What really happens on an inaugural flight at Scoot

Scoot launched it’s 73rd destination last month, flying direct from Singapore to Vienna. So, what really happens on an inaugural flight?

Laying on the floor of Singapore’s Changi Airport at 2am, I am waiting to be one of the first people to board Scoot’s Inaugural Flight from Singapore to Vienna.

It’s set to be one of the longer flight’s I’ve personally been on during my adulthood — usually I have at least two stopovers on an international flight. And, adding to this, flying on an airline I’ve not had any experience with before.

Flying is always a nerve-racking experience for me, particularly when the flight is longer than eight hours. But, at the same time, I am always looking to fly on a budget. So, why not?

What the flight was like?

Before boarding the flight, I took my lovely colleague’s advice to load up on snacks because, like most budget airlines, meals aren’t a given on a Scoot Flight. You have to order the meal when you book your ticket.

There is also a menu on board, where you can pick from a variety of items such as hot cup of noodles or a BBQ chicken baguette. You’re not really supposed to take your own snacks on board, but it’s almost an unwritten rule that everyone does, right? I am one of those weird freaks who loved plane food — until I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. It often means that on planes I am thoroughly limited as to what I can eat. On one long-haul flight to the UK, I was once served the same meal on all three flights.

I was lucky enough to be invited to fly on Scoot's inaugural flight from Singapore to Vienna. Picture: news.com.au

But, Scoot was able to cater to my dietary needs. I was served a Ragout of Chicken and Potato, and a Dahl Curry on another and could pick from having a water or soft drink, and a slice of cake.

When I pointed out the cake was not gluten free, airline staff were very quick to change it for me. The food was lovely and warm — literally no complaints.

I appreciated the effort that staff went to in order to cater for me and my auto-immune disease.

Scoot, like most budget airlines, doesn’t have a first or business class. But, it has Scoot Plus — akin to premium economy in my mind — Scoot in Silence and Economy.

Scoot in Silence was where my seat was assigned on the inaugural flight from Singapore to Vienna. It’s separated from most of the aircraft and is considered to be like the quiet carriage on the train.

It is the exact same seat size as the rest of the aircraft, but if you’re an anxious flyer, or have things you need to get done, it is literally the perfect place to be sat.

As someone who never sleeps on a plane — and I mean have flown close to 30 hours, and then jumped on a train for an additional six and was lucky to have slept three hours in that whole time — I slept for basically the entire flight.

I woke up for food, listened to some beautiful music, and went back to sleep. I genuinely attribute this to how quiet and peaceful this section was.

On the way home, I was lucky enough to sit in Scoot Plus. It’s very much similar to Scoot In Silence, there is just a bit more room and the seats are more comfortable.

It does cost more than its counterpart but if you want levels of comfort on your trip.

Again, I was asleep for most of the flight. It was a life-changing experience when it came to preparing for jet lag.

Scoot Plus seating. Picture: news.com.au.

Scoot In Silence seating. Picture: news.com.au.

Scoot also doesn’t have a television on board — but you can get WIFI. I do recommend booking WIFI before your trip as it is cheaper. So, the message is to stack up on streaming downloads, books, podcasts and music before you walk down the jet bridge and onto the plane.

What’s so special about an inaugural flight?

So, what is it like to be on an inaugural flight for a low-cost airline? Before the flight, everyone was given an opportunity to snap pictures on a media wall to memorialise the occasion and given a goodie bag.

It was filled with goodies such as chocolate — which Austria is renowned for — and paper hand fans promoting Vienna’s rich heritage as a music city.

It was fun and created quite a bit of fanfare for an overnight long-haul flight, which was nice.

In my naivety, I expected there not to be too many people waiting for “the first flight” and yet, I was wrong.

So many people were stoked to have a gateway into Eastern Europe, which made sense with Austria bordering countries such as Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary Germany, Italy and Slovenia.

It’s probably one of the best ways for Australians to fly into Europe, see as many places as possible for the European Summer, before making the long-haul flight home.

One of the biggest draws to Austria in general is the fact that it is known for its music, with Eurovision stars such as Concita Wurst for more current times and the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

My gluten free meal. Picture: news.com.au

As a nod to the country we were flying into, Scoot organised for Singaporean musicians, the T’ang Quartet, to serenade passengers with an in-flight performance. I’ll have to say that was a first for me. But again, it was all about adding an element of fun and excitement to the fanfare of this flight launch. It was genuinely a beautiful experience and probably one I will never get to again.

Another fun thing was when the plane landed, it was greeted with a water salute, and we were able to stand on the tarmac and take snaps with the plane.

So, why fly Scoot?

I think the airline’s chief operating officer Ng Chee Keong, put it best when he told news.com.au, “I think we want to distinguish ourselves from other low-cost carriers.”

He said one of the biggest differences is that most low-cost carriers offer only one aircraft type, as it’s easier when it comes to things such as servicing the aircraft. But, Scoot flies Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320, as well as Embraer E190-E2. Each aircraft caters to different needs, such as Boeing typically flying long-haul.

“It’s not your normal low-cost airline, ” he said, saying the entire business is built on the belief that people want to travel but that each person has their own individual need to be met and that every flight should be customisable for that person.

The T’ang Quartet performed on the flight. Picture: news.com.au.

Mr Keong said it’s all about providing the opportunities, saying that the Vienna flight from Singapore provides a gateway into Eastern Europe.

“We have seen how interest can grow, how places that were once forgotten come together and flourish,” he said.

“Now there is a flight, there is commerce possibility and tourism.”

He said that the business sees every customer as an individual, and that is true in my experience. Every part of the trip is customisable — where you sit, whether or not you eat, what you eat, how you spend your time and how much money you spend. It’s definitely an option I — as someone who usually flies alone — would consider in the future.

The flight between Vienna and Singapore will operate three times a week using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.

This journalist flew to Austria as a guest of Scoot and Austria Tourism