Fly to Seoul-Incheon with Scoot via Taipei from 29 May 2013

Report : Gan Yung Chyan
            / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

Scoot, the long-haul flight subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, is launching thrice-weekly scheduled flights to Seoul-Incheon from Singapore via Taipei Taoyuan on 29 May 2013 using its Boeing B777-200 aircraft. Thrice-weekly flights are on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

On 29 May, Scoot flight TZ206 departs Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 1.35 pm and transits in Taipei at 6.15 pm for one hour before ascending to the sky at 7.15 pm and it arrives in Seoul-Incheon International Airport at 10.35 pm. One hour later, flight TZ205 departs Seoul-Incheon at 11.45 pm, transits in Taipei Taoyuan at 1.25 am for one hour before proceeding on its onward flight to Singapore at 2.25, touching down in Singapore at 6.45 am on the next day.

Scoot hopes to launch direct flights to Seoul once new long-range Dreamliner aircraft are received within the next few years.

Airphil Express rebrands as PAL Express and moves over to Manila (NAIA) Terminal 2

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                   / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

Airphil Express, the third budget airline of the Philippines, has rebranded as PAL Express since 15 March 2013. Its aircraft now spot the famiiar tri-colour Philippine Airlines (PAL) livery and logo on their tails and fuselage. As a result, it starts operations from Manila Ninoy-Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Centennial Terminal 2 from 1 April 2013 for its domestic and international passenger flights from Manila.

Passengers of PAL Express now enjoy meals and other amenities previously enjoyed by passengers of full-service carriers at budget fares.

Sichuan Airlines' twice-weekly scheduled flights from Nanning to Singapore begin on 6 April 2013

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                    / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

Sichuan Airlines, the provincial airline of Sichuan, China, launches direct twice-weekly scheduled flights from Nanning, Guangxi to Singapore on 6 April 2013.

On 6 April (Saturday), a Sichuan Airlines' Airbus A320 aircraft will depart from Nanning at 1.30 pm and arrive in Singapore Changi Airport at 5 pm. One hour later, the aircraft leaves for Nanning at 6 pm and touches down in Nanning at 9.30 pm.

Inaugural flight promotion fare starts from 99 Singapore Dollars one way and 198 Singapore Dollars for the inaugural return flight to Nanning, according to AZ Air, the GSA of Sichuan Airlines in Singapore.

Sichuan Airlines is currently the only Chinese airline in Singapore to appoint a local outbound tour sales agent as its GSA.

The current charter flight contract between AZ Air and Jetstar Asia Airways on the Singapore-Nanning route terminates on 3 April. The last Jetstar Asia charter flight to Nanning will be on 30 March.  AZ Air's contract to use Sichuan Airlines flights for charters kicks off on 6 April with holiday tour packages to Guangxi Bama Longevity Village and flight and land tours to Vietnam via Nanning.

Twice-weekly Sichuan Airlines flights from Nanning to Singapore are on Wednesdays and Saturdays and are subject to regulatory approval.  The Nanning-Singapore route is the second international route to be opened by Sichuan Airlines this year after its direct Chengdu-Melbourne scheduled flight which was launched on 28 February 2013. Singapore is the airline's third Nanning's international destination after Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta.

For further information on ticketing and sales, contact Sichuan Airlines' GSA, AZ Air, at 65111657 or email AZ Air at enquiry@azair.com.sg.

Address of Sichuan Airlines Representative in Singapore:
AZ Air Pte Ltd, 101 Upper Cross Street #02-31A, People's Park Centre, Singapore 058358

Golden Myanmar Airlines flies to Singapore from Mandalay via Yangon with effect from 5 April 2013

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

On 15 March 2013, Changi Airport advertised in The Straits Times, announcing Golden Myanmar Airlines' plan to serve Mandalay with daily flights that "layover briefly" in Yangon from Singapore.

With reference to this report, Sayacinta - Airpost has contacted Changi Airport to find out more details on Golden Myanmar Airlines' adjusted flight schedules to Singapore.

