Short connection in SIN

[JohnK]

I have booked an award seat on SQ for my mother SYD-SIN-ATH return and the website allowed me to choose connecting flights 55 minutes apart. I don't believe SQ would sell anything that did not meet minimum connection time but in reality the second flight will more than likely start borading just as the first flight is about to land.

She will have travel insurance and I am sure SQ will look after her on a through connection booked on the same itinerary but the next flight is not for another 2 days. If something did go wrong there is no way that my mother would feel comfortable in SIN on her own for 2 days. She struggles to negotiate ATH airport and someone always needs to be with her at SYD airport.

I know chances are that the flight from SYD could be late but what would SQ do in these situations. I guess it would depend on the actual delay but they do have 1 flight 3 times a week SIN-ATH and there are 4 feeder flights available from SYD-SIN. Would SIN hold the SIN-ATH flight if the SYD-SIN flight was late? It does not depart for another 6 hours once it arrives in ATH anyway.

And I am sure I am not the first person to book this connection. The other option was to leave her in SIN for 7+ hours as the flight before this one did not have availability. I am sure she would have survived the 7+ hours in SIN with other Greeks around but she will also be connecting in ATH for an ATH-SKG flight and I will leave ~4 hours for this connection and did not want to exhaust her too much.

You know how it goes? Why do I have to wait for so long between flights?

 

[MrHyde]

Are there any other partner airlines that fly SIN-ATH. I would think that if she misses the SIN-ATH connection, Singapore Airlines might be able to place her on another airline.

I wonder if a 2 day delay caused due to, say an hour delay in SYD - SIN falls under the European flying laws regarding delays and compensation?

 

[kpc]

John,
Have a look at this thread started by a familiar poster
Short SQ-to-SQ transit at Changi - SQTalk

 

[JohnK]

So I guess all was OK in your experience kpc.

Unfortunately this is my mother and I cannot stuff up, full stop. I am sure all will be OK and she will make the connection but you just never know when the delays will happen.

Also I think if SQ have a number of people on the SYD-SIN flight connecting to the SIN-ATH flight then they will hold the SIN-ATH flight if the delays are not major. Otherwise I may have to make a last minute trip to SIN a couple of days after I return from there.

 

[anat0l]

Are there any other partner airlines that fly SIN-ATH. I would think that if she misses the SIN-ATH connection, Singapore Airlines might be able to place her on another airline.

I wonder if a 2 day delay caused due to, say an hour delay in SYD - SIN falls under the European flying laws regarding delays and compensation?

If she's ticketed on the same itinerary, then perhaps she has recourse.

Unfortunately, this relies on JohnK's mother being able enough to both understand and exercise her rights under the EU Regs. The first priority is to get JohnK's mum actually off to ATH without trouble...

 

[Mal]

SQ are not Jetstar. I somehow doubt they would leave a pax stranded for 2 days in Singapore. Other routing options include SIN-IST/FRA/LHR (etc)-ATH (There are lots of Star Alliance routing options available in Europe).

While I appreciate you can't afford for any stuff-ups to occur - you do need to put some faith into the system that things will work out.

You have tools available to you to keep track of what is occuring, and even though you are based in Oz - you can still give advice and deal with issues from there.

 

[anat0l]

SQ are not Jetstar. I somehow doubt they would leave a pax stranded for 2 days in Singapore. Other routing options include SIN-IST/FRA/LHR (etc)-ATH (There are lots of Star Alliance routing options available in Europe).

While I appreciate you can't afford for any stuff-ups to occur - you do need to put some faith into the system that things will work out.

You have tools available to you to keep track of what is occuring, and even though you are based in Oz - you can still give advice and deal with issues from there.

I think the point is more than JohnK's mother is nervous in airports. I've seen the type before - I joke you not (I've helped a couple of very disoriented people before make it through to boarding their flight).

This is more why this connection "has to work". In theory the system will always make sure JohnK's mother will make it to her final booked destination....

Is it possible to arrange ground staff support for her at all? Especially if things go pear shaped?

 

[kpc]

Sq are usually very good! I don't know your mother but would she be indignant if you organise wheelchair assistance at Singapore? or you could ring SQ in Syd to see if it is possible to organise a buggy at Sin...I'm sure if you explain that your mother is elderly, can't walk far / fast, they would come to the party, probably even without a fee....and if things go pear shape, they will actually know straight away...

 

[serfty]

If she's ticketed on the same itinerary, then perhaps she has recourse.

