What you need to know before flying budget airline Scoot long haul

I recently spent 24 hours in the air on a low-cost airline – and you can do it too. There are just a few things you need to organise beforehand.

I recently flew from Sydney to the South Korean Island of Jeju, with a stopover in Singapore – all flying on low-cost airline Scoot.

All up, that’s more than 24 hours in the air on a decidedly no frills airline. I’ll admit, I was slightly nervous: I’d flown with Scoot once before, all the way to Europe and back almost a decade ago, and it’s safe to say I didn’t nail that experience.

Nervous about not being fed enough, back then I wore a large coat that I stuffed with muesli bars that got increasingly smooshed every time I shifted in my seat over the long flights.

I may have been part man, part Uncle Toby’s, but I’d woefully underestimated my reading speed and found myself ‘raw dogging’ the second leg of the flight, having zipped through my one book already.

This time, I was going to be a little smarter. Scoot is unashamedly a low-cost carrier, so don’t expect pampering. But with a little bit of advance planning, even a long-haul Scoot flight is a perfectly fine flying experience, with the major benefit being you’ve arrived at your destination having spent a comparatively small part of your holiday budget getting there.

Here’s what you need to know to nail an international trip flying Scoot:

Don’t board hungry

This is the meal included in a Scoot Plus fare.

This is one time to treat yourself with a airport meal before you board. If you have any airport lounge access with a credit card, now’s the time to use it. You want to board feeling full (so full, in fact, you could go for a nap).

Of course, there is food available to buy on board — but unless you’re flying ScootPlus (more on that later), you will have to pay for it.

And while Scoot has a “No outside food allowed on board” rule, it seems common sense applies: It appears more to stop people, say, unfurling the fish and chips they smuggled aboard than those snacking on a protein bar.

Entertainment: bring it!

Come armed with entertainment options or prepare to spend a lot of time staring at this seat back.

Download some movies to your laptop. Load up the Kindle. Pack a few books. Download podcasts. Seriously, raw-dogging a flight – particularly one lasting more than eight hours – is a trend I just can’t get behind. I downloaded no less than nine movies to my laptop for this trip, accounting for a variety of moods: Docos, rom coms, a horror film (sorry to the lady sat next to me when that one got gory). Give yourself options.

BYO comfort items

Don’t expect to see any little luxury items waiting on your seat when you board the plane. Bring your own earplugs, eyeshade, even a blanket if you want it.

One suggestion: Next time you’re at a hotel, pocket those cheap hotel slippers they give you. Bring them in your bag, and when you want to slip your shoes off, you can easily wear those to the bathrooms (barefoot in plane toilets - another trend I refuse to endorse).

Consider ScootPlus

Seats on ScootPlus are definitely more comfortable than economy …

… although the little cup of water upon boarding reminds you this ain’t quite Business Class.

I flew ScootPlus for the longer leg of my journey, the eight-ish hours that is Singapore to Sydney and return. Business class it ain’t, which I realise upon boarding when instead of the usual business class glass of bubbles before takeoff I’m given a 135ml sealed cup of room temperature water.

There is no entertainment on Scoot Plus, and aside from an included meal and drink worth around $15, any other food and drinks (including alcohol) must still be purchased.

But there are welcome touches that make the experience a cut above sitting in, say, 57K: The cabin at the front of the plane is quiet and closed off, with a bathroom all to ourselves. The staff are friendly and attentive, coming through the cabin shortly after takeoff to take our meal orders.

Landing at sunrise feels a lot more comfortable in ScootPlus.

Really, whether ScootPlus is for you comes down to how important you find the comfort of extra seat room. Seats are much wider, with larger armrests in between (none of that awkward middle seat elbow jostling).

You can’t lie flat, but a decent recline and a leg rest mean that you can stretch out very comfortably. If you’re doing an overnight flight, opting for ScootPlus can all make the difference for your next day.

Do layover right

All Scoot flights out of Australia go via Singapore, so prepare for a stopover at Changi airport. There’s certainly plenty to do at the airport itself, and it’s really down to personal taste whether you extend the stay If your stopover isn’t quite long enough to escape the airport, there’s much at Changi to pass several hours: The spectacular Jewel Changi complex, a cinema, restaurants, food courts and gardens.

Follow these pool signs at Changi airport …

… for a cocktail and a swim.

My favourite Singapore airport layover hack, though: Head to the Aerotel hotel pool in Terminal 1. For around $25AU, you can relax poolside (and outdoors!) for as long as you want, with access to a small gym, showers and change room.

You can order food and drinks and relax in the pool and spa, then head back to you next flight feeling completely refreshed.

Best of all, it’s planeside, meaning you don’t even need to clear immigration. Towels are provided, just don’t forget to pack some swimmers in your carry-on luggage!

The writer travelled as a guest of Scoot.