So like, I booked my flights Perth -> Singapore, Singapore -> Phuket then on return Phuket-> Singapore -> Perth for November.

Rang as I had a general enquiry about our return flights and whether or not if we had to claim our luggage and re-check in, in Singapore on the return leg (due to changing of planes and a waiting period).. actually made this enquiry after watching that "Airways" show on Channel 7, saying "Tiger" don't do connecting flights...

I found out while speaking to the lady that both of our Phuket flights were pushed back 1 hour later.. no problem, but they didn't bother to alert me about this. If I didn't ring them with my other general enquiry, I suppose I wouldn't of been told?

Anyway.. haven't taken the flights yet.. but think I may already be regretting booking with them. Has anyone had experiences with them?

Have been reading around and alot of people have experienced delayed flights.. this would be the worrying part for me, especially if we miss the connecting flight we booked on Tiger back to Perth, as there is a current window of about 2.5 hours (which is fine if they are on time!)

Anyone care to put my mind at ease?

It's a budget airline and you must expect budget airline rules. A premium service airline, like Qantas, will have aircraft and aircrew on standby.

When I worked for a Qantas subsidiary I noticed an aircraft scheduled to parked at Sydney on Christmas day. It was there just in case they had a fault that couldn't rectified and then they would implement a program that would reshuffle the flights to give customers the least wait time.

Jet Star, Tiger, et al, don't factor in such huge costs. Indeed, they don't even supply premium seating. Their Airbus A320's are six seats wide, Qantas run them at five, one less than the design width, just for comfort. That means you need to pay at least six fifths of the cost of a seat. Plus the extra leg room they give you.

In short, if you miss a budget flight, you are paying for that empty seat. It's all in the terms and conditions, which should be online for Tiger,

Aren't you more worried that the flight should actually get there?

You might want to check 6.8, Passenger Responsible For Fines, Detention Costs, etc.:
If you get stopped at the border for a visa or passport problem it can cost the airline $AU50,000 in fines!! Which they will promptly pass on to you. I rather suspect all airlines would include that condition though.

I'm a bit worried about canceled and delayed flights. I'm sure their safety record is fine, so no problem if I get there or not. I'm more concerned whether or not I would get there on time, as of course if we don't we have hotel costs etc to pay for.

I had a former work collegue who did the trip I'm doing who said they were great, so.. HOPEFULLY they will be OK.

I'm going in with no expectations (only expectations I am expecting is the seat and to arrive on time), I don't think that's too much too ask. :-)

Hopefully we will be OK. I'm sure we only hear about .01% of complaints from the amount of customers they transit at any given time/day.

I'm always amazed by the people in the shows like Air Ways. They arrive 45 minutes late and expect the airline staff to redirect the plane. Business jets, like the Cessna Citation C2, cost $2,000 an hour to operate. It would be a considerable factor of that for an A320. Maybe 10 fold and the delay is continued at every port after that. Each delayed gateway costs extra, if not a new fee. It was about $900 for a Sydney slot about 10 years ago.

I watched that show for the first time last night after I found out that it's filmed around Tiger Airways.

From what I saw, it was the passengers fault for not reading the terms and conditions properly. However I got that handy tip that Tiger is only a point-to-point airline, thus why I made the enquiry about our luggage from Phuket to Singapore, then return flight home from Singapore to Perth.

They basically said you need to check in, in Phuket, check out (grab your luggage in Singapore) then re-check in to the other Tiger flight. I suspect with a connecting flight on another airline that isn't budget, they would normally transfer your luggage across to the connecting one & that you would already be checked in on that flight.

Only my second time traveling, so I wanted to be sure of the process and procedures that they had in place.

One thing I am going to make certain of is that I check in on time, I just hope Tiger's flights are on time.

Hey,

I can't be bothered quoting and replying to your word blocks however i have flown this same way as you before and i give you some experience

- you better hope your not that tall as leg room is very limited.

- Check in is like agggesss before hand because they want the plane to be in the air as long as possible so they can get as many flights squeezed into one day.

- Safety isn't an issue. Everything has to be done to Australian standards which are one of the highest in the world.

