Aussiechris flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a A330-300 (New seats) (23/04/2012 08:04)

Very disappointed with new meal standards. For a full service airline the food has gone from quite acceptable 12 months ago to do you eat the food or the box it comes in. This is a disappointing move that will make people reassess who they fly with.

Most people will pay a bit more for safety, service, and facilities, too many airlines just think price is the reason people choose to travel while one airline compared to another. It is a consideration but not the only one.
It also appears that the leg room is less on the new 330 compared to the previous 777

devasishdewan flew Malaysia Airlines First, on a B747-400 (30/03/2012 17:23)

Services, Foods, Seats was absolutely great from LA to KL but KL to Dhaka nearly about 4 hours flight they did not have First Class Seats though my ticket was paid for First Class. Services was very good but Leg room and the Seats was terrible. The Aircraft was AB330. I am not comfortable flying with Air Bus 320, 330, 340 at all. I rather like Boeing 737-800 one of the smallest boeing. But my preference is 747-400, 777-200/300ER even 767 more comfortable due to average high ceilings than Air Bus. But AB 380 awesome law noise, high celling and it's performance.

whereisfatboy flew Malaysia Airlines Business Class, on a A330-300 (New seats) (28/03/2012 07:55)

Flew to Melbourne recently on MAS new A330 on business class. The seat are angle lie flat and leg room is not as good as those on the 777. There are more movie channels now on the IFE. Food on board is okay, nothing outstanding but the crew service is good. Overall a pleasant flight, not the best but its okay.

kempinski flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a B737-800 (11/09/2011 10:34)

Route: Kuala Lumpur International to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (KUL-BKK)
Fleet: B737-800 9M-MLJ (delivered March 2011)
Seat: 26A

Reservation
Reservation is made through MH Buddy, a facebook application of Malaysia Airlines. Very handy and convenient as it involves fewer steps than online booking through websites.

Check-in
Check-in is also available for this route through MH Buddy. I choose to seat at 26A on the port side of the aircraft, few rows from the rear. A 2D barcode suppose to be sent to the mobile phone, but this time I never receive any in my mobile phone. Once arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, I proceed to internet check-in counter to drop my bags and issued with boarding pass. I walked leisurely to immigration which has manageable line. The flight was scheduled to depart from gate C23 which is located at Satellite terminal.

Boarding
In the boarding pass, boarding is scheduled at 1445 for a 1515 departure. Gate to the holding lounge was open at 1415. However, boarding was not commenced until 1500 and everyone seemed rushed to the plane once the boarding commenced. The feeling is rather like boarding a low cost carrier.
Flight load was 100% in economy due to the upcoming religious holiday.
Selection of newspaper in 3 languages (English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Chinese) were available in front of the door. Chief cabin crew was standing by the front galley, however, he seemed occupied and enjoying his moment chatting with fellow cabin crew rather than greeting passengers. The rest of the cabin crew were standing in the isle, but they were too reserved. The general feeling for the flight crew was that they prefer to chat with fellow crew member rather than to greet passengers. My first time on MH to meet such crew.

Seat
My second surprise came with how old the plane looked like in the first place. Despite the aircraft being few months old, but the leased fleet offer jurassic amenities. It has the same setting as Firefly's B737-800; from the leather seating, colour of the leather seat which simply gave the gloomy and icy feeling. Malaysia Airlines' leased B737-800 are no different than those 737-800 of southwest (Unfortunately, this 737-800 with old setting does not being informed on Malaysia Airlines' website which promised its 737-800 to be equipped with PTV in every seat and has new generation slim seats). The best thing of the seat is the seat pitch which comes in conventional airlines' standard.

Take off
We pushed back at 1515 and the plane made way to the runway. The weather along the way was patchy with frequent turbulence. Fasten seat belt sign was on for most duration of 2 hour flights.

