Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300 Business Class From Kuala Lumpur To Melbourne

Malaysia Airlines recently flew me from Melbourne, Australia (MEL), to its home base of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL), to attend the flag carrier’s trio of major announcements: its record-breaking financial performance, the confirmation of its global partnership with the Manchester United soccer club, and the launch of three new routes in its network.

While the original tickets were for economy seats, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an upgrade to business class for both inbound and outbound flights, courtesy of Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group (parent of Malaysia Airlines), who formerly held the title of Malaysia Airlines chief executive.

This review covers the KUL-MEL flight on March 24, 2024. While the MEL-KUL and KUL-MEL flights were both operated on an Airbus A330-300, you will see that there were slight differences between the flights, which are detailed below.

Breezy business class check-in

The entire process at Kuala Lumpur International Airport was seamless. As a Malaysian who lives in Australia, I frequently fly between the two countries. Most of the time, I am in the economy cabin, which means I spend at least half an hour to forty-five minutes queuing up to check-in.

Photo: Nicole Kylie | Simple Flying

With business class this time around, however, I was greeted by ten vacant check-in counters dedicated to business class travelers and Enrich (Malaysia Airlines’ frequent flyer program) members. It took me under ten minutes to get checked in, after which I headed to the airport’s satellite terminal, where the airline lounges and departure gates are.

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Normally, passengers would board the Aerotrain to the satellite terminal. This is currently undergoing replacement work. In place of the inter-terminal train, passengers can catch shuttle services, while Malaysia Airlines Enrich Platinum, business suite, and business class passengers have the option of a newly launched luxury private transfer using all-electric BMW i7 cars.

The boarding process

After enjoying some downtime at Malaysia Airlines’ Golden Lounge, I made the five-minute walk to my departure gate, C32, located in the South Zone of the terminal. Note that for departures from KUL’s satellite terminal, the security checkpoints are located at each gate, rather than a single consolidated security checkpoint. I find this particularly convenient, as this significantly cuts down time spent at security.

Photo: Nicole Kylie | Simple Flying

When it came time for boarding, business class, and Enrich members were called up for priority boarding. This was not the case during my MEL-KUL flight at Melbourne Airport. Another difference was that business class passengers at KUL entered using a separate airbridge, via the front door of the aircraft. At MEL, all passengers entered via the front door, which meant there was less privacy in the business cabin, and the boarding process was more time-consuming.

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I was initially assigned to seat 5H. While this meant aisle access for me, it wasn’t ideal as there was another passenger in the window seat (5K) beside me. This meant that they would have to climb over me multiple times throughout the flight (to get to their bag in the overhead bin, lavatory, and so on), especially since it was a nearly eight-hour flight.

Thankfully, a flight attendant offered to move me to 6A, a vacant single seat with no neighboring passengers – a win-win for both myself and the passenger in 5K. Despite most airlines these days having business class seats that all offer direct aisle access, with Malaysia Airlines’ A330-300, one thing to note when booking your seat is that some rows come in a 1-2-2 configuration.

That said, during this trip to Malaysia, I had the opportunity to witness the unveiling of Malaysia Airlines’ new A330neo seats, which offer aisle access to all business class passengers. The launch route for this aircraft type will be KUL-MEL, with the first three of 20 deliveries slated for Q3 this year.

Seats, amenities, and in-flight entertainment system

Malaysia Airlines’ A330-300 offers fully lie-flat beds that come with a massage option. There are two spacious storage spaces (though with seats 5H and 5K, the enclosed storage compartment is shared between two passengers), a USB charging port, and ample desk space in addition to a fold-out tray table. Each seat also comes with customizable mood lighting.

Note that Malaysia Airlines’ business class seats across its entire fleet do not have privacy screens. The upcoming A330neo business class seats, however, will feature privacy doors for added comfort.

Passengers are provided with a mattress cover, blanket, plush slippers, and an amenity kit from luxury brand Aspinal of London, featuring essentials from the French cosmetic brand, PAYOT.

