Scoot TR455 from Ipoh to Singapore Changi Terminal 1 Flight Review

After taking the KTM Komuter Northern Sector 2905dn from Butterworth to Ipoh, it was time to head back to Singapore, ending my marathon land trip with a flight back by Scoot TR455. The fare was still reasonable at RM123 on a Saturday noontime flight, which will get me back in about 1 hour. Also, I will have a new experience of departing from Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.

Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport

The façade of Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport. Small and compact.

Heading into Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.

The check-in counter is just in front of the door from the driveway.

Bags are scanned before entering the check-in area.

There are 2 counters open for check-in. I did an online check-in, but was not issued an online boarding pass, hence I had to queue here to get my boarding pass printed.

The check-in counter closes at 11.25am, 60 minutes before departure time at 12.25pm.

Check-in was very fast, since I had no check-in bags and only 1 small sling bag to the cabin which would easily pass any airlines’ standards. I made a request for a window seat to try vlogging.

My boarding pass for my Scoot TR455 flight from Ipoh to Singapore. I was surprised to be assigned Seat 12F, which is an emergency exit row, also known as a Stretch Seat.

The departure hall is to the left. Very basic with rows of seats and 1 snack souvenir store.

The door to immigration is in front of the departure hall.

Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport serves 80% international flights on this Saturday. A very positive sentence, but actually, there are only 5 flights a day out of Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, 4 of which are going to Singapore. The 1 domestic flight is to JB by AirAsia.

Immigration opened about 90 minutes before departure. Do note that there is absolutely no rush to go through immigration as you will be just moving from 1 waiting area to another.

Aviation security screening is done after immigration. As this is an international flights, the usual liquids, aerosols and gels apply here.

The transit area after immigration is basically the gate hold room for boarding. The door between the international gate hold room and domestic gate hold room was opened to allow passengers to use both spaces for more seats.

The apron is very simple with 1 parking bay only. Porches lead to the apron from the main terminal building.

My aircraft arrived as Scoot TR454 at 11.29am – 16 minutes early. 9V-TND すこいね! will turnaround to operate on my TR455 flight back to Singapore.

This aircraft also did the early morning rotation of TR480 and TR481 between Singapore and Ipoh, and is now at Ipoh again, doing 4 sectors this morning.

The boarding stairs is pushed and pulled manually by the ground staff at Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.

Scoot TR454 alight first and walk to the arrival hall on the apron.

Boarding then commenced for my Scoot TR455 flight.

Boarding was in zones, and with my seat at Row 12, I was in Zone 2, the last boarding group to be called. Boarding passes are checked once again, and the smaller portion is torn off and retained by the ground staff.

Heading out to the apron to board my Scoot TR455 flight back to Singapore. With the sideways parking, this feels more like boarding a bus instead.

Up close with 9V-TND すこいね!. すこいね (sugoi ne) indeed.

Looking back at the passenger terminal building of Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport from the apron.

Heading up the boarding stairs.

Scoot TR455

The interior of Scoot’s Airbus A320neo with the new Recaro seats.

The very generous legroom available at Row 12, the emergency exit row. Scoot’s new Recaro seats have slightly more knee space already, but this is amazing.

The safety card, Scoot Café menu, and Scootalogue inflight duty-free shopping guide are found in the literature pocket at eye level. A tray table is also provided, with a slide-out function to cater for the extra legroom and space between the seat back in front of me, and me.

My window is the overwing emergency exit door. My seat does not have an armrest due to this, but there is 1 armrest which doubles up as the handle for me to throw the door outwards in an emergency. The window shade is also pulled up from the bottom, rather than the normal type of pulling down from the top.

Once the aircraft is ready to depart, the plane makes a u-turn on the apron to the taxiway and runway just beside. The u-turn is officially drawn on the apron.

My Scoot TR455 flight departed from Ipoh Sultan Azlan Shah Airport at 12.23pm – 2 minutes early.

It was a rather uneventful flight due to the short flight time. Pre-booked meals were served first, and that was pretty much it. Announcements were made that Scoot Café and duty-free sales were open, but there was no trolley coming down the aisle, neither did anyone make any orders via the call button.

The clean but compact toilets on board Scoot’s Airbus A320neo.

Passing by the Sungai Johor Bridge across Johor River on the Senai-Desaru Expressway on approach to Singapore.

Singapore Changi Airport

My Scoot TR455 flight landed at Singapore Changi Airport at 1.23pm – 2 minutes early. I’m surprised that the flight time was exactly matching the schedule, and no additional padded time was included.

Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2

My aircraft parked at Gate E27 in Terminal 2, 2 gates away from Terminal 1.

Heading up the aerobridge.

Thank you 9V-TND すこいね! for the on-time flight.

Yup, I am in Terminal 2.

However, the new screens at the end of the aerobridge when entering the transit area are now digital, and flash the wayfinding signs to the right towards Terminal 1.

No traces of any mention of Terminal 2 can be found on this part of the E pier.

Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1

Crossing the border from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1.

Heading down to immigration at Terminal 1.

Heading past the duty-free shops.

Baggage reclaim follows. However, with no baggage to reclaim, I headed straight out to the public area.

The arrival hall of Terminal 1 is directly connected to JEWEL, so I opted to have my lunch there first before going home.

The iconic HSBC Rain Vortex at JEWEL.

Conclusion

My Scoot TR455 flight from Ipoh to Singapore Changi Terminal 1 was very on time and to the schedule, with a consistent 2-minute early departure and arrival from the scheduled departure and arrival times as stated in the itinerary, and an exact 1 hour flight time. Services were minimal, but for a short-haul low-cost flight, pretty much no one needed services anyway. It is also refreshing to depart from a small airport once again, with a pseudo-private experience, no traffic jams on the taxiways, and an immediate take-off after departing from the gate.