Scoot’s Refreshed Suite of Ancillary Products and Services Enhances Low-Cost Offering

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Since Scoot’s merger with Tigerair Singapore a year ago, the low-cost arm of the Singapore Airlines Group has not only expanded rapidly in terms of fleet and network, it has also invested heavily in taking on new digital innovations and developing products that better meet new travel trends, provide better value for its customers, and enhance the overall travel experience.

Scoot Insider – Member Portal

Scoot introduced its first-ever member portal, Scoot Insider, which offers member-only benefits and an improved experience on the FlyScoot website. These include a Welcome discount voucher, faster bookings, member-exclusive and first-dibs on promotions, and more!

Scoot Insiders have the ability to save key and frequently-used details for themselves and their travel companions, and these details will be pre-populated during future bookings, saving time and effort. They can also view upcoming and past trips at a glance, manage existing bookings and store credit card details for faster payments. Scoot Insiders are also subscribed to an exclusive newsletter on the latest happenings at Scoot and upcoming promotions, so they will never miss out on a good deal. For a start, Insiders will receive a 15% off Welcome Voucher upon successful registration, and a 15% off Birthday Voucher every year to celebrate their special day! Insiders with a KrisFlyer (the Singapore Airlines Group’s frequent flyer programme) account can sync both accounts and unlock the benefits of earning and using KrisFlyer miles.

Currently the Scoot Insider portal, which has approximately 230,000 members, is available in Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, India, Malaysia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Taiwan and Japan, and will be launched in Vietnam by the end of August.

Directly Earn and Redeem KrisFlyer Miles with Scoot

KrisFlyer members can now directly earn a mile for every dollar spent on fares and selected add-ons, such as baggage and meals, when booking their Scoot flights on the FlyScoot website. KrisFlyer miles can also be redeemed on Scoot fares, taxes and selected add-ons. Upon login on the FlyScoot website, KrisFlyer profiles will be pre-populated for flight bookings and users can view upcoming and past trips at a glance, manage existing bookings and store credit card details for faster payments. By end 2018, members will have the option to subscribe to the Scoot Insider newsletter for exclusive promotions, deals and news.  

• Earning Miles
  • KrisFlyer members earn one KrisFlyer mile per Singapore dollar spent on fares and selected add-ons on Scoot-only itineraries; or
  • earn up to 25% of actual mileage flown on the Scoot sector when travelling on mixed itineraries (e.g. Scoot-Singapore Airlines/SilkAir interline flights, codeshares, etc.), depending on the ticket fare class.

• Redeeming Miles
  • Members can redeem their KrisFlyer miles on fares, taxes and selected add-ons or mix their miles with cash.

This step forward in Scoot’s partnership with KrisFlyer signifies greater value for existing KrisFlyer members as they now have an additional option to redeem miles, from as low as 1,050 miles. What’s more, KrisFlyer members also get regular access to exclusive Scoot travel deals.

Automated, Faster, More Efficient Check-ins from Singapore

Since the introduction of Automatic Bag Drop (ABD) machines in July 2018, Scoot passengers departing from Singapore Changi Airport now have the option to experience end-to-end self-servicing at the airport for a faster, more streamlined check-in process for their flights. From collection of boarding passes and bag tags, to dropping off their checked luggage, customers can make use of the 24 self-service check-in kiosks (SSKs) and 8 ABD machines located at the Scoot check-in rows at Terminal 2.

More than half of Scoot’s customers now opt to use the SSKs, which allow check-in at their own convenience from 18 hours to 70 minutes before their scheduled flight departure.

Scoot Takes Care of Your e-Visa Needs

An electronic visa (e-visa) application platform has been integrated within the FlyScoot website to dynamically offer within the flight booking process, depending on customers’ nationality and booked destinations, any applicable e-visas and their costs. Customers can then apply for the e-visas on the spot, or any time after they make their booking. This saves travellers the hassle of having to identify whether they require a visa, and provides a streamlined, user-friendly option to conveniently take care of their travel requirements. Powered by online visa provider Oevisa, the service features a simple application form, fast approval typically within one to three business days, easy visa retrieval and dedicated 24-hour support on email, Live Chat, Whatsapp, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger.

Scoot’s e-visa application service has successfully processed almost 20,000 e-visas to date, most of which are for travel to Australia. It currently facilitates applications for e-visas to Australia, India, Malaysia, United States and Vietnam, and more e-visa types such as the Australian e600 Visitor Visa and other destinations will be progressively added. By end-2018, applicants will be able to choose expedited options for faster e-visa processing during their flight booking, and even apply for urgent e-visas during Web Check-in.

