Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 Regional Economy Class Flight Report
Brief Introduction
Hello everyone! I’m here today to give you a report of my experience in Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 with Sky Interior. From Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur as MH726. This report will be divided into several parts, such as:
- Flight Details
- Background
- Jakarta Soekarno Hatta (Check In, Boarding, Takeoff)
- In Flight
- Kuala Lumpur International (Approach, Landing, Disembarkation and some bonus of Malaysia trip shots)
Okay without holding the story even longer, let’s start the story!
Flight Overview
Flight
- Carrier : Malaysia Airlines (MAS/MH)
- Flight Number : Malaysia Airlines MH726
- Departure Airport : Jakarta Soekarno Hatta Int’l
- Arrival Airport : Kuala Lumpur Sepang Int’l
- Aircraft Registration : 9M-MLM
- Seat Number : 19A (Supposed to be 19B, but later switched with my cousin)
- Actual Flight Time : 1 hour and 41 minutes
- Average Flight Time : 1 hour and 40 minutes
Aircraft
Credits to Bin Li
- Aircraft Registration : 9M-MLM
- Serial Number : 39323 (LN:3885)
- First Flight : 20 December 2011
- Age (December 2017) : 6 years
- Delivery Date : 12 January 2012
- Lessor : Bbam
Flight Details (Trip Report)
Background
Background
Back to 4th of November, my aunt asked my family to visit my cousin who is currently studying abroad in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was very excited when my mom offered me this unforgettable offer, as I had never been to Malaysia before at that time. So we showed our interest to my aunt and my aunt prepared the itenatery for this trip. This may be the first trip for me but this is the third/fourth trip to Malaysia for my aunt.
Initially, my aunt planned to take AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur by taking the morning flight. However the fare was pretty expensive at that time. My mom asked if my aunt wants to take another flight in 9am, but my aunt declined. So I came up with an idea to check Malaysia Airlines website hoping to find a cheaper ticket to Malaysia. And we found a ticket on 4:45am to Malaysia.
My aunt and my mom didn’t agree at first as they have some concerns. As the flight may be too early for us as we have to arrive at least 2 hours before flight (2am) in the airport. And not to mention the disappearence of MH370 and MH17 shootdown which made my aunt got worried for taking Malaysia Airlines. Worsened by a crash prediction made by one of Indonesia’s diviner which caused my aunt to be frightened (I know it’s a stupid belief lol)
But I convinced them that Malaysia Airlines is doing their best effort to return their good reputation. It took days until my family agreed to take Malaysia Airlines. We booked the flight around 2 weeks before the flight, and we got the last Economy Promo seats 😂.
Jakarta Soekarno Hatta (Check In, Boarding, Takeoff)
Jakarta Soekarno Hatta
I woke up at 1:15am at that day, and immediately go to the airport at 1:45am. It was an unusual sight to see Jakarta without traffic congestion, but I witnessed that during my way to airport lol. We arrived at 2:10am local time.
I immediately went to Departures Hall inside the terminal while waiting for MD-11/DC-10 Update in Infinite Flight haha. Quite surprising that FDS released this update on Android on the same day when I’m about to go to Malaysia lol
There was a pretty long queue in Malaysia Airlines counters as seen above. It’s nice to see that MAS is recovering from the black “pit” that shadowed the airline since they lost 2 of their aircrafts.
After checking in for our flight, we proceeded to the immigration counters. As there were only a few flights which departed during that time, there were only 2 counters for Indonesians and one counter for Foreigners/Tourists. I didn’t took pictures of immigration counters due to my past experiences while taking shots of the immigration counter
Immigration was fast and efficient. We decided to have a stop in the Starbucks store in the airport after going through immigration with a nice view of the apron. Spotted Japan Airlines Boeing 767-300 and Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200ER
30 mins after chilling in the Starbucks, we walked into our gate at D Terminal area, It takes around 5-10 minutes by walking to reach the terminal area from Immigration counters. Here are some photos regarding schedule of SHIA flights departing that day, with our flight in the top of the screen
We saw the cabin crews of Malaysia Airlines when we were on our way to the gate. We noticed that all of the cabin crews were pretty old, probably above 40/50 years old. However, we are still looking forward for our flight.
As our flight departed 20 minutes earlier, our gate is changed to D4. Replacing PR536 to Manila which was supposed to board from this gate.
It didn’t take a long time before boarding was announced for Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members followed by Business Passengers at 03:55am Jakarta Time. For economy passengers, the boarding was divided into 3 seperate groups depends on the seating location. We were given cards to identify our boarding group.
