Malaysia Airlines features a fantastic domestic Business Class experience throughout their B737 fleet – no matter the flight length, you’re guaranteed a spacious seat, various drink options, a snack, and legendary Malaysian hospitality; this flight was no exception.
Malaysia Airlines is a member of the oneworld alliance and therefore you can both earn and redeem any oneworld airline miles for flights on Malaysia Airlines. However, be sure to check the revenue price of your desired ticket first, as MH does publish fantastic fares – especially on domestic flights (in both Economy and Business Class).
Flying Malaysia Airlines Business Class (B737-800 · KUA-KUL)
Flight Information
Airline: Malaysia Airlines (MH)
Flight: MH1281
Route: Kuantan (KUA) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
Cabin: Business Class (seat 2A)
Date: February 2024
Scheduled Flight Time: 01h10m
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 (B738)
Registration: 9M-MXH
Flying Malaysia Airlines Domestic Business Class
After spending two relaxing days in Kuantan, Malaysia at the wonderful Hyatt Regency Resort (a fantastic Hyatt category 1 hotel), it was time to fly back to Kuala Lumpur on a short domestic hop aboard Malaysia Airlines.
Malaysia Airlines’ fleet mainly consists of Airbus A330s, Airbus A350s, and Boeing 737s (which are used for domestic as well as regional flights).
Flight time from Kuantan (KUA) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) was about 40 minutes at an altitude of around 18,000 feet.
Malaysia Airlines Domestic Business Class Check-in
Kuantan airport is located about a thirty minute drive from the Hyatt Regency and is relatively small; there are only 2-3 flights a day to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) on Malaysia Airlines, a Singapore (SIN) flight on Scoot (which doesn’t operate daily), and Firefly recently added flights to Penang (PEN).
Check-in for the flight opened about 2.5 hours prior to departure – two queues were available, one for Economy Class and another for Business Class (and eligible elite members). On this particular flight, Economy Class was about 50% full while most seats in Business Class were taken.
While I redeemed miles for this flight (together with my connecting flight to Perth (PER)), I could have purchased this flight for about ~$36 in Economy Class or ~$77 in Business Class. The premium cabin would earn 40 Tier Points with British Airways Executive Club, while the cheapest Economy Class fare wouldn’t earn anything with BA.
There’s no lounge at Kuantan airport and there is only one domestic gate and one international gate.
Malaysia Airlines does offer Priority Boarding for Business Class passengers as well as MH Enrich Platinum, Gold, and Silver members and oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members.
It was a lovely, warm evening in Kuantan.
Malaysia Airlines B737-800 Business Class Seat
This particular Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737 featured their new regional Business Class, in a 2-2 configuration, while the seats are newer there is no personal in-flight entertainment screen; instead you’ll find a personal device holder and can connect to the Wi-Fi to access streaming.
I love that MH still has an in-flight magazine which I was able to enjoy.
There was plenty of legroom on this short flight.
Under the center console, you will find a universal power socket as well as USB charging ports.
There is also a small, extendable cocktail table.
Two buttons operate the seat controls which include the recline and footrest.
The footrest was a welcome feature of the seat and it’s always nice to see when an airline enhances the passenger experience.
MH Business Class Amenities
A pillow and blanket were available at every Business Class seat.
MH Business Class Welcome Onboard
One of the Business Class flight attendants warmly welcomed us onboard and offered a drink of choice; the options included water or juice (apple, orange).
She also distributed refreshing hot towels.
The captain and purser both made their welcome announcements and we were soon headed for the sky.
Malaysia Airlines Business Class Dining
As soon as we were in the air and the seatbelt sign was turned off, the crew began the meal service. There was no menu on this short flight; three choices for the light dinner were:
- Malaysian Satay (chicken)
- Tuna Sandwich
- Dim Sum
Beverage options included:
- Water
- Juices (apple, orange)
- Coca-Cola products
- Tea
- Coffee
No alcohol is available on this short flight.
The meal was served with a glass of water, two packs of salted peanuts, and a small chocolate square.
Obviously I selected the satay since it is Malaysia’s signature dish and I always enjoy it when possible as it is absolutely delicious.
Teh Tarik is a must when in Malaysia and this was my drink of choice with the meal.
The Final Note
While we departed Kuantan a bit late, we still managed to land on-time in Kuala Lumpur as this flight was so short. By the time I received my meal, we were already preparing to land and therefore it was quite a struggle to enjoy the satay, drink the tea, and sample the peanuts.
The flight was wonderful, as usual, the crew was fantastic and I was excited to be back in KL. All in all, I really enjoy flying Malaysia Airlines as you can experience true Malaysian hospitality and try some delicious dishes from this incredible country (and beyond).
