Article: What It’s Like Flying to Singapore in 2022

[Anna]

I've uploaded my vax certificate and printed out a Sg govt verification of it as well as the certificate itself

I've done and printed out the Sg arrival form

I've also done and printed out the Aust DPD for my return flight - apparently QF will not allow boarding without the DPD, so people have been to trying to do it on their phones at checkin

Can't get a QF BP until QF have sighted the vax certificate, even though last year they gave me some QFF points for uploading it

Still need to make my packed lunch in case of further QF catering failures

And then I can look forward to my flights in Y which looks to be wide open, in contrast to J which is pretty much full and was 2-3 times the pre pandemic cost Hoping for a Y shadow.

 

[AIRwin]

Booked a QF flight to SIN, departing in a couple of days.

My friend is moving back to the UK and is booked on QF81 on Tuesday...

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Can't get a QF BP until QF have sighted the vax certificate, even though last year they gave me some QFF points for uploading it

Flying BA16 to Singapore today. BA had an option to submit vaccination certificate 2 days before check-in opened. Vax certificate was approved a couple of hours later, and then could check-in and print my own boarding pass at home. Surprisingly efficient.

Bonus was that I could use the bag drop queue at their airport this morning, which was significantly shorter than the regular check-in line (where agents had to sight the vax certificate).

 

[Anna]

QF checkin - passport, eticket, international vax certificate, all ok. Then, 'have you got your Singapore arrival form?', er yes, didn't think I'd need it in ADL, scrabble scrabble in bag, here it is. Then the killer - 'where is your negative test report?' Great I thought, I'm going to be tripped up by someone who doesn't know the rules but will be convinced she's right. So I summoned up my calmest and most reasonable yet confident tone and told her it wasn't needed for fully vaxxed pax. Luckily she didn't say any more, tapped away on her keyboard and handed me my BPs. But sheesh QF, can you please lay off the unnecessary heart attacks?

Double Y shadow in row 4 on the first sector (dom), fingers crossed for the int sector.

 

[AIRwin]

But sheesh QF, can you please lay off the unnecessary heart attacks?

I've shared this with my friend who is also booked to fly to SIN but out of BNE...

 

[Anna]

My answer to the thread title is - bloody brilliant!

Got waved into the aircrew line at immigration because I’d bothered to print out my docs

Taxi queue at the airport an hour long, so got the MRT to hotel - lucky I am a creature of habit so knew exactly what to do

Now relaxing in the balmy evening with a coughtail

 

[hachoo]

QF checkin - passport, eticket, international vax certificate, all ok. Then, 'have you got your Singapore arrival form?', er yes, didn't think I'd need it in ADL, scrabble scrabble in bag, here it is.

Got all my docs for wednesday SQ flight lined up except couldn't submit my Vaccination QR code at online check-in (errored out) so will have to present it in-person.
How were the lines at the airport? I had heard it's very bad at the moment because of the additional documentation for most international travellers.

 

[drron]

Got all my docs for wednesday SQ flight lined up except couldn't submit my Vaccination QR code at online check-in (errored out) so will have to present it in-person.
How were the lines at the airport? I had heard it's very bad at the moment because of the additional documentation for most international travellers.

We uploaded our vaccination certificate to the Singapore Arrivals declaration and so the didn't need to check ours on arrival.

 

[Anna]

How were the lines at the airport?

If you mean on arrival at SIN, I stopped to buy duty free so they were about 7-8 people deep in each line by the time I got there. If I'd rushed straight down there, there was hardly a queue when QF 71 landed.

The taxi line was an hour wait.

Hardly any line at ADL and none at PER. But it was very early am Mother's Day.

 

[dajop]

The taxi line was an hour wait.

Before departure, worth looking at downloading three rideshare apps, Grab, Gojek and Ryde as alternatives to taxis. Although these could be more expensive than “normal” if there is an hour wait at the taxi queue.

 

[hachoo]

If you mean on arrival at SIN, I stopped to buy duty free so they were about 7-8 people deep in each line by the time I got there. If I'd rushed straight down there, there was hardly a queue when QF 71 landed.

The taxi line was an hour wait.

Hardly any line at ADL and none at PER. But it was very early am Mother's Day.

Thanks! Sorry I was talking about the lines in ADL. Because I can't connect my Vax QR to my boarding pass I have to present to the other desk so was worried about the lines for that (I think it's a name issue).

Planning on going duty free as well on landing but have the Grab app installed so after getting a SIM I'll prepare for queues.

 

[Anna]

I didn't look for the SQ lines sorry, as I was on QF.