Meal
The third disappointing part came from the meal. Cabin crew rolled 2 meal trolleys; normally they would have 2 meal options. However, by the time it reached my seat, only single option left: noodle with black pepper chicken. The overall appearance of the meal was acceptable. However, the taste was a whole different story. The noodle was overcooked, the black pepper sauce was too sticky. Though airline food is part of optional option that the airline gave as part to differentiate their product from other airlines, but serving this kind of food will surely a good way to send passenger off. Good thing the side snacks were much more presentable and had better taste which consist of fruit cake, fruit cuts, and chocolates. Coffee or tea after meal was not offered due to bad weather along the way. Other drinks were served though.

Entertainment
With no PTV, wifi, radio, nor other thing, entertainment is only sourced from inflight magazine (which interestingly consist of Select Inflight Entertainment guide at the back of the magazine), barfbag, and safety card.

Inflight shopping
Unlike flight using B737-400 on the same route, this B737-800 does not have inflight shopping offer. Strange indeed.

Arrival
We arrived at Suvarnabhumi on time, however the plane was stuck few hundred meters from the aerobridge and we had to wait for another 15mins to wait for the tow truck to tow the plane to the aerobridge. Pilot made announcement about this and we were out to the terminal 15mins later.

Verdict
Combination of reserved crew which did not emanate Malaysian Hospitality (their current slogan) at all, combined with inedible food, and no entertainment nor onboard shopping could easily give the flying experience on par with those of budget carrier. Malaysia Airlines is losing money according to their latest financial report but that does not mean to reduce the standard up to reaching the lowest level, the same with low cost carrier. I was truly disappointed with MAS on this particular flight.

kempinski flew Malaysia Airlines Economy (short haul), on a B737-400 (09/09/2011 00:27)

"Short Haul Economy Class Service the Way it Should Be"
Route: Jakarta Soekarno Hatta to Kuala Lumpur International
Aircraft: Boeing B737-400 9M-MMG (19 years old plane, delivered in 1992)

Booking
Booking was easily made at MH Buddy, an online booking and check-in module that Malaysia Airlines (MAS or MH) has created at Facebook. The steps involve is much less than booking through the airlines' official website with only 4 steps; enter flight info, select flight, enter passenger details together with payment info, and confirmation will follow. Very convenient indeed.
Unfortunately, MH Buddy does not recognize this route for check-in (although I've tried with another international short haul flight from KUL and it works with similar easiness).

Check-in
Check-in can be done at Malaysia Airlines website as well. But I still prefer to web check-in via MH Buddy application for the simplicity and fast.

Baggage drop off
Airport ground handling for MAS is performed by third party. Typically, there will be 5 counters open; 1 for Enrich platinum and gold member, 1 for Business class passengers, and 3 counters for Economy class check-in. It is normal to see the long lines formed at all Economy check-in counter. The grand thing about doing internet check-in with MAS is that you CAN use Business Class check-in counter to drop your bags, hence skipping the long lines at economy check-in (KLM used to offer similar priviledges for flights going out of Jakarta, but since they emphasize everyone to go online, they have dedicated baggage drop counter nowadays, eliminating the exclusive feeling of checking-in with other premium passengers).

Boarding
Prior to entering holding lounge (a.k.a. the gate), the passenger seating area was split into 2; those seated in the front rows waited on one side and the back row seats on the other side. Cabin crews are seen waiting for the flight as well (they will change cabin crews but not cockpit crews for this flight).
Business class and Enrich premium members are invited to board at their own ease; then boarding start with families with children and those needing assistance. Economy boarding start from the back rows to the front. It's not a full flight as it coincides with national holidays at both destinations, approx load was only 65-70%.

The cabin
Despite being in a 19-year old plane, the cabin was adorned with MAS bright seat colour scheme with receive mixed reviews. The business class seats are chilli red with blue plush pillows. Economy seats have riots of colour (chili red, lime green, tangy orange, and ocean blue) with white paper head cover. They only actually change the seat cover; so everything else are clearly showing its age (from the yellowish meal tray, scratches on arm rest, nonfunctional music player on the arm rest, etc). However, the cabin was kept immaculately clean and fresh. No TV or any entertainment which is acceptable for 2 hours flight. Background music is played during boarding, taxi, and deplaning.

