Over the past few months, I have been looking at airfares from India to countries in Asia Pacific like Australia, Japan, and Indonesia. Even though there are a large number of low-cost carriers operational in this region, Malaysia Airlines has always popped up when I search for business-class flights. So, Malaysia Airlines appears to be an affordable or cost-effective Business class option for flights within Asia Pacific from India.
Where does Malaysia Airlines fly to?
Malaysia Airlines is not a Big Airline in terms of Destinations. Its central hub is in Kuala Lumpur, and its stronghold is Asia Pacific. Apart from several flights within Asia Pacific, it only flies to Paris, London, Jeddah, Medina, and Doha.
Which aircraft does Malaysia Airlines have?
Malaysia Airlines doesn’t have a large number of big aircraft but does a good job using them on high-demand routes.
The Airlines has a total 77 number of aircraft, and some of these have flat beds, flight entertainment and Wifi:
| Aircraft | Numbers | Configuration | Business Class Flat Bed | Business Class Seats [No.] | In Flight Entertainment [MHStudio] | Wifi [MHconnect] |
| A330neo | 1 | 1-2-1 | Yes | 28 | Yes | Select |
| A350-900 | 7 | 1-2-1 1-2-2 | Yes | 35 | Yes | Yes |
| A330-300 | 15 | 1-2-1 2-2-1 | Yes | 27 | Yes | Select |
| A330-200 | 5 | 1-2-1 | Yes | 19 | Yes | Select |
| B737-8 | 8 | 2-2 | No | 12 | Select | No |
| B737-800 NG | 41 | 2-2 | No | 12 | Select | No |
Malaysia Airlines Lounge in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Airlines has three lounges at Kuala Lumpur Airport. One is for domestic flights, one is for regional or short-haul flights, and one is at the satellite building for medium to long-haul flights. The lounge at the Satellite building is expected to be better. I have been to the regional lounge, and my experience was not so pleasant. Also, the lounge at the Satellite building operates 24 hours, and the regional lounge operates from 5 AM till 11:59 PM.
Which Airlines does Malaysia Airlines compete with?
Malaysia Airlines’ main competition is Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Sri Lanka Airlines, and Singapore Airlines. Batik Air is also an airline based in Malaysia. It is not a full-service carrier but offers a business Class option without lounge access and other benefits. Sometimes, pricing is cheaper because these benefits are not offered.
Is Malaysia Airlines a Cheapest Business Class Option for Asia Pacific?
Suppose you are trying to find Business Class flights from India to the Asia Pacific, particularly China, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. In that case, you will often get Malaysia Airlines Business Class as the cheapest option. Having flown them and Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines Business class, Malaysia Airlines isn’t far behind if you are travelling on Airbus aircraft with flat bed seats. Malaysia Airlines is a good option if this is the lowest option.
Routes of Cheapest Business Class
If you are wondering about routes of the cheapest Business class, here are some of the routes which I have found where Malaysia Airlines is offering the cheapest business class flights in the next 6 to 7 months:
- Round Trip flight From Delhi to:
- Bali under ₹ 110K
- Shanghai/Beijing under ₹ 130K
- Manila under ₹ 125K
- Perth under ₹ 170K
- Round Trip flight from Mumbai to:
- Bali under ₹ 110K
- Manila under ₹ 110K
- Shanghai/Beijing under ₹ 130K
- Tokyo under ₹ 145K
- Manila under ₹ 110K
- Perth under ₹ 170K
- Adelaide under ₹ 190K
- Auckland under ₹ 250K
- Round Trip flight from Bengaluru to:
- Auckland under ₹ 220K
- Shanghai/Beijing under ₹ 135K
- Round Trip flight from Hyderabad to:
- Bali under ₹ 95K
- Tokyo under ₹ 130K
- Seoul under ₹ 130K
- Round trip flight from Chennai to:
- Hong Kong under ₹ 105K
- Shanghai/Beijing under ₹ 120K
- Hanoi under ₹ 100K
- Auckland under ₹ 200K
- Round Trip flight from Kolkata to:
- Bali under ₹ 95K
- Manila under ₹ 80K
- Hong Kong under ₹ 105K
- Tokyo under ₹ 125K
- Seoul under ₹ 125K
- Shandhai/Beijing under ₹ 115K
- Round Trip flight from Colombo to:
- Bali under ₹ 95K
I would also have a separate blog post on deals available on Malaysia Airlines Business Class.
What to look for before booking?
To have a good experience, I recommend booking Malaysia Airlines Airbus flights as these have Flat Beds. However, not all Indian Cities have this option available. So, in such cases, do check if connecting flights have flat beds, or else look at other airlines’ options.
Word of Caution
I am not advertising for Malaysia Airlines, but the pricing for Business Class flights is attractive. Based on different reviews and my experience, the average review would be from 3.75 to 4 or sometimes 4.5 out of 5. So, having a decent experience without having to spend a lot is good. At the same time, you can also earn a significant number of miles with Malaysia Airlines partners.
Do you need to make Direct Booking?
In most cases, yes. The cheapest pricing is when you make a direct booking with Malaysia Airlines.
Have a look at the rates available for the same flight below. Malaysia Airlines is way cheaper than other third-party websites. However, occasionally, they may also be better, so use Google Flights or Skyscanner to find the best rate.
Make Payment in INR
When making a booking on the Malaysia Airlines website, you will get the option to pay in other currencies. However, the conversion is bad and can increase the cost of the flight by approximately 10%. So, making payment in INR is better though you may also have to pay DCC on these transactions . However, you may also check the amount in other currencies before payment for occasional better rates.
Where can you credit Malaysia Airlines business class flights?
For crediting flights to Malaysia Airlines to its Enrich loyalty program, you will earn 150 Enrich points for every RM100 spent. The elite member also earns bonus points based on their elite Tier.
Since Malaysia Airlines is part of the OneWorld alliance, you can choose to credit flights to one of the programs:
- American Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Avios Airlines [British Airways, Iberia, Qatar or Finnair]
- Asia Miles or JAL
You can find the number of miles that you can earn here. You would need to know the fare code to find out the number of miles that you can earn.
Bottomline
Malaysia Airlines is an affordable business class for flying within Asia Pacific from India to several destinations, particularly China, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. Though Malaysia Airlines still has some things to improve, these should not impact your overall flying experience.
