Flying to Tokyo for a bowl of ramen is worth it  Get free budget airline rides all year round!

▲ To mark its one-year anniversary in Taiwan, the budget airline is offering the chance to win free flights on any of its routes and flights for a whole year, plus a cash prize of NT$250,000. (Photo / Provided by the airline)

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

The most expensive part of traveling abroad is usually airfare, but wouldn’t you be tempted if you could fly for free all year? To celebrate its first anniversary in Taiwan, a well-known budget airline has launched a fun online “virtual flight” event — the ultimate winner will receive NT$250,000 in cash and free flights for an entire year. Imagine spontaneously flying to Tokyo in the morning for sushi and ramen, then flying back in the afternoon — all without spending a single cent on airfare!

Scoot, known for its youthful, energetic, and slightly quirky brand image, is celebrating its first year of operations in Taiwan by launching an event where netizens can take part in the “longest virtual flight in Taiwan.” Participants must register online via Scoot Taiwan’s Facebook fan page before September 22. The first 5,000 registrants can join the event on September 27. Within a limited time frame, these 5,000 participants must repeatedly press a yellow button on their computer, mobile phone, or tablet, while also answering quick-fire quiz questions. Only those who stay in the game until the end will win NT$250,000 in cash and unlimited free flights on any Scoot route for a full year.


▲ At the launch ceremony, Scoot CEO Campbell Wilson (left) shows off the airline’s fun-loving spirit (Scootitude) with a range of quirky expressions, while the person on the right is Chen Hsin-te, CEO of TransAsia Travel, the general agent for Scoot in Taiwan. (Photo / By reporter Chen Tzu-yin)

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Although low-cost carriers (LCCs) originated in the Americas, they have flourished in Asia in recent years due to changing consumer attitudes toward travel. Airlines continue to expand their routes and flights, and Taiwan has become one of the popular city destinations among budget airlines. Campbell Wilson, Scoot’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Over the past year, Taipei has become the city with the most flights after Singapore, with 430,000 Taiwanese passengers having flown with Scoot. This shows that Scoot has been well-received by the budget-conscious market in Taiwan. Moreover, the budget travel trend is gradually shifting northward within Southeast Asia, with up to one-third of passengers at Singapore Changi Airport now coming from LCCs.”

[Scoot Profile]
Founded in June 2012, Scoot is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and primarily offers medium- to long-haul flights ranging from five to twelve hours departing from Singapore. It claims to be around 40% cheaper than traditional airlines. Following its inaugural flight from Singapore to Sydney, it launched flights from Singapore to Taipei last September and added a Taipei-Tokyo route in October. On June 12 this year, Scoot began flying to Seoul, becoming the only low-cost carrier offering direct flights between Singapore and South Korea. Currently, it covers 11 major Asian cities, including Singapore, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Bangkok, Taipei, Tokyo, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenyang, Nanjing, and Seoul. In addition, through partnerships with three other airlines, Scoot offers access to 36 sales cities, totaling 47 destinations.