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shelynaa
Lurker
Joined: Apr 04, 2006
Posts: 38
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Nov 12, 2007 - 05:30 PM |
 
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| Post subject: cheap flight to Singapore? |
Has anybody have already been to Singapore from Shanghai?
If so what is a good price and where can I buy a cheap ticket?
What is the tax amount on top of the ticket？
Is there always 3% tax if I use an AMEX card to pay? Can I negotiate not to pay them or is it mandatory?
I plan to go there from the 20th of december.
Thanks all! |
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bond
Talker
Joined: Feb 18, 2003
Posts: 98
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2007 - 07:41 PM |
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Dec 20th is close to Christmas, so it is already considered peak season prices. Can't really get any cheap tix during those times, unless you are taking China Eastern, but you won't get much entertainment during the flight. But what do u expect for lower prices.
If you are travelling between 1st to 13th dec, price by Singapore Airline is about Rmb2200 plus tax & airline fuel surchage which is about 600-800rmb.
This is only 7days ticket though.
If you travel from Guangzhou, you can get it for Rmb880 plus tax!! Payment by credit card, but I don't think they accept AMEX. Btw, all these are directly from the Singapore airline website, which always quote you a cheaper price because they don't have to pay commissions to travel agents. (This only apply to Singapore Airline Tickets). |
Last edited by bond on Nov 12, 2007 - 08:51 PM; edited 1 time in total |
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yinlin
Rocker
Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 643
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2007 - 08:14 PM |
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paying from website doesnt guarantee cheaper price, sweetie, not at all or else who needs travel agent? targetting those unable to apply credit card and likes to fly oversea, it beats me |
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hautumncloud
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 912
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Nov 12, 2007 - 08:16 PM |
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| bond wrote: |
| Btw, all these are directly from the Singapore airline website, which always quote you a cheaper price because they don't have to pay commissions to travel agents. |
Not necessary that if you book directly, its cheaper. Try CTrip, I have gotten cheaper prices (than the sale prices directly from the airlines over the net). |
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bond
Talker
Joined: Feb 18, 2003
Posts: 98
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2007 - 08:50 PM |
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Singapore Airline ticket prices are always cheaper when bought at their own website. This is a fact, which probably do not apply to other airlines. Please check your facts before writing anything. For other airlines, perhaps its different.
Gosh people really like to shoot the messenger.
If you want proof, it is simple, just check the ticket prices that I quoted above, can you find it from travel agent cheaper? I doubt it. It will be at least Rmb100 more expensive if not more.
Another point is that if you buy from the website you can choose any seats you want directly after the booking. |
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hautumncloud
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 912
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Nov 12, 2007 - 09:35 PM |
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| bond wrote: |
Gosh people really like to shoot the messenger.
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Don't need to get touchy, neither yinlin nor I were rude in our replies! - not even close to shooting you, you jumped the gun. Neither of us said you were wrong. We noted "not neccessary" and "doesn't guarantee cheaper price". As you said yourself, (for the other airlines), it is true that it is not necessary cheaper if booked directly from website and the other airlines also don't pay commission when tickets are sold via web, no? Anyway, it is always good advise to check out other sources as OP asked for suggestions of where to get cheap tickets. |
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hautumncloud
LoopKicker
Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 912
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| Posted:
Nov 12, 2007 - 10:14 PM |
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| bond wrote: |
| Btw, all these are directly from the Singapore airline website, which always quote you a cheaper price because they don't have to pay commissions to travel agents. (This only apply to Singapore Airline Tickets). |
Aaaah...I see you edited your post to avoid being "shot" at by potential future posters?  |
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yinlin
Rocker
Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 643
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2007 - 11:17 PM |
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haha, sorry if i was wrong, bond.
But i travel quite often between Sg and Shanghai as it is the regional HQ for my previous employer, maybe 6,7 times a year and i always get my assistant to check the price online and quotation from travel agent. no offensive at all, don't take it too hard but have you checked the price whether include airport tax or not?
Are you holding KrisFlyer with SQ? If yes, you may enjoy discounts with your bonus points |
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DragonAss
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 25, 2005
Posts: 2566
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2007 - 11:37 PM |
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Since my Chinese is pretty sux and I dont care much to check for cheaper price, often I will buy directly from SQ website. Bond is right to some degrees, I checked Ctrip and Elong at that time and those agents quoted me 50kuai more expensive. In Melb, however, purchasing tickets from travel agent could be cheaper coz they do have some "special offer" only the agent has, not available on the website.
I found buying the ticket online for SQ is more convenient 'coz when it comes to change the flight, usually there's no additinal fee applied (so far) and when it's during the peak season, I got double priority which is good. With the agent, whenever I needed to change they told me to contact my travel agent which would only drive me nuts. |
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DragonAss
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 25, 2005
Posts: 2566
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2007 - 11:41 PM |
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oh I am sure I used amex before, through sq website and I dont think there's that extra 3%, but I am not sure how it is now 'coz the last time I checked it said there's no payment available using amex for certain countries |
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yinlin
Rocker
Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 643
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2007 - 11:58 PM |
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ok, i got it now. puchasing on SQ website is cheaper than elong and ctrip but my travel agent never offer me a price higher than these two.