As an extension flight of its Mandalay-Yangon route, Golden Myanmar Airlines  begins its first flight to Singapore via Yangon from Mandalay on 5 April 2013 under flight code Y5233 at 10.10 am. It arrives in Singapore at 2.40 pm.

The Mandalay-Yangon flight schedule proceeds as normal, that is departing Mandalay for Yangon at 8.10 am and arriving in Yangon at 9.25 am.

At 3.35 pm, the oubound Golden Myanmar Airlines flight  departs from Changi Airport Terminal 1 on 5 April for Yangon and touches down in Yangon at 5.05 pm for inbound immigration clearance.  After a brief layover of 45 minutes, it takes off for Mandalay and touches down in Mandalay at 7.05 pm under an adjusted flight schedule. Daily flights are operated by its own single-class, 180-seater Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

To celebrate Golden Myanmar Airlines' flights to Singapore, Changi Airport is organizing a Mandalay return flight ticket-winning contest in partnership with the Burmese budget carrier. Tickets are only available with Changi Airport presently until 31 March 2013. Interested customers have to sign up for the Fans of Changi monthly e-newsletter at changiairport.com/signup to stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to Mandalay on Golden Myanmar Airlines.

Golden Myanmar Airlines is promoting two-way return zero Dollar fares for flights departing for Yangon and Mandalay from Singapore on 5 to 8 April via its Facebook and travel agents.

Local Burmese travel agents in Singapore start selling Golden Myanmar Airlines' tickets next week.

Golden Myanmar Airlines delays launch of inaugural flight to Singapore till further notice

Update by : Gan Yung Chyan
                   / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press and Travel Professionals

According to Changi Airport, Golden  Myanmar Airlines has not yet received the necessary regulatory approval to launch budget flights to Singapore from Yangon and Mandalay. Therefore, the Myanmar budget carrier will not launch flights to Singapore from Yangon on 15 March 2013 until further notice.

According to travel agents at Peninsula Shopping Centre in Singapore, Golden Myanmar Airlines plans to sell tickets to Singaporeans via local Burmese travel agents starting 31 March 2013. The airline does not have a representative office or a General Sales Agent (GSA) in Singapore.  However, travel agents hope it will eventually open a branch office in Singapore to facilitate sales transactions.

Currently, local Burmese travel agents transact on tickets of other Myanmar airlines such as Myanmar Airways International, Air KBZ, Asian Wings Airways, Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways and Air Bagan.

Convenient direct flights from Dalian begin on 2 April 2013 with XiamenAir

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

Xiamen Airlines, now known in short as XiamenAir, begins its summer operations on 31 March 2013. One of the highlights in XiamenAir's new flight schedules include thrice-weekly scheduled flights from Singapore to Dalian with a stopover in Xiamen for immediate immigration clearance.

Beginning 2 April 2013 (Tuesday), XiamenAir flies direct from Dalian to Singapore at 2.15 pm with a stopover in Xiamen at 5.05 pm for outbound immigration clearance of about 1 hour before departing for Singapore at 6 pm and  touching down in Singapore at 10.10 pm under flight code MF873. The flight will stop over in Singapore for one day before departing for Dalian on 4 April 2013 (Thursday) at 8.55 am under flight code MF874 with a stopover of 1 hour in Xiamen at 12.45 pm for inbound immigration clearance before arriving in Dalian at 4.35 pm.

The thrice-weekly scheduled flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are operated by XiamenAir's Boeing B737-800 aircraft. XiamenAir Singapore Town Office says that the new flights are provided as there is a market demand for conducive day-time daily flights to the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian.

Thai Smile flies to Kuala Lumpur and Delhi from Phuket from 2 April 2013, to Mumbai from 3 April 2013

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                   / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

Thai Smile, the low-cost carrier operated by Thai Airways International under the IATA code TG, has finally revealed its Summer Schedules effective 31 March 2013.

According to Thai Smile's online flight schedules, Thai Smile flies to Kuala Lumpur from Phuket starting 2 April 2013 under TG771 at 9.20 am, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 11.40 am. It departs for Phuket at 12.30 pm under TG772 and touches down in Phuket at 12.55 pm local time. Return flights are operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

On 2 April 2013, there will also be a new direct flight to Delhi from Phuket at 10.05 pm under TG761, touching down in Delhi at 12.55 am on Mondays and Thursdays before departing for Phuket under TG762 at 1.55 am, arriving in Phuket at 7.55 am on Tuesdays and Fridays.

On 3 April and 4 April 2013, Thai Smile introduces new twice-weekly flights to Mumbai from Phuket at 10.30 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays under TG763, arriving in Mumbai at 12.10 am  on Thursdays and Sundays. It ascends for Phuket at 12.20 am under TG764 and arrives in Phuket at 8.20 am.

All new flights are operated by Thai Smile's Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

The inaugural Phuket-Singapore-Phuket and Phuket-Ahmedabad flights have been postponed till further notice although Thai Smile has introduced fares for its Ahmedabad services, dates to be re-confirmed.

Thai Smile also plans to fly to Yangon and Mandalay from Bangkok this year.

Thai Smile delays launch of flights to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                   / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

Thai Smile has delayed launch of flights from Phuket to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur from 31 March 2013 till further notice. It has delayed plans to launch flights to Hyderabad as well.

Myanmar's budget airline Golden Myanmar Airlines to start daily flights from Yangon to Singapore on 15 March 2013

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                    / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Media and Travel Professionals

According to Golden Myanmar Airlines, Myanmar's first budget airline will start daily scheduled flights from Yangon to Singapore on 15 March 2013 next Friday. One-way fare on its Yangon-Singapore route starts from 59 US Dollars excluding taxes according to its web-site.

According to information on the airline's Facebook, Golden Myanmar Airlines  will begin its first international flight to Singapore on 15 March under flight code Y5233 at 10.10 am and arrive in Singapore at 2.40 pm. At 3.35 pm, it will depart for Yangon and touch down in Yangon at 5.05 pm.  Daily flights are operated by its own Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

Golden Myanmar Airlines' inaugural flights to and from Singapore are yet to be confirmed by Changi Airport Group to the media.

Golden Myanmar Airlines also plans a new Singapore-Mandalay route at a later stage.

According to Golden Myanmar Airlines, the airline also plans to open new flights to Kuala Lumpur in March 2013, Bangkok and Hong Kong later from Yangon. Currently, it operates daily scheduled flights from Yangon to Mandalay.


In one month, Golden Myanmar Airlines has its own official inflight magazine Eazy Fly and it is on the doldrums to offer more travel services to the public.

Golden Myanmar Airlines is the only public-listed airline company of Myanmar.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3 -- The Best Budget Terminal of Southeast Asia

Review by : Gan Yung Chyan
                    / KUCINTA SETIA

After several years of airport-hopping, the journalist of Sayacinta - Airpost finally landed in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3 in Cengkareng, the airport of Jakarta, on 30 January 2013 on a one-day survey trip of this terminal with AirAsia Indonesia.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3 (S-HIA T3) is the best Budget Terminal of Southeast Asia among all the budget flight terminals in the region to date for the following reasons:-
1. It is the cleanest and the eco-friendly terminal of Indonesia.
2. It has digital toilets with transparent barriers that prevent urine from splashing onto the floor.
3. It has clear-marked signs showing tourists where the airport facilities including shuttle bus services to the other terminals are.
4. Instead of airline counters, airline ticketing offices are present in the arrival hall.
5. The Immigration counters of T3  clear foreign tourist queues faster than the Immigration counters in the other terminals, as well as Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Ranking second and third are Kuala Lumpur International Airport-LCCT and Don Mueang International Airport of Bangkok. Budget Terminal of Changi Airport is excluded as it has been demolished to pave way for Terminal 4.

This short review shows the pictures of S-HIA T3. AirAsia Group of Airlines, Mandala, Tiger Airways and Lion Air  operate scheduled flights to S-HIA T3.


Fly to S-HIA T3 in your budget trip to Jakarta.