tropo

Next June/July, I will be flying to Singapore from Brisbane with Emirates (great airline), then after a week or so, I want to fly back to Darwin on Tiger Airways for a 5 days stay in Darwin, then its back to Brisbane with either Qantas or Virgin Blue.
I looked up Tiger Airways website, and their discount fares seem terribly cheap, eg. $50 per person one way (Singapore-Darwin-4.5 hr flight) Now I know Tiger Airways is an offshoot of Singapore Airlines, but can anyone tell what the airline is like, new/or old planes, good/or lousy service?? etc.

Melnq8

Don't forget about the taxes and fees which can be more than three times the cost of the flight.

JamesA

As Melng8 says, you need to add on those taxes and extras, although a bargain be ready for those extras.

You will get more on the Asia forum as the budget Asian airlines are discussed a lot.

Their aircraft are all 'new' A-320's, budget carrier but good reputation and good service.

From November they are also staring domestic flights within Australia, starting with flights from Melbourne. I think by next year very ( very ! ) likely they will be doing flights from DRW down to BNE, so look out for those flights.

As their aircraft can only manage SIN-DRW and SIN-PER as their domestic flights in Australia increase their plan is to feed flights through DRW into SE Asia.

JamesA

I am going to try a 'test' on the fares.

I have put in one-way Darwin to Singapore for 29th June( random date )

Flight leaves DRW at 0055 arriving SIN 0350, fare shows AUD 129.63, now let's go to the total:

Ok, the taxes are 163.96, so total one way AUD 293.59, it's good, but....

tropo

JamesA and Melnq8 - after posting this thread, I also did a trial booking with Tiger Airways, and came up with the total price, like yours, still not too bad.
Interesting that they may start a direct flight from Brisbane next year to Singapore.
The reason for Emirates, is that we have Skyward F/flyer points remaining, that have to be used before Sept 08 (sufficient points for my wife & I to get a single journey to Singapore), then we thought, we haven't visited Darwin & Kakadu etc, so why not fly back to Australia via Darwin.
We haven't visited Singapore in the last 20 years, and we have the chance of meeting up with a relative from the UK in Singapore.

JamesA

Darwin is nice, though a few years since I have been, I guess it is a lot busier these days.

In case you or anyone else hasn't heard, Air Asia X is starting flights November between KL and Gold Coast (?), would that be Coolangatta/Gold Coast ? - Anyway it's budget flights so for other trips into SEA from your area looks like plenty more cheap options coming up !!

JohnAtLC

Hi, Tropo! I flew Tiger Airlines two years ago from Singapore down to Darwin and return.

Although the price was reasonable, I clearly remember that the excess baggage fee was very unreasonable. From Singapore, the fee was the equivalent of US$30; from Darwin, the same fee was the equivalent of US$49.

I did not find the aircraft to be neat and clean; I felt it was grimy and soiled. The food available for purchase was awful looking; I was very glad that I had purchased a tasty meal before hand in the LCC terminal.

The LCC terminal by the way has no moving sidewalks (travelators), and is in general a low cost dump.

My take on Tiger Airways is that I'd always from now on forward look for another carrier. However, at the moment Tiger is the only discount carrier between Singapore & Darwin, so one is stuck with it for the time being.

I realize that I sound very harsh on this issue, and I actually am. Once I learned that Tiger was a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines I was angry to see such a low quality offering coming in secret from a high quality carrier.