| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Munich (MUC) | A320-200 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Munich (MUC) → New Delhi (DEL) | A350-900 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Vistara | New Delhi (DEL) → Bangkok (BKK) | A320neo | Premium Economy | 24/07/2023 | |
| Scoot | Bangkok (BKK) → Singapore (SIN) | 787-8 | Premium Economy | 09/08/2023 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | Singapore (SIN) → Frankfurt (FRA) | 747-8 | Business Class | 09/08/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Business Class | 10/08/2023 |
| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Munich (MUC) | A320-200 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Munich (MUC) → New Delhi (DEL) | A350-900 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Vistara | New Delhi (DEL) → Bangkok (BKK) | A320neo | Premium Economy | 24/07/2023 | |
| Scoot | Bangkok (BKK) → Singapore (SIN) | 787-8 | Premium Economy | 09/08/2023 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | Singapore (SIN) → Frankfurt (FRA) | 747-8 | Business Class | 09/08/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Business Class | 10/08/2023 |
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new Flight review! This marks the fourth episode of my trip to Asia. In this Flight review, I invite you to join me in exploring the "ScootPlus" cabin (or Premium Economy) aboard a Scoot Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, flying from Bangkok to Singapore.
I had previously flown Scoot on an Airbus A320 a few years ago. This marks my first experience on board the Dreamliner of the Singaporean low-cost carrier. Initially planning to travel in Economy Class, the minimal price difference convinced me to opt for Premium Economy, known as "ScootPlus." By simply adding a 30kg baggage allowance to the Economy fare (83€ / 89$), we exceeded the 120€ / 129$ price of Premium Economy.
This choice comes with various additional benefits: a genuine Premium Economy cabin in a 2-3-2 configuration with more comfortable seats, a 30kg baggage allowance, a larger cabin baggage allowance, a complimentary meal, priority check-in and boarding, a Wi-Fi voucher, and access to a power outlet. This is what Scoot promises on its website, and I'll take you through all of it in detail in this Flight review.
Let's start our journey at the departure level of Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport, the main airport in Bangkok. I arrived by taxi, although a metro line (Airport Rail Link) connects the city to the airport.
I walk into the spacious and modern check-in hall of BKK, which I find very pleasant.
A quick glance at the signs, and off to Scoot's check-in at row K.
There aren't many people at check-in at this hour, and there's a priority lane for ScootPlus passengers.
Interestingly, my flight was initially scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 787-9 (with 5 rows in ScootPlus). However, the aircraft changed the day before my flight to a Boeing 787-8, which has only 3 rows in ScootPlus. I'm pleased with this change as it will be my first time flying on a 787-8; I've flown on the 787-9 several times before. My seat was changed during check-in, but I managed to secure a window seat, 02K (originally booked seat: 05K).
Next up are security and immigration checks.
No priority here; we follow the same path as other passengers. Fortunately, there's not much wait at this hour, and the checks are done in 10 minutes.
Now, I'm airside with boarding scheduled in 1 hour and 20 minutes. Since I don't have access to the lounge, I explore the international terminal, which is much more appealing than the domestic area.
There are numerous shops, ranging from well-known Parisian brands to duty-free, and souvenir shops. It's bright, beautiful, pleasant, and clean, offering plenty of things to do.
There are also plenty of dining options.
There are also some charming Thai references in the terminal.
A glimpse of Concourse C: by far one of the most beautiful airport terminals in my opinion!
One drawback I can find with this terminal: the windows are absolutely not conducive to taking photos. There's either mesh on the windows, or too much dirt and reflections... Too bad for the avgeek side.
I still managed to catch a glimpse of Thai Smile's A320 and a series of Thai Airways planes. Glad to see they're slowly getting back to their pre-Covid activity!
Now, it's time to head to our gate, D6, in the D concourse.
Our plane has just arrived from Singapore.
After a short wait, we are allowed to descend to the lower level, in the boarding area.
