u/Rosemarys_Baby_Daddy

Hi, I'm planning to make a quick trip through Mainland China as an American going from Macau to Hong Kong. I've figured out most of the pieces that I am trying to book to show to the immigration officer, but have had a bit of an issue with determining the available entry ports from Macau. I've seen conflicting reports that Gongbei might now be an option (which would be much more convenient for the Zhuhai Railway Station), but I can't find anything on the NIA's website that confirms this. Does anyone know if this is indeed an option?

Alternatively, it looks like my one guaranteed option is Hengqin Port. Does anyone have experience using this crossing to get from the Macau city centre to Zhuhai Station? Are there any easy bus routes that cover this distance or am I relegated to taxis? Thanks.

Hopefully this is the right forum for this complaint, since I've seen other people post their Scoot complaints here. I'm attaching a slightly modified version of the case I submitted (without the photos), but if anyone has experienced anything similar and was able to get a response, I'd like to know how you handled it.

I tried to check in for a flight tonight (August 4/5) from Taipei to Kuching, with a long layover in Singapore. The flight that Siri autopopulated into my calendar from an email (presumably) was TR 875, departing at 12:55am on August 5. When I went to check in at TPE, I made it up to the counter around 11:15/20. Upon reviewing my passport, the desk agent informed me that I was actually booked on TR 893, scheduled for 11:50pm and that check-in had already closed - i.e. I had missed my flight.

This kicked off a frantic search of emails and attempts to get help from Scoot that only became more confusing and ultimately left me here on a bench at TPE at 2am. First, we reviewed the two emails I received about this flight. The first from July 28 did display that I was booked on TR 893, while the second (from Monday) provided check-in instructions and a link to do so. When I tried to open it earlier today, it gave me an access denied image that was still displayed at the time of check-in. Our working hypothesis at the counter is that this could have corrupted the calendar information.

The desk agents - who I believe are subcontracted from EVA - said they could not do anything and instructed me to call Scoot's support desk. Support also could not account for this issue and told me the only solution they could offer was for me to fill out a form and I would get a response within 48 hours. In the meantime, the solution at the desk was to book a new flight to Singapore.

The rate quoted by the desk agents was exorbitant for a fairly empty flight and there was a great deal of confusion around if Scoot would still honor my connecting fare to Kuching. Their initial recommendation was to just fly to Singapore and ask ground staff there if I could board. After I named a bunch of Scoot or Singapore Airlines resources I could try to access at TPE - all of which the desk agents said were unavailable at the hour - I called the customer support line back. This was also done using my own international minutes, because somehow the desk lacked available communication options for reaching customer support. Customer support finally informed me that my entire itinerary would be void and there was nothing they could do until the case was resolved (in up to 48 hours).

This entire process at the desk dragged on for 90 MINUTES. I am very disappointed in the almost complete lack of customer service/support - something that Singapore Airlines is supposedly famous for - and don't have a cost effective way of reaching Kuching in the next few days before a tour I'm supposed to join.

As the final insult, I think there was at least one chance to avoid this issue that was missed by Scoot ground staff and an instance of what felt like unequal enforcement of the rules. When I first arrived, I went to another Scoot flight check-in counter by mistake and was lead by a staff member over to what was supposedly the correct line. After 20 minutes of limited movement, I found out it was for a different airline's Busan flight and I pushed into the Scoot desk that this crowd was snaking around. These were 20 critical minutes that were lost due to miscommunications in the ticketing queues. Further, while I was dealing with all of this, there were people checking in for TR 875 up to 30 minutes before the posted departure. Nobody in the check-in area could give me a clear answer for why this was and looking at the flight online, it was still showing as on-schedule. Later, when the check-in counter was closing for the night, I was told that the flight had been delayed, hence why they could check in and not me. I don't know what the reality is for why they made it and when I brought it up on the phone with support, I was given some jargon that airports have different policies for different flights.

Okay, that's the long write up of it. Since there is one email in my inbox that has the correct info, am I just out of luck? It seemed that between the bad email, the confusion between Scoot ticketing counters, the general lack of knowledge from their contracted desk agents, and what feels like punitive enforcement of the rules - particularly in light of the later boardings for TR 875 - Scoot missed nearly every opportunity to fix what was once a fairly minor issue.

So the gist of this is that I’m looking for food recommendations in Taipei.

I found it easier to parse through recommendations in the south for cities like Tainan, but am having a hard time determining which recs are legit in a city as big as Taipei. For example, in the US I normally rely on the Michelin Guide and James Beard, with some additional focus on specific local publications and bloggers, depending on the city. I’m cautious of spots that have a 4.9 and 3.6k reviews on Google and I’ve found Michelin Bib Gourmand in Asia to be 50/50 based on the country and city - so what sources should I trust for Taipei?

Ideally, I’m looking for spots at a lower price point than what 500盤 highlights. Please let me know what food guides, ranking publications, and specific bloggers/bloggers you trust for consistently good recs. I’ll also take specific restaurants/stalls if they’re 10/10, “best meal you’ve had in Taiwan” recs. Thanks!

So the gist of this is that I’m looking for food recommendations in Taipei.

I found it easier to parse through recommendations in the south for cities like Tainan, but am having a hard time determining which recs are legit in a city as big as Taipei. For example, in the US I normally rely on the Michelin Guide and James Beard, with some additional focus on specific local publications and bloggers, depending on the city. I’m cautious of spots that have a 4.9 and 3.6k reviews on Google and I’ve found Michelin Bib Gourmand in Asia to be 50/50 based on the country and city - so what sources should I trust for Taipei?

Ideally, I’m looking for spots at a lower price point than what 500盤 highlights. Please let me know what food guides, ranking publications, and specific bloggers/bloggers you trust for consistently good recs. I’ll also take specific restaurants/stalls if they’re 10/10, “best meal you’ve had in Taiwan” recs. Thanks!

Alii!

I’m the same guy that posted about overnight kayak rentals a few weeks ago. I have an itinerary largely sorted there, so thanks for the help and I’ll keep the group updated on how it goes.

The one sticking point was getting a ride to Jellyfish Lake. The one-way rate I was quoted to drop me and my supplies there was cost prohibitive, so I opted to shorten the kayak trip (which may also be safer) and reached out to a few outfitters about their day tours. It’s been almost a week and I haven’t heard anything back, despite multiple follow-up emails, Facebook messages, and WhatsApp texts. I know it’s not exactly high season, so are tours even operating now? My backup plan is to leave my last day in Koror free and go to the outfitter offices before/after my overnight kayaking trip, but I’d appreciate any tips for a better solution.

Thanks!

Alii!

I will be traveling to Palau at the end of the month as part of United Airline's extended Island Hopper service to Manilla. I will have 4 full days for activities and am hoping to make the most of my time exploring the country's beautiful waters. For this, I'd like to spend several days solo kayaking and camping in the Rock Islands and have put together a rough itinerary for a one-way trip from Koror to Jellyfish Lake.

I'm wondering if anyone has done this and can comment on the feasibility of my plan? I've found a few outfitters that offer some custom itineraries upon request, but wanted to first see if anyone could comment on their experience, gear availability, and price before I start directly reaching out to these companies. Thank you.