The crew
One reason of MAS' 5-star status from Skytrax is its cabin crew. Also, the 5 times Best Cabin Crew award means that passenger can expect high level of service standard from cabin crew. MAS didn't have a chance to bag the same award this year and I can see why but fortunately not on this flight. The crew mix; 3 female stewardesses and 2 male stewards show the main reason they bag all those awards. 2 female attendants service business class cabin and the rest in the economy. All are genuine, warmth, hospitable, attentive, responsive to name a few. A rather rare sight you can find nowadays.

The service: meal
Hot meal was served despite of only 2-hour journey. There were 2 choice of meals in economy; and since the flight was during religious celebration holiday, the menu has hint on typical dishes served during the occasion. I opted for steamed rice with opor ayam (chicken stew cooked in coconut gravy) which I surprisingly found very good. It came with strawberry sponge cake, a kit kat, and mineral water in a cup. Drink service with a very wide variety (juice, carbonated, wine, beer) followed the meal with crew offering refill very often since the load was low. After meal, crew came with tea/coffee and liberally served it with pack of peanut, another rare sight if the flight was full.

The service: inflight shopping
Inflight shopping cart was rolled right after meal service ended. Due to the celebration, 10% discount was offered on selected items.

Arrival
The plane was parked at the very end of gate G of main terminal building and passenger had to walk quite far to arrival section, unfortunately the immigration line was short and bags arrived in the carousel at no time.

Verdict
Going Beyond Expectation is truly embodied in the cabin crew serving on board this flight; the service was warmth, genuine, and individual attention was given to each passenger. The meal, inflight shopping option, and other amenities (blanket, pillow, child meal, vegetarian meal) were all perfectly executed and delivered. The only thing to catch up to live the 5-star status is attention to the hardware: newer fleet (flying a 19-year old kinda give me insecure feeling at the beginning despite flawless maintenance) and entertainment system.

SamWardill flew Malaysia Airlines Business Class, on a B747-400 (12/06/2011 20:27)

Check in
I checked in online for my MH001 flight from heathrow t4 to kuala lumpur. This did not give me much benefit as I'd already phoned them a few weeks earlier to make sure I had a seat on the upper deck. On arrival at the airport I was checked in very quickly and on my way through security to the lounge. Security was via a fast track lane which didn't work too well as I had to rejoin the masses just after the boarding card check. However, after ducking a couple of barriers I was through in five minutes.

Lounge
It took me a few minutes to find the lounge which was tucked away before gate 6. It was worth looking for. I had decided to eat before boarding and there was a great selection of Malay food to fill me up. The drink service was from a bar and was a bit slow (I would generally prefer to serve myself in a lounge) however the barman was a character and the bar clearly added to the atmosphere. The view from the lounge is excellent. There was wifi (albeit with not a very good connection) and a limited selection of newspapers.

Boarding
The gate used by Malaysian is miles from the lounge in a satellite. The barman said it used to be closer but gulf air bagged the slot. Once we got to the gate boarding was painless and I was quickly seated and offered a drink. Departure was roughly on time at 10pm (I think - I was asleep).

Seat
I was seated in the upper deck front row window seat. It was right next to the loo but otherwise a great place to be. You had the seclusion and storage of an upper deck window but it was still easy to get out without disturbing your neighbour. The seat itself I found quite uncomfortable in both seated and sleeping (angled lie flat) positions. However the poor seat (and the lack of eye pads or ear plugs in the amenity kit) did not stop me sleeping for the best part of 10 hours.

IFE
The in flight entertainment was definitely not five star (Malaysia boasts a lot about its five star Skytrax rating). The system is not AVOD, the headsets are not noise cancelling and the movie selection is poor.

Food
Having eaten in the lounge I had no dinner on the plane. Breakfast was served as a light meal. The only breakfast option of the main courses (pancakes) was actually sold out by the time they took my order. However I'd already decided to go for nasi lemak with prawns. They did serve muesli with choice of full cream or skimmed milk types (nice touch), fruit and some bad croissants with no jam. To drink I had te tarik (nice local variation).

