Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Kuala Lumpur - Singapore Tour by Plane

So much questions have been asked about this so I guess it's worth having a post about.

For Pinoy travellers who are going to either KUL or SIN especially for 4 or more days, it is an option to visit another country and in this case crossing the border and goin to SIN from KUL and vv. But how do we exactly do it? Here are some of the considerations that you have to make.

Decide early if you will visit both cities. This is crucial since the most recommended way to visit the two countries is via plane. With more than 8 flights per day between these 2 cities, looking out for dirtcheap tickets are a dime a dozen. The regular ticket beetween the 2 cities will be something like SGD 50 / Php 1600 but on a promo ticket, you can get as low as Php 300.

Let's focus on the first mode of going to KUL or SIN via plane. Logic dictates that the first thing that you will check is AirAsia since they have the most aggressive marketing strategy and they have the most flexible schedule. One consideration is that AirAsia departs and lands at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal I and NOT the Budget Terminal (in KUL, they land and depart at LCCT).

This means you have the chance to see Changi's much vaunted airport shopping, unlike if you take Tiger Airways. Tiger Airways use the Singapore Budget Terminal and they land at LCCT. Between AirAsia and Tiger, the former would almost always have the cheapest fare.

Now, there is a lesser known airline that plies this route but they oftentimes have the cheapest fare: Jetstar Air. Jetstar is also owned by Qantas and the best part is that they operate at Singapore Changi Terminal I (same as AirAsia) BUT they land at the better looking KLIA (which is way better than LCCT. Best of all, Jetstar is almost always on time unlike Tiger who's got perennial delays. Note though that if you plan to transit at KUL and you are taking AirAsia (ex. from Singapore, you are going to KUL to take your flight to Siem Reap or to Bali), it is NOT recommended to take Jetstar since the distance from KLIA to LCCT, though separated by a runway, is NOT near since you gotta go around the perimeter of KLIA complex just to go to LCCT (it is about 30 to 40 mins by cab...i dont recall seeing buses that connect these 2 airports but surely, there is one). 

Here's a comparison. If you are going to Singapore from KUL and you are taking AirAsia and Jetstar, you will land at Changi Terminal I. Here are some pics:




If you are taking Tiger Airways from LCCT, this is the picture of the Singapore Budget Terminal:






Outside the Budget Terminal, you will see Free Shuttle Buses that ferry passengers to Changi T1 and T2.

If you are taking AirAsia or Tiger Airways from KUL, you will be departing and landing at the chaotic and always full of people terminal, the LCCT. Here are some pics:



Now if you are taking Jetstar or Malaysia Airlines, you will depart/land at KLIA. This is the airport that has direct fast express trains from KLIA to KL Sentral.




^^This pic is taken from KLIA. Notice that you can actually tell that KLIA is very near LCCT since only a runway separates them. BUT do not be mistaken as the road travel from the 2 airports can be long:D

Regardless of the plane that you will take, if from KLIA, the KL Ekspress Bus arrives at KL Sentral and the Skybuses at LCCT also terminates at KL Sentral as well. To those goin to Bukit Bintang, just take the monorail. Just cross the road, Tip: When you get off the bus, you will see the monorail platform from the other end of the road. Note that the Monorail KL Sentral station is NOT inside the KL Sentral building.  heres a map image of that:




The next entry will be about taking the bus in order to get to either SIN or KUL.

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