Mumsnet Talk

I have just come back from Australia, flew Singapore Airlines they were brilliant with my ds1 and dd4, I would stop on the way back if I was you, going home on a long flight is always harder than starting your holiday. We stopped in Singapore for 4 nights and had a great time, Singapore Zoo is amazing have breakfast with the Orang u Tangs, watch the elephants at work. There are lots of other things to do in Singapore, although hotels can be expensive.

I have just come back from Australia, flew Singapore Airlines they were brilliant with my ds1 and dd4, I would stop on the way back if I was you, going home on a long flight is always harder than starting your holiday. We stopped in Singapore for 4 nights and had a great time, Singapore Zoo is amazing have breakfast with the Orang u Tangs, watch the elephants at work. There are lots of other things to do in Singapore, although hotels can be expensive.

This is all good news - I'm stopping at Changi on the way to Melbourne in July with 3yr old DD.

Daft question - what currency do I need for the airport?

i flew with Singapore last month to brisbane and then back from Perth
Going out was great - stop off was 90 mins

Coming back the flight took forever ( But i think that was just me ) short stopover of 90 mins and no probs
i would book direct though as the guy sat next to me paid £1400 compared to my £850 and he booked 3 months before me and i booked direct 2 weeks before but check the times for the stopovers as there is one that is 90 mins and then they go up in times of layovers

Luggage is only on 20k compared to emirates emirates 30k
but they went bothered about the amount of hand luggage i had coming back with and i had loads

if your stopover is long enough in singapore you can have a shower there to freshen up i did and it was really worth while

Etihad are also very good and they have a sale on but you do have a stop in Abu Dhabi. The flight connection times are good though and the airport is good too. It's a really long long-haul in economy if you do it without a break.
We flew with three young children and had a stopover for a couple of days in Singapore which was great and broke the journey nicely. Singapore has a very 'safe' feel with children. If you do this I'd go with Singapore airlines.
Try to get a window seat on the right (not over the wing!) and you get a really good view of Sydney harbour coming in to land, great if it's a night flight with an early morning arrival but it's the sunny side and hot with children if it's a daytime leg.
Have a fab trip. Oz is spectacular!

Definitely go for the overnight flight out of London. Most flights will have a couple of hours to re-fuel, tidy and re-stock in Singapore so if you can keep going then do it. It is hard but then it is done.

i only ever fly emirates and they have gone down!! just flew back from dubai yesterday and they overbooked my flight which saw me and dd (7) having to go in hotel and wait 12 hours! we did get a free return flight each to dubai but still not happy!.

I also lived in sydney so flew alot to dubai as parents lived there 8 years.
I have to fly with clexane injections and have before flown with prozac and prescribed medications and have never been stopped in dubai and always found the airport very friendly.

I have never flown singapore but we are considering it for trip to sydney in march as emirates have been so bad!
I cant use my airmiles to upgrade, tried last 10 flights and also the last business class flight i did take on the airbus, my seat would not lie flat (would not even recline) and my tv did not work and when i complained via letter they just said sorry but we not interested basically!!

goosd luck

eve flights are great - get the kids in pjs on the land side, get on board with snuggly toys etc. They can watch a film, have some food and they'll 'knock off' by midnight UK time (which is fine - really). They'll sleep all the way till the pilot turns on the lights again upon nearing Singapore.

Get off, stretch...hang out at the airport (honestly, it's NOTHING like heathrow...). The kids will probably think they're already on holiday. But if they can, connect on to OZ... why not....! it depends on how much time you have, and perhaps the cost of things...

Thx for all the replies. Kids are 7 and 4 so don't need a pushchair r)

I think I'm going to go for Singapore, I've heard nothing but good things.

Now I need to decide the timing, one poster suggested eve flight with pjs for first leg. Is it worth an overnight stop, or is it best to get to oz as quickly as poss?

