Singapore-Malaysia air VTL: Workers look forward to reunion but travel cost a hurdle for some
SINGAPORE: Malaysian nurse Darmaraj Vasudevan has non seen his baby daughter since March this year.
Vasudevan and his wife, who is also a nurse, left for Singapore when their child was 3 months old. Their girl is in Negeri Sembilan existence cared for by Vasudevan's mother.
They made the painful decision to live apart amid prolonged border closures due to COVID-nineteen. Recognising the hazardous nature of their jobs, they wanted to avoid exposing their kid to the coronavirus.
"Merely God knows how painful it is to be separated from our new born. Our fear is that our girl can no longer recognise her parents," said Vasudevan.
With the launch of the air Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Singapore and Malaysia on Nov 29, he is counting down to the reunion.
"When the VTL was confirmed, my married woman and I planned to accept a month-long holiday to get to Malaysia and spend time with her and celebrate (our daughter's) kickoff altogether together," he told CNA.
Despite the spike in interest in the air VTL after its announcement, some travellers accept expressed concern over the costs involved to make a round trip.
On Nov 8, the prime ministers of both countries said that a VTL between Changi Airdrome and Kuala Lumpur International Drome (KLIA) will begin on Nov 29.
Under the VTL, those who are fully vaccinated will be able to travel betwixt Singapore and Malaysia, and be subjected to COVID-xix tests in lieu of serving quarantine or stay-abode notice.
Additionally both countries are too in discussions to open the land edge for a VTL system by the cease of November.
For those like Vasudevan who accept non been able to shuttle back and forth due to prolonged edge closures, the air VTL scheme is soothing news.
Singapore and Malaysia currently have in identify the Periodic Commuting Organization, which allows work pass holders to travel between the two countries.
All the same, under the PCA, commuters are required to serve quarantine upon inbound both countries. They are also only allowed to travel home for leave once every 90 days.
The VTL means that at that place is no quarantine requirement and workers tin potentially travel dwelling more often to see their family unit members.
Vasudevan told CNA that he and his wife did not use PCA to travel habitation considering of the costs associated with quarantine fees, and the unpaid get out they would have to take.
He plans to travel home in Jan nether the air VTL. "We are reviewing the protocols and will buy our tickets shortly," he said.
The air VTL has also been welcomed by Singaporeans who are in Malaysia.
Singaporean Daniel Wong, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, told CNA that this would enable him to get dwelling house and see his family for the first time in nearly two years.
Wong, who works in the sports manufacture, has booked tickets for the air VTL to head dorsum to Singapore on Dec i.
"The final fourth dimension I was in Singapore was pre-COVID-19 in February 2020," said Wong.
"With quarantine on both sides (for the PCA), it was impractical. The duration was besides long and costs also high," he added.
Since the air VTL announcement, there are signs of a fasten in demand for flight bookings.
Travel portal Traveloka's vice president for marketing transport and financial services Andhini Putri told CNA that there has been a "double-digit per centum growth" in flight bookings from both Singapore and Malaysia.
"Nosotros've as well seen searches increase over twenty times for flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Interest has as well consistently increased as more people larn about the news," said Putri.
Final Th (Nov 18), it was announced that half dozen airlines have been designated to provide VTL flights between Singapore and Malaysia.
The airlines are AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Scoot and Singapore Airlines.
Checks done by CNA showed that the prices for a VTL round trip varied across the unlike airlines in December, ranging between South$100 and S$500.
Responding to CNA'due south queries, a Malaysian Airlines spokesperson said that ticket pricing is "dynamic", and the amount is dependent on demand.
"Currently, as published on Malaysia Airlines' website, the Economy Lite Fare from Kuala Lumpur – Singapore starts from RM309 (Due south$100.74)," the spokesperson said.
While the prices did not vary much from before the pandemic, travellers noted that many of the air tickets were snapped up quickly. As a result, they had to fork out more due to the dynamic pricing model.
According to the Singapore Airlines app, tickets between Changi Airdrome and KLIA are no longer available on Nov 29, the commencement twenty-four hours of the air VTL.
Malaysian Abdul Hadi Kareem told CNA that he paid around S$300 for his render ticket via Malaysia Airlines when he bought them last Friday, a twenty-four hours after the wellness protocols were announced.