Before my group got announced, I managed to took a shot of ANA 787-8 preaparing for a flight to Tokyo Haneda and was parked on D3.
And here is a shot of the aircraft serving my flight, 9M-MLM. The plane has been staying in CGK overnight after serving flight MH727
Boarding for my group had started, I immediately proceed to this aircraft. Before boarding, Ground Crew checked passengers’ tickets to ensure the credibility of the ticket.
As expected, 9M-MLM is fitted with Sky Interior and 2010 Cabins. This is my first time taking a 737 equipped with Boeing Sky Interior and it’s beautiful. Here is a glimpse of the Business Class regional seats
I was surprised to see that the flight was pretty full on that day. I guess most of the passengers did last minute booking as the flight wasn’t crowded when we did Seat Selections.
Finally, arrived on my seat. It was a window seat so I had a clear view of the wings. Unfortunately as it was still 4am, there was nothing good to see from the cabin.
This seat is equipped with PTV unlike most of 9M-ML- series alongside 9M-MLO. Also equipped with hand remote to navigate the screen easier. However, I noticed that this PTV isn’t sensitive enough and really slow to navigate despite it’s touch screen feature. The selections on Select (Malaysia Airlines AVOD) may be not as extensive as what Emirates or Singapore Airlines can offer, but the selections are more than enough to keep me entertained during this flight.
These are the seat contents, equipped with Safety Card, Going Places in-flight magazine, and Temptations magazine for Duty Free Shopping. The literatures should be enough for this ±2 hours journey.
Unlike on my last Singapore Airlines report, Malaysia Airlines doesn’t provide pillow and blankets to Economy Passengers. It’s fine as the flight is pretty short. Here is a shot of the headphone, slightly better than the one I got in SIA. I’ll tell more about seat features on the In-Flight section, keep reading!
We started our pushback on time, and the airport was empty at that time. So it only takes minutes to reach Runway 25L. Before we start taxiing, a safety video is played.
After safety video finished, the cabin crews dimmed the moodlighting for takeoff. This sight is too beautiful to be missed! Hence why I took this shot while taxiing
While we were still taxiing, I decided to surf this Select AVOD system. I almost forgot, one thing that also bugs me is how many advertisements I should see if I opens a movie. Not just one, but 3 ! It takes around 12 minutes until all of the advertisement finished.
Finally the captain announced a PA to issue cabin crew doing final safety checks and preapare for takeoff. There wasn’t much to see at this time as it was still dark. But if you are interested with the full takeoff video, you can have a look of video linked below
In Flight
In-Flight
As there were not much to see at that time, I decided to surf the flight map of this flight. This is my entertainment for almost whole of the flight lol
Around 15 minutes after the flight, the cabin crew started serving Special Meals/Pre-ordered meals. I noticed it from an Indian couple in my row who ordered Hindu meals and the cabin crew nicely served them the meals.
30 minutes after they served the special meals, the cabin crew started to serve regular meals. The options were Noodles and Nasi Lemak (with Beef Rendang). I choosed Noodles and it appeared to be Chicken Noodles served alongside a Biscuit, Mineral Water (Aqua, Indonesian Mineral Water Brand), and also the signature Kacang Masin (Salted Nuts) of Malaysia Airlines
A closer look to the noodles
Biscuits
And Salted Nuts
Unfortunately, they only use Plastic cutlery unlike my past experiences with Singapore Airlines. But it’s totally fine as I didn’t take it as a big deal
And as we are about to pass Singapore’s airspace, the sky got brighter, even though not much to see as the skies were cloudy at that day
Around half an hour before landing, the cabin crew came around the cabin to provide passengers onboard to stay hydrated. I chose Orange Juice when they came for the first time. Then I asked for a tea when they came again for the second time
After they offered drinks, I decided to open the Flight Map again. One thing that I noticed to be a unique thing is, they provided Distances and Direction to Mecca to allow Muslims prayers when they are praying
Another sight of cabin’s condition while we were cruising. We were about to land shortly. If I wasn’t wrong, we were flying above Johor area by the time this photo is taken
One of the last Flight Map shot that I took
The seatpitch is adequate for me, not the best but it’s enough for this 2 hours 😊
IFE Remote can also be used for typing by using the other side of the remote
Nice clouds above Malaysian Peninsula before we start our descend
Kuala Lumpur International (Approach, Landing, Disembarkation)
Kuala Lumpur International
Soon, the captain announced our intention to descend. I did visit the lavatory before our descend, but I forgot to bring my phone with me. So unfortunately I have no pictures of the lavatory. Moments later, the seatbelt sign was switched on for landing.
