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Category: Fly

  • Singapore to restart travel bubble arrangement with Hong Kong from 26 May

    Singapore to restart travel bubble arrangement with Hong Kong from 26 May

    Will it be a second time lucky?

    The long awaited Air Travel Bubble (ATB) between Singapore and Hong Kong is finally set to take off from 26 May 2021, announced by both Singapore and Hong Kong on 26 Apr.

    This comes almost six months after the plans for the quarantine-free all-purpose travel arrangement was delayed just hours before its launch in November, and subsequently scuppered in December last year, due to a reflux of local cases in Hong Kong as new infections occured.

    What are the new requirements?

    By and large, the requirements remain the same as what was proposed last year, including:

    • Travellers must have stayed in Singapore or Hong Kong wholly for the preceding 14 days before travel. This excludes select groups of foreign workers (Holders of Work Permits or S Passes working in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors), as requested by the Hong Kong government.
    • Travellers must take mutually recognised COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and will need to have negative test results.
    • Travellers will not be subject to any quarantine or Stay-Home Notice requirements, or a controlled itinerary.
    • Travellers must travel on dedicated flights for this ATB, i.e. these flights will only fly point-to-point between Singapore and Hong Kong and carry only ATB travellers. No transit passengers nor non-ATB travellers (e.g. travellers on business green lane arrangements) will be allowed on board.

    There’s some new requirements, including mandatory vaccination status for Hong Kong residents using Hong Kong-issued passports.

    Vaccination requirements

    The circumstances and situation in both cities have changed much since six months ago, as both cities are progressively vaccinating their citizens since early this year.

    As such, one key speculation was whether vaccination was a requirement — this may be good or bad news, depending on where you live.

    Bad news first: Hong Kong residents travelling using a Hong Kong passport can only take the ATB-approved flights from Hong Kong at least 14 days after they have had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

    Hong Kong residents travelling to Singapore under the ATB will need to be vaccinated if they meet all of the following criteria:

    • Above 16 years old
    • Not exempted from vaccination based on medical grounds
    • Using a Hong Kong travel document
    • Have stayed in Hong Kong for more than 90 days

    This means that non-Hong Kong citizens are effectively excluded from the vaccination requirement when visiting Singapore, including Singaporeans who are working/living in Hong Kong.

    Fortunately, Singapore residents travelling to Hong Kong will not need to be vaccinated.

    Recap: testing requirements

    No change from the previous requirement, there will be a total of 3 or 4 PCR tests required if you are departing from Singapore, depending on how long you are going to stay in Hong Kong. The tests and approximate costs are as follow:

    TestCost
    Singapore pre-departureBetween $135 and $200
    Hong Kong arrivalAbout $85
    Hong Kong pre-departure*Between $40 to $320
    Singapore arrival$160
    COVID-19 PCR tests and costs

    *Note: If you are departing Hong Kong within 72 hours of taking the test upon arrival in Hong Kong, you will be exempt from taking a pre-departure test from Hong Kong. Children under the age of 12 are also exempt.

    Other requirements

    Both the Singapore and Hong Kong ATB website have been updated with the latest rules and process details.

    Other requirements that travellers will need to fulfill include:

    • For travellers to Hong Kong, they muse use the “LeaveHomeSafe”(LHS) mobile application to scan LHS QR codes when visiting premises during the stay in Hong Kong, and retain the records for 31 consecutive days after leaving Hong Kong.
    • For travellers to Singapore, travellers must apply for an Air Travel Pass between 7 and 30 days before arrival to Singapore.
    • Visitors to Singapore must install and use the TraceTogether app, and are also required to retain the TraceTogether app with the data for 14 consecutive days after leaving Singapore. 

    Flights for ATB

    As with before, the ATB will be served by home carriers of both territories: Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Both airlines will be running one single inaugural flight on 26 May 2021.

    Subsequently, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines will operate on alternate days for the first two weeks of the bubble arrangement. Each carrier will then increase frequency to a daily service from 10 Jun 2021.