I hate to keep waiting in the queue on their hunting line, my travel agent speaks and understand english, more important she response promptly whenever i have request.
To shelynaa: i just send you a PM and you might send your itinerary to her to see whether she could be a help. |
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bond
Talker
Joined: Feb 18, 2003
Posts: 98
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Nov 13, 2007 - 08:21 AM |
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| yinlin wrote: |
haha, sorry if i was wrong, bond.
But i travel quite often between Sg and Shanghai as it is the regional HQ for my previous employer, maybe 6,7 times a year and i always get my assistant to check the price online and quotation from travel agent. no offensive at all, don't take it too hard but have you checked the price whether include airport tax or not?
Are you holding KrisFlyer with SQ? If yes, you may enjoy discounts with your bonus points |
No problem. I also travel sh-sg regularly, almost every month. Buying from travel agent is only good if you are booking during last minute, because the website only have limited "cheap" tickets which normally being blocked by the travel agent. This is why you perhaps can't get those tickets sometimes. If you plan your travel in advance, you can actually get better deals from the website directly, because they allow you to see prices which can varies daily and even for different flight time during the day.
As for Krisflyer, you don't get discount when purchasing tickets, but you only get discount when you redeem your miles point (15% disc).
Back to the original question, there is only several flights that travel regularly from Shanghai to Singapore: Singapore Airline (about 4x a day), China Eastern, Thai Airways & Garuda Indonesia. Among those 4 airline, Garuda and China Eastern normally are priced lower. Thai Airways will require a longer transit time in Bangkok. |
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sunshine06
Rocker
Joined: Apr 21, 2006
Posts: 607
Status: Offline
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Nov 14, 2007 - 07:32 PM |
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I just got in touch with another website catering to international flights.
www.zuji.com
Haven't tried it myself but I did notice that the prices are pretty low compared to Ctrip. Works by e-ticket - just print it out and hand it over to the airline counter... |
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yinlin
Rocker
Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 643
Status: Offline
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Nov 14, 2007 - 08:06 PM |
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| Quote: |
Thai Airways & Garuda Indonesia
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Bond, i like to offer oversea opportunities to some of my staffs in some projects as rewarding and retention strategies. Do u know what is the cheapest option if i fly them in budget airline in part of the travel routes via SZ, HK, Macau or Thailand? I always go on direct flight and my travel agent is not at her best in picking up connection flight like this. mind to share, pls? |
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chicane
Barker
Joined: July 26, 2005
Posts: 155
Location: clueless.....
Status: Offline
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Nov 14, 2007 - 08:28 PM |
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| yinlin wrote: |
| Quote: |
Thai Airways & Garuda Indonesia
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Bond, i like to offer oversea opportunities to some of my staffs in some projects as rewarding and retention strategies. Do u know what is the cheapest option if i fly them in budget airline in part of the travel routes via SZ, HK, Macau or Thailand? I always go on direct flight and my travel agent is not at her best in picking up connection flight like this. mind to share, pls? |
Hi Yinlin
Though i know your question was directed to Bond, thought i poked my nose in and offer my suggestions... 
If you're talking abt Sgp as a destination for your staff, you can fly them to Macau, Haikou, Xiamen and SZ where they can take budget airlines- Tiger Airways to SGP. Link to Tiger Airways: http://www.tigerairways.com/home/index.php
Not sure if its very much cheaper than to fly direct from SHA to SGP. Some of my spore friends will fly to HK and from HK to SGP - cos there are more flts and apparently its cheaper to fly from HK, i have never tried that route though as its just too much hassle.
Hope this helps.  |
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chicane
Barker
Joined: July 26, 2005
Posts: 155
Location: clueless.....
Status: Offline
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Nov 14, 2007 - 08:32 PM |
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I have bought tickets (for sha <> sgp) directly frm my travel agent as i have found that its cheaper than to purchase online with SQ. I have found this out when i tried to book my tix for CNY next year, and the price my agent quoted me was rmb1k lesser than if i were to book online. But when SQ has online promotions like their RMB2000 w/o tax, its defo cheaper buying online then. |
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DragonAss
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 25, 2005
Posts: 2566
Status: Offline
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Nov 14, 2007 - 09:49 PM |
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zuji is ok, sometimes expensive thou... I used it once, convenient is all I could say, but cheaper, not necessary. |
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yinlin
Rocker
Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 643
Status: Offline
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Nov 14, 2007 - 10:17 PM |
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thanks Chicane. I flew back via HK once (i am johorian) on business trip but unfortunately my total airfare on that trip was much higher than usual. Anyway, i will get my admin manager to do it to save my hassles. Thanks to contribute and it helps me too the OP's questions. |
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