Review Time
Pelago by Singapore Airlines — When a Premium Brand Goes Full Budget (and Loses Its Soul)There seems to be an ongoing, deliberate shift in the business philosophy of Singapore Airlines—one that began quietly around COVID and has now become impossible to ignore.It started onboard.Economy-class meals turned into a single, overstacked bowl: everything dumped together, sealed, overheated, and served as if dignity were optional. We even took a portion home to see if our dogs would eat it. They wouldn’t. That should have been my warning sign.Then came the densification: extra rows squeezed into both economy and business class. Less space, less comfort, less grace—yet somehow at the same or higher prices. A “negative experience” would be the polite phrasing.Now enters Pelago, Singapore Airlines’ attempt at becoming a budget travel agency.The promise? Convenience. Trust. Brand assurance.The reality? A masterclass in false economy.Bangkok Airport Pickup: Chaos as a ServiceArriving in Bangkok, finding your driver is like searching for a needle in a haystack—except the haystack is made of hundreds of handwritten name cards, no signage, no coordination, no staff who take ownership. For a brand that once defined precision, this is embarrassing.Despite booking specific vehicles both ways, neither booking delivered the promised car. • Arrival: an 18-passenger bus instead of a private car • The only word shouted at me? “Upgrade! Upgrade!”Departure: Vintage Vehicle, Modern ExcusesThe return pickup was somehow worse. The car looked 20+ years old, visibly worn, tired, and utterly inconsistent with anything remotely “premium.”Then came the final insult:An extra charge for highway tolls, demanded on the spot—despite tolls supposedly being included. This is not a mistake; it’s a strategy. They know passengers are on a deadline, heading to the airport, and have no leverage.The Math That Doesn’t Add UpPelago saved me a couple of dollars compared to Grab Premium or a Bangkok airport limousine.Those “savings” bought: • Inferior vehicles • Zero accountability • Bait-and-switch tactics • Stress, delays, and irritationConclusionPelago: never again.And more importantly—this is not what Singapore Airlines used to stand for.If you’re going to run a budget airline, at least be honest about it. But don’t trade on a premium legacy while delivering cut-rate execution.Advice to travelers:Don’t optimize for saving two dollars. Use Grab Premium or a proper airport limousine service. You’ll arrive calmer, cleaner, and without feeling conned.Singapore Airlines once set the gold standard.Now it’s quietly racing to the bottom—one bowl, one seat row, and one shoddy transfer at a time.
Buying tickets on Pelago was super easy and smooth. The platform is very user-friendly, and the entire booking process was quick and seamless. I found some really great deals compared to other sites, which made the experience even better. The tickets were confirmed instantly, and everything was well organized. Highly recommend Pelago for anyone looking for great prices and a stress-free booking experience!
Site looks nice but INCAPABLE OPERATION. I paid $100 for a ticket, but got an email back saying "FAILED BUT DON'T WORRY YOU WEREN'T CHARGED." That sucks, but ok, I just book elsewhere. Then LATER I get a charge to my credit card from Pelago, and then when I contact Customer Support, they say they will NOT Refund!?!Only use this site if you want Singapore Airlines to STEAL YOUR MONEY
Buying tickets on Pelago was super easy and smooth. The platform is very user-friendly, and the entire booking process was quick and seamless. I found some really great deals compared to other sites, which made the experience even better. The tickets were confirmed instantly, and everything was well organized. Highly recommend Pelago for anyone looking for great prices and a stress-free booking experience!
Horrible customer service. Krisflyer miles may seem to be attractive hook to use this, but pray hard there's no issue with your booking. Because customer service is horrible - they do not understand your questions, give unhelpful or vague replies, and when they sense your frustration, they stopped replying completely.