Despite the reflections and dirty windows, here's a closer look at our aircraft, 9V-OFH, or “Scooti-mite”, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that joined Scoot's fleet in April 2017.
After a few minutes of waiting, we are finally permitted to board, starting with priority passengers, including passengers with reduced mobility and those traveling in ScootPlus.
I'm the first to board!
I am welcomed by several friendly and welcoming crew members.
Now, I'm in the ScootPlus cabin, configured to accommodate 18 passengers in a 2-3-2 layout.
Comparatively, here's a glimpse of the first Economy Class cabin just behind.
ScootPlus cabin features comfortable leather seats, quite spacious and wide.
The legroom is genuinely adequate.
The headrest is height adjustable and conforms to the shape of the head.
There's a central armrest, with a control for calling the crew and controlling the light on the overhead panel.
Each seat has its own universal power outlet.
The seats recline slightly and come with a leg rest, controllable from the outer armrest. The reclined position is quite comfortable.
In the central armrest, there's a foldable tray, providing decent size but lacking pivot and slide functionality.
The seat pocket contains a safety card, a "Scoot café" menu for the buy-on-board offering, and an in-flight sales journal called "Scootalogue."
A welcome drink is offered – water. Better than nothing!
A 30 MB Wi-Fi voucher is also provided for free.
There's a QR code on the central armrest to access Scoot's online portal. We'll come back to this later.
The seat provides access to two windows with the classic 787 dimming feature.
The cabin is impressive for a low-cost carrier, rivaling some Premium Economy classes of various legacy airlines. Everything is also very clean.
The only drawback of this cabin is the absence of an individual in-flight entertainment screen. Passengers have to make do with the mobile entertainment offering. A bit of a letdown for an aircraft operating on long-haul routes, such as the nearly 12-hour Singapore-Berlin route. But we are talking about low-cost travel…
A flight attendant then comes by to take our drink orders for the flight. Traveling in ScootPlus, we can choose a beverage (hot or cold, alcoholic or non-alcoholic) from the buy-on-board catalog to accompany our pre-ordered in-flight meal.
Boarding is complete. My seat offers a great view of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine!
We push back facing west, taxiing to runway 19R.
I'm repeating myself, but I'm really a fan of this terminal's architecture!
At 09:15, with a 20-minute delay, we line up on runway 19R and take off.
We catch a glimpse of the construction site for the airport's future third runway.
We continue climbing, with a view of Bangkok in the background.
Passing through a rather turbulent area.
Then we arrive over the sea and fly over the mouth of the Chao Phraya River into the Gulf of Thailand.
Now, let's talk about the in-flight entertainment offerings. Passengers can connect to two Wi-Fi networks providing access to two different portals.
The first is "Scoot_Wi-Fi," which allows the purchase of various Wi-Fi packages. It also accepts the code for the complimentary 30 MB Wi-Fi voucher distributed at the beginning of the flight. The portal provides information about the destination, the digital buy-on-board menu, and the in-flight sales magazine.
The second network is "ScootHub." This one also gives access to catalogs but includes games and an interactive map with useful information – quite enjoyable!
It's a pity, however, that these functions have been split into two networks. It is therefore impossible to be connected to Wi-Fi and track your flight on the interactive map at the same time. You have to switch constantly between the two networks…
It's time for the service. I opted for Ginger Teriyaki Chicken with Rice. The dessert is a bag of mini blueberry and vanilla cookies. I chose still water, not being particularly interested in the other beverages offered. A refreshing towel is also provided.
The meal is really good – the meat, the sauce, the rice – a meal worthy of a good Economy Class; very decent for a low-cost carrier! I would bet that some legacy carriers on the same segment wouldn't offer anything better! Note that the food offering is the same in ScootPlus and Economy Class, hence the somewhat basic presentation with the plastic tray and wooden cutlery.
The cookies are a little too sweet and have an average taste.
Staying in the theme of India (as seen in my previous flights), my travel partner chose the Dahl Curry with Basmati Rice, which was also very good.
As the flight continues, I give in and buy the "Remove before flight" keychain from Scoot. One more for the collection! Nice touch with the KrisShop bag.
I really want to commend the kindness, professionalism, and responsiveness of the crew. They were all fantastic, without exception! It just goes to show that the best crews aren't always found on legacy carriers; this flight is a perfect example.
We fly over the Malaysian coast.
A quick visit to the toilets reveals nothing particularly noteworthy, except for the hands-free flushing sign. I had never seen this on an airplane before. Is it a specificity of the 787?
The descent to Singapore begins, and the seatbelt sign lights up. We get to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Malaysia.
We cross the border between Malaysia and Singapore.
At 12:05, five minutes ahead of schedule and after 1 hour and 50 minutes of flight, we land on runway 20R at Singapore-Changi Airport.
We vacate the runway to the left.
We taxi to our gate at Terminal 1, passing Terminal 3.
A Singapore Airlines A380: what a pleasure to see this aircraft again!
Singapore's mythical control tower. And the top of the Jewel Dome.
You'll have to forgive the reflections caused by the strong light and the marks on the window, which make the photos a bit blurry.
We pass a Scoot A320 on departure.
We come to a stop at gate D47, next to another Scoot A320.
We deboard using the first jetway (this time, two jetways are positioned at the aircraft).
Welcome to Singapore Airport!
It has been four years since I passed through here, but it's truly a pleasure to be back at this airport. By far, one of the best in Asia, if not the world, in my opinion. Very clean (well, in line with the entire country), modern, beautiful, and pleasant. Not to mention the plethora of dining, shopping, and entertainment options.
Now, we're in the D concourse of Terminal 1, the oldest terminal at the airport, but it has been well renovated.
Off to immigration and baggage claim.
A Starlux A350 in the background, one of the most beautiful liveries on the A350, in my opinion.
The tail of a Thai 777, recently arrived from Bangkok.
We head down to immigration, which is almost instantaneous via automated kiosks (eligible for several countries, including EU countries). No more counters to go through, but unfortunately, no more passport stamps either.
On the other side, we head to baggage claim, Belt 18 for our flight.
We pass through a duty-free shop.
At the baggage belt, the luggage is already there. That's Singapore: everything is smooth, immediate, practical, and ergonomic. Some airports should take note!
Now, it's time to exit.
A little bonus with this photo taken during my quick visit to the Jewel. I've seen it in photos for years, but to see it in person is breathtaking. Truly impressive!
And that concludes this Flight review of my ScootPlus class flight between Bangkok and Singapore.
Overall, it was a good flight. The cabin was very decent for Premium Economy, especially for a low-cost carrier, with a comfortable and wide seat, plenty of legroom, and power outlets. The meal was also decent for a flight of this duration – honestly a good Economy Class meal from a low-cost airline. The crew was really top-notch, present, proactive, friendly, and smiling, surpassing some crews I've encountered on legacy carriers. In terms of entertainment, the complimentary 30 MB Wi-Fi voucher is a plus, in addition to the various packages offered. An online portal offers an interactive flight map, games, and information about the airline and destination. Unfortunately, no personal IFE screen is embedded in the seat.
As for Bangkok Airport, it's really clean, pleasant, smooth, and well-supplied with shops, restaurants, etc. I repeat myself, but for me, it's one of the most beautiful terminals in the world. The only downside is the reflections and dirty windows with mesh that prevent photos of the beautiful parked planes. Too bad for the avgeek side…
Regarding Singapore Airport, not much to say except that it's extremely fluid and breathtakingly clean. The passenger journey in the terminal is simple and practical. This is by far one of the best airports to make a connection without getting bored. I'll let you discover more about this airport in my next Flight review.
I hope you enjoyed this fourth Flight review of my trip to Asia. In the next episode, it's time to return to Europe aboard my favorite plane, the Boeing 747!
Thanks for reading and see you soon ;)