I got the MRT to my hotel Just so I knew I had really arrived. I'm not a fan of ride share apps but maybe that is the new normal for Sg

As far as other travellers go, I have seen (heard) mostly Brits and a couple of North Americans. Hardly any Australians. Poolside at my hotel has been mostly deserted. It finally dawned on me on my third day that the big hoardings in shopping malls promising new shops soon are actually covering up empty shops, presumably covid financial victims.

About 50% of the airport shops were open in the terminal where QF lands, and only one selling cosmetics that I could find.

 

[dairyfloss]

I didn't look for the SQ lines sorry, as I was on QF.

I got the MRT to my hotel Just so I knew I had really arrived. I'm not a fan of ride share apps but maybe that is the new normal for Sg

As far as other travellers go, I have seen (heard) mostly Brits and a couple of North Americans. Hardly any Australians. Poolside at my hotel has been mostly deserted. It finally dawned on me on my third day that the big hoardings in shopping malls promising new shops soon are actually covering up empty shops, presumably covid financial victims.

About 50% of the airport shops were open in the terminal where QF lands, and only one selling cosmetics that I could find.

Hi Anna - what's the mask wearing situation looking like now, outdoors, since it was relaxed? I'd heard that one might still feel a bit awkward for not having one on, out there! Also interested in the word on the street about indoor masks, and if that might go away any time soon... outdoors was the big one for me, but indoors is still a pain point

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[dajop]

Hi Anna - what's the mask wearing situation looking like now, outdoors, since it was relaxed? I'd heard that one might still feel a bit awkward for not having one on, out there! Also interested in the word on the street about indoor masks, and if that might go away any time soon... outdoors was the big one for me, but indoors is still a pain point

Cheers,
Matt.

For outdoors mask wearing, it’s becoming less prevalent. Still about 2/3 - 3/4 of people wearing masks outside though.

Indoor masks not going away anytime soon I think. But at the end of the day you barely notice that you’re wearing them, as long as you don’t obsess over it first - all about mindset. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve come out of a train station or shopping centre and and forgotten to take off my mask - you forgot you’re even wearing it.

I think we’ve been manipulated here into thinking mask wearing is Ok, in the same way that political manipulation in western democracies (particular one) makes out that mask mandates are a fundamental threat to liberties. I just go with a more laid back attitude of “when in Rome … “.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve come out of a train station or shopping centre and and forgotten to take off my mask - you forgot you’re even wearing it.

That has been my experience too! Perhaps herd mentality at play.

 

[Anna]

@dairyfloss Lots of mask wearing here indoors and out. I don't know what the actual rules are sorry. I've been taking it off outdoors (the mask I mean ) and nobody has arrested me or fined me or even given me a dirty look.

 

[jpp42]

(Was glad I did, because there were no taxis on arrival in SIN so I elected to take the MRT which involved a schlep with bags to a different terminal and then took 45 mins on the MRT itself, and I'd have been starving by the time I got to the hotel otherwise).

This is interesting, I travel to SIN next month and I thought life was fairly much returning to normal - any idea if this was a once-off issue with the taxi shortage, or is Singapore overall having a shortage of drivers?

 

[sudoer]

This is interesting, I travel to SIN next month and I thought life was fairly much returning to normal - any idea if this was a once-off issue with the taxi shortage, or is Singapore overall having a shortage of drivers?

Going a bit OT but I caught dozens of Grabs around Singapore in April and had no problems at all. Prices rarely surged except for late in the evening within the CBD, it was exactly S$18.80 for my trip from the airport to Fairmont, and my return from Conrad to the airport.

You should be able to download and set the app up with your preferred credit card before you head off, it has no problems accepting a +61 phone number and foreign issued CC (inc Amex).

SIN airport has a clearly sign posted rideshare pickup zone once you exit the baggage carousels, but you walk straight ahead, take a travelator down one floor and hang a right. There are about 20 pickup "gates" (effectively parking spots), select one in the Grab app when booking so the driver knows where to pick you up.

 

[drron]

This is interesting, I travel to SIN next month and I thought life was fairly much returning to normal - any idea if this was a once-off issue with the taxi shortage, or is Singapore overall having a shortage of drivers?

We arrived back in Singapore today at 1300 picked up our bag, walked through Customs to the taxi queue and straight into a waiting taxi. So well under an hour from departing the plane to walking into our hotel room.

 

[dajop]

We arrived back in Singapore today at 1300 picked up our bag, walked through Customs to the taxi queue and straight into a waiting taxi. So well under an hour from departing the plane to walking into our hotel room.

Things are very much back to normal then. It all depends on time of day, terminal and whatever other flights are arriving around the same time.
For example, I expect anyone arriving between 6pm and midnight this coming Monday (16th) May at the very least have a long wait for Taxis and/or an expensive Grab ride, as it is a long weekend.