Scoot Air has recently become one of our favorite companies to travel with while exploring Southeast Asia. After taking flights with Scoot Airlines and other operators a number of times, we wanted to share our experience in an honest review! We’ve also added tips, advice based on our own routes, and explain why it’s such a great option from Bali to Thailand.
Scoot Airlines Review
Funny enough, we didn’t plan on originally flying with Scoot Airlines for this journey. When we booked our tickets to Bali Indonesia we chose to use Air Asia to get to Kuala Lumpur. We wanted to spend a few days in the city before continuing on to Phuket Thailand.
However, a little over a week before our departure we received an email that our flight was canceled! The new route we were scheduled on was a horrible time and not one we were interested in taking. Our friend has something similar happen on her Air Asia flight this past week as well.
→ What’s it Like Flying on Air Asia? 8 Important Things to Know First
Why We Flew With Scoot Air
If you aren’t familiar with Air Asia they are a budget company that is comparable to Spirit in the USA or Ryanair in Europe. Not wanting to have to worry about more flight cancellations, we changed our ticket to a Scoot Airlines flight from Bali to Thailand.
We found this flight using the search tool Skyscanner. This is our go-to website to find cheap deals and compare the different companies.
The one crazy thing we did was instead of opting for the 1 hour layover, we picked a route that stopped for 5 hours in Singapore. If you’ve never been to Singapore it is one of our favorite cities in the world and a place we travel often.
Singapore Changi Airport has won countless international awards and is an attraction within itself! You can go shopping, hit the swimming pool, head to the theatre, or even visit the massive indoor waterfall called the “Jewel.”
→ 11 Best Ways to Save Money on Flights with Skyscanner
Booking Our Scoot Air Flight Tickets
After playing around with the dates we paid $140 USD each and booked our Scoot Air ticket a week before flying. If you are able to plan your trip in advance you can definitely find cheaper prices. We chose the basic economy seats but you can also opt for Scoot+ if you want a meal and expedited check-in.
The night before our flight we checked in online which was easy. We highly recommend downloading the app as it works much smoother than the Scoot Airlines website.
Once we checked in for our fight we realized that we had to also check in at the airport as it was an international flight! For this reason, we planned to get there a little early. Below is the exact route we flew with Scoot Airlines.
- Bali Denpasar → Singapore
- Sinapore → Phuket Thailand
Taking Off On Scoot Air From Bali
Staying in the Uluwatu area of Bali, we checked out of our hotel and jumped in our airport transfer at 8am in the morning. That gave us an hour to get to the airport and arriving a little less than 2 hours before our flight.
The traffic in Bali can be crazy so don’t go based on Google maps. Instead, ask at your accommodation for how long it will take based on the time of your flight. For example, in the morning the ride was 40 minutes for us to make it to the airport. However, the same route took us almost 2 hours with traffic in the afternoon!
With a little time to kill we grabbed a coffee and breakfast before heading inside the airport. Checking in for our flight was actually really easy and because we only had carry-on baggage.
We want to remind you in this review of Scoot Airlines that it IS a budge company. Nevertheless, one reason we like it is because instead of the standard 7kg max for carry-on they allow 10kg. Make sure to double check this before booking, but it can really save you time and money instead of checking a bag!
→ Scoot Airline Baggage Policy
Scoot Airlines Review: In the Air
Now it’s time to review Scoot Air when we were actually in the sky! Sitting near the front of the plane, we were one of the last to board which we prefer. The first leg of our flight went by quickly with a total duration of three hours between Bali and Singapore.
If you order a meal with your ticket the attendants come around and serve you. We didn’t pre-order anything as we planned to eat during our layover in Singapore. We actually travel with Priority Pass which gives us access to airport clubs around the world and Singapore has some of the best!
On previous Scoot Airline flights we have eaten and the food was pretty good. Like many budget companies, nothing is included in your base ticket price. They don’t even give out free water so bring some on the flight with you. It’s easy to fill up an empty water bottle after security.
While there aren’t tv screens on Scoot Air you can use your phone or computer to access their in-flight programming. Here you can watch select programs, track your flight, play games, or order food and drinks to your seats.
Best Layover Ever in Singapore
If you are flying Scoot Air then at some point you may be passing through their main hub of Singapore. It is the budget carrier of Singapore Airlines after all! Even if it’s just a quick layover there is so much to see and do at Changi Airport.
If you have enough time consider leaving the terminal (you have to pass through customs) and actually visiting the Jewel! This MASSIVE indoor waterfall first opened in 2019 and has become one of the iconic architectural wonders of Singapore.
We had about an hour to take in all the different angles of the Jewel before heading back into the terminal. After we hit the airport lounges we began the final leg of our flight to Thailand.
→ How to Visit the Singapore Jewel Waterfall on an Airport Layover
Scoot Air Flight From Singapore to Thailand
Something that is different in Singapore is that you will actually pass through security and scan your luggage at the gate! Don’t arrive too late or stock up on any drinks for your flight because you won’t be able to get them on.
Our Scoot Air flight was slightly late taking off but that had nothing to do with the airline. There was actually an insane lighting storm that was passing over Singapore. When writing this Scoot Airlines review (or for any other company) there are some things that will be out of your control.
The second of our Scoot Airlines flights was much newer then the first. The seats were leather and the plane was really clean. This flight was also super quick with a flying time of under two hours.
Even with taking off late in Singapore, we were able to make up some time in the air and arrived close to when we were scheduled t0. It only took about 20 minutes to get through customs before we were officially in Thailand!
Scoot Airlines Review: Final Thoughts
If you’re on a budget and traveling around Asia then Scoot Air is definitely one of the better companies to use. The one small issue we had was with the website, but hopefully that isn’t a problem for other travelers. As we said, the app works much better!
The baggage allowance is a huge plus especially if you carry a portable luggage scale like we do. This way you won’t have to worry about getting hit with any extra fees when you arrive.
As we mentioned earlier in this Scoot Air review, we have also flown with them before. We got a long haul flight from Singapore to Athens for around $300 USD! If you you can book your flight in advance and get a good rate then it’s definitely one of the better budget airlines.
Have any questions on this article or want to review Scoot Airlines yourself? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
Where in the world are we? Follow our daily adventures on Instagram @nothingfamiliar!
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I took Scoot from Sydney to Singapore and then to HongKong . Flight was ok and good value for money even though I had to sleep over night at Changi . Overall they are very good
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That’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing (-: