport; they were only doing pre-departure tests for people who were flying internationally the same day. Then after the test it took exactly 55 minutes for the results to come back.
I'm in a similar situation. I booked a return flight from Singapore to Munich with Turkish Airlines. And then booked another Qantas flights with points to get me to Singapore. I remember years ago that there was a transfer desk airside, where someone picked up your bag and checked it in to your next flight, even if it was on a separate booking, with no interlining (I could be wrong). To be on the safe side, I cancelled my QF booking and booked the Sydney to Singapore part with Singapore Airlines instead, as they interline with Turkish (both Star Alliance).
To complicate it further… Turkish Airlines have now cancelled my IST-SIN leg, with the option to fly a day earlier or a day later. If I go earlier, I would need a night in Singapore, if later, I would miss my connection.
There is a direct flight from Munich to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, but I guess I can't get TK to put me on that one?
SYD-SIN with SQ is in economy, SIN-IST-MUC is with TK in business.
Sorry for hijacking your thread. But keen to know how your transiting will go in January. My flights are in February.
I’m in exact same boat. Have you travelled yet? Did you have any issues with the seperate booking?
I'm in a similar situation. I booked a return flight from Singapore to Munich with Turkish Airlines. And then booked another Qantas flights with points to get me to Singapore. I remember years ago that there was a transfer desk airside, where someone picked up your bag and checked it in to your next flight, even if it was on a separate booking, with no interlining (I could be wrong). To be on the safe side, I cancelled my QF booking and booked the Sydney to Singapore part with Singapore Airlines instead, as they interline with Turkish (both Star Alliance).
To complicate it further… Turkish Airlines have now cancelled my IST-SIN leg, with the option to fly a day earlier or a day later. If I go earlier, I would need a night in Singapore, if later, I would miss my connection.
There is a direct flight from Munich to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, but I guess I can't get TK to put me on that one?
SYD-SIN with SQ is in economy, SIN-IST-MUC is with TK in business.
Sorry for hijacking your thread. But keen to know how your transiting will go in January. My flights are in February.
I’m in exact same boat. Have you travelled yet? Did you have any issues with the seperate booking?
Hi Hakan!
Not yet, leaving next Friday. I did ask Singapore Airlines when I was at Sydney airport last, and they said there would be no issues to check the bags all the way through with SQ and TK even on separate bookings. I'll let you know how I'm going.
A bit of drama on my outbound flight, the incoming A380 was diverted to Melbourne because of bad weather, but the check in was smooth and even thought I had two separate bookings they checked my bag through to final destination. I was told that it would depart about 30 minutes late.
After a couple of hours in the lounge, I went up and asked when to board, and was told that SQ222 had been cancelled, and I've been put on the next flight, about 4 hours later. I wouldn't be able to catch my connection flight from Singapore to Munich via Istanbul. They couldn't tell me what would happen in Singapore, but ground staff were working on a connection, and that I would be looked after, even with two separate bookings.
Upon arrival in Singapore, I got a boarding pass for a direct flight with SQ to Munich, in business.
Very happy, I left Sydney 4 hours late and arrived in Munich 3 hours earlier.
@Philippe M,
I don't think Jetstar will interline with Emirates or Qatar, but it looks like Singapore is opening up, and you should be able to do a self transfer soon, if you give yourself enough time. I was lucky that both my bookings were within Star Alliance. Good luck to you!
Can anybody answer this please : flying Singapore airlines to Singapore then Scoot to Krabi. As the airlines are connected will they in Melbourne check my bags through to Krabi ?
Cheers Mike
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on
Layover in Singapore (not transit)
DVDA
DVDA
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 12 Nov 2017
Total posts 14
Hello community,
A question that admin may direct to SQ themselves, but I ask the learned community all the same.