    The full schedule is as follow:

    Singapore Airlines

    SectorFlight No.DepartureArrivalAircraftDates Operating
    SIN-HKGSQ88208401240A350-900R26, 28, 30, 31 May
    SQ88208401240B777-300ER2, 4, 7, 9 Jun
    Daily from 10 Jun
    HKG-SINSQ88314251820 A350-900R 28, 30, 31 May
    SQ88314251820 B777-300ER 2, 4, 7, 9 Jun
    Daily from 10 Jun
    Cathay Pacific A350

    Cathay Pacific

    SectorFlight No.DepartureArrivalAircraftDays Operating
    (From 7 Dec)
    SIN-HKGCX73414451900A350-90027, 29 May
    1, 3, 5, 6, 8 Jun
    Daily from 10 Jun
    HKG-SINCX75909101300 A350-900 26, 27, 29 May
    1, 3, 5, 6, 8 Jun
    Daily from 10 Jun

    Both Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are showing the above listed flights as ATB designated services until 30 Sep 2021 at the time of writing.

    Final thoughts

    After a false start last year, it’s great to see that there is a firm date for Singapore’s very first ATB to take off.

    Particularly for Singapore residents, the waiver of a vaccination requirement at this juncture is also a good development – at least for now – given that the vaccination rate in Singapore is still pretty low at this point in time.

    The ATB also came at a welcomed time as we draw close to the school holidays. At the time of writing, ATB flights are fully booked out for at least the first two weeks, so those looking for a getaway to Hong Kong can now only wait till late June or later for their travel fix.

    As we press closer to the inaugural flight date, I guess the only thing to do is to hold our breaths and see if it truly takes off.

  • Travel bubble between Singapore and Australia may open in July 2021

    Travel bubble between Singapore and Australia may open in July 2021

    Singapore and Australia is reported to explore a travel bubble for general travel by July 2021, according to Australian media.

    Australian and Singapore governments have confirmed that they are working on a reciprocal travel bubble for vaccinated travellers, targeted to be launched as early as July 2021. This was first announced by the Sydney Morning Herald, and subsequently reported in many other Australian and Singapore media.

    Proposed Australia – Singapore Travel Bubble

    Sydney, Australia

    Under the proposed bubble, Australian residents would be allowed to travel to Singapore for work or leisure without approval from the Australian Department of Home Affairs if they have been vaccinated.

    Similarly, Singapore residents who have received their Covid-19 vaccination will be able to travel to Australia for work, study or holidays, without the need for isolation.

    IATA Travel Pass

    What is critical to this plan is a form of vaccination passport, similar to IATA’s Travel Pass Initiative, which Singapore Airlines is currently testing. Australia is not using the Travel Pass Initiative, but instead is using a different digital certificate called ExpressPlus Medicare. There will be issues of mutual recognition to be sorted out before details of the rollout can be announced.

    According to reports, more discussions above the details will take place in the coming months between both governments. 

    Which airline is operating between Singapore and Australia anyway?

    Singapore Airlines has currently announced its schedule up till May 2021. Flights currently planned for Australia include:

    CityWeekly flights
    Adelaide3x per week
    Brisbane6x per week (Daily from April)
    MelbourneDaily
    PerthDaily
    SydneyTwice daily (17x per week from April)

    Scoot operated Sydney and Melbourne services for a while last year, but these have since been suspended.

    Non-Singapore based carriers are not expected to operate flights to Australia for now. Qantas is not expected to resume scheduled international passenger flights until October 2021, even though it’s currently operating cargo-only flights, which can be quickly converted to passenger services if the travel bubble takes off.

    British Airways has suspended its Singapore-Sydney leg indefinitely, while Emirates’ Singapore-Melbourne leg is also on hold.

    Final Thoughts

    While Singapore’s air travel bubble arrange with Hong Kong failed to take off, this new development with Australia is looking to be promising, although if there’s anything to be learnt from past experiences is: don’t count your eggs until they are hatched.

