Malaysia Airlines is upgrading the Sydney-Kuala Lumpur route with its new Airbus A330-300 jet, bringing business travellers angled lie-flat seats, on-demand entertainment, adjustable headrests, AC sockets for charging your laptop and USB ports for topping up your tablet or smartphone.
The first A330 has this week taken over from MAS' Boeing 777 on the evening MH140 service out of Sydney.
On April 1 this will be followed by an A330 swapping into the afternoon MH122 flight, giving Sydney-KL a 'double daily' A330 service.
The moves come as Malaysia Airlines continues cutting older Boeing 777 and 747 planes from its fleet and standardising on the Airbus A380 and A330 jets for its longer flights.
MAS' A330 business class offers 36 Recaro seats with a spacious 60-inch seat pitch which transforms into a lie-flat seat at a 12 degree sleeping angle, and travellers can take advantage of the 'Chef on Call' service to pre-order their meal from a wider range of dishes than the standard inflight menu.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Oct 2012
Total posts 130
I have used this aircraft before (out of Mel) and unfortunately for MAS the J class seats are not that special ( for a new aircraft) . They are pretty hard to sit or lie on , and yes off course the famous angled lie down seats that feel like you are going to slide off. I dont understand how airlines with new fleets are still opting for the cheaper option. BTW The service was excellent up the front.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2555
Angled recliners are tricky, aren't they? I never take them to full recline, prefering to keep it a few notches back so they're more like a super-reclined loungechair.
This article on How to make an angled lie-flat sleeper seat more comfortable has some practical tips.
And yes, I've found MAS service to be great, and they're always happy to bring me a second plate of those wonderful satay sticks!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Oct 2012
Total posts 130
Their signature dish!
12 Apr 2011
Total posts 71
Having just tried MH in J on both the 777 and A330, it's disappointing that the A330 seats are the new seats. They are markedly less comfortable than the 777, feeling like a bus bench seat, and really difficult to sleep on. I don't mind angled seats generally having flown on them a lot with CX and QF, but the A330 MH has is really bad, and hard to get a comfortable position in.
10 Mar 2011
Total posts 526
Unfortunately this in addition to the fact they are only offering 0.75 points per mile for QF Frequent Flyer members is disappointing. The service really is good on Malaysian but I don't understand why they offer less points for this sector. It is also unfortunate that flying via Singapore will also be on angle lie flat seats on Qantas once they convert to the A330. Looks like I'll be flying on SQ!
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 595
That is only partialy right. The 0.75 points per mile (in business) is only on flights to Europe (inc Turkey) or oddly to Malaysia itself. Go anywhere else in the world with MAS, say the rest if Asia which is where having MAS in OneWorld is a plus and the earn rate is more normal.
Also think you will find that the reason for the lower earn points is not coming from MAS but from Qantas as a way to encourage people to fly on them or Emirates. So wouldn't blame MAS.
10 Mar 2011
Total posts 526
Emirates and Qantas don't fly to Kuala Lumpur... so what benefit is there for either of them to put a lower point earn on flights there from Australia?
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1245
The EK408/9 service connects KUL and MEL.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 466
It's a Paltry 0.25 in Qualifying Economy Classes on MH for those of us who are Qantas Frequent Flyer Members but still something.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Jan 2012
Total posts 172
And lets not forget the loss of First Class on MH out of SYD now.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Nov 2011
Total posts 243
Product upgrade with the electric plugs, USB etc. but capacity cut and probably price rise if demand is exhorbitantly high.
Suggest a third daily flight to increase capacity.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1378
Angled lie flat an ugrade...in 2013
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Jul 2012
Total posts 35
Flew with MH from MEL to LHR last week in business and was very disappointed with them. The quality of the food, amenity kit and overall impression of the aircraft were very good. But the service has gone significantly downhill. Disorganised and uninterested where us passengers were definitely an deemed an inconvenience, particularly on the A380. Am actually not looking forward to the flight home this weekend. The angled seats on the A330 are a bit of a let down but actually not that bad - got a few hours sleep. The lounges both on MEL and KUL were also disappointing to the level where I actually tweeted MH about the rudeness and cleanliness of the showers and shower room staff in KL.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Oct 2012
Total posts 130
Let us know what the flight home is like , Im curious.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Jul 2012
Total posts 35
If I had not known better I would have said I was flying with a different airline on the return sectors. Fantastic service on both flights as crew were organised, friendly and proactive.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Oct 2012
Total posts 130
Yea , Im glad you replied as I know I have been in that situation too . Some crews jell while others do not , happens all most airlines. Cheers.
19 Dec 2011
Total posts 48
interesting to hear your comments RobL was going to book on malaysian to paris business class but due to issues with their phone staff in regard to the booking decided to change to emirates. Looks like the disinterest of malaysian staff has migrated from the phone into the plane. A great pity for their onboard service used to be fantastic.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
24 Jan 2013
Total posts 16
What is 'better' about a so called lie flat seat that still slopes? I for one will never get fooled by the lie flat lie again!
Stella
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jul 2012
Total posts 43
Flew BNE-KUL on 9M-MTC (one of their new birds with the new angled lie flat seats) two nights ago. Seat is seriously uncomfortable, I thought QF A330' were uncomfortable, but these MH Recaro seats are slighty worse. I am still waiting to here form QF when they will have their matress service rolled out to their SYD-PVG run, so been trying SQ and MH. MIght have to try CX next.
MH service was very good, but I still can't understand why I couldn't get a Chef On Call meal on KUL-PEK, I thought KUL was supposed to be their hub, and yet they can't organise better catering out of it? Anyway, glad I got it on BNE-KUL, as wasn't overly impressed with the other choices. The Stonier Chardonnay was pretty tasteless too.
QF also did a really bad OneWorld job by having barely anything to nibble on in the lounge before the flight, and closing the bar before the MH flight was called. The male attendant obvoiulsy wanted to be home early.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jul 2012
Total posts 43
I don't think they should even cal them flat, when you try to lay on your side, you can really tell they are not flat with bumps and hollows at your hips and knees.
09 Mar 2013
Total posts 3
I'm not sure you can call this an upgrade - at least not in J - unfortunately. The A333 hard product is essentially the same as on the 772, and while the cabin will be a bit fresher due to the newer plane, you're losing the simply enormous seat pitch on the 772.
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