Disembarkation
We landed on time and were off the plane quickly. There was a premium immigration line. However only two staff were manning it and one decided to go on his break just as the queue developed! The same premium queue was also used for disabled (who joined the front of the queue). After standing still for some time I was processed eventually after a wait of about 25 minutes. My bag was on the carousel after the long immigration wait and, with a quick train to Sentral, I was in my hotel room 90 minutes after landing.

Overall
I didn't feel the service warranted a five star rating. The seat and IFE were not the best in the market. As the home carrier i also felt Malaysia could do more to ensure KLIA immigration offered a more efficient service. However the lounge at heathrow was top class. In general the service was very good. In practice there is no other direct flight on this route so there is no better option.

angel83 flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a B747-400 (20/05/2011 11:37)

Flew this airline for the first time in April, and can say it wasn't too bad for the value. The food selection wasn't as good as other airlines, but still fulfilling.

The actual seats were a little bit on the smallish size, and compared to the Boeing 737, return flight a little bit uncomfortable. However this was outweighed by the Malaysian hospitality, which was second to none.

Would fly Malaysian Airlines again, and use them as the preferred choice to go to Europe with.

doctorjosh flew Malaysia Airlines Business Class, on a B747-400 (03/01/2011 01:26)

SYD-KUL-SYD in business class on a B747-400 in December 2010.

Priority check-in at SYD and KUL was quick, efficient and very friendly. No fast-track through immigration and security at SYD on departure but fast-track available on arrival and departure in KUL and arrival in SYD, which was very welcome.

Golden Lounges in SYD and KUL both very good and a great way to start off the flight experience with Malaysia Airlines. Priority boarding provided on both flights.

Cabin crew were excellent on both flights with friendly greetings at the door and all the way to my seat. Pre-departure drinks (juices and water) were served but they have a rule where alcohol is not served until after the plane has taken off.

Meal service on outbound flight was very tasty and plentiful. Skipped main meal service on return as I wanted to sleep. Crew were very courteous, always addressing me by name and quick to respond to calls.

The seats were very comfortable for both sitting and sleeping, despite being slightly angled, and there is a myriad of positions that the seat can be adjusted to. You can still adjust the seat when the tray table is out, which is a significant improvement over some other business class seats which don't allow you to do that.

Comfort amenities were very nice as was the amenity kit. Priority baggage was always promptly delivered upon arrival at both SYD and KUL.

I have now travelled with Malaysian's business class a number of times and am very impressed with the consistency of their product.

doctorjosh flew Malaysia Airlines , on a B737-400 (20/12/2010 21:31)

KUL-PEN-KUL in Business class. KUL-PEN on B737-400 and PEN-KUL on B737-800.

Priority check-in was quick and ground staff were very friendly. Domestic Golden Lounge in KUL was quite spacious with a good selection of food but there was no alcohol provided.

Golden Lounge in PEN was of a reasonable size with hot food provided. Priority boarding honoured on both flights. Seats were very comfortable for sitting with good padding and a generous recline.

On-board catering was provided even for such a short flight and the food was of a reasonable quality. No alcohol was provided on domestic flights. Cabin crew were, as always, excellent. Priority baggage was honoured and delivered promptly.

doctorjosh flew Malaysia Airlines Business Class, on a B747-400 (20/12/2010 01:57)

SYD-KUL-LHR return in Business class in November 2010.

Priority check-in at all airports was quick, efficient and friendly. Reserved seating honoured on all flights.

Golden Lounge at SYD was large and spacious with a good selection of food and beverages. The Golden Lounge in KUL was enormous with excellent facilities and definitely one of the best lounges I have ever experienced. The Golden Lounge in LHR T4 was relatively new, again with lots of space and a good selection of food and beverages.

Priority boarding was honoured on all flights. The aircraft was getting a little bit old but they were clearly well-maintained and clean.

The seats offered excellent comfort both for sitting and sleeping, even when they are angled lie-flat. I did not get the feeling of sliding downwards and managed to get good quality sleep on all my flights.

