I guess luck has visited me when Scoot Airlines was looking for someone to fly to Athens, Greece.
I cannot fully remember the scenario, but all I know, It was originally @Rodmagaru who were supposed to be on this trip. Unfortunately, being tied to work and having an expiring passport made him let go of the opportunity (That sucks!). Comes me to the rescue hahaha! After a few email conversation, it got approved! Scoot is flying me to Greece to experience a Greek Winter Holiday! It didn’t really sink in yet not until I was able to pass through another obstacle, which is the visa application. (Check out @Ruthilicious post on the blow by blow action on How we were able to get our Visa).
It was a very toxic yet fulfilling moment that it felt like we were doing a job interview. The consul was very tight about letting in individuals in their country (which is kind of a good thing I suppose). The conversation becomes an exchange of defense of why’s and why not. And it comes to the point that we were being denied. Good thing, the consul felt that our intention was clear and we finally convince her to sign our papers. The Hellenic Embassy approved our visa there and there. It was a winning moment, that I was holding my reactions not until we pass through the crowd, after having more than 30 minutes of conversation with the consul. (Check out my Vlog on the time I got my Hellenic VISA here)
Ruth and I decided to fly to Athens on the 29th of December until January 6, meaning we will be celebrating the new year on the other side of the world.
Comes the date of our departure.
Continue reading will tell you more about my first European flight via Scoot and on how you could be able to fly there for only PHP 10,754 (approx. US$ 200). Plus a Video Blog at the end of the post!
Fly with Scoot Airlines
Scoot Airlines is a Singaporean low-cost long haul airline and was launched in June 2012. Scoot currently have flights to India, China, Germany, Japan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Macau, and Greece.
Being a budget traveler I have tried flying with other budget airlines, thou mostly were only short distances flight. I guess it would be just fine for you would only need to bare the slight inconvenience you would be feeling in doing so. Thus it made me a bit worried if I could be able to withstand flying on a long haul inside a budget airlines.
It will be my first time flying by Scoot and I am not really expecting much about it. That is why I was a bit surprised when we finally arrived in Athens, I could say it wasn’t bad at all.
Scoot Customization at your fingertips
Scoot fares to Athens start from PHP10,403 from Cebu, PHP10,704 from Clark, PHP11,198 from Kalibo and PHP10,754 from Manila. However, keep a lookout for Scoot’s monthly Take-off Tuesday promotions available on their website (www.flyscoot.com/ph-take-off-tuesday)!
The next promo is happening on the first Tuesday in February and it’s fastest fingers first to grab fares as low as PHP9,899 to Athens!!
Of course, these prices will still vary depending on when and what are you adding. Flying with Scoot will give you the flexibility to customize your way of flying depending on your budget and needs. For the smart traveler, it would always be good to properly purchase all the necessary needs before the flight. But for those who felt the need for something during the flight, Scoot can always assist you with whatever upgrades you would need.
There are 4 options to enjoy your flight with Sccot; Fly, FlyBag, FlyBagEat, & ScootBiz.
Here is the difference between the Scoot Airlines Economy Class:
- Fly – Economy Seat
- FlyBag – Economy Seat + 20kg checked baggage
- FlyBagEat – Economy Seat + 20kg checked baggage + Hot meal with beverage
ScootBiz, of course, is the more convenient way of traveling with more perks to enjoy from. But for a shorter haul, I would prefer getting the economy especially if I am on a budget traveling.
Upgrades can usually be done while you are booking or on the flight itself. Though, upgrading before the flight would always be an advantage so you can save more. But if necessary, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Just like any other budget airlines, upgrading would always cost you money. If you need water, you need to pay, if you transfer seat, you need to pay. If you decide to access the Wi-Fi, you also need to pay.
That is why in Scoot, you pay what you only needed.
When you needed food . . .
For longer haul flights like Manila to Athens, adding up long-haul meals on your booking before the flights are very ideal. Scoot is offering a special meal bundle to ensure that we are well-fed throughout our flight. The long haul meal bundle, comes in non-vegetarian and vegetarian options, includes:
- Premium Meal Combo which includes a deluxe meal, 2 sides, and a drink.
- Light Meal Combo which includes a light meal, a snack and a pre-cupped juice.
Pre-purchasing meals are highly encouraged because food and beverages for sale onboard are limited in quantities and would be subject to availability. Also, you would have the freedom to choose the food you like if you pre-purchase.
