Flight Advice

[GaryP]

Looking for some opinions and or advice from people that have made the move down under already. We are emigrating with our two young children in August this year. We have decided we want to fly with Singapore Airlines and will fly to Singapore and then on to Adelaide.

 

Should we arrange a stoppover for a night at Singapore or just try and get the latest flight into Singapore (which I think arrives at about 18:00), hang around for about 6 hours and get on our plane to Adelaide at 23:50 the same day ??

 

Basically we are not sure whether to go through the pain of hanging around at the airport for 6 hours but getting to Adelaide sooner or paying extra money to get two hotel rooms and try and get some sleep when the kids will probably be jetlagged and not tired anyway!

 

Anyone been in a similar situation and can offer some help ?

 

Cheers

[Guest LEE & DONNA]

you definitely need the stopover, it is not a pleasant experience, doing such a long flight. when we go we are going to stop over.

[jomark]

We did the 6hr wait with a 3yr old and it was fine, by the time you have a swim in the roof top pool then grab something to eat its time to go again :0)

 

Jo

[Guest rizzo]

We've flown with both Malaysian Airlines and Singapore and much prefer Singapore Airlines and Singapore Airport. We also used a transit hotel which is in the airport and you can book a family room in 6 hour blocks which is nice to have showers and freshen up etc

[Guest Drumms]

When our friends flew over they had around 10 hours in Singapore and stayed at the transit hotel at the airport. They said it was the best thing they could have done. It allowed their daughter to run around the room like a nutter while they lay flat out on the bed resting their weary heads on the cold pillow!

 

Its difficult to say what would work best for you, but allowing yourself and the family to have a bit of a breather is not a bad thing!?

[Guest Guest5035]

Might be while b4 you go back that way, have 3/4 nights there.

 

stevo

[Riponian]

Hi

 

We stayed over in Singapore for 3 days and loved it was worth it my opinon even if you just do nothing. We had 3 whole days there and the first day we just hung out by the hotel pool the second day we went to the zoo there and it was amazing

http://www.zoo.com.sg/

The last day we were not due to fly out till midnight but had a wonder around and then went to the airport and camped out. As airports go it is good and we kept our son amused on the sky train going between the terminals!

 

We then arrived Adelaide around 9am the following day after the kids would not settle on the plane but as we had had a break in Singapore it was not so bad.

 

It is up to you really and how old your kids are but for me was well worth the break siting on plane for that long was boring and tiring and I was glad to be able to sleep in a bed even if the kids were in our room.

 

We stayed in the heart of Singapore and it is a beautiful city and as we don't plan on flying that way for a while we thought we might as well.

 

Good luck

Michelle

[Guest Admar72]

We're flying with Singapore airlines and have a six hour wait before heading off to Adelaide. We've decided to book a couple of twin rooms for a 6 hour block just to get a good shower and lay horizontal on a bed for a coulple of hours. Don't quote me on this but i think it'll only cost us about 60 quid or so.

[Les&Babs]

Looking for some opinions and or advice from people that have made the move down under already. We are emigrating with our two young children in August this year. We have decided we want to fly with Singapore Airlines and will fly to Singapore and then on to Adelaide.

 

Should we arrange a stoppover for a night at Singapore or just try and get the latest flight into Singapore (which I think arrives at about 18:00), hang around for about 6 hours and get on our plane to Adelaide at 23:50 the same day ??

 

Basically we are not sure whether to go through the pain of hanging around at the airport for 6 hours but getting to Adelaide sooner or paying extra money to get two hotel rooms and try and get some sleep when the kids will probably be jetlagged and not tired anyway!

 

Anyone been in a similar situation and can offer some help ?

 

Cheers

 

Hi Gary.

I wouldn't fly direct to Adelaide with a young family. we have flown with Singapore airlines a few times and we have tried the direct flight and the stopover.

After the direct flight we were shattered for about 4 days and and it took us a week to realy feel back to normal.

