Business class is great and all, but have you had the thrill of being the first bum to occupy a brand new seat on a brand new airplane? Those of us boarding Scoot’s fresh-off-the-production-line Embraer E190-E2s for six of the airline’s routes got to inhale that “new seat” smell and revel smugly in the knowledge that, in entirely scientific terms, the presence of other people’s leftover molecules was negligible. As my posterior made contact with the cool smoothness of the seat’s pristine pleather, the singularity of that moment washed over me: How many people can say they have boldly gone where no bum has gone before? I was on board Scoot’s inaugural flight to Koh Samui, one of the airline’s latest new destinations made possible by the acquisition of the Embraer E190-E2s – Singapore’s first planes from the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer. This particular plane had been christened Small Yella Fella (in lettering on the side of the plane) and, designed for short to medium routes, it is little with a huge advantage: Its 112 seats are in a two-by-two configuration, eliminating the dreaded middle seat.
A smooth two hours later, we touched down in Koh Samui, Thailand, to a welcoming fanfare of a water canon parade, officials holding a banner, and flower garlands placed around the necks of every single passenger. This, combined with the powerful effect of Koh Samui’s al fresco airport designed to look like an 80s tropical resort complete with thatched roofs, be.
