Terms and conditions of purchase
Flight operated as part of a conference organized by the Malaysia Tourism Board. Upgrade purchased.
At the airport
Terminal 1 at Kuala Lumpur airport offers an excellent level of comfort and continues to impress with its beautiful architecture despite being almost 30 years old. The terminal is directly linked by express train to the city centre. The departure area can be reached by lift or escalator. The check-in area is located in row H for economy class.
However, it is advisable to check in at the self-check-in desks in row G. Check-in takes an average of 5 minutes... and there is no waiting time. Staff are available to help passengers. Baggage check-in is open up to 60 minutes before departure.
Immigration formalities are extremely fast. Passengers from the European Union have access to biometric passport control. The procedure takes less than a minute.
However, security formalities remain a weak point: they are carried out directly in front of the boarding hall in a generally narrow space. Above all, two control lines are available. The result is a fairly long wait.
The exhibition
Once in the international zone, you can visit the company's two lounges - if you are entitled to do so: the regional and international lounges. These offer a bar and a buffet with local and international specialities. The menu changes several times a day. There is also a rest and work area, as well as the possibility of taking a shower. The staff are pleasant and efficient, and during the day the lounge has a bird's eye view of the runway and the aircraft (regional lounge).
Boarding
Boarding is by group number, with priority passengers boarding first. It is fast and efficient, despite the long waits at security checkpoints.
The Economy Plus cabin
Flight MH020 to Paris is being operated by the Airbus A350-900, an extremely quiet aircraft. The Economy Plus cabin has 3 rows of 9 seats, in a 3-3-3 configuration. There's no difference from standard economy, apart from the extra legroom. My allocated seat was 15K, with one window.
Seat features and accessories
The seat is ergonomically designed, with a standard recline of 15.25 cm and a slightly removable headrest. It is not very wide. It incorporates a footrest, which is also a plus compared with the classic Economy seat. The backrest features a 28 cm digital screen with remote control. Under the screen is a USB socket for a telephone. There is also a standard socket on the floor, fixed between two seats. And it's virtually impossible to reach because of the narrowness of the seats.
No accessories are supplied apart from a blanket, cushion and headphones.
In-flight service and meals
The service is a night flight taking off at 11.45pm from Kuala Lumpur. The aircraft will take off ten minutes late for a total flight time of 12.40 hours, with an expected arrival in Paris at around 6am.
The staff are pleasant, although not very talkative except during service hours. However, it should be noted that there is no welcome drink, nor any water or drinks offered during the flight - apart from the meal service. Nevertheless, passengers have the opportunity to go to the area where flight attendants store trays and drinks in the pebbles. Sandwiches, sweets and fruit are available here, as well as self-service drinks.
45 minutes after take-off, the meal service begins. Economy Plus passengers are served first.
I had used the 'Dining in the sky' menu option but my flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur was delayed - forcing me to stay an extra 24 hours in Malaysia - so my pre-order of a typical Malaysian dish was cancelled.
The selected standard menu includes a salad of apples, lettuce and cabbage topped with a small piece of smoked salmon; fish in cream sauce with potatoes and courgettes, cheese with crackers, a piece of bread and a cream and cocoa cake. Fair enough, but not really tasty. As for drinks, in addition to fruit juices, soft drinks and water, the staff offer white or red wine and beer. The only drawback is that the drinks service is staggered in relation to the meal. In fact, drinks are served almost 30 minutes after the meal trays arrive...
Two and a half hours before landing, a second service is offered - breakfast. It consists of a classic omelette, chicken sausage and potatoes. A croissant, fruit salad and yoghurt complete the menu. Hot drinks, however, are served a few minutes after the tray arrives.
Toilets
Five toilet compartments are available in the centre and rear of the cab.
In-flight entertainment
This is where the problem lies. The quality of the films and TV programmes on offer is mediocre. There are around fifty films, most of them American blockbusters. There are also Asian films - Chinese, Korean, Indian, Japanese and Malay. An unpleasant surprise for French travellers: no European (i.e. French) films and none with French subtitles. Some Malay films do not even have English subtitles. What a pity.
On a flight of over twelve hours, this is a huge gap. On the other hand, a lot of horror films - perhaps because of Halloween!
Free wifi is available. Except that it's not compatible with all devices. Unless it's too complex. I personally tried to connect. The connection was certainly successful, but without access to the internet...
We can only hope that the airline will do more to develop its in-flight entertainment offering, taking greater account of the diversity of its passengers and their tastes...
Arrival
Arrival is slightly earlier at around 6.30 am. Baggage at Paris CDG is delivered 35 minutes after leaving the aircraft.
Verdict
Malaysia Airlines' economy class is of a decent standard and compares favourably with other Asian and European airlines. It is strongly recommended that you take the Economy Plus option, as this really does provide extra comfort.
The weak point remains in-flight entertainment and perhaps the absence of these little touches for economy class passengers. A kit with a mask or toothbrush, or a welcome drink would be much appreciated... even if they generate additional expenses for the airline. However, transiting through Kuala Lumpur to or from Asia is rather pleasant, with a pretty airport that remains on a human scale. And the Malaysia Airlines service is excellent on regional routes.