We have stoped over in Singapore for a couple of nights and when we arrived in Adelaide we felt ok, and there is lots to do in Singapore, First day lazed around the pool second day did some site seeing.

Gary are you flying out on PR visa's and have not validated the visa if so you can get 40 kg baggage allowance from Singapore airlines.

 

Regards

 

Les

[Guest the4hopes]

You will only need to book one room, just say its for 4. We had a double and single bed, and they made us a up a camp bed. We only stayed 6 hours but wish now we had stayed over night and got a good sleep.

[Guest kangomik]

flying out of heathrow gives ther shorter 6 hour stop over, manchester is something like 18 hours, but that may change with the new stop planned.

 

We stayed over, singapore is a wonderful city amazing place, we went the night zoo, and spent the rest of the time sleeping and looking around...... tip..... catch a cab instead of walking around, its cheap and far to humid to be walking.

 

Singapore airlines is great, and even though we stopped over i did have bad jet lag for the first week, not great when doing job interviews! I have a feeling it could have been worse doing it all in one leg.

The parents use the transit hotel, and we checked in 11 hours early when leaving and spent that time in Changi airport (due to tropical storm). you have to do this, or consider this because the flight out is 1/4 to midnight and you check out of your city hotel in the morning. I think it is like a hotel on its own and can easily spend time in that place and travelling between the terminals on the train. Each terminal has something different in it. The map on the net does not show the sheer size of the place.

[coolerking]

flying out of heathrow gives ther shorter 6 hour stop over, manchester is something like 18 hours, but that may change with the new stop planned.

 

We stayed over, singapore is a wonderful city amazing place, we went the night zoo, and spent the rest of the time sleeping and looking around...... tip..... catch a cab instead of walking around, its cheap and far to humid to be walking.

 

Singapore airlines is great, and even though we stopped over i did have bad jet lag for the first week, not great when doing job interviews! I have a feeling it could have been worse doing it all in one leg.

The parents use the transit hotel, and we checked in 11 hours early when leaving and spent that time in Changi airport (due to tropical storm). you have to do this, or consider this because the flight out is 1/4 to midnight and you check out of your city hotel in the morning. I think it is like a hotel on its own and can easily spend time in that place and travelling between the terminals on the train. Each terminal has something different in it. The map on the net does not show the sheer size of the place.

 

Yes, I was going to mention that there was a flight last year with a shorter stop over out of LHR. Just be careful though as Singapore Airlines seem to sell out quite quickly - we couldn't get tickets for when we wanted.

 

Personally, I'm from the fly through camp.

 

Cooler

[Guest mOZzy]

yep, fly through for us too!

done it twice and it worked great both times!

6hr stopover in singapore: swim, food, walk about (lots of play areas for the kids), - and there is not much time really and you need to get on the 2nd plane!

don't take too much with you on the plane - the kids have lots of enteretainment with the movies and games! - just take a trolley in singapore and you don't even have to carry anything ...

 

i guess it's how you deal with it once landed. we had a short nap at 3pm - and stayed up as late as possible. i think we managed 9pm lol - and then take it from there ...

 

btw my kids were 4 and 5

[Anne B]

We caught the morning flight out of Heathrow which arrives in Singapore approx midnight UK time. Then booked 9 hours in the transit hotel at the airport, had a beautiful sleep. Woke up and found a restaurant at the airport for a meal, then hung around until the evening flight out to Oz. Much better than doing a night flight out of London and great to have a good nights sleep. Arrived feeling normal instead of totally zonko and stressed out.

[elainew]

I personally would not do the stopover,second leg is only half the time of first.

Booking the transit room is easier option,unless of course you want to see a bit of Singapore.

[monty9110]

I flew over without my other half, being 5 months pregnant with a 4 and 5 year old. I booked a room in the transit hotel at Changi airport for the 6 hours i was there, just so I could relax & have a shower without having to keep a constant eye open for the kids..

Not sure what visa you have but I was told by singapore airlines that I could double my luggage allowance if I didnt stop over.(although I have heard different from others)

 

It really wasnt that bad & I timed it so the kids slept on the plane & arrived early in the morning. I just wanted to get to Adelaide as soon as possible.

