Stopover or no stopover?

[GillD46]

We are joining QE’s World Voyage next year from SYD to HKG so need to make the long flight down under. The longest non stop flight we have taken, with no stops at all, is 13 hours (HKG) but this time we have decided will change at SIN so the flights will be about 12 hrs and 8 hrs.

We know Singapore fairly well and in fact are calling there for two days on the cruise. So for those that have flown to SYD, would you recommend we stopover in SIN or push on to SYD straight away? My husband thinks we should stop, I feel we should just get it over with.

We’ll be in Business and will have lie flat beds, which I am sure will make life easier whatever we chose. Any advice anyone?

[allatc]

We did New Zealand in one go, 27 hours with 1.5 hour stopover in LA.

Used Sydney as our stopover on return.

Worked out well.

[david63]

Never done SYD but have done New Zealand several times. Because we live up north and fly out of Manchester we have no direct flights so we have to go via a "hub". As our airline of choice is Emirates then we have a stopover in Dubai for an hour or so which, last year, meant that we had an 8hour flight followed by a 14 hour flight. At least with the long second leg we were able to get a reasonable amount of sleep.

A lot also depends on the timing of the flights. We try to arrive mid/late afternoon so that we do not have to stay up too long and by doing that we are on "local" time within a couple of days.

We know of one couple who were going out to NZ who did a stopover in Singapore and because of the timings when the arrived went to bed and slept through the next day and almost missed their connecting flight and saw nothing of Singapore.

For use it is get on the plane, turn off and get there as soon as possible.

[GillD46]

Thanks for the comments. I had thought that to arrive later in the day would be a good idea. Assuming flights continue on or near their current schedule, we will arrive at SIN early evening and leave late evening, either the same day or next day, arriving in SYD around 5pm the following day.

I am definitely leaning towards just “going for it”. I am sure it will be hideous anyway. Maybe we’ll just factor in an extra day or two, over and above what we’d planned, to sit on the beach and recover before sightseeing.

[screwy]

We’re off to Syd in 6 weeks.Man-Sin with Singapore Airlines.We have a 13 hr layover so have booked a room in the Transit Hotel in Changi for 8 hrs so will get a good Kip.Overnight to Syd so should be reasonably fresh on arrival...hopefully.

[david63]

One thing to bear in mind Gill is if you are arranging your own flights then you would not be covered if there was a delay/cancellation so I would factor in at least two days in Aus

[GillD46]

Oh definitely, we’re going to have at least 4-5 days in Sydney first.

[Manoverboard]

Our choice would deffo involve a stopover but ours would like to break in Bangkok for 4 days or so.

[GillD46]

Our choice would deffo involve a stopover but ours would like to break in Bangkok for 4 days or so.

We do like Bangkok, but would prefer to fly with Singapore Airlines rather than Thai.

[screwy]

Does anyone know if you have to supply API when flying to Sydney/Singapore..

[Manoverboard]

Our choice would deffo involve a stopover but ours would like to break in Bangkok for 4 days or so.

We do like Bangkok, but would prefer to fly with Singapore Airlines rather than Thai.

We booked with BA but flew with Quantas, we thought they provided a very good flying experience.

[Gill W]

We flew to Singapore two years ago, and felt I would have gone crazy if I'd had to have spent a minute longer on the plane. However, I'm not a keen flyer.

However, having said that, now we know what to expect, if we went to Sydney I think we'd go direct without a stopover, in order to get the flying over with.

[GillD46]

Our choice would deffo involve a stopover but ours would like to break in Bangkok for 4 days or so.

We do like Bangkok, but would prefer to fly with Singapore Airlines rather than Thai.

We booked with BA but flew with Quantas, we thought they provided a very good flying experience.

Fair enough. We will have a look at costs when the flights are released, but I know the SQ seats are very comfy so unless they can be undercut considerably, we’ll probably stick with them.

[screwy]

Obviously not flying cattle class Gill

[GillD46]

Obviously not flying cattle class Gill

No. My husband has a permanent spinal injury and can’t sit for long, so if we can’t fly Business, we can’t go.

[Stephen]

I've heard of this 'Turn Left' thingy as well.

I tried it once but got sent back with the riff raff. Something to do with the tickety thing.

[david63]

I've heard of this 'Turn Left' thingy as well

These days you do not "turn left" you go upstairs!!

[GillD46]

Indeed. We are going upstairs in March when we go to Mauritius, very much looking forward to that one as we’ll be in the front.

[Happydays]

We're flying to Sydney in October (Princess Cruise) and have arranged our own flights from Glasgow with Emirates (cheaper) unfortunately only going cattle class and not having a stopover on the way as we've been to Singapore etc quite a few times, before we started doing as many cruises
We've got one stop in Dubai of three and a half hours enough time to stretch our legs ha ha! Obviously we'll be knackered but I'd rather get the flight over with and we've booked extra days in Sydney at the beginning and end of the cruise.

[GillD46]

Yes, at the moment that’s what we’re thinking - do it in one fell swoop and add on two extea nights - perhaps at Manly Beach - simply to recover from the flight, before our city sightseeing stay.

[Stephen]

I've heard of this 'Turn Left' thingy as well

These days you do not "turn left" you go upstairs!!

They'll be having balconies next

[GillD46]

I've heard of this 'Turn Left' thingy as well

These days you do not "turn left" you go upstairs!!

They'll be having balconies next

Now there’s a thought

[screwy]

Only if you pay the extra plus they are reserved for smokers...

[Stephen]

Only if you pay the extra plus they are reserved for smokers...

No, they can wing it

[JoanneB]

Hi Gill

We are just back from Sydney yesterday and did it in one go, going out we went to Perth with a really long layover in HK (Cathay Pacific) quite a few did the Qantas 16.5 hour direct from LHR to Perth and said it was fine, but can't say I'd fancy it. Personally I think the straight through option worked better than a stopover for us, and it saved packing and repacking. The jet lag is worse coming home than going too!

A few days pottering round Manly sounds like a great way to adjust to the time difference, whatever you do enjoy!