Airline | Scoot
Flight | TR468
Route | Singapore – Kuala Lumpur
Gate | B9
Aircraft | Boeing 787-9
Registration | 9V-OJG
Class of Travel | Economy Class
Seat Number | 13K
This is not only my first flight on Scoot, Singapore Airlines' low-cost subsidiary, but also my first flight on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. When it came time to book my tickets, I had a plethora of options ranging from low-cost airlines like AirAsia to full-service carriers like Singapore Airlines, but I eventually settled on Scoot because it was one of the more affordable options.
Flying with Scoot
Checking in took an eternity. I was met with an uncomfortably long line. I'm not sure why, but I'm guessing the Scoot document checks take forever. However, when it was my turn, we were allowed in with a simple flip of our passports. If you check in at Terminal 1 and happen to pass by the Scoot check-in counter at a certain time, you will notice the endlessly long queue for Scoot check-in compared to other airlines. Scoot could have also done a better job of managing the queue. Perhaps they could have opened an extra lane for Singapore passports, but I still don't understand how Scoot manages to take so much longer than Singapore Airlines or Jetstar Asia.
Nonetheless, we checked in after 45 minutes of waiting and queuing, and then breezed through immigration and straight to our boarding gate. Taking me to Kuala Lumpur is a 4 year old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered as 9V-OJG.
Boarding was a shambles, with a long line and, because it was a full flight, the aerobridge that connects to door L2 was jammed, so I was allowed to board through door L1 and walk through ScootPlus (Scoot's Business Class). Seeing those seats makes me regret not spending the extra money for a more spacious ScootPlus seat.
I got what I paid for because I was flying on a low-cost carrier. The seat was adequate - average legroom and width, and the seats appear to be adequate for short-haul flights. Because the flight to Kuala Lumpur was only 40 minutes long, I'm not sure if I'd sit there for longer flights. Also, there is no in-flight entertainment, so download your Netflix movies and shows ahead of time. Scoot Economy Cabin on their Boeing 787s does have In-Seat charging points, but it is not free, so be prepared to pay a small fee to access the power outlet.
Moreover, Scoot seats does come with one very annoying feature; The controls for the reading light and flight attendant call button. Scoot has decided to place it near the top of the arm rest, near where your palm or wrist would sit, hence once in a while, we will have passengers pressing the flight attendant call button accidentally. Even I did it unknowingly once on the flight. I’m grateful that my seat wasn't as badly damaged as seen on some of the photos circulating online and from other passengers, in which some of their seat armrests were taped up to prevent them from falling apart.
Because it was only a 40-minute flight to Kuala Lumpur, I didn't book any meal service because the food options didn't seem very interesting or appetizing, not to mention expensive. A simple Nasi Lemak meal costs S$12, which is more than double the price I paid on Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia. Other food and drink sold onboard are also not cheap; for example, a cup of noodle costs S$6 and a cuppa costs S$4.
In terms of service, it appears that the cabin crew spent more time in the galley than in the main cabin, but the crew was very friendly and greeted me with a smile when I boarded and disembarked the aircraft, and even showed me the way to my seat. I'm not sure why I receive better service on low-cost carriers than on some full-service carriers.
My first Boeing 787 Dreamliner experience
The first impression was a letdown. I expected to see the cabin lit up by those beautiful RGB lights, as seen in some photos or flight reviews, or at the very least, a more modern cabin, but the orangey tones and dark blue seats make the cabin feel very dated.
Regardless, Scoot's Boeing 787 Dreamliner is outfitted with Boeing's sky interior, and one of the reasons I like Boeing's sky interior is the overhead bins, and how the new LED lights and overhead bin designs make the cabin feel more spacious. Furthermore, the Dreamliner's extra-large windows make it impossible to feel claustrophobic.
On the subject of windows, the Dreamliner's are quite large, measuring 27cm in width and 46cm in height, and the coolest feature of the Dreamliner is its dimmable windows. During the flight, I definitely enjoy fiddling with the windows. One could say I am "suaku," but this was my first time using the dimmable windows, and it was just cool not to have to pull down the window shades when the sun got too hot.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is extremely quiet in terms of performance and ambience. I could barely hear the engine start up and takeoff spool. In addition, having flown to Kuala Lumpur four times, this flight on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was the smoothest and had the least amount of turbulence.
Overall experience
I can’t believe I am saying this, but this flight ranks among my favourites. A very smooth and quiet flight, and perhaps if Scoot had refurbished the cabin to make it look and feel better, it would have been a perfect flight. Nonetheless, it was a really enjoyable flight on the Dreamliner and I would definitely fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner again.
Inflight Service | 7/10
Inflight Entertainment | -
Meal Service | -
Seat | 7/10
Aircraft Cleanliness | 7/10