Entry Clearance and Immigration
Booking your Flight
RETURN OR ONE-WAY?
For those intending to return home for Christmas (a four-week holiday), buy a return ticket in Singapore. The cheapest return tickets bought in London for the Christmas vacation can cost as much as 600 pounds, including taxes.
However, if you have no intention of returning to Singapore over Christmas, then you will be well advised to purchase a one-way ticket in Singapore. Return tickets bought in London for travel during off-peak seasons can be as cheap as 400 pounds, including taxes.
WHICH TRAVEL AGENCIES?
While STA Travel may offer benefits to those with an ISIC card, or even those without one, be warned that they are not the only travel agency that offers student tickets In fact, if you look around, you will often find cheaper tickets elsewhere. MISA Travel does offer value for money.
If you do not mind connecting at an intermediate stop, then Emirates comes highly-recommended. Emirates usually offers low prices with baggage allowances of up to 40kgs - ten more than what other airlines usually provide to students.
WHICH LONDON AIRPORT?
London Heathrow - to the west of central London - is the busiest and most convenient airport that serves intercontinental flights. Aside from Emirates and Qatar Airways which flies to both Heathrow and London Gatwick, most other airlines - including British Airways, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways - offering flights from Singapore to London - direct or transit - call only at Heathrow.
However, do not be put off by Gatwick. Since it is less busy than Heathrow, you may even clear the health and immigration screenings faster than you would in Heathrow. While Gatwick is further away from the city centre where all the halls of residence are located, note that health and immigration screenings at Heathrow during peak hours can take up to two hours - or even more.
For more information on how to get to central London from the airport, see the Upon Arrival section.
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