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▲ 2 r/AirTravelIndia

Indian Passport Holder – Phuket → Singapore → Bali via Scoot | Transit Visa + Baggage Query

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to travel from Phuket → Singapore → Bali with Scoot Airlines on the same PNR/booking and had a few questions.

I currently have two flight options:

  1. Around 10.5 hours layover at Singapore Changi Airport (better for my travel plan)

  2. Around 6 hours layover (fine but not ideal)

My questions:

  1. If I choose the 10.5-hour layover and stay inside the airport transit area, do I still need a Singapore transit visa as an Indian passport holder?

  2. Will Scoot transfer baggage directly to Bali or will I need to collect and re-check bags at Changi?

  3. Scoot mentions 10KG cabin baggage allowance — does this include both cabin trolley + backpack together, or is the backpack considered a separate personal item?

  4. Has anyone recently travelled on this exact Phuket → Singapore → Bali route with Scoot Airlines? Any issues during transit, baggage checks, or immigration?

Would really appreciate recent experiences and advice.

Thanks!

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u/Djwalababbu — 9 hours ago
▲ 1 r/CreditCardIndia+1 crossposts

Planning Phuket + Bali trip (Sep–Oct) with family — need help optimising my points redemption & a few travel Qs 🙏

Hi everyone 👋

Planning a Phuket + Bali trip with my parents and wife in September–October. Here’s the full plan — would love inputs from the geeks here! 🙏

ITINERARY 🗓️

Delhi to Phuket: 23rd September

Phuket: 23rd – 28th September (5 nights)

Phuket to Bali: 28th September

Bali: 28th September – 6th October (4N Ubud + 4N Seminyak)

Bali to Delhi: 6th October

MY CARDS 💳

Magnus for Burgundy (M4B), SBI Air India Signature, Amex Plat Travel, IndusInd Avios, Scapia. Planning to add HSBC Travel One once I hit 30L on M4B — should happen by July.

FLIGHT PLAN ✈️

DEL to HKT — Air India, using Maharaja Points (12K per person)

HKT to DPS — Scoot, using KrisFlyer miles transferred via M4B (7K per person)

DPS to DEL — 4 pax, and this is where I’m confused:

•	Business (parents): KrisFlyer via Singapore = 47,500 miles/pax | Air India direct = 50,000 pts/pax

•	Economy (self + wife): KrisFlyer via Singapore = 20,000 miles/pax | Air India direct = 12,000 pts/pax

HOTELS 🏨

Phuket (5N): Ramada Patong — transferring Edge Points to Wyndham via M4B, 75K points for 2 rooms. I have Wyndham Diamond so hoping for upgrades 🤞

Bali (8N): Airbnb for both Ubud and Seminyak, expecting around 1L–1.5L total.

POINTS BALANCE 📊

Air India Maharaja: 2,55,000 points

Axis Edge Points: 2,76,000 points

MY QUESTIONS ❓

1.	Is there any better way to use fewer points for any of these bookings? Open to transfer partner suggestions or sweet spots I might be missing.

2.	For the Bali to Delhi return — KrisFlyer with a Singapore layover or direct Air India? Confused on value vs experience, especially since parents are in Business.

3.	Klook vs local operators for activities? 🎯 Was in Phuket in January and booked everything locally without comparing. Should I have used Klook?

4.	Bike/car rental — book online via credit card or rent locally on-ground? 🛵

5.	Bali visa — e-Visa online or Visa on Arrival? Which is smoother these days? 🛂

6.	Should I apply for HSBC Travel One now to accumulate points for Bali stays? Monthly spends are 3L–3.75L with \~50% on Ajio & Myntra (IYKYK 😅). Is it realistic to build enough points by September for 4 nights x 2 rooms in Ubud or Seminyak?

I do have a SaveSage Private membership but honestly the support hasn’t been great — 24/7 chat that replies the next day 😑. So thought I’d come to the real experts here and try my luck!

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance! 🙏

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u/Djwalababbu — 2 days ago
▲ 2 r/ETFInvesting+1 crossposts

Thinking of shifting from Mutual Funds to ETFs for long-term investing — would love inputs on my plan

Hey everyone,

I've been invested in mutual funds for a while but have been thinking about gradually moving toward ETFs. The main reasons are lower expense ratios, full transparency on what I hold, and more control over my portfolio. I want to start with ₹20,000/month and increase over time.

I'm a DIY investor and have done my own research — just want a sanity check from people who've thought about this more.

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**My Current Mutual Fund Holdings**

- Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund Direct Growth | Current: ₹5,52,874 | Invested: ₹5,49,973 | Barely breakeven

- Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct Growth | Current: ₹5,23,357 | Invested: ₹5,49,972 | -5% (in the red)

Both funds have underperformed over my holding period and I'm questioning whether the expense ratio is worth it when I can replicate similar or better exposure through ETFs at a fraction of the cost.

---

**Why I Want to Switch to ETFs**

- Lower costs — most ETFs have expense ratios under 0.20% vs 0.5–1%+ for active funds

- I already understand index investing — PPFAS and Motilal are essentially benchmark-hugging at this point

- More flexibility — I can buy/sell intraday, do tax-loss harvesting more efficiently

- I want to build a clean, simple, long-term portfolio I can stick with for 15–20 years

---

**The ETF Allocation I'm Considering (₹20K/month)**

  1. **Mirae Asset NYSE FANG+ ETF — ₹7,000/month**

    I currently have zero international exposure. This gives me access to large, profitable global tech businesses. I'm aware it's concentrated but I see it as a long-term structural bet on global tech dominance.

  2. **Nippon India Nifty SmallCap 250 Index ETF — ₹5,000/month**

    My MFs cover large and mid cap. Small cap is completely missing. Over a 15+ year horizon, I believe this is where meaningful alpha can come from in India, and the index approach keeps me diversified.

  3. **CPSE ETF or Bharat 22 ETF — ₹4,000/month**

    A contrarian, value-oriented allocation. PSU companies are at low valuations, generate strong cash flows, and offer dividend income. I see this as a diversifier from my growth-heavy portfolio.

  4. **Mirae Asset Nifty Next 50 ETF — ₹4,000/month**

    Complements any Nifty 50 exposure. Next 50 has historically outperformed Nifty 50 over long periods as companies graduate upward. Clean, low-cost, passive bet on India's next large caps.

---

**My Questions**

  1. Does this ETF mix make sense for a 15–20 year DIY investor?

  2. Is FANG+ too risky/concentrated as the largest single allocation?

  3. Should I exit PPFAS and Motilal now or wait for recovery before switching?

  4. Would you change any of the 4 ETFs or the allocation split?

Appreciate any honest inputs from fellow DIY investors here. Not looking for anyone to manage my money — just want to learn from people who've thought this through. 🙏

u/Djwalababbu — 3 days ago