Nevertheless, Scoot Cafe menu would always come in handy in flight. Aside from the Long-haul Meal bundles, Scoot Cafe got also got Hot meals, Light meals, beverages, and snack. Meals serve are not Halal-certified, otherwise indicated.
On board, Hot Meals cost S$12. If ever you would want to make purchases, Scoot only accepts cash in Singaporean Dollars (and/or ask cabin crew for accepted currencies onboard) and credit card (Visa and Mastercard) payments.
Also, consumption of outside food and beverages is not allowed on board.
When you needed a Seat upgrade . . .
Just like any other airlines, the higher you pay the convenient your flight would be. Scoot gives us the freedom to either choose the basic or upgrade to a much bigger space. In the Economy Class, you can have the option to pick the Standard Seats, Super Seats or Stretch Seat. Super Seats got 30% more legroom while the Stretch Seats got 50% more.
On the plane we boarded, Super Seats and Stretch Seats can both be found in the ScootnSilence Quiet Zone. In this zone, no kids under 12 years old are allowed. Each seat comes with an adjustable headrest as well. Standard ScootinSilence seat upgrade starts from PHP 1,715.
If you needed more space on the flight, you can even purchase up to 2 empty seats next to you to fully relax on the flight! On our flight from Singapore to Athens, I saw I guy on my back lying like he was in bed. I think he maximises his space by purchasing the two seats beside him.
When you needed to be Connected or to be Entertained . . .
I always bring my personal entertainment whenever I am traveling but for those who forgotten to bring any, Scoot is always ready. You just need to ask for an assistance by simply pressing the button on the side or on the top of the hand rest signaling the flight attendant. You can request for a flight entertainment or ScooTV with an “All-you-can-watch” for an all-in price of USD11 (Approx. SGD15 or Php 570) with over 100 movies and TV shows on board.
For those who are flying and need to stay connected, Scoot also got Wifi On-board available for purchase. Scoot Inflight Wi-Fi connectivity is available in 5 data session plans that start with 20MB to 500 MB. Wi-Fi connectivity prices start at US$ 5.99 onboard but you can enjoy up to 20% savings if you purchase before you board the aircraft! You can check out the complete list of Wi-Fi purchases here.
When you need a Retail Therapy . . .
If you got extra money to shell out, or just wanted to supplement your retail therapy, just browse the Scootalogue. Scoot flight got a wide variety of products that includes Scoot memorabilia, cosmetics, fragrances, chic accessories, liquor and more. All prices shown in the Scoot catalog are in Singapore Dollars. Purchasing would be a breeze aside from accepting cash they also can accept credit card (American Express, Mastercard, Visa, and JCB) payment for your purchase.
The Fly Scoot Airlines Experience
On the 29th, we decided to be in NAIA terminal 1, four hours before our flight. I was happy to be using my new Heys Luggage, which I got a few days before it’s release here in the Philippines. It becomes very handy for there were a lot of people in the airport and we’ve been standing for a long time, good thing the Heys luggage was tough enough to be converted into my sit. (Check out my Heys EOS Spinner Luggage).
After getting out tickets, I realized we are definitely heading to Greece! Haha! (Sorry, I still cannot believe it lol). Using our Unionbank GetGo card, Ruth and I celebrated the moment by heading to our new favorite hangout place at the terminal, the MIASCOR lounge.
#FlyScoot Manila to Singapore (3.5 hours flight time)
Our flight to Athens, Greece will have 1 stop at Singapore. This will take us 3.5 hours flight time. I took the window seat which I exchange to Ruth for I know she would take the toilet more often. The plane we boarded was a small plane which only contains a Standard and Stretch Seats. Our seat was on the standard which is actually bearable especially on a shorter-haul flight. When the plane was already stable, they serve us our first meal on board.
As I remember, what I reserve for this flight was a fish meal, but they serve me a chicken meal instead. I think they only got two meal choices on the plane we boarded. I eventually gave it to Ruth which is her second chicken meal, prior to the Chicken teriyaki she had. It was kind okay for I truly enjoyed the Riters chocolate and Jasmine green tea they served on the side.
Truthfully, I have this reservation on eating Halal certified meals, thus I decided to pick a fish meal. But as what they stated on the website, Scoot reserves the right to change the menu without notice. If the meal you pre-ordered is not available, you will be served a delicious alternative. I guess that is what happens on this trip. Though, all Scoot Cafe meals on the menu are not Halal Certified, unless otherwise indicated.
