REVIEW: Malaysia Airlines business class A350 London to Langkawi via Kuala Lumpur

This Malaysia Airlines Flight review is by Jane D. This is the first of three articles about her trip to Langkawi that I will be publishing over the coming days. 

Intro

It was like being greeted by an old friend…

I used to turn left on every big holiday. Then life circumstances changed, and I made do at the back of the plane – which is harder when you know what it’s like upfront.

This was a special holiday for me as it had always been my dream to go hiking in New Zealand. Finally, I had the time and money to do it in style, so I asked a travel agent to organise business class flights with a relaxing stopover.

Langkawi sounded perfect for an island break on the way out (full review coming shortly), so it made sense to fly with Malaysia Airlines as I could get there with a short hop from Kuala Lumpur and then onwards Down Under. This also gave me the benefit of racking up some tier points through One World Alliance.

In both directions I found the London-KL leg a better experience than KL-Auckland.

Booking

My travel agent (Trailfinders) did the heavy lifting, but it’s worth knowing that Malaysia began a digital immigration system at the start of 2024. Unlike most visa applications, where you are minded to get it done as soon as possible in case of any hitches, this one requires you to apply within three days of arrival – so you have to leave it until the last minute.

However, it was straightforward. You only need this if you are entering Malaysia rather than transiting, so I didn’t have to re-apply on the way home.

Ground experience/departure

Ahead of departure, I had a very comfortable night at Heathrow in the Radisson Red, previously reviewed here. It was busy as they were hosting a magicians’ convention!

I used the “WeKnow” cab service to get to Terminal 4. This was booked through a kiosk in the hotel lobby – and was half the price of Uber. It also arrived sooner than promised and ended up being a minibus just for me. Check-in was swift, and I was invited to the Gulf Air lounge near gate 6.

This was nice and quiet early on a Saturday morning, and I enjoyed toasting the start of my adventure with a glass of Rodier and shrimp on rye bread.

I also tucked into beetroot chia pudding and a good, strong coffee.

There was a good range of breakfast treats – including hummus, labneh and olives if you wanted the full Middle Eastern experience.

Cabin/seat

LHR-KUL on flight MH3 was an A350-900 with a 1-2-2 configuration, so I could enjoy a pre-booked window seat to myself. I made the most of the storage space, which included a small cupboard and mirrored door.

The safety video was entertaining – it channelled various music styles, including Korean pop and even the Bohemian Rhapsody video! My seat was comfortable and easy to convert to flat. I made use of the massage function on the chair. No one was in first class on this flight, so we used their bathroom, too.

Meal/service

A really nice touch by Malaysia Airlines involves serving satay before all 3-course meals. They reckon they serve 15,000 sticks a day! You can have a mix of chicken and beef. The flavours were delicious.

Malik looked after me as I worked my way through the smoked salmon starter, grilled sea bass main and panna cotta. The steamed rice accompanying the main was every bit as good as you’d expect from an eastern airline.

I washed it down with an Australian sauvignon blanc, Clare Valley.

As a Yorkshire resident, I was pleased to see Harrogate Water on offer.

I was less than ecstatic to be served a tea barely threatened by the teabag – but that was a one-off after I requested a strong mug. This minor slip was the only element of Malaysia’s food and drink offer which momentarily disappointed me.

The amenity kit containing various Payot toiletries and an eye mask came in a smart Aspinal bag, and we were each given a pair of slippers.

The menu mentioned a good range of snacks that could be ordered in between the main meal services. I chose cheese and biscuits.

Mushroom omelette and chicken sausage plus some veg made a tasty breakfast.

In-flight entertainment / Wifi

I appreciated the free, fast, in-flight WiFi. I managed a short sleep but mostly relaxed watching the films as there was a good selection of old (I chose The Goldfinch, having loved the book) and new (Barbie – fine on a plane, but I was glad I didn’t bother with it at the cinema).

There was a nice touch before landing: the crew lined up and bowed at the front and then came down the aisle, thanking us individually and allowing us to reciprocate.

I felt this showed a commendable pride in their brand – it reminded me of how LNER train staff line up outside the first-class carriages of Azuma trains once they’ve pulled into King’s Cross.

Domestic flight to Langkawi

By daybreak, I was sitting in the domestic lounge at KL airport.

Immigration had been straightforward as, thankfully, I could go through the domestic section (the international arrival queues looked long). The food and drink offer seemed adequate, but I didn’t need anything further at that stage.

It was possible to find quiet-ish corners with charging points in the lounge, and sometimes that’s all you want! MH1432 to Langkawi was a very pleasant one-hour hop north, with a beautiful view of the archipelago. The Boeing 737-800 had a 2-2 configuration in business.

There was more satay (yay!), some peanuts and a square of chocolate. Drinks were served, but no alcohol was offered on this leg.

Langkawi is a small airport, and I cleared it in about 10-15 minutes.

Read more of Jane’s travels with Malaysia Airlines – part two, here.

You can visit Jane D’s site: https://dalemoorltd.com/