Singapore Airlines launches NEW budget carrier - Scoot

Yipee.... Singapore Airlines has launched its new budget long-haul carrier called, "Scoot", which should start flying mid-2012.

It'll focus on long-haul routes from Singapore including Australia. This will mean cheaper ways and more options for Aussies to get into Asia.

Hopefully AirAsia or THAI will get off their arse and introduce some budget long-haul flights flying to Bangkok too.

Official website: http://www.flyscoot.com

They claim fares will be around 40% lower than full service carriers...

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SIA's budget arm Scoot to start flying mid 2012, cost 40% less

Scoot is the name of Singapore Airlines' new budget arm.

Ending months of speculation, chief executive of the new low-cost, long-haul carrier Campbell Wilson confirmed the name on Tuesday and said it will start flying mid next year.

Fares will be about 40 per cent less than what legacy full service carriers charge.

Read all: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2B ... 29334.html
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Singapore Airlines launches budget long-haul carrier

Singapore Airlines today launched a budget carrier that will fly on medium and long-haul routes, including to Australia and China.

Called "Scoot", the new airline will begin flights from mid-2012 with a fleet of four Boeing B777-200 aircraft, company officials said.

"Scoot is for you," said the new carrier's chief executive Campbell Wilson.

It is "not an everyday airline name because this is not an everyday airline," he told a media conference.

Scoot will launch its first commercial flight by the middle of next year, initially with four B777-200 aircraft purchased from parent company SIA.

It is expected to have 14 planes by 2016, with longer term plans to fly to India, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Wilson said after the news conference that Scoot is unable to fly to the United States initially because the B777-200's limitations but he was not ruling out serving the US market in the future.
Scoot is wholly owned by SIA but will be managed independently.

Analysts have said SIA is moving to tap into a growing consumer demand for low-cost travel over longer distances as most of Asia's low-cost carriers cover short-haul routes.

Scoot is expected to compete directly with AirAsia X, the long-haul affiliate of Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia and British tycoon Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

AirAsia X flies to several destinations including London, Taipei, Tehran, Paris, Seoul, Tokyo and a number of cities in China and India.

SIA already has a short-haul, full-service unit called SilkAir, which travels to tourist destinations in Asia and has a stake in Asian budget carrier Tiger Airways.

SIA, regarded as a barometer for the industry, earned a profit of Sg$1.09 billion ($A826 million) in the year to March 2011 on revenues of Sg$14.5 billion.

Read the whole thing: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-new ... 1mth2.html
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Originally Posted by Beachlover

...This will mean cheaper ways and more options for Aussies to get into Asia....

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OMFG

:kap: :kap: :kap:

I know... I know... Pray for the rain and got to deal with the mud huh?

Anyway... some of my friends aren't so cashed up which makes it challenging to convince them to come on trips. It's easy to subsidise their accommodation by grabbing serviced apartments and big suites etc. but they still have to pay for their own flights so there needs to be cheaper flights!

Woohoo! Scoot's first route will be Singapore-Sydney... How convenient. :happy7:

They plan to start flying in April 2012 and say fares will be 40% lower than full-service carriers... If that's true, it should mean fares will be around $600 return.

This might finally make it economical to do weekend trips to Singapore and Thailand... Out Friday night, back Monday morning.

:party

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-new ... 1o82t.html