I paid $18 to sit at the front of the plane on a one-hour flight. Now, the front-row seat is a luxury that I'll always pay for.
- I recently flew on Scoot, the second-best low-cost airline in the world.
- I paid a small $18 fee for a seat at the front of the plane, and it came with other perks.
Scoot is the world's second-best low-cost airline, according to the aviation ranking site Skytrax.
Scoot is a budget airline that's a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, the best airline in the world this year, according to Skytrax. Scoot, too, has a reputation for providing a reliable experience for budget travelers. It's one of the airlines I fly with the most, having lived in Singapore for over 20 years.
Scoot flies from Changi Airport in Singapore to 67 destinations, including Germany and Greece. I fly the airline's shorter routes regularly, including the hour-long flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When I took this flight in late June, I decided to pay for a seat at the front of the plane — and it turned out to be one of the most comfortable flights of my life.
I paid 175 Singapore dollars, or around $130 for a one-way ticket to Kuala Lumpur. This includes an $18 fee for a seat at the front of the plane.
Prices for this route one-way vary and can go as low as $55.99, although on the day I booked it was one of the most expensive flights available. In comparison, that same day, a one-way ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur was around $55 on similar budget airlines like Malaysian carrier AirAsia and Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas Airways.
When I previously traveled on Scoot from Vietnam in April, I was assigned a seat in the last row of the plane. The experience was terrible, and I was determined never to be that uncomfortable on a flight again. For this flight, I decided to pay a bit more to sit in the front row of the plane, on what Scoot calls "stretch seats."
One of the biggest pros of choosing a front-row seat is that I got to board first, which meant that I didn't have to fight for space to stow my bag in the overhead compartment, or rush to get through the bridge to board the plane.
The flight to Kuala Lumpur was delayed by 20 minutes, but boarding was still a seamless experience.
Scoot has a generous carry-on allowance of 10 kilograms, or 22 pounds, but I decided to check in my suitcase. I paid around $25 to check in my suitcase, so I only had a backpack on board with me. I felt so light and carefree, and that made the boarding experience even better.
Changi Airport was named the best airport in the world this year by Skytrax, and it certainly lived up to the hype. Getting through security at the airport in Singapore was fast and easy, and the boarding gate was spacious, comfortable, and quiet. So the short delay didn't bother me.
As the flight was full, I was grateful to have booked a seat with ample leg room.
As Scoot was flying an Airbus A320 plane that day, the seats were small and cramped, with only 28 inches of legroom. But my front-row seat measured 34 inches in legroom, which meant I had a lot of space to stretch my legs.
On these seats, passengers are required to stow bags up top, but I kept my laptop in the sleeve in front of me to prevent it from getting banged up. Service on my previous Scoot flights has been almost impeccable — and this flight was no different. Even without me asking, a flight attendant helped me place my backpack in the compartment, although they aren't required to do so.
There was no meal service on board, as it's only a one-hour flight, but the food I've tried on other Scoot flights was tasty enough.
As it was a very short flight, there was no time for the cabin crew to pull out the carts and serve hot meals. Those who did reserve meals were served water and some snacks.
As I've flown on Scoot on longer haul flights to places like South Korea and Australia, I've sampled quite a few of the meal options on board, including black pepper beef with rice, and oriental treasure rice, which comprises baked chicken and sausage with braised rice. While these meals pale in comparison to AirAsia's scrumptious offerings, they're still better than most food I've had on other budget airlines.
I find the meals are a bit overpriced at SG$12, or $9 each, so I suggest packing food in your carry-on rather than ordering the in-flight food on board.
Just 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot announced that we were landing soon. The best part of booking a seat is being able to choose a window seat with great views.
While the plane was cruising above peninsular Malaysia, I had sights of meandering rivers, lush jungles, and an aerial view of clusters of traditional houses.
The only con of my seat was that I had to excuse myself whenever I used the lavatory, but thanks to the spacious legroom, it was no bother to the other passengers seated next to me.
While the flight was turbulent, we landed in Kuala Lumpur without any problems. I was one of the first people to deplane, and as there was an air bridge to connect the plane to the terminal, we didn't have to take a bus, unlike some other flights that I've been on with budget airlines.
Overall, paying the $18 fee for a "stretch seat" is well worth it — and something that I plan to do when booking with budget airlines in the future.
While Scoot is already a great airline when it comes to low-cost flights across the region, a seat in the front row makes flying an even more comfortable experience. At the very least, I don't want to end up seated at the back of the plane, so I'll always pay a bit more to choose my seat — even if it's not in the front row.
While seat selection fees can add up for people traveling on multiple flights or with big families, I think it's a must-have when it comes to budget airlines, especially for longer-haul flights. Flying budget airlines can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't always have to be — and little things like where you sit on a plane make a big difference.
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