JASON’S FLIGHT REVIEW – Malaysia Airlines Business Class From Hanoi to London Via Kuala Lumpur

Booking

I booked a cash fare on Malaysia Airlines’ website from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur and then KL to London in Business Class.  Being part of OneWorld this one-way journey would accrue 200 BA Executive Club Tier Points. I was able to fully manage my booking via Malaysia Airlines as well as their app and select my preferred seat as well as select my meal via ‘chef on call’ pre-order for the long haul sector to the UK from Malaysia. As it was two separate bookings and Malaysia only flies once daily from Hanoi to KL I elected to overnight in KL and fly on the morning flight to London the following day instead of chancing a quick transit to the UK-bound night flight.

Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur – Departure 13:00 – B737

Hanoi Noi Bai airport is compact and fairly easy to navigate with all international flights departing a single terminal.  The terminal is only twelve years old yet feels a lot older in terms of aesthetics and facilities. I quickly located the Malaysia Airlines check-in counters where a few people were waiting in the Business Class line however it moved quickly and I was checked in within minutes.  Next up was passport control and although there was a priority line this was only for Vietnam Airlines passengers however the priority security line welcomed all business class passengers.  

I headed towards the Song Hong Lounge which seemed to cater to all the airlines from the airport with the exception of Vietnam Airlines who maintain their own lounge.  The Song Hong Lounge also provides access via Priority Pass etc so I was managing my expectations.  The lounge was very busy, and I literally had to jump in the not even yet fully vacated seat of someone leaving to find a space to sit so my expectations of the lounge being crowded were met. 

What was way better than expected was the food offering, which was extremely extensive, varied and constantly replenished.  A bar was available and there was an ‘iced salted coffee’ advertised which piqued me and was one of the most delicious things I have ever drank.  The lounge went from rammed to almost empty in the space of about ten minutes so I took the opportunity to grab some snaps. From my vantage point by the window in the lounge, I saw my 737 land from KL at 12:20 and headed to the gate about ten minutes later.

Flight MH753 – Duration 3hr

The flight was due to depart at 13:00 although boarding only started at this time.  However, once underway the boarding process was fairly quick, and the door was closed at 13:15.  

Malaysia uses the 737 as its short-haul workhorse with some significantly newer than others.  Regardless of whether you are on one of the newer or older jets you will however be greeted by a ‘proper’ regional business class with four rows of seats in a 2×2 configuration.  Similar to what you will find on domestic flights within the US the seats feature a pitch of 42” and each seat also has a leg rest.  The aircraft I was on did not have seatback screens but thinking back to previous travels on Malaysia Airlines I am certain I have been on 737s that have had.  It is possible to stream entertainment to a personal device from ‘MH Studio’ however Wi-Fi is not available.  A multi-power outlet is also provided along with a USB-A charging point and waiting at each seat was also a small pillow and blanket.

A friendly crew member came around with a tray of apple or orange juice, and a cold towel and the menu was also offered. Meal orders were taken on the ground and despite picking a seat on the last row of business class as always, the crew member took my meal order first (I am assuming as OneWorld Emerald) and also used my name. There were three hot options, and I chose the Nasi Lemak (when in Rome and all that!).

As expected, after take off the entire meal was presented on a tray and consisted of a mixed salad to start, the hot main course, a cake for dessert and a glass of water.  A bakery basket was presented, and I selected garlic bread and two pieces were placed on my side plate.  I was also offered something else to drink and went for a Coke Zero.  It is interesting that no alcohol was listed on the menu under the beverages section however I did see the crew pouring some wine for other customers.

Service was good but it did feel a little unnecessarily rushed, it wasn’t a long flight but with only 11 customers and just over three hours it could have been a little more paced.  For example, I had the entire tray placed in front of me within five minutes of take-off and cleared with around 2hr15min min flight time left.  There would definitely have been plenty of time to offer a bar service before the meal.

The flight landed more or less on time and we were on stand for 17:50.  

Immigration queues at Kuala Lumpur seem to have improved since a few months ago when I visited, and I was at the Movenpick KL Airport within an hour of landing.

