[GIVEAWAY] 5 reasons to fly SilkAir to Boracay

To get to Boracay’s flawless, pearl-white beaches, you will be looking at a full day’s journey involving a plane ride, at least one road transfer and a boat ride. You could take a connecting flight from Cebu City or Manila to Caticlan, or you could take a direct flight from Singapore to Kalibo (3h 40min) like we did on our most recent family vacation. With the flight taking up almost half of the travel time and you wanting to arrive in Boracay in the best possible shape, why not choose to fly SilkAir?

Thanks to SilkAir’s kind sponsorship, we discovered five reasons why you should fly with them should you desire a holiday in one of Asia’s most beautiful destinations.

1. SilkAir’s best-kept “secret”: SilkAir Studio!

Did you know that there’s in-flight entertainment on SilkAir flights, and you can hook up your personal handheld devices to the Wi-Fi connection to tune into it? Users can stream blockbuster hits, short features, as well as chart-topping music wirelessly to their electronic devices. OK, it’s not really a secret – the flight attendants make announcements about it when it’s turned on and switched off – but we observed that few passengers bothered to check out SilkAir Studio.

It’s compatible with iPhones, iPads and all Android devices. All you need to do is search for SilkAir Studio in your Wi-Fi connection, click on it and the rest follows. There’s an instruction pamphlet in your seat pocket. If you need earphones, all you need to do is to let a friendly stewardess know.

The selection is not as extensive as that on an SQ flight, but it’s sufficient for short-haul regional flights, which SilkAir mostly takes anyway.

2. In-flight activities to keep your kid occupied

Following from my previous point about SilkAir Studio, you’d be pleased to know that there are children’s cartoons to keep your child entertained! Asher was pleased to see that there was Transformers Rescue Bots and Hi-5, among other child-friendly short feature films.

That’s not all – I’m sure you wouldn’t want your kid to be glued to the iPad the whole time. The stewardesses hand out a SpongeBob board game and a SilkAir airplane plush toy to each of the kids. The board game is easy to play and a breeze to stow away into your bag.

You can tell that SilkAir has thought everything out for the parents with the little things they do as standard protocol. Before take-off, the stewardess hands out a blanket and a pillow to every child on the plane. You can imagine how these simple items make a young kid’s flight so much more comfortable! I tuck the pillow behind Asher’s back while he’s seated so his spine is supported, and the blanket keeps him warm. When he’s ready for his nap, the pillow helps prop up his head so he doesn’t get a neckache when he awakes.

For babies-in-arms or those below the age of two, the stewardesses will offer to set up bassinets. Yes, parents travelling with little ones get the front seats, where bassinets can easily be set up.

3. Hot meals and drinks with proper dinnerware

At meals, all kids are served first. I cannot tell how grateful I am for this gesture. As an adult I don’t mind waiting but kids gotta be the first to eat – that’s how I get to enjoy my meal in peace later, you see?

There are two choices and I am glad that there’s always a non-spicy option (the stewardesses actually tell you which is spicy) for Asher. Proper forks and spoons made of metal are served with your meal so there won’t be any breaking of flimsy plastic as you try to spear your baby carrots or cauliflower florets.

Passengers have the choice of a post-meal hot drink as well.

4. Beat the queues at SilkAir’s check-in counters at Kalibo Airport

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m going to tell you that TigerAir and AirAsia fly to Kalibo as well, but here’s the thing: it’s a lot less hassle at SilkAir’s check-in counters at Kalibo!

The friendly ground staff will be there to check you in and make sure that every piece of luggage you own gets onto the plane safely. If it’s sunny or rainy, SilkAir’s ground staff will be ready with umbrellas to make sure that you are well-sheltered from the elements.

5. Full service flight at bargain prices

Don’t mistake SilkAir for a budget carrier – it’s not! But it’s the most value-for-money you’ll get for a short-haul, full service flight. They currently have a promotion where you can get tickets to Kalibo from S$309, inclusive of airport surcharges. SilkAir flights from Singapore to Kalibo operates thrice weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. For more details, do check out http://www.silkair.com

Now, we are giving away five sets of exclusive SilkAir goodie bags! Each bag will consist of a limited edition SilkAir travel pack set, airplane plush toy and an in-flight Spongebob board game set.

To win, all you have to do is…
1) ‘Like’ the SilkAir Facebook page
2) Share our Facebook post and tag 3 other friends

Contest ends 30 August.

We’ll also be writing another post soon about our travels in Boracay with young Asher tagging along. Stay tuned if you are looking to explore Boracay as a destination for your next family vacation!