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Will this "trick" get me a cheaper last minute ticket?

Will this "trick" get me a cheaper last minute ticket?

Old May 29, 2015, 12:08 pm
  #1  
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Will this "trick" get me a cheaper last minute ticket?

Hi I'm planning to fly from San Francisco to Singapore (staying for at least 2 week in SG to do my AU student visa) and Singapore to Australia. Flying around the 22nd of June as I got a last minute acceptance to a school in AU which starts on the 13th of July.

I checked out the ticket prices for multicity, one way and round trip tickets but they all rack up to at least US$1500.

So I'm not sure if this will work as I'm a Singaporean but I was thinking of booking either a one way or round trip ticket (depending on which is cheaper) to Sydney and doing a "stop over" in Singapore. I heard that Singapore airline offer this promotional stop over in Singapore to encourage more tourist to visit but I need to find out more and if it applies to Singaporeans too or foreigners only. Assuming that the stop over is not too expensive, then my ticket from San Francisco to Sydney will only cost US$1075.

Opinions?
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Old May 29, 2015, 3:48 pm
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Don't know about your "trick", but if it's only the price that matters here's something for just above 1000 USD

Jun 22 SFO-SIN China Eastern (via PVG) ~750 USD
Jul 6 SIN-SYD Scoot (including 1 checked bag) ~300 USD
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Old May 29, 2015, 8:58 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by cgxy
So I'm not sure if this will work as I'm a Singaporean but I was thinking of booking either a one way or round trip ticket (depending on which is cheaper) to Sydney and doing a "stop over" in Singapore. I heard that Singapore airline offer this promotional stop over in Singapore to encourage more tourist to visit but I need to find out more and if it applies to Singaporeans too or foreigners only. Assuming that the stop over is not too expensive, then my ticket from San Francisco to Sydney will only cost US$1075.

Opinions?
My opinion is that if you want an answer to SG ticket with stopover the best place to ask that question is in SG forum @:-)

And please word it in such a way that you will not be guilty of crossposting same question in different fora

Originally Posted by ritesa
Don't know about your "trick", but if it's only the price that matters here's something for just above 1000 USD

Jun 22 SFO-SIN China Eastern (via PVG) ~750 USD
Jul 6 SIN-SYD Scoot (including 1 checked bag) ~300 USD
Sounds like an interesting idea. IIRC Scoot is an SG run LCC.
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Old May 29, 2015, 9:13 pm
  #4  
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IIRC the SQ free stopover is for a short visit, intended for several days but a week might be the limit. A big part of the promo (at least for the past several years) has been the discounted hotel package, which presumably you won't want if you have family or a home there. Why not call SQ and ask? Or read the fare rules (for fares with these stopovers) and T&C for the offer carefully.

You seem to have a Singapore passport, but are you an official resident of the USA? If so, the stopover is more likely to apply to you. I'm assuming that you won't be a resident of Australia by then since you're planning to get the visa in Singapore.

Will an airline board you in the USA for a ticket USA-Singapore-Australia if you don't have a visa (or at least ETA if applicable for your passport) for Australia and the visa is needed for the second leg of your trip? Will not having a RT ticket or a ticket leaving Australia be an issue if that is a normal entry requirement?

Of course, if Singapore citizens can visit Australia without visas or ETAs, then many of these concerns disappear.
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Old May 29, 2015, 9:23 pm
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Will an airline board you in the USA for a ticket USA-Singapore-Australia if you don't have a visa

Of course, if Singapore citizens can visit Australia without visas or ETAs, then many of these concerns disappear.
Excellent point @:-)

But I'd be surprised if Singapore citizens need a visa to visit Oz, probably just need one for longer stay to study.
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Old May 30, 2015, 1:01 am
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Yes, I'm holding a SG passport and don't need a visa to visit AU unless I'm studying there. Worried that I'm not able to make my student visa on time. Anyone knows if I can make student visa in SG and fly to AU under a normal tourist visa for my orientation and get my mum to mail me my visa when it's done?

Originally Posted by ritesa
Don't know about your "trick", but if it's only the price that matters here's something for just above 1000 USD

Jun 22 SFO-SIN China Eastern (via PVG) ~750 USD
Jul 6 SIN-SYD Scoot (including 1 checked bag) ~300 USD
Oh hey, thank you!

Just an update by the way. This "trick" won't work After talking to a travel agent, my stop over in SG on my itinerary is only for 1.5 hours, I have to extend my stay in SG, thus changing my ticket to a multicity stop ($1650). So I think I'm just going to book 2 separate one-way tickets. Hopefully I can get my visa done in 2.5 weeks, fingers crossed! Have to wrap up my school, visa and moving stuff here in San Francisco (giving me 2.5 weeks in SG before AU school starts) so I guess I just have to wing it....

Last edited by EmailKid; May 30, 2015 at 8:41 am Reason: Back to back posts on same subject
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Old May 30, 2015, 1:15 am
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Found something even cheaper for SFO-SIN:

22 Jun SJC-LAX-NRT-SIN-(CGK) Delta, Garuda Indonesia ~590 USD

Choose a long layover at SIN (possible up to 24 hrs) and "miss" the onward flight to CGK... (make sure to check your bags only as far as SIN, no problem if you have an overnight layover)

Also possible to route via PDX instead of LAX for a slightly later departure from SJC on Alaska.

Last edited by ritesa; May 30, 2015 at 1:21 am
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Old May 30, 2015, 8:47 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by cgxy
Anyone knows if I can make student visa in SG and fly to AU under a normal tourist visa for my orientation and get my mum to mail me my visa when it's done?
You're asking in the wrong forum again

While students tend to be on a budget (I know I was ), Australia forum would more likely produce an answer.

But I'll provide an educated guess: since visa is usually (always AFAIK) a stamp in a passport, you'd you to get your passport back to SIN Moreover, they may only allow you to pick it up.

By the way, in my role as Moderator of this forum I merged your 3 back to back post into one to make this thread easier to follow.
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