AviationSource writer Joris Wendt has detailed his experiences onboard Malaysia Airlines’ regional business class between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Asian Carriers are well known for their professional crews, good service, and their tasty food.
Let’s put Malaysian Airlines to a test on a regional Business Class flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.
Is the advertised “Malaysian Hospitality” really as welcoming as the airline says?
Details:
- Airline: Malaysia Airlines
- Route: BKK-KUL
- Class: Busines Class
- Registration: 9M-MLV
- Seat number: 2A
- Flight number: MH775
- Date: 15.03.2023
The Trip From Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur…
When originally planning my trip to Southeast Asia, I was planning on flying as much different Airlines and products as possible.
Part of this plan was to fly in First Class with Singapore Airlines, which eventually ended in a Routing from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta via Singapore.
Since I was spending time in Bangkok, I decided to opt for a flight in Business Class with Malaysia Airlines to put the Malaysian Hospitality to a test.
The flight cost me barely more than a flight in Economy.
Ground Experience
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I stayed at a hotel in the city center of Bangkok and took a taxi to the airport, which cost me around 500baht.
The airport in Bangkok is well organized, which is essential for an airport of this size.
I checked in at the Business Class Check-In Counter, where I dropped off my Check-In Baggage as well as my 2 carry-on bags which I luckily could Check-In as well.
The Check-In agent was very kind, he informed me about which lounge I can visit and where I’ll find the priority Lane for security.
Malaysia Airlines uses the Miracle Lounge in Bangkok, which is a contract Lounge.
The Lounge offers a Halal buffet and a normal buffet, as well as a Noodle Bar and multiple drink options. Overall the Lounge offered anything you’d need for a short hop from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.
Boarding
Boarding for my flight to Kuala Lumpur started around 40 minutes before departure. I arrived just as boarding was getting started and boarded immediately.
As usual, Boarding was organized by groups, starting with Business Class & Status Passengers, followed by families with children, disabled passengers, and Economy Class Passengers.
Upon boarding, I was greeted by two very friendly flight attendants, which immediately started handing out welcome drinks and the menu for this flight.
I went with orange juice for my welcome drink.
Keep in mind that no alcoholic beverages are offered on Malaysia Airlines flights that are under three hours.
After boarding was completed, the crew came around to collect meal and drink orders, and we were soon up in the air on our way to Kuala Lumpur.
The Seat
Malaysia Airlines has two 737-800 Versions, both offer Recliner chairs in a 2-2 configuration in Business Class and a 3-3 configuration in Economy Class.
The airline is currently in the process of upgrading its hard product.
The newer Cabins offer 3 rows of Business Class recliners, while the older version offers 4 rows of Business Class, with a total of 16 seats.
On this particular flight, I was flying on one of the older 737-800’s with 16 seats in Business Class.
The aircraft was 8 years old at the time of the flight, with the cabin really showing its age – though seats were still very comfortable and more than sufficient for this 2-hour flight.
The seat offered gigantic armrests and a lightly adjustable headrest. There were 2 manual seat controls to control the recline of the seat, as well as the leg rest.
The seat was well-padded and had very generous legroom. A pillow and a blanket, as well as Noise Cancelling headphones, were awaiting every passenger at their seat.
The seat pockets featured an Inflight Magazine. The IFE had seen better days but was working just fine.
Service
With a 6:40 pm departure, there was dinner on offer.
As a starter, a Garden Salad was served. Passengers had the choice of 3 main courses for this short flight, which consisted of Beef Phanang Curry, Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast, and Grilled Marinated Prawn.
I chose the Phanang curry, which was served just 12 minutes after we were airborne. Before the service started, the crew handed out hot or cold towels.
The salad wasn’t “the yellow from the egg”, as we germans would say. It was sufficient but nothing special.
The main course, one of my favorite Currys, was, in fact, till this day, the best meal I’ve ever had in the Sky.
The food on Singapore Airlines First Class and in Qatar Airways Business Class was nothing compared to this curry.
The beef was well-cooked, and the curry was spicy but not too spicy. The rice and the vegetables were cooked to perfection.
I was very impressed by the performance of Malaysia Airlines. With the dinner service, the crew offered a bread basket, of which I choose the garlic bread.
As a dessert, the airline offered a Pumpkin custard Cake, which was a perfect light finish to the meal service.
With my meal, I had water and pineapple juice and finished the flight with a hot chocolate. The trays were cleared just 35 minutes after we took off, which I find quite impressive for a hot meal service.
After that, the crew didn’t disappear, rather spending lots of time in the cabin, refilling drinks and chatting with passengers.
The crew definitely showed off their Malaysian Hospitality, which was impressive from start to finish.
Final Verdict of the Bangkok Flight…
I always love flying new airlines, especially in Business Class.
I was once again impressed by a new carrier I haven’t flown before.
And it’s true what the Malaysia Airlines Website says – Malaysian Hospitality is the best!
I really enjoyed this flight from start to finish, especially the crew and the food made this a great flight overall.
Nothing to complain about from my side, I wish other airlines would be as customer-orientated as Malaysia Airlines.
Article produced by Joris Wendt.