The comfort amenities were also excellent with firm pillows and luxurious duvets.

On-board catering was very good and plentiful, especially with their signature dish of satay.

The cabin crew were outstanding on all flights, almost always addressing me by name and responding quickly to any requests, and they were definitely the best aspect of the in-flight experience.

IFE was AVOD with a good selection of latest release movies and worked without any problems.

Fast-track through immigration and customs was provided on arrival into LHR, KUL and SYD. Baggage was promptly delivered. All flights were on time.

Overall, an excellent business class product that was good value for money and clearly one of the best that is currently available to travellers today.

fazilah76 flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a B777-200 (12/11/2010 01:46)

Being an avid traveler, I have most of the time experience international airlines, MAS is exceptional very good at bring affront their services with outmost care and sincerity. They would extend their services to accommodate even those hard to please "tough" passengers. I have witness countless unruly passenger who seem adamant in getting their wish but time and again, MAS cabin crew serve with a smile. Once, I even saw the MAS cabin crew cradling a crying baby whilst another MAS cabin crew comforting his brother with MAS in-flight entertainment.

The business lounge is exceptional comfy with beautifully decorated flower to greet its customer.

First Class and its business have a separate air bridge for boarding while Economy passengers use the other one. Just like Emirates, MAS has this annoying habit of keeping newspapers just outside the entry into the aircraft, which causes a bit of a bottleneck at entry. All in all, for all those going to and from South East Asia, I would highly recommend taking MAS, as one of the best airline and safest ways of getting here.

p.s They don't have a history of major airline mishap.

Kais767 flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a B747-400 (25/10/2010 09:46)

If you are considering flying MH around South East Asia, think again. They may offer really low fares but as the saying goes-you pay peanuts, you get peanuts. I have flown countless times on their short haul flights around SE Asia and I must say, their "5 star" service is totally absent.

I have never flown a worse flight with them than a Kuala Lumpur - Singapore flight. The ground service wasn't bad, the staff were generally friendly but do lack motivation. As the gate filled with passengers waiting to board the B737-400 for the 50 minute hop, they announced a delay of 45 minutes. The new scheduled time was again pushed back by an hour, leaving passengers uninformed of the reason.

Finally, boarding started. The flight attendants were just standing at the door, doing little more than smiling. Once in the air, they came down the aisle with a tray of juice and a basket of peanuts. They did not bother to walk back to the galley to replenish the choice of juice which has been snapped up. When I walked to the lavatory, I saw both the stewards relaxing on their jump seats, even before the seatbelt sign was switched on.

Fair enough, this was a very short flight, but to think they were a 5 star airline. I have come to a conclusion that MH is only worth flying on their longer flights.

Khairul flew Malaysia Airlines First, on a B747-400 (19/09/2010 12:06)

Having flown on Malaysia Airlines' First Class gave me the impression that if you are really looking for that extra space and room, then First Class is for you. However, if you're looking for the famed Malaysian hospitality plus the extra legroom and all, then go Business Class. Seats in MH's First Class do not offer ultimate privacy as seats are shell like and no like those offered on CX nor SQ. Was quite surprised to see that menu was almost EXACTLY the same with Business Class with a difference in starter offerings (soup or salad or caviar) and an extra choice for mains as well as premium coffee made to order. Service was top notch - faultless. However, after flying First Class, I would say that Business is sufficient, unless of course you want to accrue the extra miles through your FFP ;)

gabrielle10 flew Malaysia Airlines (15/07/2010 08:14)

the astonishing thing about this airline was there tremendous involvement in our care. We had no travel documents (LONG story!) and they were quite within their rights to bump us off and wash their hands of us. But they became involved in our problem which was excaserbated by it being Tek (New Year). They moved things along for us, cared for us and were an immense comfort. I can still remember the sheer joy of stepping up those stairs on to our flight and being seated and given an ice cold glass of champagne. It was like climbing into a hot bath - and saved me from absolute hysteria. Malaysia Airlines - you are magnificent. We thank you.

