Flight: MH0190
Airline: Malaysia Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Route: KUL to DEL
Departure: KLIA 1 (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) ; 5.05PM local time
Arrival: New Delhi Indira Gandhi Airport, Terminal 3 ; 8.05PM local time
Duration: 5 hr 30 mins
Cabin: Business Class
Date Flown: January 2017
- New business class seat upgrade by Thompson Aero Seating on A330 flights
- Relatively low fares
- The airlines famed Malaysian Hospitality (MH)
- All other things offered by this 5-star airlines on-board
As soon as i heard about Malaysia Airlines's recent seat upgrade on their A330 fleet, i decided to check it out. But it was only months after the upgrade that i had a chance to book a holiday ticket with them. After browsing the airline's website, i booked a return ticket from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi, as this happened to be the right opportunity to see Taj Mahal in Agra.
The return biz class ticket to New Delhi from Kuala Lumpur was the cheapest of all A330 flights operated by Malaysia Airlines. The return business class fare was a mere RM 2228 (approx. USD 503). For a 5.5 hour flight each way, it was a great deal, which i couldn't resist.
Read accounts of my outbound journey to New Delhi after the jump.
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Upon check-in, i made my way to the Malaysia Airlines' Golden Lounge to take some rest, shower, and nibble on some food.
A Malaysia Airlines staff gave me a warm welcome at the reception
The spacious lounge
Soon after announcement was made for MH0190, i made my way to the boarding area.
The aircraft from boarding area. Airbus A330-300
Malaysia Airlines new Business Class seats are provided by Thompson Aero Seating. The seats are of the fully lie-flat kind, an improvement from the previous angled lie-flat seats (slanted business class seats, which extended not to a flat bed, rather to a downward slope).
These new seats are in a staggered layout, with alternate rows, in the 1-2-2 and 1-2-1 configuration.
(image source: Thompsonaero.com)
For this flight i had booked seat 5A during booking. I consider 5A to be the best seat for single traveler due to the following reasons:
- A single seat with a window and direct access to aisle
- No barrier (ie. armrest) between seat and window (unlike other single seats including throne seats with wide armrests on both sides)
- Situated in the middle of the cabin.
My preference is to sit far away from lavatory or the galley. The only other seat that has similar criteria is 7A, but its close proximity to the galley is not preferable to me.
Having said that, they are just my preferences.
44-inch seat pitch
For more information about Malaysia Airlines' new A330 business class seat, you may check out the link here
Spic and span. Everything on this aircraft seems brand new
seat control on the side
Plenty of stowage area too. There is one coat storage area on the side of TV monitor (not pictured here), a compartment on the side and this net (perhaps for boarding pass?) above seat controls.
storage compartment on the side
The side compartment/locker is spotless
Guava juice is a standard pre-departure drink on Malaysia Airlines flights.
Soon after take-off, and after the seat-belt sign has been switched off, the crew started taking our meal orders.
Meal Service
The inflight menu
The crew started handing out packets of nuts and serving beverages
Then the appetizer came: A mixture of chicken and lamb satay. Tasty as expected
Another appetizer, Kachumber Salad and fresh fruits
As for main meal, i opted for this Grilled Garoupa With Herbs Meuniere Sauce.
I was not disappointed. It was tasty
I finished the meal with this frothy Teh tarik.
No more meal was served after that
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The service on this flight was OK. They were helpful and attentive, but their service seemed unpolished, unlike what i have experienced in the past, on other routes. I have a feeling that it has got something to do with this being KUL-DEL route, but hey - maybe i am wrong.
It is important to note that there were less senior crew on this flight. I used to have preference for younger workforce and youthful appearance but after experiencing many flights with Malaysia Airlines, i found that the more senior the crew, the more polished they are. But again, maybe it's just me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Ample leg room. Cleanliness was beyond expectation.
Seat transformed into a 76-inch fully flat bed. Comfortable enough for someone who stands a few inches short of 6 feet.
The lavatory was clean despite heavy use by passengers
Some nice fragrances to help keep bad smell away and freshen the lavatory air
Lovely orchid
Curious about the thoroughness of cleaning job done on this aircraft, i decided to take a peek behind my seat and this is what i observed - immaculate. The crew has certainly done a good job.
Amenity kit is not offered on this flight. Malaysia Airlines offers amenity kits only on longer flights, those beyond 6~7 hours.
The In-flight Entertainment (IFE) system is good - i did not take any picture of it here though. I spent most of my time listening to soft 90s ballads to help put me to sleep.
16-inch touch-screen TV
Soon before i know it, the plane was already approaching Delhi and making its descent.
5 hours and a half did not feel very long.
Taxiing
Finally the aircraft came to a halt.
Distance traveled: 4042 km
The occupancy in business cabin was between 70-80%, with about 80/20 split between male and female passengers
New Delhi airport. Getting through immigration was a breeze, thanks to efficient staff and of course, priority lane.
My earning from this trip (KUL-DEL):
Elite sector: 2
Elite miles: 3852
Enrich miles: 4454
Summary:
I was excited to try the airline's new hard product and i was satisfied. For the price that i paid, it was undeniably value-for-money. The hard product was not only brand new, but sleek and modern. Not to mention, spic and span. The fare was relatively cheap, the food was tasty, the flight was smooth and most importantly, i arrived safely at my destination.
Verdict (Star Rating: 0 to 5)
Seat Comfort: 4.5
Cabin Staff Service: 4
Food & Beverage: 4.5
In-Flight Entertainment: 4
Ground Service: 4
Value For Money: 5
Recommended: ✓
Yours,
Dandyflier
Thank You for reading my blog. Tell me what you think in the comment box below.
Yours,
Dandyflier
Thank You for reading my blog. Tell me what you think in the comment box below.
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