KL to London – MH4 – Duration 12hr55min – Airbus A350

Check-in

I was able to check in at the ‘Business Suites’ check-in counter thanks to OneWorld Emerald status. When Malaysia first took delivery of their A350 they offered First, Business and Economy Class however the First monkier was later dropped and replaced by ‘Business Suites’.  I was fortunate to travel in this cabin a few years ago when my A330 from Sydney to KL was swapped for an A350. Suites are one row of four seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with more space and privacy (a sliding door) than the regular Business Class seats.  Catering is more or less the same as regular business class with a couple of tweaks such as the addition of a caviar service.  Like many other airlines these days Malaysia allows passengers to bid for upgrades. Although quite happy with Business Class I noticed that an offer of only £160 displayed a ‘good’ chance of getting a Business to Business Suites upgrade. I bid £200 so was a little surprised to receive an email 24 hours before to advise my bid was unsuccessful.  I was curious by this as when boarding was complete, I noticed Business Suites was completely empty.  Chatting casually to one of the crew about it, she remarked if only one person bids for an upgrade to Business Suites it will usually be rejected as the cost of the additional crew complement and catering isn’t justified.

After check-in, it was a quick skip through passport control (with dedicated premium counters for First and Business Passengers). Then there is a very simple security check to enter the airside area (the more strict international level of security occurs at each gate).  

For those familiar with Kuala Lumpur or ‘KLIA’ as it is known, terminal one consists of two sub-terminals – the first terminal where check-in and passport control occurs as well as gates for flights to regional destinations using narrow-body aircraft.  There is also a Malaysia Airlines ‘regional’ business class lounge in this terminal.  Long haul flights operated by wide-bodied aircraft depart from ‘C gates’ which is a separate building and requires a ride on an automated transit system. C gates also have the main Malaysia Airlines lounges as well as airport lounges operated by other parties. For reasons unknown, the automated transit system has not been working since COVID and now the journey is completed by a bus.  Knowing this, and not having had a ‘proper’ coffee yet I popped into the regional lounge to get caffeinated.  It was blissfully quiet, and I enjoyed a barista made flat white whilst watching the early morning activity on the taxiway below.  

Once I had my fix, I followed the signs for the buses to C gates however when the staff member at the top of the escalator checked my boarding pass she told me that as a OneWorld Emerald, I should go to a different gate.  I was in no rush and had plenty of time so followed her advice and was surprised when I reached the alternative gate and presented my boarding pass I was directed to a waiting private car.  The car whisked me over to C gates and I made my way to the Malaysia Airlines First Class lounge.

Lounge

Although Malaysia Airlines does not offer First Class anymore it still has a separate lounge for OneWorld Emerald and Business Suites passengers.  The lounge is next door to the business class lounge and is a pleasant area to spend a bit of time.  The main differentiator between the First and Business Lounges is a restaurant section where you can order a la carte items although options are fairly limited.  I think reflecting I actually preferred the buffet options I saw in the regional business class lounge, lots of fresh fruit, smoked salmon and such.

Boarding

My boarding pass showed a boarding time of 8:25 am so I made my way to gate C35 at this time. Security occurs at the gate and there is no priority for Business class passengers.  In reality, boarding started at 8:55 am with Group 1 called first. I was greeted by name at the door and directed right into the second smaller business class cabin. I love the Malaysia Airlines uniforms, so distinct and like the Singapore Airlines uniform have never really changed over time.

At my seat was a blanket, pillow and mattress, headphones, and bottle of water.  I was immediately approached by one of the friendly cabin crew who introduced herself and welcomed me and offered a choice of apple juice, orange juice or water from a tray.  I selected water but did notice one of the crew pouring a glass of champagne in the galley for another passenger.  Hot towels were then passed out and a welcome announcement was made by the Captain and the inflight supervisor came around to greet all business class passengers.  The safety video was played which I found both entertaining and informative and we pushed back at 9:45 am.

Seat

Malaysia’s A350’s are kitted out with 35 Thomson Aero Vantage seats spread over two cabins. The seats are staggered in a 1-2-1, 1-2-2 configuration and all seats are definitely not equal. To begin with, there are some pairs of seats by the window where the window seat does not have direct aisle access although this may appeal to people travelling together.

The single seats on the A side of the aircraft alternate between being closer to the window or closer to the aisle, whilst on the opposite side of the aircraft alternate between ‘throne’ seats and the pairs.  Throne seats are definitely the ones to go for as you have a console on either side of you however the bulkhead throne seats go one step further with increased legroom. I was fortunate to nab one of these, 9K during booking.