If you are going to have a stopover, 1 day probably isnt enough time to get to see Singapore and you should probably make the most of it while you're there. (If I didnt have kids & wasnt flying alone, I would have loved to spend a couple of days there)

[Guest Here at last!]

We stayed over for 2 nights when we flew with a 4 year old and an 18 month old.

 

After all the stress and rushing in the last week in the UK it was nice to chill out for a couple of days. We picked a hotel (only needed one room for all 4 of us) with a pool and spend a lot of time either in the shopping malls or in the pool.

 

If we go back for a holiday I think we would try and stay over for at least 1 night as after the Manchester Singapore leg the last thing I wanted to do was get back on a plane. It was a shower and bed for us!

[Guest Nicky&Andy]

we stopped in singapore for what worked out two nights and a day to look aboutit was great to lay horizontal, wished we would have stayed longer, although we were out abit in a village, the people were amazing and so friendly. although in the airport if you didnt want to book a room they do have an area up by the butterfly garden where you can shower, use hair dryers etc for a small cost(which we did use going back to uk)

[Guest ReadyPenny]

We had an 18 hour stop at Sinagpore and booked the transit hotel. Crashed out for 10 hours, had something to eat, had a swim and drinks in the roof top pool, then showered and freshen up ready for the next leg. We were over the jet lag in 2 days and it was a much more pleasant experience than the first time we came, when we arrived in Sydney and then onto Adelaide.

 

For my money, it's a rest at the transit hotel every time!!!

 

Mandy

[Guest TraceyT]

I think we must be crazy, we are the daft ones going from Manchester & have the 18hr stopover in Singapore. We have decided to have a shopping trip into the city with the kids (13 & 15). We will sleep on the second leg for sure!

 

Tracey xx

[Guest JoTanCalOwen]

I think we must be crazy, we are the daft ones going from Manchester & have the 18hr stopover in Singapore. We have decided to have a shopping trip into the city with the kids (13 & 15). We will sleep on the second leg for sure!

 

Tracey xx

 

 

Sounds ideal to me but not sure bout hubby tho lol or the boys either .... Oh well just me for shopping then

[Guest needtogonow]

Just the 6 hour stop over for us, just too impatient to get to Adelaide to want to stop over too long.

Will probably look at staying over longer in the future when we fly back out to UK for a holiday.

 

Bex.x

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Wes topped over in Changi for 16 hrs e flew in on the new A380 ( had to as i made parts for it )

We had swims in the pool drinks at the bar and we did the free city tour which was amazing...we had 4 kids in tow and they never whinged abiout any of it !!!!

 

HG

[Guest joolz]

Looking for some opinions and or advice from people that have made the move down under already. We are emigrating with our two young children in August this year. We have decided we want to fly with Singapore Airlines and will fly to Singapore and then on to Adelaide.

 

Should we arrange a stoppover for a night at Singapore or just try and get the latest flight into Singapore (which I think arrives at about 18:00), hang around for about 6 hours and get on our plane to Adelaide at 23:50 the same day ??

 

Basically we are not sure whether to go through the pain of hanging around at the airport for 6 hours but getting to Adelaide sooner or paying extra money to get two hotel rooms and try and get some sleep when the kids will probably be jetlagged and not tired anyway!

 

Anyone been in a similar situation and can offer some help ?

 

Cheers

 

We stopped for 5 hours in Singapore on the way through to Adelaide last Feb...

 

There is a special lounge called Plaza Premier Lounge that you can pay, around £15 an adult to use. This gives you the opportunity to shower and freshen up. It also entitles you to a buffet table and drinks, eat as much as you like. We found it enough personally. There is also a bar(expensive wine). The seating is more comfy than normal airport seats so you could probably grab some sleep there. Check out the info on the Singapore Airline website. We did not travel with the kids but still intend to go straight through with them in June, they are 10 and 11 though...

Hope this is of some use?

 

joolz x