Absolutely useless. The Travelex agent at Changi was so disinterested that she ignored that I had purchased 2 physical $15 sims in my prepaid package, insisting that there was one physical sim and one esim. Frustrated, I left Changi for my accommodation. It was Christmas after all. I had to take the time to go to Singtel at Bugis, where I waited 30 minutes before seeing an agent, who did not speak to me at all, but I got issued with the 2nd physical sim; but my passport was not registered by the agent there. All attempts to self-register failed, despite success with the frustrating process of photographing passport and face! So, I ended up with 1 phone that works and one that does not. Singtel Customer Service was unable to help, and local Singtel shops are unable to help. There comes a point at which you want to get on with you holiday, doesn’t there? Yes, and I’ve reached that. Singtel/Pelago - never again!
Very difficult to book. Often would get to checkout and suddenly there is no availability even though there was 30seconds ago. Very frustrating.Also beware - I got charged huge currency conversion fees with my credit card even though the booking was made in AUD. This is obviously an international site that is not charging in local currency as I never get charged currency conversion fees with anything else I buy online.
Terrible.This company is a scam.Avoid at all costs.Before booking confirmed with a representative if I will be chared in my home currency or SGD and was assured it will be in AUD/ home country currency.Later got slapped with huge international transaction fees. Their bot seemed to understand and empathise better than the good for nothing customer service reprrsntatioves who take hours to reply after persistent follow up and then close chat since they are good for nothing- and wont accept the misleading information given by their colleagues. My bookings are now non refundable and I am not sure if any of them will even work- might just have to report them as fraud to my bank. Avoid at all costs
Grand Egyptian Museum: Entry Ticket + TransfersI purchased the ticket two weeks in advance, however there was no communication from Pelago or the local tour operator the day before the tour. I eventually had to contact Pelago myself, and only later that evening did the local operator respond.We were then informed of a 10:30am pickup with 11:00am entry, even though our ticket clearly stated an 8:00am start.Key issues:Very poor communication. No proactive contact at all — I had to chase for confirmation the day before.Poor planning and coordination. We had planned our entire day around a morning museum entry (around 9am) but were instead forced into an 11am slot. It felt like the booking had been overlooked and by the time they responded, only a late entry was available.The tour was advertised as a full-day experience (8–9 hours). When the driver dropped us at the museum, we mutually agreed on a 6:45–7:00pm return, as we also intended to have dinner there. At that point there were no objections.At just before 5pm, the driver messaged saying he was already waiting for us. I explained it was not yet the agreed time, we were still inside the museum, and had not had dinner. He then replied on WhatsApp that he was booked for only 4 hours, followed by “4 extra hours,” implying additional charges. This created unnecessary stress and made us feel rushed for the remainder of our visit.The museum closes at 6pm, so we left then. Fortunately the driver was still there, but he made it clear he was unhappy, which made the experience uncomfortable.I have written proof of all communications, including references to 4 hours vs 8–9 hours, the ticket showing an 8am start, timestamps of when I contacted Pelago, and the operator’s responses.Despite making full payment, I did not receive the full number of hours promised. To make matters worse, I had also used ShopBack for cashback, which Pelago later declined without providing any reason. This felt like the final nail — full payment taken, reduced service delivered, and the advertised cashback denied.I reported the incident to Pelago and provided evidence. Despite this, Pelago maintained that neither their communication nor the local operator’s actions were wrong. The driver’s behaviour, which caused us significant stress and frustration, was apparently considered acceptable. No refund or even partial compensation was offered.As a long-time KrisFlyer member, this was my first time using Pelago and it was a major disappointment. I will not be booking through Pelago again. The association with a reputable brand like KrisFlyer did not reflect the quality of service received.
Misold a trip from Seville by the company who knew that the main expereince of Jerez horse show was not available on a sunday.Tickets clearly said horse show, wine tasting and cadiz trip.Emailed less than 24 gours before to say horse show unavailable. Too late to cancel without loosing full payme t of £94. Choas aboutvmeeti g point and time.Requested redund and eventually got £32 each back but not good enough when I only booked the trip for the horse show. All other reputable conpanies onlynhave availabiloty for tues a d thirsday for this trip as that is when show is available every week. It is a scam . Do not use this company
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