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On some aircraft, like its new Boeing 737-800, Malaysia Airlines offers MHstudio – a wireless in-flight entertainment system to which you can connect your personal devices – in place of seatback screens. As someone who doesn’t have a device with a big enough screen to enjoy movies, the A330-300, thankfully, has a seatback touchscreen and (non-noise-cancelling) over-the-ear headphones.

The entertainment system itself offers a collection of movies, TV series, and music. While there are hundreds of blockbusters available, the latest are from 2023, with a limited number of new big-name releases, such as Killer of the Flower Moon. There are no games or podcasts.

Photo: Nicole Kylie | Simple Flying

On my flight from Melbourne, there was free unlimited Wi-Fi connectivity for all classes – an initiative launched late last year. However, my KUL-MEL flight did not offer this perk. The airline is still in the process of rolling out this technology across its widebody fleet and will eventually introduce it on its narrowbodies.

Based on my previous experience using Malaysia Airlines’ free onboard Wi-Fi, the speed is fast enough for me to browse the internet, scroll through social media, and even post Instagram stories without long loading times.

The best part: dining

Once the passengers were settled in our seats, we were given a refreshing hot towel, along with a choice of champagne or juice while passengers in other cabins completed their boarding.

Photo: Nicole Kylie | Simple Flying

Shortly after take-off, we were treated to a plate of satay, a popular Malaysian favorite. The barbecued skewers of chicken and beef (or lamb on flights to India) drizzled with hot peanut sauce have long been synonymous with Malaysia Airlines’ business class. Having been served by the airline since it first took flight, more than 15,000 sticks of satay are served on Malaysia Airlines flights daily.

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The flag carrier offers a selection of meals that can be ordered anytime throughout the flight. I opted for a beef and mushroom pie, and a cheese platter on my inbound flight. For the KUL-MEL flight, I went with just the cheese platter, given it was around 1 a.m., and I was looking for something light to snack on while watching movies.

A popular snack on Malaysia Airlines flights is its Signature Salted Peanuts. These little packs of goodness are so popular that, even if you aren’t flying, you can get them as a gift box on the airline’s online store.

Malaysia Airlines operates twice-daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne – one of which serves breakfast as the main meal, and the other, lunch. Both my inbound and outbound flights were red-eyes, so I could not sample lunch.

Instead, I tried the French toast on the MEL-KUL flight, and had a spinach goat cheese frittata on the KUL-MEL flight. On both flights, breakfast was served with a yogurt, fruit, and muesli bowl, fresh fruits, and a selection of baked goods, including buns, croissants, and Danish pastries.

Serving Malaysian Hospitality

My overall experience on the flight was nothing short of enjoyable. The dedicated business class flight attendants offered a truly personalized service.

Photo: Nicole Kylie | Simple Flying

Their attention to detail – from switching on the reading light while I was eating when the cabin lights were dimmed, to wiping down the lavatory after each use – made sure that every passenger was comfortable throughout the flight.

We were also given an Express Arrival card, which is incredibly handy for those flying into Australia. Due to the island nation’s strict border control and biosecurity laws, the airport arrival experience can often be arduous, involving a number of long queues and waiting times.

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With the Express Arrival card, specifically made for flights to Australia, business passengers can take advantage of an Express Path to navigate through immigration, customs, and quarantine at major Australian airports, including in Melbourne and Sydney. The program is currently being trialed by the Australian Government.

However, this time around, there was no need for me to use the card as Melbourne Airport has recently commenced operating its new SmartGate arrival system, which automatically processes passengers using facial recognition and ePassports.

Photo: Nicole Kylie | Simple Flying

After breezing through immigration, my check-in bags (business suite and business class passengers are given 31 lbs / 14 kilograms of hand-carry luggage and 88 lbs / 40 kilograms of checked baggage) were already at the carousel, thanks to the “priority” bag tag provided to business class passengers. And that marked the end of my delightfully pleasant experience with Malaysia Airlines.