- I have used tiger 5-6 times and the only time it has been delayed was for about 2 hours when i was flying to queensland however that was due to a storm. (it was the scariest flight i had been on, turbolence the entire way is the pilot tried to "make up time")

- You will need to collect your bags and re check in through customs etc. after every leg of the journey which is a real pain in the a*se..

- The flight between singapore and phuket (and vice versa) is only a short one and actually takes less than they say normally..

- I don't think its an issue with the places you are going but you need to make sure that you get all the airports correct as in places like bangkok and kuala lumpur they have 2 airports.. trust me its a terrible feeling looking for the air asia terminal @ the wrong airport after you are already running late only to realise your at the wrong airport.

- As long as you don't do anything stupid with your passport etc. you should be fine..

- Make sure you have a change of clothes prepared for singapore.. its soooo blooody hot!

in recap you should be fine as me and my family always use budget airlines and have only ever had one delay (which was domestic and because of storms which affected all airlines)

Chris

thanks for the feedback Chris. :0)

I'm about 6ft, so I suppose I'm pretty average or just above the norm. Not to worried on the journey home as I booked the exit seats (apparntly extra leg room), I think I can put up with it for 4 hours on the way there.. hopefully the flight on the way to Singapore isn't boooked solid so I can stretch out across a few ?

Understandable on the check in. I plan to be there at least 3 hours earlier before each flight. If they don't open for check in to 2 hours before hand, I think we will be fine. Just worried they pushed back the phuket to singapore flight by 1 hour on the way home. Only leaves us 2.30 hours instead of 3.30hours, but hopefully they will be on time.

Sucks that we have to collect luggage and re-check in on the way home, but I guess thats what you have to do, then it will be done. As long as their flight is on time I see no problem with this.

Yes on the journey to Phuket from Singapore they only list about 55mins. From Phuket to Singapore they list over 1 hr 30mins. I was wondering why such a contrast? But you have answered my question with your assumption, thank you.

I'm sure we will be alright.. I mean we likely save a few grand by booking with Tiger, so that can go to the wifes spending money.

David

Hehe i love your optimism.. they pack these flights like a can of beans but sometimes on the shorter flights they aren't booked so full but the long distance ones are generally very fool however sometimes they don't fill the seats next to the emergency exit.. so if your lucky they might upgrade you (bump your head in on the way in to point out how tall you are )


Not that it takes that long, however when you come from AUS they have those swine flu scanning things.. so they can also be a hold up (nothing to be scared of just informing you)

Mmm we had a bag that was left in melbourne along that way this time.. however they flew it out and even got it taxi'd to the hotel we were in.

Its worth having to check out and in to save the few k's you do buy flying budget. (you can get a massage on the beach drinking cocktails to get the stiffness out if you really need :P)

55 minutes is still a bit of an exaggeration IIRC.. its like 30-45 mins.. it seriously feels like get up into the air, have the person in the window seat need to get up to relieve his pee size bladder, then land

wow you must be one terrible bargainer if your gunna spend more than a grand in thailand.. its so cheap.. i love the place soo much.

anywho good luck

Chris

I'm doing a piece on budget airlines at Uni right now.

Mike and Chris have covered it well.

I've flown on a few budget airlines (Tiger, Air Asia, RyanAir) around Australia, Asia and the UK/Ireland, and I've never had a single problem with any of them. Get there early, don't expect too much, and you can't go wrong.

I sleep on planes, doesn't matter if it's 1 hour or 12 hours. So the level of inflight service is lost on me anyway. :-)

LOL, Gary, you sleep fine cause your short and stumpy, I on the other hand enjoy the comfort of hitting my head on the overhead baggage compartment every time we get a bump and trying not to have to squeeze myself out of my chair for a toilet break.

I swear, in an emergency, I'm screwed, I've accepted that I will in no way make a fast safe exit from a burning plane.

Stu

That's where being seated near an emergency exit comes in handy

Not so stumpy anymore Stu, but yes it helps not being overly tall.

You don't do "fast", without a keyboard.

G

I have been on Tiger airways from Melourne -> Brisbane and back. It costed $70 there and back which was a bargain, at that price I didn't expect much. The service was not too bad -- I got through it with a few drinks luckily

Adam,

How was the shed at Melbourne? The only thing putting me off is the major sex-appeal of the off-side terminal... Although 10x better than avalon.

Paul

Paul, wtf? :-|