    As it stands, Singapore has currently given out just over 600,000 doses of the vaccines, and only 200,000 people have received both doses. This means that majority of the population in Singapore have still yet to receive them. If vaccination is mandatory in order to be eligible to travel under this Singapore-Australia air travel bubble, the take-off will almost certainly be much slower in the first couple of months.

  • Earn 60% bonus when you buy Alaska Mileage Plan miles

    Earn 60% bonus when you buy Alaska Mileage Plan miles

    Alaska Airlines is kicking off 2021 with a sale of up to 60% bonus.

    Alaska Airlines is offering a whopping 60% bonus on its latest round of miles-buying offers, working out to a cost of US 1.85 per mile.

    Again, these bonus offers are personalised for each member, so you will have to log and check what are you given.

    This time round, here’s my offer:

    Remember, if you are not an elite member, you can only be credited up to a maximum total of 150,000 miles (acquired through buying miles) in a calendar year, whether through purchasing miles or having it gifted to you. Given that this is the start of 2021, it’s unthinkable that you may have already hit the limit, but there’s no guarantee that there’s no better offer down the road.

    The offer closes at 11.59pm Pacific Standard Time on 14 Feb 2021 (Sun), which is 3.59pm on 15 Feb 2021 (Mon), Singapore time.

    What are Alaska Miles good for

    This is still an incredible offer, given that Alaska Air has historically offered only up to 50% bonus miles before Covid-19. Even at 1.85 US cents per mile, the famed Singapore-Tokyo redemption on JAL business class will only set you by USD462 (S$613), or somewhere close to USD924 (S$1,226) for a roundtrip ticket, an incredible value for a business class mid-haul ride.

    When travel do recover, there are also other decent redemptions you can make with your Alaska miles, such as:

    AirlineClassOne way /RoundtripRoutingMileage Required
    Cathay PacificFirstOne waySoutheast Asia to USA70,000
    Cathay PacificBusinessOne waySoutheast Asia to USA50,000
    Korean AirBusinessRoundtripSingapore to USA120,000
    QantasBusinessOne wayDomestic Australia20,000
    Japan Airlines business class

    Final thoughts

    The key risk here is obvious: we still don’t know when the global travel economy is going to recover, and that has a hinge on flight capacity. Historically, airlines will prioritise revenue tickets over award tickets, so if there’s a situation where demand outpace the available air capacity, you could be left in a situation of too many miles, too few redemption options.

    While Alaska Mileage Plan last for two years before expiring, bear in mind that Alaska is due to join oneworld later this year, so award prices may change by then.

  • Qantas to resume flights to Australia and London from 1 July

    Qantas to resume flights to Australia and London from 1 July

    Qantas will restart most of its international network from second half of 2021, bookings open now

    Qantas has now reopened bookings across its entire overseas network 1 July 2021, reflecting a note of optimism for the new year.

    Services to most of its destinations are now available for booking, including flights to Singapore, London, USA from Australia.

    Executive Traveller previously reported a planned resumption of services to select destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan from 29 Mar 2021, but this has been pushed back to 1 Jul along with more destinations.

    Flights between Australia and Singapore

    Qantas previously operated up to 49 services a week from Singapore to London and four cities in Australia: Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

    All five destinations are expected to be served from 1 Jul, including the flagship Sydney-Singapore-London QF1/2 service, although each destination will only be served once a day.

    No first class for now, premium economy available on Boeing 787-9s

    The QF1/2 service between Sydney and London via Singapore was previously operated by an A380 and will be replaced by a Boeing 787-9 when service resumes from 1 Jul as all Qantas A380s are currently in long-term storage until at least 2023.

    This also means that there will be no first class service across Qantas network, as the cabin is only found exclusively on the A380s.

    Based on currently published schedules, the Qantas Dreamliner Boeing 787-9s will be available on services to and from Sydney (QF2/1), Melbourne (QF36/35) and London (QF1/2).

    Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Premium Economy

    Tentative schedules

    According to Qantas’ website, the following services will be available from 1 Jul:

    RouteFlight No.Days of opDepArrFlight TimeAircraft
    Singapore – SydneyQF2Daily19300510(+1)7h 40mB787-9
    QF82Daily21100655(+1)7h 45mA330-300
    Sydney – SingaporeQF1Daily155522158h 20mB787-9
    QF81Daily100516508h 45mA330-300
    Singapore – MelbourneQF36Daily201505357h 20mB787-9
    Melbourne – SingaporeQF35Daily121518158hB787-9
    Singapore – BrisbaneQF52Daily203006007h 30mA330-200
    Brisbane – SingaporeQF51Daily115018008h 10mA330-200
    Singapore – PerthQF72Daily184023505h 10mA330-200
    Perth – SingaporeQF71Daily115017205h 30mA330-200
    Singapore – LondonQF1Daily2345063513h 50mB787-9
    London- SingaporeQF2Daily21051725(+1)13h 20mB787-9

    What does this mean for Qantas Singapore lounge operations?

    With a reduced number of flights and with less travellers expected to travel in the initial months, coupled with the fact that there will be no first class service operating in or out of Singapore for the next few years, it is likely that Qantas may reduce its lounge operations in Singapore. This means that it may only operate one of the two lounges at Changi Airport in the initial phase of resuming flights.

    We also understand that the current lounge team, managed by Accor, have been furloughed or released late last year. As such, it is highly unlikely that the Qantas Singapore First Class lounge will be reopened even when flights resume later this year, leaving only the business class lounge to serve premium passengers and Oneworld emerald and sapphire members.

    Qantas Singapore First lounge is unlikely to reopen

    Final thoughts

    It’s rather exciting news that Qantas has reopened international travel bookings, despite the fact that it’s for six months down the road.

    Having said that, the airline has come under fire by the Australian government for pre-emptively deciding when borders will reopen, although Qantas has responded saying that it was their own take on how likely it will be.

    This renewed optimism for the resumption of international travel is definitely much needed, although whether it happens or otherwise depends on how well the pandemic comes under control this year as vaccines are rolled out.

  • Singapore-Hong Kong ATB will not proceed until 2021

    Singapore-Hong Kong ATB will not proceed until 2021

    The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore officially announced yesterday (1 Dec 2020) that the Air Travel Bubble will be further delayed

    Singapore and Hong Kong have further reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong, and given that local unlinked cases are still high, both parties have decided to defer the commencement of the Singapore – Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble (ATB) to beyond December 2020. The exact start date of the ATB arrangement will be reviewed in late December.

    Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, 1 December 2020

    Second deferment

    The ATB was originally scheduled to launch on 22 Nov 2020. However, Hong Kong started to see a new wave of Covid-19 cases, and at the eleventh hour, authorities from both countries announced late on eve of the inaugural flights that the ATB will be postponed by two weeks, with details to be announced this week.

    Fast forward two weeks later, we are now looking at an early 2021 launch, given that the cases in Hong Kong remain high, with the seven-day average of unlinked cases hovering above 15.

    Cancellation policies

    If you’re already booked on one of Singapore Airlines’ or Cathay Pacific’s ATB flights, both airlines now offer a full refund with all fees waived for affected customers. Alternatively, you can also rebook a different date for no fee (fare difference may apply).

    Singapore Airlines customers who no longer wish to travel on the ATB flights can request for a refund, or rebook their flights through SIA’s Assistance Request form. Any refunds will be accorded to the passengers’ original mode of payment.

    For Cathay Pacific customers, they may request for full refund, exchange the value of the ticket towards Cathay Credits, or rebook the flights free of charge. Affected customers will be preliminarily rebooked on non-ATB flights, so be sure to check your email or contact your travel agent for next steps.

    Final thoughts

    This is not completely unexpected, to be honest. Most countries with a new wave of cases often see weeks go past before the cases resolve. For Hong Kong, two weeks to resolve the fresh outbreak would have been unrealistic, and would have been risk and irresponsible on the authorities’ part if they had allowed the flights to go on.

    Seems like everyone’s going to spend New Year in their home countries!