I’m travelling to Singapore in January (QF81) en route to the Maldives
The plan involves entering Singapore and spending the night in the city before returning to Changi the next morning and continuing on. This requires a clear test prior to leaving Sydney and a clear test at Changi, likely returned within six to twelve hours after arrival, unable to leave the city hotel until a clear test is received
My question is whether I’ve interpreted the rules correctly or, generally, if this plan is naive or better changed to just transiting immediately upon arrival at Changi, avoiding the Singapore governmental nightmare.
My rationale is that while travel in January may be sketchy, it’s likely to be sketchy in March or June or September. So what difference does it make.
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
Hi DVDA: you have indeed interpreted those rules correctly. If you want to leave the airport and enter Singapore proper (ie go through immigration) then you need to do an ~$150 PCR test on arrival at Changi, and then wait in your hotel room for the results to arrive (allow around six hours).
As you're on QF81 which arrives around 5pm, you probably wouldn't get your test results back until close to midnight, and there's nothing happening at midnight in Singapore these days, so your actual time spent poking around the city would be limited to whatever hours you have before heading back to Changi for your onwards flight to the Maldives.
As you're just looking at a one-night stopover, I would honestly skip the city stopover entirely and change my plans to make Singapore a transit and hop onto an SQ flight to the Maldives. The complication there might be your connection time between the Qantas and Singapore Airlines flights, and indeed if you can do that or if you'd need to do the entire journey on SQ.
AsiaBizTraveller
AsiaBizTraveller
Member since 20 Nov 2015
Total posts 43
I agree with David's points above, a one-night stopover simply isn't worth it in this current environment. The old days, the pre-COVID days, absolutely it could be nice to break up the trip, stay at a hotel not too far from Changi and have dinner at that East Coast Lagoon food village. But these days you'd be better off just staying airside. But also check about the Maldives as a VTL destination and if you are allowed to do a QF to SQ connection for that, I think if possible it would be better just to do SQ all the way.
hagward
hagward
British Airways - Executive Club
Member since 07 Jan 2015
Total posts 3
Hi!
I'm in a similar situation. I booked a return flight from Singapore to Munich with Turkish Airlines. And then booked another Qantas flights with points to get me to Singapore. I remember years ago that there was a transfer desk airside, where someone picked up your bag and checked it in to your next flight, even if it was on a separate booking, with no interlining (I could be wrong). To be on the safe side, I cancelled my QF booking and booked the Sydney to Singapore part with Singapore Airlines instead, as they interline with Turkish (both Star Alliance).
To complicate it further… Turkish Airlines have now cancelled my IST-SIN leg, with the option to fly a day earlier or a day later. If I go earlier, I would need a night in Singapore, if later, I would miss my connection.
There is a direct flight from Munich to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, but I guess I can't get TK to put me on that one?
SYD-SIN with SQ is in economy, SIN-IST-MUC is with TK in business.
Sorry for hijacking your thread. But keen to know how your transiting will go in January. My flights are in February.
Sutty
Sutty
Member since 12 Apr 2017
Total posts 10
Similar situation : usually early Melbourne to Singapore flight then 11am flight to Krabi !
Looks like this is impossible because not the same booking as the Krabi flight is with Scoot a different airline
Really do not want a stopover in Singapore
Look forward to comments
Mike
dragonfly
dragonfly
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 24 Apr 2013
Total posts 41
The Singapore stopover is dead for the foreseeable future. It's not worth the hassle, uncertainty and cost. Even transit through SIN is tricky with multiple (often conflicting) rules on allowed origin/destination, approved airlines and itineraries, VTL status (whatever that means now with omicron), and transit thru terminals.
DVDA
DVDA
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 12 Nov 2017
Total posts 14
Gave up - rebooked the whole trip with SQ, no choice in the matter given recent govt changes
Any tips on wait time for Sydney pre departure tests? Situation seems to be a debacle.
Sibelius
Sibelius
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 06 Aug 2017
Total posts 181
We had to queue for about 15-20 minutes at Sydney airport; they were only doing pre-departure tests for people who were flying internationally the same day. Then after the test it took exactly 55 minutes for the results to come back.
