imartin2k

Quite good news. Could be the first direct connection between Stockholm and Singapore for a long time, possibly ever (not sure though).

A350 is cool, too. Only caveat is the short stop in Moscow.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...-from-may-2017

Guy Betsy

Wonder where the crew will overnight.... DME or ARN? Either way, it'll be pretty cold in winters..

ExSin

Any news on SIN-JFK nonstop service launch date?

MeltingAlf

Those are far out - 2019-ish - since it depends on when the A359ULRs come.

yvrcnx

I just booked flights on this new route for my son and me for next summer. Does anyone know how the stop-over in DME works?
When SQ used to fly YVR - ICN - SIN we were able to always get off the plane in ICN and even use the lounge for about 20 - 30 minutes after going through security.

Will there be a similar set up in DME and more importantly does anyone know if a transit visa is necessary for Russia? It's been many, many years since I've been to Russia the last time and the only thing I could find are the regular visa requirements if staying in Russia.

aster

Oh no, I thought that Stockholm would be non-stop based on the press release about complementing their current "Scandinavian" flight to Copenhagen. Are they really planning on landing in Russia on the way?

This would definitely make it a complete no-go route in my case, I could just as well be taking one of the Middle Eastern carriers if I fancied a tedious mid-landing along the way from SIN to Europe...

drvannostren

As I recall Russia does offer a transit visa, though you do actually need to get it, I don't believe it's issued on arrival. As long as you're transiting < 24 hours (I think, you'd have to look further into it) then you don't need the full fledged tourist visa.

At SVO there's actually a transit hotel, across the street from the airport which I'm told has an entire wing dedicated to those pax, while the other wing is for everyone else. The transit wing being staffed by police on every floor to make sure no one enters the country illegally. Awesome if true, if not, it's a story I'd still like to believe, it just adds to my fascination with Russia.

If the layover is short, I'd assume there'd be something like CX service HKG-YVR-JFK, or PR JFK-YVR-MNL. You can get off if you want, but you can only hang out in the holding room, so as to avoid customs, or just sit on the plane and wait. Meanwhile us ground handlers take out the can of crew bags, add the new luggage for pax travelling just 1 leg, then send it on it's way.

azepine00

Pretty sure it will be similar to now former sin-dme-iah..
Sq is still flying sin-dme so this will prob become new extension. The infrastructure is already there.
There are several *A lounges at DME but SQ used some contacted one iirc.
No visa is needed is staying airside - this is not usa after all..

yvrcnx

Thank you drvannostren & azepine00.

That's what I thought (with regards to any transit visa requirements) since it is just a transit but wanted to make sure, just in case.

aster

I don't know what would be fascinating about this, they say it's about making sure nobody "enters illegally" when logic shows it's probably about making sure nobody... leaves in similar fashion. Paranoia either way, but then I had an emergency landing there a veeeery long time ago and remember how the airport was surrounded... by a mine field. Or so the signs outside the hotel said...

Are there any new non-stop routes planned to Europe? Once Berlin finally opens its new airport (my oh my is that delay farcical or what?), is there a good chance SQ (or possibly Scoot) will service this route?

ExSin

Thank you MeltingAlf.

Would work out best for my travel plans earliest this flight is operational.

azepine00

What does your "logic" show about transiting US wirhout visa...

Seriously - such bizarre comments have no relevance to DME stop which SQ has been making for years on IAH route...

More on topic - nice to have this arn-dme flt - iirc only SU did ARN from SVO... this can offer a nice *A option from US combined with SAS flights..

aster

That is up to the US government. At least they never created minefields around their airports like the paranoid Russians did, which I happened to witness after that emergency landing there many years ago.

Just received more marketing material from SQ about their new Stockholm connection and they seem adamant on omitting any mention of the dreaded stop-over in Moscow. It almost seems like they just added another non-stop route to Europe judging by the ads...

Not sure what the current travel pattern is for most Stockholm residents, but I'm sure this won't really be a game-changer for them unless - as the saying goes - "The price is right!". Every time I fly to SIN through HEL there are always lots of Swedes on the flight, and judging by past experience they will surely give SQ a run for their money in every regard.

MeltingAlf

The fanfare will be huge when it comes, you won't miss it for sure.

ARN has quite a sparse intercontinental network especially to the further parts of Asia compared to its brethren in CPH - thanks to SAS. There's DOH on QR, PEK on CA, BKK on NLH and TG, HKG on SK.

Flying ARN even on a one-stop for SQ can be dolled up as an attractive proposition to Swedes in Stockholm because they know the alternative would be 1) backtracking to CPH, 2) changing at HKG or PEK - which doesn't sound sane if you're heading to South-east Asia or Australia, or 3) via DOH which *A members might not prefer. Plus the one-stop SQ's offering is on the same plane and a pretty short layover - a little bit like the SIN-DXB-CAI when it still existed.

On SQ's side, the cost isn't that prohibitively high for them. The plane sits in DME anyway, so tagging on ARN at the end lets them gain passengers on seats they would otherwise not be able to fill anyway. SQ would have seen traffic loss on DME as oil prices dropped and sanctions on Russia were imposed. On the other hand, I think SK does pay a bit to get SQ to run this as part of the JV. I wouldn't be surprised as part of the consequence, ARN would be the cheapest European point to fly to SIN on SQ.

mishkira

On the topic - bit surprising choice of ARN, as I still cannot see too many Swedish companies or toutists to fill in ARN-DME leg - it is just not big enough market.
IMHO a large north German city (Hamburg or Berlin) would be much better choice, or even Toronto ....

Anyway, good to see A350 network is expanding to Europe ^