Flight Attendants then walk around the aisle to collect passengers’ headphones, as you can’t bring them with you unfortunately 😂. They were also collecting blankets and pillows for some passengers who requested it
As you can see on the Flightradar24 photo above, we were passing over east of Seremban before turning to the left and lining up with Runway 32L for landing. Here is also my last photo of the moving map
Some wingshots of Malaysia’s Peninsula coast visible, and also the countryside of Malaysia aswell
And approach + landing in Kuala Lumpur
Finally landing in Kuala Lumpur, with KLIA2 (AirAsia’s homebase) visible on the far end of the picture. And unfortunately this flight comes to the end, too.
We were taxiing to the Main Terminal of KLIA, with Malaysia Airlines (Domestic + Southeast/South Asian flights) and Malindo as the operators in this terminal
While taxiing through the terminal, we can see 2 Malaysia Airlines planes wearing the 2 previous liveries.
Finally the aircraft parked on the gate, and we were ready to disembark from the aircraft. We had to wait for a couple of minutes before we were allowed to disembark
Last look of Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 737-800’s economy seats. I’ll miss this plane so much
A shot of Malaysia Airlines’ Regional Business Class. Not the best in region, but looks pretty good for the price tag as they have one of the cheapest Business fare in the region
Blurry shot of the 737 Sky Interior Screen when leaving the aircraft
After leaving from the aircraft, I managed to take a picture from the escalator connecting the aircraft and the gate. Featuring another Malaysian 738 and Malindo 738
Another (blurry) shot of 9M-MLJ
Entering the Main Terminal’s Arrival area now. Unlike in most airports I’ve ever been to, the arrivals level is located one level above the departures level
My last shot of 9M-MLM. Thanks for serving me and hopefully we can meet each other again
The plane will continue to serve Kathmandu several minutes after my flight landed
Here’s the glimpse of the Arrival Level of the Main Terminal. Even though this airport has been opened since 20 years ago, the interior looks stunning and I have to agree that KLIA is one of the best airport in Asia in terms of interior ;)
Some signs to the Baggage Claim and Immigration Area.
A Kidz Smart area, it’s like a duty free for chocolates and kids toys
A shot of the Directory of KLIA’s main terminal
I noticed lots of toilets in KLIA actually, maybe you’ll spot some of them every few metres. But that’s good for transferring/transitting passengers. With free water fountain facility aswell
Another shot of the window in the Terminal. Unfortunately as my battery was already low at this point, so I stopped taking pictures of this airport. This will mark the end of my Flight Report, thanks for reading and see you on the next ones!
Bonus of Kuala Lumpur
MyTown, a pretty nice shopping mall in Cheras. Close to other shopping malls in Bukit Bintang viccinity and the mall has one of the biggest IKEA in the town, too.
One of the most known Shopping Mall in Bukit Bintang “Shopping Belt” (More like Orchard Road of Malaysia), Lot 10. The stores here are quite expensive imo, but nice to visit. Adjacent to AirAsia-Bukit Bintang Monorail and Bukit Bintang KLMRT stations.
A view from my room in BFF Homestay. Even though it’s a homestay and not a hotel. this homestay is very large with multiple rooms aswell. This Homestay is located at Jalan Ceylon , for exact in 6Ceylon apartment. Recommended if you are coming to here with many relatives with cheaper stay charges. This photo is the view from the Family Room, with a scenic view towards KL Tower.
Another view from my homestay, towards Masjid Jamek (Jamek Mosque) and Muzium Telekom (Telecomunication Museum) alongside west parts of KL Downtown
One of the church that I came while staying in Kuala Lumpur. Called St. Anthony’s church. The church complex may not be too big, but it’s rich with it’s history and I guess among the oldest churches in the town. This Church serves a Tamil community around the church. We attended the English-speaking Mass which is designated for tourists and locals who don’t understand Tamil. And it was pretty nice actually, with a small canteen outside of the church
A sight of Gateway KLIA2 alongside an access to KLIA 2, the home and base of AirAsia Group in Malaysia.
A lineup of AirAsia’s A320-200s in KLIA2
My plane for my inbound flight back to Jakarta (11 December 2017) after being delayed for almost 4 hours due to bad weather in Jakarta
A shot of the cabin condition of PK-AZH. I’ll make a Trip Report about it if necessary and I have more time to do Flight-Reports
A shot of Pasar Seni’s KVMRT Platform for Sungai Buloh bound trains. KVMRT (Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit) is a pretty new transportation mode for Kuala Lumpur and it’s surroundings citizens. And it’s more modern compared to the LRT system who have existed prior to MRT system. This KVMRT was opened last December, for exact in December 2016 and it reminds me of Singapore’s Downtown Line stations
A view outside KL Sentral Station. The busiest and the biggest railway station in Kuala Lumpur. It’s also the terminus for KLIA Ekspres/Transit, SBK KVMRT, and some LRT and Monorail lines.