Current e-Visas available:

• Australia: Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa
• India: e-Tourist Visa, e-Business Visa & e-Medical Visa
• Malaysia: single-entry eVISA
• United States: ESTA
• Vietnam: Tourist eVisa

Scootsurance – Better Protection Tailored to Your Needs

Scoot has partnered AXA Travel Insurance to introduce Scootsurance, its new and comprehensive travel insurance that can be conveniently purchased anytime from the FlyScoot website, whether during or after flight booking. Designed to create better value and meet the needs of customers before, during and after their trip, Scootsurance aims to provide customers with hassle-free travel and peace of mind. Guests are covered via a comprehensive range of benefits – essential protection for trip interruptions and cancellations, travel delays and misconnections, medical arrangements, baggage losses, full terrorism cover, accidental death and permanent disablement, among others – as well as the following new and enhanced benefits:

• Emergency medical repatriation for travel back to one home’s country: On top of being evacuated to the nearest medical facility that can provide the treatment and care needed in the event of a medical emergency, the insured customer will also be transferred back home safely after his condition is stable.
• Hospital visitation benefit: Covers the travel and accommodation costs for a relative to visit and care for the insured customer during hospitalisation.
• Child care benefit: Covers the travel and accommodation costs for an adult to accompany the child(ren) home in the event an insured parent is hospitalised.
• Fast track claims service: Quick and hassle-free experience in the event of a claim, for claims of up to S$500 that fulfil the policy requirements.

Scootsurance is also distinguished by exclusive benefits for Scoot customers, such as inflight personal accident protection of up to S$25,000 while on Scoot flights, and reimbursement of a booking even if it was paid for with KrisFlyer miles, in the event that passengers are unable to travel.

Currently only available for guests purchasing their Scoot flights with Singapore as their first point of departure, Scootsurance will be made available progressively for departures from other countries and is targeted to complete by the first half of 2019.

Flexiroam – Seamless Inflight to Ground Connectivity

From enjoying inflight connectivity onboard selected Scoot flights, guests can now travel seamlessly across the Scoot network and stay connected without the hassle of switching out their SIM card. Guests with flight bookings made through the FlyScoot website or the Scoot mobile app can obtain a complimentary Flexiroam X Microchip[1] with 1GB of data that can be used in 64 Scoot destinations[2]. Attaching the microchip on top of the existing SIM card allows customers to switch between their existing network and Flexiroam’s and top up as needed to enjoy data in Flexiroam’s over 100 destinations. By end-2018, existing Flexiroam users will also be able to exchange Flexiroam X data for inflight Wi-Fi data sessions on selected Scoot flights operated on Boeing 787 Dreamliners, allowing them greater ease when transitioning from air to ground.

IPC Announces New Service to Boost Phl Health Sector

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Local cloud services pioneer IPC now offers Health Cloud, a new service aimed at helping the healthcare industry improve patient care and manage treatment.

Health Cloud is an app that’s designed to improve patient relationships by streamlining the health care workflow and providing customized care plans. This way, medical professionals can perform their functions smoothly as well as carry out utmost efficient care to each patient. It offers a plethora of functions that both medical professionals and patients can use to access health care data, ranging from the patient’s profile to the health care timeline and caregiver network. It also has a two-way messaging function that makes communication between users easier, on any channel and any device.

Health Cloud combines data from multiple sources ─ electronic medical records, medical devices, even wearables ─ into a single dashboard, thereby keeping all information about the patient in one place. This gives health workers a holistic view of the patient’s medical state and enhances their collaboration with other care providers. Consequently, it’s a technology that encourages intelligent care collaboration with features that help provide smarter care decisions, allow medical professionals to work together to extend faster service and provide early intervention.

“With Health Cloud, we are putting the patient first. By offering a tool that provides everything care providers need for the management and treatment of patients, they get to skip time-consuming processes and just focus on providing the necessary care the patient needs,” said Niño Valmonte, IPC Director for Marketing and Digital Innovation.

The app hosts services that turn data into actionable insights and help drive better outcomes for both healthcare providers and patients. It keeps data secure in the cloud through Shield, a tool that easily encrypts and proactively protects data against suspicious use. Every user of the Health Cloud app benefits from this by undergoing two-factor authentication and complying to rigorous log-in policies. The amount of information offered by the app to each user depends on the level of access granted by the app’s administrator, in order to keep sensitive information safe and secure.

Care providers who will benefit from the Health Cloud include caregivers, nurses, pharmacists, and doctors who are involved in the care and treatment of patients in hospitals, clinics, and other wellness centers. At the same time, it is a tool that centralizes stored information, making data accessible to the different branches or divisions of health institutions that avail the app, as appropriate.

With this app, both health professionals and patients are given a broad view of the individual care journey  from initial consultation to treatment, wellness and beyond.