Unfortunately, this relies on JohnK's mother being able enough to both understand and exercise her rights under the EU Regs. The first priority is to get JohnK's mum actually off to ATH without trouble...

She will be protected if all flights are on the same PNR.

EU regs only apply to all flights operated by EU registered carriers or flights departing the EU for all other carriers,.

So SIN-ATH on SQ is not covered by EU regs.

 

[Keith009]

Worry not. MCT for a connection from one SQ operated flight to another SQ operated flight is 50 mins. So long the flights are in the same PNR and ticket your mum will be protected. If a tight connection is caused by a late inbound flight into SIN, SQ ground staff will meet her flight to assist with rushed connections.

 

[JohnK]

I have faith in SQ that everything will be OK. But just in case I need to be prepared.

If she's ticketed on the same itinerary, then perhaps she has recourse.

Unfortunately, this relies on JohnK's mother being able enough to both understand and exercise her rights under the EU Regs. The first priority is to get JohnK's mum actually off to ATH without trouble...

Mum is OK but she would not be able to quote rules and regulations to airline staff in SIN. She is very patient and is one of the type of people that just accept there is an issue and then adapt to get through the issue as comfortable as possible,

SQ are not Jetstar. I somehow doubt they would leave a pax stranded for 2 days in Singapore. Other routing options include SIN-IST/FRA/LHR (etc)-ATH (There are lots of Star Alliance routing options available in Europe).

While I appreciate you can't afford for any stuff-ups to occur - you do need to put some faith into the system that things will work out.

You have tools available to you to keep track of what is occuring, and even though you are based in Oz - you can still give advice and deal with issues from there.

Again I do not think that SQ will do the wrong thing but I will be closely monitoring the situation at each step of the journey.

I think the point is more than JohnK's mother is nervous in airports. I've seen the type before - I joke you not (I've helped a couple of very disoriented people before make it through to boarding their flight).

This is more why this connection "has to work". In theory the system will always make sure JohnK's mother will make it to her final booked destination....

Mum is OK but she is not an experienced traveller and would require assistance if something did go wrong.

Is it possible to arrange ground staff support for her at all? Especially if things go pear shaped?

From my experience, and from my mother's as well, ground support from SQ staff is always great.

I am sure there won't be any issues but I just want to know what we can do if something does happen. I will buy 2 throw away ATH-SKG and SKG-ATH one-way tickets on Aegean (A3) giving her plenty of time in ATH. So if something does goes wrong I only need to worry about one OF these legs. Let's hopes omething does not go wrong otherwise I am in trouble.

 

[dajop]

If a tight connection is caused by a late inbound flight into SIN, SQ ground staff will meet her flight to assist with rushed connections.

Typically those staff meeting the flight will have buggies ready (I noticed it this morning when I arrived 3 hrs late) and someone holding a card or sign with the connecting flight numbers and destinations (or in rare cases the names of individuals).

Whilst I think in the OP, you indicated the ATH flight will start boarding as your mother's plane is landing, this is correct, but it won't finish boarding until 10 mins before departure - and on SQ at SIN I don't think I've ever seen a gate close earlier than this, unless all pax accounted for.

 

[NYCguy]

I've made 55-minute connections at SIN. I wouldn't worry.

 

[Alanslegal]

I've also made 50-55min connections at SIN, even with terminal changes using the skytrain shuttle.

 

[joeymelb]

Your mother is in a capable hands of SQ, needn't worry about the short connection time. She will make it comfortably unless the inbound flight into SIN is seriously delayed. Even then, I am sure that SQ will do whatever it can to look after your mother.

Worse case scenario would be free night stay in a nice SIN hotel (a free stopover holiday ). I did get delayed once on MEL-SIN-TPE due to typhoon, I really really enjoy the free hospitality. Your mother might end up loving SIN more than ATH.

 

[JohnK]

Your mother is in a capable hands of SQ, needn't worry about the short connection time. She will make it comfortably unless the inbound flight into SIN is seriously delayed. Even then, I am sure that SQ will do whatever it can to look after your mother.

I have no doubt SQ will do whatever it can to look after my mother. I am sure there will be quite a few people onboard the SYD-SIN flight that will be connecting to the SIN-ATH flight.

Worse case scenario would be free night stay in a nice SIN hotel (a free stopover holiday ). I did get delayed once on MEL-SIN-TPE due to typhoon, I really really enjoy the free hospitality. Your mother might end up loving SIN more than ATH.

Let's hope worse case scenario does not eventuate. She will not be comfortable in SIN on her own. Apart from airports she has never been outside of Greece or Australia all her life....