I am going to be visiting Europe in either September or October and will have small kids so I want to have a one day stopover somewhere.
I am somewhat flexible where we first land in Europe, but either London or Barcelona would be ideal. I have found that adding stopovers can dramatically increase the price. For example, changing a one way flight from MEL->BCN on Singapore airlines doubles in price when change it to 2 separate flights with 1 night in between.
Any advice here would be fantastic.
2 and 5
cm, inches or feet?
mm
Why not go with SQ but choose the longest layover in SIN? Everyone gets a sleep, shower, food in preparation for the long sector ahead.
Does this mean we go through immigration and go to a nearby hotel with bags staying at the airport? Or we would just be in a terminal hotel?
Bags would be checked through to final destination. You have the choice of staying airside or going into Singapore. I've done a few 6-hour stays in the Ambassador Transit Hotels but there are several other options.
Very similar situation as op with 3 young kids, travelling to Europe later this year. We booked the Singapore airlines flight with a 54 hour layover, it was maybe $50 more expensive than the shortest layover.
There was another option with a 30 hour layover but for us, the sunk costs of taxis, hotel for a night, expenses etc. for “just” 1 day in Singapore we decided to do the longer lay over and have 2 days.
I would chat to a travel agent and see if Singapore has a package deal with layover transit stops. Emirates and Qatar airlines have deals through their hubs. If you particularly want to see London then fly there otherwise I would head straight to Europe. Best of luck.
Do travel agents have access to packages that aren't available by booking directly with the airline?
We got a very good deal on a hotel in Hong Kong we couldn’t get elsewhere. What they could do is explain the process and look at options they know about. Do your research before you go so you can compare their prices to yours. We did an around the world flight with Virgin we booked through the travel agent and it made it easier and cheaper. They might try a bit of upsell but you just need a “no thank-you” to avoid them.
Speak with a travel agent. They can book the onwards journey under the same ticket but with a 48 hour delay. Should be no real additional cost.
Also remember SIA has price matching so if you can find a cheap option, give it to the TA and they can grab it direct
Try one of the more off-beat airlines. It won't be a stopover in Europe but somewhere in-between.
It sounds to me that you are trying to book 2 separate tickets on Singapore Airlines.
In the booking search engine, make sure you are selecting a multi city booking - the option appears at the top right of the search box.
In this booking flight 1 would be Melbourne > Singapore and flight 2 is Singapore > Barcelona/London - this way the journey is ticketed together and you may find it will come out cheaper - though you may need to have a play around with dates, destinations etc.
Singapore airport is excellent and has hotels both in transit and landsite (go landsite so that you can explore the Jewel, get some rest and be refreshed before the onwards flight)
Other options for a stopover from Australia are Etihad who will put you up in a hotel for 1 or 2 nights for free - only if you book directly with on their website.
Malaysia Airlines also have a promotion for a free side trip within Malaysia (though you will have to pay for hotels etc).
This does make me think about the appeal of Qantas' project sunrise flights direct to London- 22 hours on a plane, even in a premium cabin would be absolutely gruelling.
Yes, multi city is what you want to book, not seperate flights. Did this last year flying to Germany and stopped two nights in Singapore, flying with Singapore Airlines. I'm sure other airlines have this option if you would like to stop somewhere else.
I did this last year with Emirates and had a couple of days in Dubai - I just did it as a multi-city trip on their website and it cost the same as booking direct Melbourne-London
Are you choosing multi-city? It shouldn't change the price if the arriving and departing flights only differ by a day.
Stopped in Singapore for two nights last year en route to London. Had to book separate tickets of course.
The 14h flight to London wasn't a great experience but I'm glad I hadn't just walked off of an 8h flight going into it. Singapore is nice - clean, efficient, cheap. Probably spent around $500 all up in Singapore for 2 nights + food and transit. But it also probably cost the same to book separate tickets.
Would be nice to do again but next time I'd probably just suck it up and do whole trip in one. But if I had kids I'd consider the layover depending how well they enjoy flying.
how do you want to break up the flying
60% / stopover / 40% or hwhat
emirates might be about 70/30 etc
Doesn't matter too much to me - looks like I am in for about 22 hours of flight time and stopping either in SEA or the Middle East. Whether the first or second leg is long doesnt really bother me too much.
IMO go via Singapore.
You can book the Crowne Plaza which is connected to T3.
Very easy with little ones which is why I do the same.
They can accommodate 4 in 1 King room and also offer day rooms.
Yes it's a tad expensive but you'll save money and time not having to cab it.
Jewel shops are also connected so you can eat and roam around there
This is the type of thing travel agents are good for. They sometimes have access to stopover deals and packages they you won’t be able to book via the normal online platform directly through the airline. Or call the airline you’re interested in. You can reference the best prices you already have.
You've got a few choices for stopover locations:
- Dubai (Emirates)
- Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
- Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific)
- Guangzhou (China Southern)
- Taipei (China Airlines)
- Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia Airlines)
- Bangkok (Thai Airways)
- Beijing (Air China)
- Doha (Qatar)
- Shanghai (China Eastern)
- Singapore (Singapore Airlines)
You should just be able to pick start and end destinations in a search engine like SkyScanner, and get a list of options for (minimum) stopover timings. You could then look to go for a multicity booking, and adjust the dates you're in the stopovers.
I found a flight search engine that had some cool options a few week's ago
https://panflights.com/en/
The UI is a bit janky… but it had some cool options for durations of stopovers etc..
Good list. This site at its best.
For me when I travel, with or without my children (5 & 7) I just go from from Go to Whoa as fast as possible.
Minimal stoppages, less checking in(airports and hotels) security checks, less waiting, less Taxis, less 1 night stays, less jet lag.
Unless you want to see/do something in the layover, (good luck enjoying it) Just Haul!
My kids travel good though, much better than I. As long as they have entertainment and food.
When we landed in Europe my 7yo asked excitedly, what plane are we catching next? after we'd been on 3 flights from Central NSW.
I've found really cheap flights provide stopovers. e.g. we had a 13 hour stopover in China flying China Airlines.
(It was the worst travel experience I've ever had.)
I though people pay more for longhaul flights to get it overwith.
It's difficult to compare prices when happy to include stopovers - the options are infinite. I recommend finding a good travel agent to help you line something up.
Just google “best stopover programs” and it will show you magic.
how small?