KOCHI:
A family vacation can take on a whole new meaning especially when you are traveling with children.
Family vacations can be an enriching experience for bothparents and children as they can spend healthy, uninterrupted time with each other, bonding on activities that they enjoy. Parents can also experience the world through the lens of their childrenand find their own inner child, freeing them from the ordinary stresses of life.
Young parents may find that the airfare can make up a significant part of their vacation budget, however these days there are low-cost family-friendly options available. Customizing the travel experience, avoidance of unnecessary payment processing fees and utilizing air miles are some of the most popular travel hacks identified by Scoot, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group, to enhance your travel experience as a family.
Destinations such as Singapore, Perth, Bali, Clark, Langkawi, Chiangmai, Kaohsiung, Taipei and Berlin are some of the more popular places that Indian families can visit for their vacations.
Travel Tips by Scoot:
* Avoid Unnecessary Payment Processing Fees –Flight bookings made through Scoot’s direct channels do not incur any payment processing fees and these include Scoot’s website (www.flyscoot.com), the Scoot mobile app, and the M.A.R.V.I.E. transactional chatbot on Scoot’s Facebook Messenger. The removal of these fees can translate to savings of as much 5,200 INR for a family of five on a round-way trip to Sydney!rave
* Customised Travel Experiences – While traveling on budget airlines, families can customise their travel experience by paying only for things they require. They can pre-order meals, book extra legroom and decide on the amount of checked in baggage they want to
purchase.
* Convert Travel Gadgets into in-flight comfort –Travel gadgets such as Jet Kids can be convertedinto in-flight plane cushions or beds for children, except during take-off and landing. Children must be able to use their seat belt as per normal and should not impede the inclining of the seat in front.
* Utilising Air Miles – While planning a family vacation it is best to redeem airline miles which have been accumulated over a period of time. Most airlines have a loyalty programme which enables flyers to convert trips into frequent flyer miles and save on airfare for the next flight. So, flyers especially young parents need to be prudent and sign up for a loyalty programme. For example, Scoot travellers can earn and redeem miles on KrisFlyer, a loyalty programme under the Singapore Airlines Group that includes Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and a bunch of other partner airlines.
* Good-to-know Tips for Child Essentials
– Milk for Babies – Scoot cabin crew will provide hot water for parents who need to prepare milk for their infants during their flights. For customers departing from Singapore, sufficient breast milk and baby food needed to nurse the child for the entire journey are allowed, however do check the respective screening processes when using other airports. Do note that for hygiene reasons, Scoot will not be able to chill or reheat breast milk or baby food in the cabin.
– Strollers Onboard – For added convenience, foldable lightweight strollers that meet Scoot’s cabin size requirement (54cm x 38cm x 23cm) and are properly packed in a stroller bag, are allowed to be stowed onboard in the overhead compartment and will not count towards carry-on baggage allowance.However, it should not be used during the flight, and may have to be checked-in if there isinsufficient overhead cabin space. Scoot operates low-cost flights via Singapore from Amritsar, Chennai, Coimbatore*, Hyderabad, Kochi, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum, and Vishakhapatnam*. Customers can check out Scoot’s website for attractive fares starting from INR 5,850 to over 60 destinations.
