Scoot

Scoot is Singapore Airlines' low-cost arm, flying short-, medium- and long-haul routes from a base at Singapore Changi. It carries the budget end of the Singapore Airlines group across Asia-Pacific and beyond, with a network that leans on Changi as a connecting point.

It is not in a global alliance, though its parentage gives it codeshare and connection ties into the wider Singapore Airlines network. Flying Scoot is a straightforward budget proposition: you book the fare, then add what you need. Bags, seat selection, meals and entertainment are paid extras, so the headline price tends to be low and the final cost depends on how much you bolt on. On the widebody routes you can buy up into a roomier cabin, which sets it apart from most no-frills carriers.

The configurations published here split into two groups. The Airbus narrowbodies — the A320-200, A320neo and A321neo — are all-economy, single-aisle aircraft in a 3-3 layout, used on the shorter regional sectors. They are dense and uncomplicated: one cabin, one seat type, with the longer A321neo carrying more rows of the same.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliners are the other half of the fleet, and we publish three variants — the 787-8, a second 787-8 layout, and the larger 787-9. These are two-cabin aircraft: a forward ScootPlus cabin and a long economy cabin behind it. ScootPlus sits in a wider 2-3-2 arrangement and works as a premium-economy-style product rather than true business; economy runs 3-3-3. The two 787-8 layouts differ in their seat split, so check the published cabin layout for the exact aircraft on your route.

Economy on Scoot is what you would expect from a budget carrier: a fixed recliner seat, slim padding and tight pitch, fine for a few hours and tolerable on the longer widebody runs if you have chosen your seat. There is no seat-back screen on most aircraft; entertainment and connectivity are paid options, and meals are bought rather than included. Bring your own device, headphones and a charged battery and you will be comfortable enough.

ScootPlus, on the 787s, is the step up. The 2-3-2 seats are wider with noticeably more recline and legroom, and the fare bundles in baggage, a meal and priority boarding, so it behaves more like premium economy than the name suggests. It is not a flat bed and there is no lounge access, so judge it as a comfort upgrade for a daytime medium-haul flight rather than a business-class substitute.

On the 787s, the exit-row and bulkhead seats at the front of economy carry the most legroom and are worth paying to reserve on longer sectors; the trade-off is fixed armrests and, at the bulkhead, no under-seat stowage for take-off and landing. Avoid the last few economy rows, which sit by the rear galleys and lavatories and draw foot traffic and noise throughout the flight. If you want a window without an obstruction, check the published cabin layout, since the 787-9 and the two 787-8 versions don't align row for row.

On the A320 and A321 narrowbodies, the over-wing exit rows give the best legroom, while the seats immediately ahead of them often have reduced recline. As on most single-aisle aircraft, the back rows near the galley and toilets are the ones to skip if you can. ScootPlus passengers are well served wherever they sit, so there the choice is window versus aisle rather than good versus bad.