Health Cloud was developed by Salesforce, one of the world’s top customer relationship management platforms. As its Gold Cloud Alliance partner, IPC is authorized to resell Salesforce products, as well as train and support Philippine-based clients on their usage 24/7.

To know more about the different services of IPC, visit http://ipc.ph/en/

DOE to Launch New Petroleum Contracting Program

Wazzup Pilipinas!

MEETING WITH TOTAL: The DOE Delegation meets with officials from oil firm TOTAL to provide technical updates on SC56 and promote the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program.

(L-R)  DOE-Energy Cooperation and Coordination Division Chief Lilian C. Fernandez; Total Philippines Gen. Manager Mark Been, DOE-Energy Resource Development Bureau OIC-Dir. Melita V.  Obillo; Total E&P Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. VP for Exploration and Production Anne-Sophie Vervial; DOE-ASec. Caron Aicitel E. Lascano; Total E&P Australia, PNG and Philippines VP Marc Geniteau; DOE Dir. Cesar Dela Fuente; Rick Luis, DOE-Petroleum Resource Development Division (PRDD); TOTAL E&P Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. Area Manager, Exploration AOC North Daniel Larranaga;  Mr. Demujin Antiporda (PRDD), Mr. Gilbert Calangi (PRDD); and TOTAL S.A. Petroleum Architect Rune Teigland

The Department of Energy (DOE) is set to launch the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP) towards the beginning of November, as part of its efforts to aggressively pursue initiatives that will ensure the provision of affordable, reliable, modern, and sustainable energy and meet the growing energy demand of the country. 

“For an energy-secure future, the DOE is committed to pursue energy independence and sustainability through effective and reasonable development of all indigenous energy resources in the Philippines,” Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said.

Sec. Cusi added that the increase in global exploration and development activities is a measure to cushion the transport and power sectors against the volatility of world market oil prices.

The PCECP is a new and transparent petroleum service contract awarding mechanism that allows the government to develop and utilize indigenous petroleum resources under a service contract with qualified local and international exploration companies. Under the PCECP, awarding of service contracts are conducted either through the competitive selection process or via nomination. The PCECP local road shows are scheduled to be held in Palawan on 20 September, Davao on 27 September and Zamboanga in October 2018.

Compared to its predecessor, the Philippine Energy Contracting Round, the PCECP would allow prospective contractors to nominate areas other than the 14 pre-determined areas (PDAs). The PDAs include one area in the Cagayan Basin, three in Eastern Palawan, three in Sulu, two in Agusan-Davao, one in Cotabato, and four in Western Luzon.

Interested parties must comply with the legal, financial and technical requirements, which include the proposed work program and economic development of the contract area. All accepted applications shall be evaluated by the DOE Centralized Review and Evaluation Committee based on the criteria, pursuant to Department Circular No. DC2017-12-0017.

To promote the PCECP, the DOE successfully kicked off an international road show on 31 August in Singapore, which coincided with the Asia-Pacific Scout Check Meeting and the South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Conference (SEAPEX). The DOE Delegation, led by Assistant Secretary Caron Aicitel E. Lascano, held one-on-one meetings with 18 petroleum exploration companies.

According to ASec. Lascano, there is considerably good investor interest in the Philippines as indicated by the meeting turnout and the expression of interest from the companies to nominate their prospective areas of interest.

The Delegation was also given the opportunity to present an overview of the PCECP during the SEAPEX Conference which was attended by major oil and gas professionals and investors operating in the region.

There are currently 22 active petroleum service contracts in the Philippines. Some of the DOE’s operator-partners include Shell Philippines Exploration, Total E&P, PNOC-EC, Nido Petroleum, Philodrill, PXP Energy and Galoc Production Company.

The Philippines is also home to the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project, the largest and most successful natural gas industrial project in the country’s history.

OTHER PHOTOS:

PCECP OVERVIEW: DOE ASec. Caron Aicitel E. Lascano presents the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program during the South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society Conference held at the Orchard Hotel in Singapore on 31 August 2018.

COURTESY VISIT: The DOE Delegation calls on officials of the Embassy of the Philippines in the Republic of Singapore.

(L-R) Mr. J. Anthony A. Reyes, First Secretary and Consul, Philippine Embassy in Singapore; DOE Director Cesar G. dela Fuente; Ms. Cynthia B. Ricafort, Commercial Counsellor, Philippine Trade & Investment Center, Singapore; DOE-Energy Resource Development Bureau OIC-Director Melita V. Obillo; Honorable Joseph Del Mar Yap, Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore; DOE ASec. Caron Aicitel E. Lascano; DOE-Energy Cooperation and Coordination Division Chief Lilian C. Fernandez; Mr. Demujin Antiporda, DOE-Petroleum Resource Development Division (PRDD), Mr. Gilbert Calangi, DOE-PRDD and; Mr. Rick Luis (DOE-PRDD)