In this post:
British Airways Brings Back Direct Kuala Lumpur Flights
British Airways has finally resumed direct flights between London Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur, a welcome return after a five-year hiatus.
The route was originally scheduled to return in November 2024, but delays with Rolls-Royce engine deliveries pushed the relaunch to April 2025. Now, the route is back in the skies! Flight BA33 touched down in Kuala Lumpur this week to a celebratory welcome, complete with goodie bags for arriving passengers.
The routes have been carefully timed so you can use onward connections. British Airways recently expanded its codeshare partnership with Malaysia Airlines, meaning you have plenty of travel options and easy onward connections to more than 17 routes from KL, including destinations like New Zealand, Cambodia and Thailand, which are available to book with a single ticket.
Here’s the schedule:
| Flight | From | Departure | To | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA33 | London Heathrow | 21:10 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | 17:20 (+1) |
| BA34 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | 22:50 | London Heathrow | 05:35 (+1) |
Award Flights & Cash Fares
Award availability is limited in the near term but improves if you book further in advance. One way Club World fares start at 110,000 Avios + £312.50, and First fares start at 140,000 Avios + £472.71.
Cash fares hover around £2,280 for a one-way in Club World and £7,247 for a one-way in First.
It’s great news to hear that this route has now resumed.
50% Bonus When You Transfer Accor Points to Club Eurostar
Converting Club Eurostar Points into Accor Points is already a surprisingly good deal. Until 11th April, you can now get a 50% bonus on transfers. The Accor loyalty programme covers a huge range of brands, including luxury brands like Fairmont and Raffles.
If you have a Eurostar trip planned and you’re not planning to use your points on a stay at an Accor property, this deal is well worth a look.
Under regular transfer rates, 2,000 Accor points equal 300 Eurostar points. Until 11th April, 2,000 Accor points equal 450 Eurostar points!
If you’re booking at the last minute or during peak travel periods, this rate can be of good value, especially in Eurostar Plus and Premier. There are also some great value fares. Eurostar redemptions are available until the train is full, but there are a limited number of value fares.
A Eurostar Standard to Eurostar Plus upgrade is just 600 Eurostar points one-way – a great deal with the transfer bonus if you’re after more space, better food, or that all-important glass of wine.
No registration is needed, and the bonus will post automatically (though it may take up to six weeks). There is a minimum transfer of 2,000 Accor Reward Points.
This promo won’t be for everyone, but if you’re a regular Eurostar traveller, this is one of the few times transferring hotel points makes financial sense.
Transfer Your Accor Points to Eurostar Here >>>
Air France Opens Expanded Charles de Gaulle Business Lounge
Air France has just unveiled its expanded and redesigned business class lounge in Terminal 2E, Hall K. The new space covers 2,800 square metres and spans three levels, with a capacity of 638. There is much more space, additional services and added comfort.
New lounge features include:
- New upper floor with a quiet ‘petit salon’, a meeting room and co-working spaces
- A private restaurant-style area for Flying Blue Ultimate members
- Clarins Spa with free facial treatments (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 07:40–15:20 / Weekends 09:00–14:40)
- Showers, relaxation loungers, and panoramic runway views
- A selection of dishes by Ducasse Paris, including beef cheek piperade and lemon fish fillet
- Signature AF0001 fragrance on entry, designed by Francis Kurkdjian
- Refined décor in blue, white and red, with oak wood and champagne shades
- Eligibility kiosks at the entrance
The lounge is open daily from 05:30 to 23:30.
Here are some photos of what to expect!
How to Enter the Lounge
You can enter the lounge if you are:
-
Flying Air France long-haul business class (or shorter flight outside the Schengen area)
-
Travelling in Delta One or another SkyTeam partner’s long-haul business class cabin.
- A Flying Blue Elite Plus status holder. Read our article on Lounge Access with Airline Status for more details.
This upgraded lounge looks like a great space to enjoy before a flight. Hopefully we can check it out soon to give you a full review.
8 comments
The avios redemptions are very reasonable if those are return bookings. However flying with Qatar are likely to get you a few more tier points. Weve just got 8800 for a return from Dublin to Hanoi with Qatar – and saved €3000 on the fare by flying from DUB!
@Nigel
Did you book on Qatar’s website or another website? We’re due to fly to Australia this December and prefer Qatar. Trying to look at best options for maximising TP and minimising costs. Any advice? And was the 8800 TP pp? Which loyalty program have you credited too?
Thanks for any info you can give 🙂
It looks like these are 1-way bookings, unfortunately. Qatar does have some great value redemptions!
I traveled on BA33 to KL on its first day in Club World but never saw a goodie bag. My prebooked window seat was non operational and no other window seats available. Also no WiFi. The staff were great but the aircraft was clearly quite an old 787.
It’s a shame that not everyone received a goodie bag. I’ve seen pictures of them being handed out! It sounds like there were lots of issues…
Also flew BA33 to KUL this week. I’d take issue with the claim that the flight time is convenient for onward transfers to elsewhere in the region. Arriving after 18:00 (as our delayed flight did) means cuttiing it fine indeed – or just booking a hotel at KUL. The most convenient times for transfers would be the earlier one of MH’s twice daily service from LHR.
I imagine the flight time would be convenient for shorter connecting flights. We arrived in Bangkok at this time, and it was perfect for flying to Phuket. Delays can always cause stress with connections, especially if they’re tight!
I look forward to your review.
Please if you can, provide a picture of the Ultimate menu and wine and drinks offering. I am thinking of switching to FB when my BA GGL expires next April and would appreciate understanding what the extras are with Ultimate over Platinum if your home airport is not in Paris.
Thamks.