Scoot launches Gold Coast – Singapore VTL flights from 14 February

A week after the Australian state of Queensland opened its borders to international travellers without any quarantine requirement, SIA’s low-cost carrier Scoot has announced a relaunch of its popular non-stop Gold Coast route, with all flights operating as designated VTL services for quarantine-free arrival back in Changi.

This new schedule will run through to late October 2022, allowing a generous window to make your Queensland travel plans.

From mid-February 2021, three times weekly services will operate on the route using two-class Boeing 787-8 aircraft, including a ScootPlus cabin.

Gold Coast will be Scoot’s seventh VTL route, though the carrier will withdraw designated quarantine-free services from both Kuala Lumpur and Seoul from late March, leaving it with six VTL cities in the upcoming northern summer season.

The schedule

Scoot will relaunch a one-off Gold Coast flight on Sunday 13th February 2022, returning on Monday 14th February 2022:

• 13 Feb: TR6 SIN-OOL (21:25 – 07:05*)
• 14 Feb: TR7 OOL-SIN (22:05-03:55*) VTL

* Next day

This flight seems designed to position flight crews in the right location, prior to the launch of a regular three times weekly service under the following schedule.

16th February 2022 – 26th March 2022

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	TR6 787-8
SIN 20:25		OOL 06:05*
	TR7 787-8 VTL
OOL 07:25		SIN 13:15

* Next day

This will be the only non-stop option between Singapore and the Gold Coast.

From the start of the northern summer timetable some minor schedule adjustment occurs, though operating days remain the same, as shown below.

27th March 2022 – 29th October 2022

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	TR6 787-8
SIN 21:50		OOL 07:30*
	TR6 787-8
SIN 22:20		OOL 07:55*
	TR6 787-8
SIN 22:30		OOL 08:10*
	TR7 787-8 VTL
OOL 08:50		SIN 15:40
	TR7 787-8 VTL
OOL 09:30		SIN 15:50

* Next day

KrisFlyer Elite and PPS Club members will now earn 1.25 miles for every S$1 spent on Scoot fares, with all KrisFlyer members picking up 2.5 Elite miles per S$1 spent on top of the KrisFlyer miles themselves when flying with the low-cost carrier, as part of recently announced scheme enhancements.

For those interested in a full-service VTL option from Queensland to Singapore, SIA has been operating designated quarantine-free services on this route since 15th January 2022, a week before the state itself cancelled quarantine for fully vaccinated international arrivals.

Here’s how that schedule looks (click to expand):

We expect Qantas to also announce Brisbane – Singapore VTL flights in due course.

Earn but don’t burn

As you probably recall, you’ll earn some KrisFlyer miles based on the cash fare for your Scoot flight, which is always better than nothing.

On the redemption side, however, KrisFlyer works on a fixed value basis for offsetting Scoot cash fares at a terrible 0.95 Singapore cents per mile.

Our ‘golden rule’ when flying Scoot, therefore, is that you should be saving your precious KrisFlyer miles for their true value – a Singapore Airlines redemption – not a Scoot booking!

Round-trip fares on this route start at just S$344.

Requirements when flying to Queensland

International arrivals to Australia are still restricted to Australians, New Zealand passport holders usually resident in Australia, and citizens of Singapore, Japan and South Korea, when travelling from their home countries.

Fully vaccinated eligible travellers (including Singapore Citizens) flying from overseas to Queensland must:

• Have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of their flight departure time, or a negative COVID-19 ART test taken within 24 hours of their flight departure time, unless they are under five years of age.
• Take an on-arrival RAT (ART) test within 24 hours of arriving in Queensland.
• Self-isolate at home or in other suitable accommodation until receiving a negative test result.

Aside from the short self-isolation period (RAT tests only take 15-30 minutes), no quarantine applies.

Taking the post-arrival test in Queensland is based on a ‘honour system’, and will not be policed. Those who test positive, however, should follow these steps.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers will still need to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Queensland.

Here’s our latest rundown of the cheapest locations to get a pre-departure PCR test suitable for travel in Singapore, starting at S$95, or an ART test, now suitable for travel to Australia, from just S$21.40.

There are even competitive options for those preferring to be PCR tested at home, now starting at S$128.

For those phobic of the nasal swab process, there are also saliva-based PCR tests available from S$115, valid for travel to Australia.

VTL process Queensland – Singapore

Those flying on designated VTL flights from Brisbane to Singapore will follow the standard VTL pre-departure and arrival process.

VTL Process
Australia Singapore

• Must be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine in Singapore, or any VTL country, or any EU member state, or any non-EU countries that have joined the EU DCC system
• Must have an accepted digital proof of vaccination
• Must have stayed in Australia, Singapore or any VTL country for 14 days
• Apply for a VTP in advance*
• Purchase COVID-19 travel insurance (min. coverage of S$30,000)**
• Take a pre-departure COVID-19 PCR or RAT/ART test (up to 2 days before departure)
• Travel to Singapore on designated ‘VTL flights’
• Take an on-arrival COVID-19 PCR test
• Self-isolate until the result is available (typically 4-6 hours)
• Take Day 2 to Day 7 self-swab post-arrival ART tests, only if you will leave your accommodation that day

* Not applicable for Singapore Citizens or permanent residents
** Not applicable for Singapore Citizens, permanent residents or pass holders

Testing costs

The latest estimated testing costs for a Singapore – Queensland – Singapore trip are outlined below.

🇦🇺 VTL Singapore QLD COVID-19 Testing  Test Cost SG pre-departure (PCR)* From S$95 QLD on-arrival (ART) ~S$7 QLD pre-departure (ART)* ~S$60 SG arrival (PCR) S$125 SG Day 2 (self ART) ~S$7 SG Day 3 (self ART) ~S$7 SG Day 4 (self ART) ~S$7 SG Day 5 (self ART) ~S$7 SG Day 6 (self ART) ~S$7 SG Day 7 (self ART) ~S$7 Total From S$329 * Prices vary between providers and locations.

Singapore travellers are looking at around S$330 as a minimum testing cost for this VTL, assuming no changes to the testing regime.

With ‘Westralia’ chickening out of its international border reopening, perplexing in the wake of 90% full vaccination and the mildest COVID-19 variant so far, Queensland looks likely to be the last Australian state to offer quarantine-free reopening of its border to Singapore travellers for the foreseeable future.

Scoot is certainly taking advantage, reinstating its Gold Coast route and offering Aussie and Singapore citizens a great quarantine-free option in both directions to this popular region from mid-February.

Round-trip fares start at S$344 without bags, less than half the Singapore Airlines Brisbane fare, so this could be a great opportunity to lock in a cheap quarantine-free deal to Queensland in the coming months.

(Cover Photo: Phuong D. Nguyen / Shutterstock)