Hakan609
Hakan609
Member since 04 Feb 2022
Total posts 1
Originally Posted by hagward
Hi!
I'm in a similar situation. I booked a return flight from Singapore to Munich with Turkish Airlines. And then booked another Qantas flights with points to get me to Singapore. I remember years ago that there was a transfer desk airside, where someone picked up your bag and checked it in to your next flight, even if it was on a separate booking, with no interlining (I could be wrong). To be on the safe side, I cancelled my QF booking and booked the Sydney to Singapore part with Singapore Airlines instead, as they interline with Turkish (both Star Alliance).
To complicate it further… Turkish Airlines have now cancelled my IST-SIN leg, with the option to fly a day earlier or a day later. If I go earlier, I would need a night in Singapore, if later, I would miss my connection.
There is a direct flight from Munich to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, but I guess I can't get TK to put me on that one?
SYD-SIN with SQ is in economy, SIN-IST-MUC is with TK in business.
Sorry for hijacking your thread. But keen to know how your transiting will go in January. My flights are in February.
hagward
hagward
British Airways - Executive Club
Member since 07 Jan 2015
Total posts 3
Originally Posted by Hakan609
Originally Posted by hagward
Hi!
I'm in a similar situation. I booked a return flight from Singapore to Munich with Turkish Airlines. And then booked another Qantas flights with points to get me to Singapore. I remember years ago that there was a transfer desk airside, where someone picked up your bag and checked it in to your next flight, even if it was on a separate booking, with no interlining (I could be wrong). To be on the safe side, I cancelled my QF booking and booked the Sydney to Singapore part with Singapore Airlines instead, as they interline with Turkish (both Star Alliance).
To complicate it further… Turkish Airlines have now cancelled my IST-SIN leg, with the option to fly a day earlier or a day later. If I go earlier, I would need a night in Singapore, if later, I would miss my connection.
There is a direct flight from Munich to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, but I guess I can't get TK to put me on that one?
SYD-SIN with SQ is in economy, SIN-IST-MUC is with TK in business.
Sorry for hijacking your thread. But keen to know how your transiting will go in January. My flights are in February.
Hi Hakan!
Not yet, leaving next Friday. I did ask Singapore Airlines when I was at Sydney airport last, and they said there would be no issues to check the bags all the way through with SQ and TK even on separate bookings. I'll let you know how I'm going.
Phillippe M
Phillippe M
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 13 Jun 2013
Total posts 1
Hi hagward,
Just following to see how you are went?
Looking at doing something similar with Jetstar out of Darwin and connecting with Emirates or Qatar to Europe in late April.
Phillippe
hagward
hagward
British Airways - Executive Club
Member since 07 Jan 2015
Total posts 3
Alright, so, now I'm back from my trip.
A bit of drama on my outbound flight, the incoming A380 was diverted to Melbourne because of bad weather, but the check in was smooth and even thought I had two separate bookings they checked my bag through to final destination. I was told that it would depart about 30 minutes late.
After a couple of hours in the lounge, I went up and asked when to board, and was told that SQ222 had been cancelled, and I've been put on the next flight, about 4 hours later. I wouldn't be able to catch my connection flight from Singapore to Munich via Istanbul. They couldn't tell me what would happen in Singapore, but ground staff were working on a connection, and that I would be looked after, even with two separate bookings.
Upon arrival in Singapore, I got a boarding pass for a direct flight with SQ to Munich, in business.
Very happy, I left Sydney 4 hours late and arrived in Munich 3 hours earlier.
@Philippe M,
I don't think Jetstar will interline with Emirates or Qatar, but it looks like Singapore is opening up, and you should be able to do a self transfer soon, if you give yourself enough time. I was lucky that both my bookings were within Star Alliance. Good luck to you!
Sutty
Sutty
Member since 12 Apr 2017
Total posts 10
Hi
Can anybody answer this please : flying Singapore airlines to Singapore then Scoot to Krabi. As the airlines are connected will they in Melbourne check my bags through to Krabi ?
Cheers Mike