The seat is definitely not cutting edge, but I did find the seat very comfortable for sleeping and lounging and it had a couple of cool features such as being able to adjust the firmness of the seat.  

I also appreciated the storage options of the seat with a large compartment under the right-hand console as well as a small cupboard that could fit my adaptor plugs, book, specs and washback.  I also liked the netted storage pouch designed for a phone but my iPhone Max was too big for it.  The highlight feature for me…TWO individual air nozzles! Similar to the 737 there was both a multi plug power port and a USB-A charger.

The flight

Menu’s and wash bags were distributed after take-off and meal orders were taken. Given the morning departure and afternoon arrival into London, this flight offers breakfast as the first meal and then lunch as the pre-arrival meal.  As take-off was around 2 am UK time my game plan was to sleep a few hours straight away and then eat midway through the flight (UK breakfast time) and again before landing (UK lunchtime) with the crew member taking meal orders was more than happy for me to eat at my convenience.  It appeared most of the other passengers seemed to just be having something light and a hot drink instead of the full shebang and at 2:40 AM UK time I put my seat into bed mode and tried to get some shut-eye.

Initially, the seat felt quite narrow at shoulder level as the armrests do not recline along with the seat as many others do because of the design of this seat – the console on either side of me is also the footwells for the pair of seats behind me.  Nonetheless aided by a melatonin I managed to drift off and get a few hours sleep and I woke up over Karachi at 7:30 am UK time with seven and a half hours to go to London.  One of the crew delivered the brunch meal tray which consisted of some fresh fruit along with a glass of water and cup of coffee.  Nasi Lemak was up next (yes, again 😊) which was delicious.  

I popped on the moving map on the inflight entertainment screen, watched some of the content I had downloaded onto my iPad and logged onto the complimentary Wi-Fi which seemed to work pretty well. I was able to use chat, send short videos of my flight to friends and family as well as browse websites. At this point in the flight, everyone in the second cabin seemed to be awake with window shades open and many were asking for snack items.  Conversely, I looked forward into the other business class cabin and it was in total darkness, and everyone was asleep.  The crew were kept very busy with passenger requests but as always were gracious.  

With just over three hours left and over Ankara, the second service started, commencing from the back of Business class.  Tablecloths were laid and shortly after the bar carts appeared and I enjoyed a glass of Australian Shiraz with a small dish of nuts.  The famous satay service was next up with the choice of chicken, lamb or mixed satay which was as always delicious.  The bar carts reappeared and topped up drinks as clearing in the satay remains.

A tray was then presented which consisted of the prawn starter and dessert. Bakery was also offered from a basket, and I chose a piece of pretzel bread although the crew member also encouraged me to take a slice of garlic bread. A crew member then approached me to apologise she had forgotten to cook my beef main meal so there would be a fifteen-minute delay which was a non-issue but nonetheless was nice of the crew member to keep me posted. The beef when delivered was beautifully presented and delicious.

Towards the end of the meal service, there were a few bumps, and the seatbelt signs were switched on so there was a delay to the tea and coffee service however this was offered once things smoothed out.  

The cabin crew as always were great, very authentic, and professional. Not over the top but genuinely engaging (for example one of the crew asked me all about my tattoo).  Once we began our descent into London the inflight supervisor came to offer me a personal farewell and just before the seat belt sign was switched on for landing the crew stood at the front of each cabin and an announcement was made thanking passengers for flying Malaysia Airlines whilst the crew make a gesture of touching their heart.

With the usual ten minutes of holding before the final approach into Heathrow, we landed at 3:15 pm.  There was then a bit of a wait to cross a runway to reach terminal four and once we did reach the terminal another airlines aircraft was still on our allocated gate. We finally made it on the stand at 3:45 pm.

Verdict

Malaysia Airlines flies twice daily from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur and although it may not offer the most exciting hard product (they are up against some tough competition in Asia) the service and hospitality onboard is superb not to mention the ability to earn Avios and Tier Points. I would say they are an airline ‘with heart’ and a part of me wants to support them and give them my business after the horrific bad luck they had with MH370 and MH17 and I feel they value that support when I fly them.  They also have great connections onwards to Asia and several Australian cities and often offer competitive fares. Take a look here.

Visit here for a previous Malaysian Airlines review.