Click one of the arrows to see the parts of this Trip Report, for complete summary. Look at the summary written below
Summary
It was a pleasant and a smooth journey with Malaysia Airlines. It’s nice to see that the airline is recovering slowly. Even though I can’t say that they will have a bright future ahead, but I can see that they are slowly going through it. It wouldn’t be fair to compare Malaysia Airlines with Singapore Airlines at this state, but my experience with Malaysia Airlines was very satisfying, and it’s definitely worth the price tag too. I’m looking forward for my future journeys with Malaysia Airlines and I’ll definitely consider this airline if I’m going to Kuala Lumpur anytime in the future
Rating
Seat Comfort
- The seat may not be the best that I’ve ever taken before, tbh it’s similar with the seats I’ve tried on Lion Air before. But it’s comfortable enough for a regional configuration in this route. Seat Pitch is average, at least better than AirAsia and almost on par with what Garuda can offer on 737-800. Even though the seats has no footrests unlike Singapore Airlines, but it’s not a big deal to me
Rating : 7.5/10
In Flight Entertainment
- The In-Flight Entertainment, called Select is pretty nice in my opinion. The selections may not be as dense as Singapore Airlines’ Krisworld or Emirates’ ICE, but it’s more than enough to keep me entertained during this flight. The big downside however, is the touch screen sensitivity. I do notice that this IFE generation (Panasonic Avionic eX2) lacks of sensitivity and it’s easy to lag unfortunately. The other downside is how many advertisements/commercials they have in the IFE. I had to watch 3 advertisements before I can even watch something using this IFE unfortunately. But I appreciate a unique feature that will save your existing movie or even multitasking if you are opening another program in the IFE
Rating : 7.3/10
Cabin Cleanliness
- Even though the aircraft has already been around for 6 years and start to show wear and tear. I have to give a salute to Malaysia Airlines for keeping the cabin clean all the time. Unlike my trips with AirAsia or Lion Air (Where you can find used tissues on seat pocket or beneath your seat), I didn’t spot any single trash on this particular aircraft. And I can’t even spot any single marks on the tray tables (I spotted it during my flight with Singapore Airlines). I’m not sure if the cleanliness is the same with other aircrafts in the fleet, but it’s more than clean in this particular aircraft. Great Job, Malaysia Airlines!
Rating : 10/10
Cabin Crews
- Even though to my surprise, the cabin crews are middle-aged (if you see one of them on my first videos) and not as energetic as AirAsia/Singapore Airlines cabin crews, but they are really nice to me and the passengers. They often smile when they greet passengers with Selamat Datang or Selamat Pagi which is a lovely touch and gesture to me. They even showed how to open the lavatory to me (I couldn’t open it for some unknown reasons lol). Despite chains of unexpected events for Malaysia Airlines in 2014, but the cabin crews try to perform as best as they can even on the darkest time the airline suffers. Kudos MAS for training these crews properly!
Rating : 9.5/10
Food and Beverages
- The food is actually pretty average. As the noodles were dry and the chicken was so-so and the portion was abit small. However, I do appreciate that they still give nuts on this short sector (I meant, SIA doesn’t even distribute Mixed Nuts on CGK-SIN). And also the fact that the Cabin Crews are active to walk around the cabin offering drinks for passengers around thrice. Which is definitely appreciated as it keeps the passengers to stay hydrated during the whole journey
Rating : 8.5/10
On-Time Performance
- I guess this is more into luck. But fortunately Soekarno Hatta Airport wasn’t congested (or if I can say, empty), good weather in both Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, The aircraft is fine without problems, and also the traffic in KLIA wasn’t congested. So fortunately the flight could arrive on time.
Rating : 10/10
Overall
- After considering with the rating above, I decided to give Malaysia Airlines 8.3 out of 10. This rating may be slightly biased, but I have to give them slightly higher rating due to their excellent service from the Cabin Crews.
Rating : 8.3/10
Recommend : Yes, I do
Thanks all for reading this report that I have written in the past week. Please let me know if you have suggestions for my future Trip Reports. I’m really sorry if there are some of my words which may offend one of you in this Trip Report if there are any. Thanks
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