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#947943 by gilly
06 Jan 2019, 14:54
Some advice from members please as we need to start planning and this is a new scenario for us.

We will be going to Sydney next year to join a World cruise, hopefully flying with SQ, flying home from HKG three weeks later on a VS reward flight - I hope! Despite being Middle Eastern airlines fans, we like the idea of doing the longer flight first, leaving a shorter flight for the second leg, so SQ fits the bill.

So we need to buy one way fares to SYD. Never having ventured quite that far before, should we stop over in SIN - we’ve been twice before so know it reasonably well, and will in fact also be calling there for two days on the cruise - or should we just “get on with it” and jump off one aircraft and onto another at SIN?

We’ll be flying J if that helps - and I imagine it does!
#947952 by dickydotcom
07 Jan 2019, 08:20
I have done Brisbane a few times. Have spent a day in Singapore and found it quite hard work. Not really relaxing and I wouldn't do it again.
We did one trip when we spent the night in a KL airport hotel. That was brilliant. Off the plane and a short walk to the hotel where we relaxed. Then next morning on the plane to Brisbane.
We have done it in one go as well and that was quite tiring but not as tiring as a one day stop over in Singapore.

Dick D
#947964 by Sealink
07 Jan 2019, 11:30
I flew to Sydney and had a stopover in Dubai (hated it) and on way home flew straight back with just a change in Dubai.

Found that the lounge access, the F seat and stretching my legs in Dubai was all I needed. Oh and the shower on board hehe. But I think J would be just fine too.
#947965 by gilly
07 Jan 2019, 11:46
Interesting reading the various, and varied, comments. We have a few weeks until the flights are released so will be mull it all over a bit more before committing ourselves. At present, and this will probably change twenty times, we are slightly leaning towards doing it all in one go, but who knows...

Thanks everyone.
#947980 by RobL
08 Jan 2019, 10:50
Having done the trip between the UK and Aus quite a few times since moving to Aus a number of years ago this is a very challenging topic to advise on as everyone has their own preference.

Have done the trip straight through in J on a number occasions and been absolutely fine (jet lagged but relaxed) was trying not to 'waste' leave by having a stopover.

Then 2 years ago I flew on a reward ticket with SQ which, due to availability, necessitated an overnight stop in SIN. MEL to SIN during the day on day 1, overnight in SIN and then SIN to LHR during the day on day 2. The opportunity to walk around, have a swim, sleep in a bed before catching the next flight made the whole trip a bit more relaxing. On the return I spent 2 full days in Singapore on the return trip.

Last year same trip on a reward outbound and had a night in SIN (same flights as year before). The return was on a paid ticket and flew straight through BCN-SIN-MEL and that was fine. The connection was 4 hours in SIN which although a tad tedious allowed for a leisurely shower (after the crowds on the shorter connections departed).

Unfortunately, it is one of things that you won't know which you prefer until you have done it. That said either works for me after all being in J really helps.
#947990 by honey lamb
09 Jan 2019, 00:00
The first time we flew to Australia was when Are John won UC tickets in the first Swingers Golf competition On that occasion we stopped over in Hong Kong both ways so I really can't comment.

Two years ago, Aer John came across an unmissable fare of £1000 to MEL or SYD on Garuda Indonesia in Business. We couldn't pass it by but no stopovers weren't allowed. The outbound was OK-ish. We left LHR in the early evening and arrived in Jakarta at a similar time. I can't remember the stopover time but it was long and we arrived in MEL in the early evening - totally jet-lagged.

On the return flight, our flight from MEL-JAK left just after noon. That flight was OK apart from a rather surly young female flight attendant who didn't approve of our alcohol intake! We arrived at about 5pm but had no choice but to overnight near the airport as the flight to LHR left at about 7.30am. As I said no stopovers were allowed so all we really saw of Jakarta was the airport hotel. The best part was that the flight arrived in LHR to allow us enough time to catch the last flights to Ireland foreach of us. The enforced stopover certainly worked in our favour.
#947993 by tontybear
09 Jan 2019, 02:05
Not as far and in the wrong direction but I’ve done a couple of trips to SFO with a couple of hours stop at JFK. It made the experience so much more pleasant to be able to have a walk around and get some (relative) fresh air and have a shower before the flight to SFO. I arrived much more relaxed than I would have done if I’d done a straight LHR - SFO. The extra avios and TPs were an added bonus.

When I do go to NZ and Australia I plan on at least one stop over even if it’s just a night in an airport hotel. The thought of being on that QF LHR- PER flight fills be with dread not much more that a simple plane change in SIN or HKG
#948007 by gilly
09 Jan 2019, 13:44
Throwing another possibility into the ring, I suddenly thought of doing LHR-SIN-PER-SYD. It would break the SIN-SYD leg and we’d get to see a bit more of Oz. I’m guessing as it’s so much shorter than SIN-SYD, it would be easier - and slightly less jet-lagged - than going straight to SYD.
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