TravelCommentator

Category: Airports

Airports / Opinion

24 Hours In Changi Not A Problem But How About 96 Hours?

This crazy idea came to me when I was thinking about my up-and-coming four day trip to Singapore. Could I perhaps forego the reason why I’m travelling there and spend that time inside the terminals at Changi Airport instead? We know there are some long layovers at airports, but for some Australian travellers, in particular those travelling to and from Adelaide with Singapore Airlines, like me, this happens quite a lot. Especially the all-day layover when arriving early morning in Singapore from Europe and then departing (on the same day) at 23:35 on flight SQ279. This can entail layovers of approximately 18 hours either spent at the airport or a quick trip to a city hotel. We know Changi is a great airport for...

Air Travel / Airlines / Airports / Routes / Tips & Advice

Routes: Adelaide-Singapore / Singapore-Adelaide

My first post in the Routes series and I’ll start it off with the international route I fly the most ADL-SIN/SIN-ADL, in other words, Adelaide International Airport (ADL) to Changi Airport Singapore (SIN) and back. Airlines At present only one airline offers this route in and out of Adelaide, Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines is part of the Star Alliance. In Australia Singapore Airlines codeshares with Virgin Australia. The Singapore Airlines flights are designated SQ278 (ADL-SIN) and SQ279 (SIN-ADL) and fly daily, all-year round. A second service runs only in December and January designated SQ276 (ADL-SIN) and SQ277 (SIN-ADL) and fly four times a week (Tue, Thu, Sat, and Sun). Schedule SQ278 Northern Summer: ADL 09:10 – SIN 15:10 Southern Summer: ADL 10:35 – SIN...

Airports

Adelaide International Airport

Adelaide’s gateway to international flying The airport is located west of the city at about 6 kilometres from the city centre. When arriving by car or taxi you’ll be dropped off under the multi-storey car park. Public transport buses stop further up but are not far from Arrivals and Departures. The car park is approximately 100 metres from Terminal 1. Lifts at roadside take you to level 2 of the car park and to a walkway over the plaza to Departures. Alternatively you can walk across the open-air plaza to Arrivals and up an internal escalator to Level 2 Departures. I fly several times a year with Singapore Airlines. Their check-in counters are to the right of those of QANTAS. They were to the...

Airports

Fire closes Rome’s main airport

Rome’s Fiumicino Airport has been closed to the public after a fire broke out overnight in its main terminal for international flights, reports Travel Weekly. Adding to what has been reported. The fire actually started at 4 minutes past midnight local time. The cause was most probably an electrical fault. The fire destroyed and damaged around forty shops that run between Passport Control and Gates G & H in Terminal 3 Departures. An area of about 1000sqm was affected one way or another by fire or smoke. Since the fire Terminal 3 has been getting back to some kind of normality. An access point to embarkation Gates G & H was opened in the early hours of Saturday (9 May). At 17:00 of the...

Air Travel / Airports / Cities & Towns / Countries / Ports

Watch your homonyms and homophones when travelling

Ended up in the wrong town, city or country? Did you check the name and spelling of the place where you were suppose to go to? Did you board the wrong flight? Well this can easily happen if you don’t research your travels as you should and check (possibly double check) your airticket/boarding pass. There have been many cases of travellers ending up at the wrong destination because placenames are either identical or sound the same but spelt differently. Sometimes at no fault of their own. Airlines and travel agents have also been known to make the mistake. In one case a couple ended up on the wrong continent over confusing airport codes. In other mix-ups people book same sounding place names like Guyana...

Airports / Opinion

Security at Australian airports, sensible or neurotic?

Show of force and heavy handed security is not required at airports. Perhaps even paranoid…Anyhow, governments know security can be done covertly, but they prefer to be seen doing something and the best way is to show who’s boss. That’s why you get screened, scanned, x-rayed, proded and body searched. Only foolish terrorists will get caught, just like drug mules and users who think they can import illegal substances through immigration and customs. Terrorists don’t need to board planes to cause mayhem. They can do this anywhere on airport property and not pass any security checks at all. That’s the worrying thing. They will come up with new ways of causing death and destruction. Real security should start way before anyone gets near an...