Review: Malaysia Airlines A350-900 Business Class

I enjoyed a very pleasant daytime flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo in business class on a Malaysia Airlines A350-900.

Malaysia Airlines A350-900 Business Class Review (KUL-HND)

For 70,000 AA miles, I booked a two-segment ticket:

• Malaysia Airlines Business Class Kuala Lumpur – Tokyo
• JAL Business Class Tokyo – San Francisco

My extra day in Kuala Lumpur was actually unplanned…I wanted to get home but there was no award space opening. Thankfully, this space opened at the last minute, about 25 hours before the flight.

Check-In

I was dropped off at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in front of a sign for Malaysia Airlines business class and “Business Suite” check-in.

Inside, I proceeded to the check-in area and checked in using the “Business Suite” area due to my oneworld emerald status.

The business class check-in area was next door:

After check-in, you pass through security and passport control, then take a train (or bus when the train is not running) to the satellite terminal where most longhaul flights depart from.

I had lunch in the Malaysia Airlines Platinum Lounge before heading to the gate.

My aircraft was parked at the gate and boarding commenced at 2:30 pm, 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

Malaysia Airlines 36
Kuala Lumpur (KUL) – Tokyo (HND)
Saturday, March 15
Depart: 3:00 PM
Arrive: 10:35 PM
Duration: 6hr, 35min
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Distance: 3,321 miles
Seat: 8A (Business Class)

The purser was waiting by the door and warmly greeted me. His name was Raffidi and he took great care of me during the flight.

Seats

Booking at the last minute, there were not many seats left, but I was thankful to score 8A, a “true” window seat on the port side.

Malaysia maintains four “first class” seats in row one (review here on the same route), but now markets them as “Business Suite.” Rows 2-11 is business class, with 35 Thompson Aero Vantage seats in a staggered 1-2-1, 1-2-2 configuration.

Tip: If you do not want to sit next to anyone, choose an “A” seat or seats 2K, 5K, or 7K.

I find this seat more constraining than others in the footwell, but it was otherwise quite comfortable for the daytime service.

Seats were easily controlled by a panel in the side console and even the firmness of the cushion could be adjusted. I did appreciate the multi-way lumbar support and find this seat comfortable for lounging in.

I also appreciated the mesh pocket intended for your mobile phone. Also, notice there was a bit of storage in a cabinet beside the seat and above the cabinet.

The cabin never got warm, but there were individual air vents over each seat.

Each seat also had a rapid USB-A charger and a universal outlet located at knee level.

I used my adapter to charge multiple devices at once.

I took a nap during the second half of the flight. The bedding included a mattress pad, pillow, and blanket and I thought the duvet was excellent…soft and warm, without being heavy.

Food + Drink

I thought that Malaysia Airlines’ meal service flow was odd, but perhaps some of you will disagree. On this flight, a snack was served after takeoff followed by a full dinner service before landing.

Menus were offered after boarding:

Before pushback, a pre-departure beverage (apple juice, orange juice, guava juice) was offered as well as a cold towel.

First, everyone was offered satay (both chicken and beef/lamb) and it was delicious…the sauce was perfect.

The a la carte menu included three items:

• Egg Noodles
  in a vegetable-based soup accompanied with shredded chicken, prawn, bean curd, fish ball and Asian vegetable
• Uramaki Sushi
  salmon, tuna mayonnaise and avocado sushi
• Seasonal Fresh Fruits

You know me…neither the noodles or sushi applied to me, but Raffidi insisted I try the noodles.

Not bad…but too salty and I just detest tofu.

2.5 hours before landing (far too early, I might add), the lights were turned on for dinner service.

Malaysia Airlines offers a “Chef On Call” pre-order meal service in business class (must be reserved at least 24 hours before takeoff). I had ordered beef steak, though it turned out there was also one on the regular menu.

Dinner began with an appetizer (smoked chicken with quinoa, orange segment, lettuce, cherry tomato and raspberry dressing), bread (garlic bread was excellent), and dessert (bread and butter pudding with vanilla sauce) all served on a tray.

Shortly thereafter the main course arrived, a beef filet topped in rosemary with mashed potatoes and vegetables. It was cooked medium well, but still quite decent. I had a glass of red wine (Shiraz) with it.

Finally, I enjoyed some fruit, ice cream, and that bread and butter pudding for dessert.

A very solid meal overall, though I think the menu should be fully a la carte or the main meal should be served first so that passengers are not awakened 2.5 hours outside of Tokyo on a flight that is under seven hours.

Service

I’ve mentioned Raffidi twice now and I do want to commend him once more for his excellent and attentive service in the cabin. So often pursers take a hands-off approach, but he took a hands-on approach and was extremely engaging with his guests onboard.

His colleagues were also wonderful. You can usually gauge how good service is by whether your glass remains empty or full. Here, the crew monitored the cabin closely and frequently offered beverages during the flight.

IFE + Wi-Fi

Each seat has a screen with a library of movies, TV shows, games, and a moving flight map.

Noise-cancelling headphones were offered and the system could be controlled by a remote connected to the seat console.

Wi-Fi is also available onboard all Malaysia Airlines A350 jets (A330 too). While that is excellent in theory, the rates/plans were not competitive:

• 10MB – $2
• 50MB – $10
• 200MN – $25

A 200MB is absurd for $25. You cannot download email or refresh your social media feed without using 200MB…I did not connect to wi-fi.

Views out the window are still free…

Amenity Kit

Each passenger was presented with an amenity kit (Apsinal of London branded)…a very nice blue bag.

Contents included:

• earplugs
• eye shade
• dental kit
• comb
• socks
• mouthwash
• Payot body cream

Slippers were also offered:

Lavatory

Two lavatories are located in the galley area between business class cabins. They were spotless, another sign of great service onboard.

CONCLUSION

We landed on-time in Tokyo (early actually) and overall I thought the Malaysia Airlines flight was very solid. The business class seat is decidedly average, but the service was excellent onboard and the meal service was good, though the flow was odd. My biggest gripe is the high wi-fi prices, but it was nice to unplug and take a break on this flight (especially with my skin issues).

I would not hesitate to fly MH again.

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