My Experience with Singapore Airlines – A Masterclass in How Not to Handle a Rebooking
I had been looking forward to my first flight with Singapore Airlines — but what followed was one of the most frustrating and disappointing customer service experiences I’ve encountered.
I tried to rebook my long-haul flight from London to Bali. I was told the change would cost an additional £300, which was repeatedly attributed to “airport/government taxes.” This made little sense, and I questioned it immediately in order to avoid paying those taxes twice — but for several days, I was met with vague, evasive, and at times condescending responses from customer service. I was gaslit into believing the price increase was beyond the airline’s control.
Only after persistent follow-up did the truth emerge: the increase was due to a fare class change, not taxes at all. By the time Singapore Airlines finally admitted this, the fare had tripled to nearly £1,000. Because of their delay and misinformation, I was priced out of rebooking entirely.
They have since then sent template apologies and only attempted to justify themselves by pointing to “fare fluctuations,” while refusing to take any responsibility for the misinformation, offering no solution, no compensation, and not even providing a basic fare breakdown. Just a corporate shrug and “thank you for choosing Singapore Airlines.”
I will be escalating it to the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Trading Standards, with a full audit trail.
To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. This has been a masterclass in how to alienate a first-time passenger. I won’t be flying with Singapore Airlines again — and I’ll be advising others to think twice before trusting the brand.