We arrived around 1 AM at Changi Airport.
We weren’t able to roam around Changi Airport for we only got a 2-hours layover in Singapore. After doing a quick water and toilet break, we head straight to the boarding gate.
Changi Airport is really strict with security that they would need to check our bags again. Laptops were necessary to be taken out of the bags. We also saw that the first few passengers’ water bottle was being taken at the gate. We decided to drink and emptied our water bottles before checking in.
#Flyscoot Singapore to Athens (12 hours)
I am usually awake during flights, maybe because I have this feeling that I do not want to miss any moment. But on this flight, I was able to sleep for more than 5 hours. I guess it can only mean that it was really a comfy flight.
We flew on a bigger plane this time from Singapore to Athens. I was actually expecting that we will be riding the same sized plane. It was my first connecting flight, to be honest. The flight going to Athens from Singapore will last for 12 hours. I was happy to learn that we got one of the best seat, placed at the ScootSilence Quite Zone.
Red means restroom is full!
We were near the toilet area, which is great for we are pretty sure we would need to visit it a lot. On our front was the ScootBiz section which was separated by a curtain.
On our flight to Athens, only a few were seated in our area. Ruth got the liberty to stretch or even use the seat on her side. Which I think technically, one would need to pay if you decided to max your space.
It was sad that we do not have a window view on the trip. I was in the zone of taking videos and photos of the countries we were about to pass. Good thing, I got my own entertainment system ready, I did enjoy doing a marathon of the Netflix series EASY and Black Mirror season 4. You can avail Netflix free for 6 months when you apply for Globe postpaid plan!
As soon as the plane was already stable, Flight attendants already started serving meals. We availed the long-haul meal bundle, that includes a Light Meal Combo and a Premium Meal Combo. First served was the light meal that includes a chicken wrap, cashew nuts, biscuit, and juice packed in a nice goody bag.
After having our first meal, I decided to continue watching the Netflix TV series then I took a nap afterward. It was a long 5 hours of sleep. I woke up when the flight attendant was serving the next meal.
We were given two choices, I decided to take the Vegetarian meal which includes water, cheese, salad, biscuit and juice on the side. Honestly, I wasn’t really happy with how the vegetarian meal tasted like but I am sure happy with the add-ons on the side.
It was around 1:30 pm (PH Time) when the pilot announced that we are passing Cairo, Egypt and we could have a nice view of the Pyramids on the left side of the plane. We were happy to see that we are not the only one interested in seeing the sight.
Most of the passengers, stood up to check out the view. Though I didn’t have a nice view of it, it felt nice that I can even say that I just pass by Egypt! (posting Check-in Cairo, Egypt!)
After 15 hours of flight!
It was 3 pm (9 am in Greece) when we arrived at Athens International Airport. It was customary for the business class passenger to go down first, then the ScootSilence Quite Zone second. We weren’t in a hurry so we decided to just wait for everyone to go down. We thought it would be nice to take some nice photos of the aircraft with only us as the passengers. The flight attendants on board were too nice to grant our request. Just look at how colorful the lights they got when turned on.
Final Verdict
Who wouldn’t think that an amount of Php 10,000+ (Approx. US$ 200) could already fly you to Athens, Greece. I was surprised at how affordable it was and this could really give a wider chance for customers to try and fly to Greece. Generally, the flight I had was really smooth sailing. Remember I was able to have an almost 6 hours of continuous sleep, which is pretty unexpected for me on a trip. The only problem I got was when I felt like I am dehydrating or having that difficulty in breathing. I guess it was because of the altitude. And yeah, I was being thrifty of not buying drinks on this long-haul flight. (Do not do that, water is essential!)
Flight attendants (FA) were also prompt with whatever one would be needing. I may not have tried asking for one but there were a few moments on the trip that I unintentionally press the signal button for being too clumsy. The FA came as expected.
For a budget traveler, flying with Scoot would really give you the liberty to spend more on your trip than spending more on your flight.
Kalimera Athens! Efharisto SCOOT! Now it is time for me to explore Greece. Check out our Athens updates via hashtags #RuroinGreece, #NognoginAthens. . . to be continued.
WEBISODE#19 – MY FIRST EUROPEAN FLIGHT VIA SCOOT AIRLINES
FLY SCOOT | www.facebook.com/flyscoot and www.flyscoot.com
Also read: Winter Wonderland in Greece | Postcards from Athens
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