He works for an aerospace business firm based in Seletar, and wants to visit his wife and 3 children who live in Selangor next month.
"When I offset checked the prices on Thursday, it was around South$150. Just less than half a day later, it had more than than doubled," said Abdul Hadi.
"I think the tickets are beingness snapped upward fast. Some of my swain Malaysian colleagues are not able to go suitably priced tickets for December," he added.
SOME PREFER TO Look FOR LAND VTL OPTION
There are also travellers who told CNA that the air VTL was not an option, as they were not willing to pay for the flights. They would rather expect for protocols for the state VTL to exist finalised before firming up their plans.
Among them is Suria Prakash, a Malaysian who works as a bus driver in Singapore. Prakash has been separated from his infant son and wife for around 18 months. He longs for the moment to finally "hug and kiss" his son again.
"The VTL allows me to get home and see them without the need to pay for quarantine. Since this is now finally a possibility, I will merely go for it," he added.
However, he said the cost of air tickets is a hurdle. Air ticket prices for the period when he is planning to become home are now north of Southward$300.
"I prefer to wait for the SOPs to be finalised for the land VTL. Air VTL is expensive."
Prakash might not demand to wait for too long. Terminal Saturday, Singapore'due south Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said that he was "optimistic" that the land border between Singapore and Malaysia would be able to be opened past the end of November, and that details were all the same being worked out.
Mr Gan too said that it may exist "possible" the country VTL is launched "on the same twenty-four hour period" as the air VTL.
On Tuesday, Malaysian Wellness Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that a dry run for the land VTL was held at the Johor Causeway.
This is also welcome news for another Malaysian working in Singapore, Muhammad Yani Hussein. He told CNA that he was excited when he first heard about the air VTL, simply was put off past the air ticket prices.
"Peradventure I was too deadening in buying the tickets, simply at present the prices to go dorsum in December are too high. I will await and run into, perhaps postpone my trip to adjacent year when prices drop," he said.
Muhammad Yani added that he is now awaiting news on the land VTL protocols, so that he can travel into Malaysia via the state checkpoints earlier taking a bus to his hometown in Perak.
COSTS OF SWAB TESTS Need TO Exist FACTORED IN
Likewise the toll of air tickets, travellers using the air VTL must likewise consider costs for COVID-19 swab tests.
Under the VTL, travellers are required to take four COVID-19 swab tests in full during a round trip.
They would need to produce a negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or antigen rapid test (Fine art) test upshot inside 48 hours prior to departure. There is also a demand to undergo a PCR examination upon arrival, for each leg of the trip.
A pre-divergence Fine art test could cost between S$30 and South$l while a PCR test costs between around S$100 and South$200.
Meanwhile, a PCR test on arrival in KLIA costs RM150 (S$48.lxxx) for Malaysians and RM250 (S$81.33) for foreigners. PCR tests on arrival at Singapore Changi Airport price South$125.
In total, an individual traveller would need to fork out between around S$305 and Southward$600 on COVID-19 swab tests alone.
Wong, the Singaporean based in Kuala Lumpur said that "he had no selection" simply to fix aside some money for this.
"At to the lowest degree they allow u.s.a. to take the RTK-ART (RTK- antigen rapid exam) for the pre-departure flight (instead of PCR), so it lowers the cost a scrap," he added.
Prakash, the charabanc driver who is awaiting updates on the land VTL, said that he has set up aside S$500 for the swab tests. However, he hoped that the government in both countries could consider subsidising the costs farther.
He said that the cost of the PCR tests on arrival in both countries are "very high". "If the cost is lower, a lot of workers can benefit," he said.
Vasudevan, the nurse, said that he and his wife have set bated S$1,000 for air tickets and COVID-19 swab tests for their circular trip to Negeri Sembilan
"The corporeality we accept to fork out is withal less than what we needed to before the VTL scheme as we no longer have to pay for quarantine," he said.
"At the end of the day, all I care well-nigh is to spend quality fourth dimension with my family."
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the estimate of the overall costs involved that an individual traveller may incur for a round trip between Singapore and KL.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/asia/singapore-malaysia-air-vtl-reunion-travel-cost-air-tickets-298066
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