I'm not saying it didn't happen, just very suprised as I've never had that sort of problem. <mos wonders whether they were nicer to her as wearing an abaya?> I'd have really argued the refusal to take medication. If you have a doctors letter they have to let you take it.

Sounds like you were really unlucky Savoy.

There are still some bus transfers at DXB but it's much better than before. Again, go for an A380 flight and they should all board from the gate.

I don't know what to tell you. It definitely happened.

Also, I wasn't allowed to take my dd's allergy medicine (anti-histamine syrup) through Dubai despite having a prescription and letter from her GP.

that really suprises me savoy, I've travelled through DXB hundreds of times and they've always been really good in security and often put families with young children in a separate shorter queue.

Well I think it is. I had to queue in a different security line from my 7 & 4 year old at Dubai. There was no room for discussion.

And I always seem to get a flight that involves going on a crowded transfer bus in the blazing heat after you go through the gate.

Either will be fine. Both are amongst the best in the world. Both run A380's and I recommend if you can get an A380 flight you do so as the passenger experience in all classes is excellent.

Dubai airport is not hellish and the new T3 is superb, but it does get very busy late at night and around 8am in the morning. A new terminal for A380's is opening in Feb which will relieve congestion. But sounds like Changi comes highly recommended too.

I would probably go on schedule and price and be reassured you'll be fine with either airline.

Have a great trip.

I've done both and whir the flights themselves were similar, Dubai airport is hellish and Singapore airport is the best airport I have ever been to.

oh also the service on Emirates goes downhill rapidly if the flight is full! never experienced that with Singapore

I'd say Singapore, Changi airport is much nicer than Dubai even though the terminal is newer at Dubai, I've flown through Dubai lots of times and there's often no free strollers and it's a huge walk. Much more to do and see at Changi.

never flown Emirates but definitely Singapore. They provide activities for the kids, nappies/wet wipes, good kids food, individual tv (lots of kids stuff). The stopover in Singapore Changi is great (stuff for kids www.changiairport.com/in-transit/fun-for-the-kids;jsessionid=17162FEFDB5BD9F18E656A678B2FB956).

If you are travelling alone and the kids are young (how old are yours? I flew alone with both when no 1 was under 3, and no 2 was 4 months old) and they helped me all the way from the moment we checked in on land side. They walked with me, carried all the stuff and basically escorted me all the way to the plane. It was brilliant. You can request for this service, it's free.

Never flown Singapore airlines but have flown Emirates loads of times with the DC and they are great. Dubai airport is excellent with free pushchairs if you have a stopover there and a nice hotel. Kids meals and entertainment are good and they get free activity packs/toys.

Emirates every time. It's the little touches I like. All around the airport, at arrival bridges, at lounges, are stroller parks with singles and doubles in very clean condition that you can use to put sleepy kids/hand luggage in.

There is a huge difference between economy & business between UK and Aus ( oh and I once flew Emirates First Class Sky Suite - oh my, oh my) but for a family of 4 I can't justify the difference ( reminds self to find an excuse to fly alone again soon)
Better value to have an overnight stopover at Singapore
Depending on time of flight next day maybe stay at the airport hotel and just take the free tour of the city
How old are the kids?
With little ones I prefer an evening departure from the UK dressed in PJs, they soon crash out during the long segment
Emirates on the other hand has the advantage of the 2 flight segments being about equal, and of lots of departure points ( Manchester, Birmingham , Glasgow , Newcastle , Dublin etc which may shorten your overall journey depending on where you live
Have also heard great things about Etihad and Qatar

Go via Singapore. You can book into a hotel room at the airport, or get the free bus into town or just relax in the swimming pool for an hour.

I can't remember off hand but I think to get the free tour you had to stop for more than 4 hours... and during daylight obviously. The swimming pool wasn't very expensive and meant you see light which is good. There's a hotel in the airport you can check in for a set timeslot and just sleep too, but not sure how much that cost.