Scoot’s September 2020 schedule: Additional flights to Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan

Scoot has published its flight schedule for September 2020, which sees three cities in Indonesia added, as well as Kaohsiung in Taiwan, and Osaka and Tokyo in Japan. This means a total of 18 destinations served (up from 12 in August), with ~160 flights scheduled. 

Scoot September 2020 Schedule Overview

In September 2020, Scoot will add Pekanbaru, Palembang, Yogyakarta, Kaohsiung, Osaka and Tokyo to its route network, operating the following flights:

• to/from Clark (CRK): 8 flights
• to/from Guangzhou (CAN): 8 flights
• to/ from Hong Kong (HKG): 26 flights
• to/from Ipoh (IPH): 8 flights
• to/from Kaohsiung (KHH): 4 flights
• to/from Kuala Lumpur (KUL): 4 flights
• to/from Kuching (KCH): 8 flights
• to/from Nanjing (NKG): 8 flights
• to/from Osaka (KIX): 4 flights (via KHH)
• to/from Palembang (PLM): 2 flights
• to/from Pekanbaru (PKU): 2 flights
• to/from Penang (PEN): 8 flights
• to/from Perth (PER): 26 flights
• to/from Seoul (ICN): 8 flights (via TPE)
• to/from Surabaya (SUB): 8 flights
• to/from Taipei (TPE): 15 flights
• to/from Tokyo (NRT): 7 flights (via TPE)
• to/from Yogyakarta (YIA): 2 flights

Do note that only flights between Singapore and Kaohsiung and flights between Kaohsiung and Osaka are available for purchase. You will not be able to buy a ticket between Singapore and Osaka, because transit at Kaohsiung is currently not allowed. 

The new flights to Indonesia will see more of Scoot’s A320s brought back into service (some have been converted to cargo aircraft with the passenger seats removed), while passengers from any city in the SIA Group network (excluding the Philippines and the USA) can transit through Changi Airport now. They will be kept in special transit holding areas, with their own facilities like food kiosks, restrooms, a snooze corner and smoking room. 

As of August, Scoot resumed offering ScootPlus, its pseudo business class experience. This is available on flights operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, namely Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Perth, Seoul and Taipei. 

ScootPlus passengers get larger seats, plus complimentary Wi-Fi (30MB) and in-seat power. However, due to ongoing regulatory restrictions, the following benefits will not be available:

• 15kg cabin baggage – the new 3kg cabin baggage limit will apply instead, and the remaining cabin baggage (up to 12kg) can be checked in at no additional cost;
• Choice of meals and beverages – Meals and beverages will not be available for purchase online and onboard, refreshment packs will be pre-placed on seats instead;
• Priority Check-in and Boarding- This is presumably suspended because of the need to board passengers according to whether they’re transiting in Changi or not

Full list of Scoot flights operating in September 2020

Here’s the list of Scoot flights that will operate in September 2020. Any flight not listed below is cancelled.

South East Asia

North Asia

Australia

What if my Scoot flight has been cancelled?

If your flight has been cancelled, you’re entitled to:

• a 100% refund in cash, or
• a 120% refund in vouchers, valid for 12 months

Do note that cash refunds may take up to 14 weeks to process, and will be done to the original mode of payment.

If you opt for vouchers, do note that these can be used on the Scoot website, with a maximum of two vouchers per transaction. Those who previously received a 100% refund in Scoot vouchers (the policy before 9 April 2020) will automatically receive an additional voucher worth 20% of the original itinerary value to make up the difference.

Scoot allows you to apply for refunds or vouchers on its website under the Manage My Booking function. There’s no need to call up, and in any case you’d probably encounter long hold times. 

If your flight has not been cancelled, but you don’t wish to travel anymore, you will still be able to get a refund provided your flight was booked on/before 15 March 2020 (the date of the MOH advisory against all non-essential overseas travel), with a departure date by 30 November 2020. 

Scoot’s full refund policy for COVID-19 can be found here.

Conclusion

18 routes marks the largest Scoot network since schedules were cut in April 2020, but it’s still a drop in the ocean compared to what should have been. As I said last month, we’re likely to see the small increments to the number of flights and destinations each month, barring some major event like the lifting of travel restrictions or the development of a vaccine. 

None of these will be directly relevant to Singapore residents so long as the de facto ban on non-essential travel remains in place, but it does help Changi improve its passenger traffic figures, and to the extent it preserves jobs at the SIA Group, can only be a good thing.