Beoing777 flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a A330-200 (12/05/2010 09:59)

It NOT about hard-selling my own nation flight. but it truly noteworthy to share what is the real experience with MH, instead of typical Asian mindset, "The moon at the other side is brighter."

doctorjosh flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a B777-200 (17/04/2010 09:19)

SYD-KUL-SYD. Onward flight on time with orderly boarding procedures. Return flight delayed due to technical difficulties but pilot kept passengers well-informed, giving an approximate time of delay and it was spot on.

MAS' economy seat are probably the most comfortable of any airline I have experienced. There is good padding, making the seat soft and comfortable. There is very generous legroom (again probably the best out of all the airlines I have flown) and the recline is also very good. This makes it easy for a person of average height to stretch out fully without their legs hitting the seat in front of them. There is also a PTV with a good selection of movies, music, TV shows and games. The seating arrangements are 2x5x2, which I like much more than the 3x3x3, as most people travel in pairs and the 2x5x2 arrangement favours this (often leaving the middle seat of the 5 empty).

Cabin crew are consistently good on all flights. Food also generous and delicious, especially if you like local Malaysian food (eg. nasi lemak). Overall, an excellent flight experience in economy class and great valuefor money.

JamesSebastion flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a B777-200 (07/10/2009 09:17)

Murphiee flew Malaysia Airlines Economy, on a B777-200 (07/07/2009 07:28)

Flew Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne. First impressions are that the seat are really comfortable, 34 inches, undoubtedly one of the best in Asia. Seat easy to recline, and cabin crew are just right on the mark.

Mixing-with-the-best flew Malaysia Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A330-300 (21/11/2008 08:33)

Flight from KK to Kuching. Malaysia airlines in true style - delayed, late, not particularly bothered about informing passengers, below average service and took off in a full on storm. not the best flight ever due to the weather. Vegetarian food was fine, not bad - and landing was good considering the torrential rain.. at least I am still alive!

firstclassboi flew Malaysia Airlines First, on a B747-400 (02/10/2008 11:25)

I have always enjoyed Malaysian First Class. The seats are the same as Thai and Swiss and others with a comfortable seat and the oh so amusing electric ottoman with storage underneath for the excess magazines, amenity pack, and other debris. Both seated and for sleeping the seat is excellent and particularly in row 1 offers more privacy than one might anticipate. The champagne is always good (Dom on the whole) though the wine selection is of a rather more debatable standard. The meal quality is very dependant on the time of day. Daytime flights seem to have a very mixed bag of food of low quality and quantity, night flights have incredible food in large quantity which is odd as its often served at 3am based on the departure airport. Service is attentive, though I find that many of the younger staff have limited use of English once you go beyond the standard chit-chat or ask a service related question that they don't expect. But overall, a good product and generally competitively priced.

tribeca flew Malaysia Airlines Business Class, on a B777-200 (30/09/2008 19:04)

I flew MH Business Class return Melbourne – Kuala Lumpur - Canton in April 2008 on their 777-200. It was my first experience of the ‘lie flat’ seat, although in MH’s case it is angled. In general I found the seat quite comfortable, although it could do with some better padding. Also, I did not find the angled seat in ‘sleep’ mode very comfortable, I ended up coming up with my own setup. With the huge seat pitch offered by MH, the cold easily upgrade to a ‘horizontal’ style lie flat seat. Cabin was very clean, although some of the aircraft are showing signs of wear, which I am sure will be rectified once ‘C’ checks come up. The video screen is excellent, choice of movies and other entertainment also is excellent. Service was excellent, food was quite good, staff was very attentive and friendly, always smiling and the lounges at the airports very comfortable. The ‘domestic’ business class service, flown by their A330-200/300 and 737-400 are OK, they are comfortable enough for the shorter flights although seats were the older style. Service again was very good. I am flying MH business class again in October 2008, Melbourne – Kuala Lumpur – Canton return, and I do look forward to flying with them again. My rating out of 5 would be just nudging 4.