Hello from Malaysia, as I just flew Malaysia Airlines’ Airbus A330-900neo business class on the 7hr30min flight from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL). Let’s be honest, historically Malaysia Airlines has not been regarded as a top tier carrier in Asia, though the airline has been trying to make some improvements, including investing in its fleet.
I was looking forward to flying the carrier’s newest long haul aircraft, and seeing what the product is like. While there were still some areas for improvement, I walked away with a very favorable impression — the cabin was comfortable, the amenities were good, the service was phenomenal, and free Viasat Wi-Fi was nice as well!
In this post I’d like to share some initial impressions, and then soon I’ll have a full review.
In this post:
Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo business class seats are great!
Malaysia Airlines is the global launch customer for the Collins Aerospace Elevation product, which is a new reverse herringbone seat with a door (well, at least in terms of branding — it’s really an update on the Super Diamond seats). Honestly, there’s nothing earth shattering about the hard product, but it feels exactly like what you’d expect.
One thing to keep in mind is that the A330’s fuselage is significantly narrower than on planes like the A350 and 777, so typically that means premium seats will feel much tighter (in order to still have at least four seats per row).
So I’ve gotta say, this felt to me like a very comfortable product, as I sometimes forgot that I wasn’t on the A350. The bedding also helped, with a substantial pillow, a mattress pad, and a cozy duvet.
Unfortunately I ended up in a center seat in the bulkhead row (due to my assigned seat being broken), but even so, I was very comfortable.
The seat’s tech was excellent, from wireless charging, to USB-A and USB-C charging, to AC power outlets.
Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo has good entertainment, free Wi-Fi
Malaysia Airlines’ A330neos offer free Wi-Fi for all passengers, with Viasat being the provider. There was no log-in process, and there’s no need to be a loyalty program member, or anything. Speeds were generally quite good, so what a nice surprise to get that service (I just hadn’t realized Malaysia Airlines was offering that).
When it comes to entertainment, Malaysia Airlines’ A330neos have the Safran Rave system, with 17.3″ 4K screens that have bluetooth audio. While not among the best out there, I found the entertainment selection to be quite good, with a solid number of movies, and in particular, a large library of TV shows.
An amazing inflight supervisor makes for a good flight
Honestly, what was most memorable to me about this flight was Hamdan, the inflight supervisor. He has been at Malaysia Airlines for a staggering 36 years, and has six months to go before retirement. What an absolute legend this guy is — he’s one of those seasoned professionals who obviously takes pride in what he does, and he was working my aisle.
He couldn’t have been lovelier. He personally greeted each passenger, and he had an eye for detail that’s all too often missing. There’s something so inspiring about people who do the same job for so many years, and take pride in it year after year.
The rest of the crew was friendly as well, though Hamdan was really in a league of his own. I couldn’t help but ask him about his plans in retirement — he said he has a bakery that he’ll dedicate all of his time to. I asked if he was looking forward to still traveling when he retires, and he didn’t have to think twice about it — “no.” Lol.
Malaysia Airlines’ business class food is good, but…
I was mostly impressed by the food & drinks in Malaysia Airlines business class, and it’s clear the airline has put some effort into improving things. For example, pre-departure options included the carrier’s signature drink, a blend of hibiscus, roselle, lychee, and longan.
Not only that, but a flight attendant then came through the cabin with a bottle of champagne and glasses, offering to pour each passenger a glass — what a nice touch! Christian Naude was the champagne on offer, for what it’s worth.
The main meal service then began with the signature satay service, with both beef and chicken skewers, plus salted peanuts.
That was followed by an appetizer of grilled chicken breast with couscous salad, which quite frankly, struck me as being rather random and neutral on a flight between Japan and Malaysia (two amazing food countries)… but I suppose maybe that was the intent?
The dessert was also on the tray, and consisted of a raspberry and pistachio mousse, though you’d think that could’ve been coursed out. That was the extent of the dessert, so it was a bit unusual that there was no cheese option (though the snack menu did have a fruit plate or ice cream that could be ordered later).
Then main course choices included a Malaysian option, a Japanese option, and two Western options. I opted for the Malaysian option, which consisted of ayam masak merah, essentially a spicy chicken dish. It was excellent.
There was then a limited selection of snacks that could be ordered throughout the flight. I tried to order the classic egg noodles, but the seatbelt sign was on for nearly the last two hours of the flight, and hot drinks and soup can’t be served when the seatbelt sign is on, so that was a no-go.
So I went for the other option, which was… California rolls. Erm, that’s the first time I’ve ever eaten California rolls on a flight departing Japan, but…
Like I said, there were definitely some areas for improvement, but broadly speaking, I was a fan. That’s mainly because I love Malaysian food, so between the satay and the main course, I was more than satiated.
Bottom line
Malaysia Airlines’ Airbus A330neo business class is a very nice ride, and represents an exciting new chapter for the airline. The airline is the launch customer for the Collins Aerospace Elevation product, a reverse herringbone seat with doors and great tech. Given the narrow fuselage of the A330, I found these seats to be comfy.
On top of that, I loved the free Wi-Fi, good entertainment, and spectacular service. I thought the food was quite good (thanks mainly to the satay and other Malaysian dishes), though I feel like some minor changes could be made to take it to the next level (not having such a generic appetizer, coursing out the dessert, and not serving California rolls).
Either way, all-in-all I was very impressed, and I’d gladly fly with Malaysia Airlines again!
What’s your take on Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo business class?
Cous cous "travels well". I expect that what you received could easily have started with dry cous cous with diced vegetables in a serving tray. Add steaming water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir through, fully incorporating the diced veggies and scoop out with an ice cream scoop. Even an AA flight attendant could make that.
I expect that the pictured rice, in counterpoint, was premade and warmed through, resulting in a poor texture.
Great review, Ben! If you set expectations low, rarely will you be disappointed. The few times I’ve flown MH, I’ve enjoyed it. They had such an awful time over a decade ago, obviously, and overcoming that negative stigma can be challenging. I’d like to return to KL and check out that new PH, so perhaps I’ll try this aircraft at some point, too.
People who read about Malaysian Airlines, probably dismiss them out of hand due to the disappearance of Flight MH370. Their loss, as Ben has just attested too.
The naysayers will also ignore the fact that they are ranked only five places behind Delta Airlines and one behind Etihad in the World Rankings.
I recall you posting that you had visited Malaysia recently. Hope the trip went well. And nice to see the real you commenting again. The ‘Guest’ impersonator was hard at work...
MH really has improved a lot in recent times, and the A330neo represents perhaps its best hard product — thanks especially to the new IFE, which you’ll also find on Starlux’s A330neo. The J suites are certainly much better than what SQ has on longhaul A350s and 777s.
Where MH perhaps shines the most is in its marketing and branding, as I consider it to be the best in Southeast Asia, better even than SQ....
MH really has improved a lot in recent times, and the A330neo represents perhaps its best hard product — thanks especially to the new IFE, which you’ll also find on Starlux’s A330neo. The J suites are certainly much better than what SQ has on longhaul A350s and 777s.
Where MH perhaps shines the most is in its marketing and branding, as I consider it to be the best in Southeast Asia, better even than SQ. The consistency with MH’s typography is miles away from the rather slipshod look of KrisWorld — and as hard as it is to fault SQ otherwise, this is where MH beats it by a huge margin.
It’s really lovely to see TG and MH find their groove again after years of losses, and stand out with a competent hard and product. They’re now on par with KE, at least, if not stalwarts like NH, JL and CX. On the other hand, GA has fallen really badly indeed, and its future is nowhere near as rosy as TG and MH.