Malaysia Airlines Business Class A330 Review

We recently flew Malaysia Airlines Business Class on their Airbus A330 from Adelaide in Australia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As this same aircraft flies to Kuala Lumpur from Auckland, read along for the full experience.

With our flight departing at 11am local time, we had plenty of time in the morning to get to the airport and check-in.

The check-in experience was very seamless. Being in Business Class, we were able to use priority boarding, skipping the majority of the queue that was forming.

We have to give a special shout out to the service from our check in attendant. His service was outstanding, walking us through our connections all the way to Paris, while also asking if we wished to change any seats based on flight availability. We were also told our bags were being checked all the way through, even though we had an 18 hour stopover in Kuala Lumpur.

Once we had checked in and cleared through customs, we headed to the Plaza Premium Lounge in Adelaide Airport, which is available to those travelling in Business Class, and less exclusively to any travellers who wish to purchase an entrance pass.

This is located to the right, just after customs and before you go through Duty Free. When entering the lounge we were told that we would be collected for our flight, and not to panic when other travellers left, due to two flights departing closely. This was a nice personal touch, You can read our full review of the lounge here.

Malaysia Airlines Business Class A330 Boarding Experience

The boarding for our flight was quick and easy, with priority travellers boarding after families. All travellers boarded through the front entrance of the aircraft, with Business Class located to the left once entering. We found it interesting that when turning left, we had to go through 3-4 rows of what we could assume was Premium Economy, before getting into the Business Class cabin. 

Malaysia Airlines Business Class A330 Cabin Layout

The cabin featured an alternating layout of 1-2-1 and 2-2-2. This meant some window seats offered a double seat, while some offered just one.

This alternating layout allowed for good legroom throughout the cabin. We were seated in 6K, which was a single seat along the right hand window.

This was a preferred layout for us due to travelling by ourselves, not with a companion. It provides a good amount of privacy while also offering a good amount of surface space. If you’re travelling with someone, we would recommend booking a double window seat, or double middle aisle seat. 

Malaysia Airlines Business Class A330 Storage And Amenities

We found there to be amble space and storage on our Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 flight. Once seated we found the seat controls to be located on the left, offering a full square pad to use when upright, along with a longer horizontal pad to use when lying down.

The TV remote was also located to the left along with charging posts and a large storage compartment and a smaller tray onto of the compartment.

To the right of us we had a large storage area which fitted our bedding nicely and a large armrest which proved handy to use like a desk, without having to get our tray table out. The footwell was reasonable and provided a good length of space (especially since we’re an almost 6ft!).

The screen was a decent size, but we did find it slightly clunky to use, with the touch screen being rather slow or not responding at all. The movie selection followed this suit, with not a large amount of new releases on offer. Below the entertainment screen where was more storage, that was a net like basket, something we can imagine would be good for smaller items such as cords or a phone.

As for amenities, we were provided with noice cancelling headphones once in the air, along with an amenity kit by Aspinal of London. Inside the amenity kit was your usual Business Class offerings, including socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, eye mask and Payot moisturiser, but a nice touch was also having some mouthwash.

Malaysia Airlines Dining Experience

As we boarded at 11am local time, we were served lunch on the flight, with a light snack prior to landing. Once we had boarded we were offered a pre-departure beverage, with a choice between orange juice, water and champagne. Naturally, we opted for the bubbles – when in Rome they say! Along with this we were also provided with a cold towel to wipe our hands.

Once in the air we were handed a menu to select our choice of meal for the flight. We were also offered a selection of drinks and some salted peanuts.

We opted for a black coffee and water for our drinks, and also picked the Beef Braised Short Ribs that came served with turmeric polenta, heirloom tomato, carrot, broccolini and natural jus.

Prior to the meal service beginning the flight attendants came round to set our table, lowering the tray table and setting it with a white cloth. We find this is always a nice touch in Business Class.

To begin our meal service we were offered some traditional Malaysian satays, with the option of a combination of beef and chicken, or one or the other. They were also served with some salad on a stick and peanut sauce. We opted for a combination and they were absolutely delicious and packed a good amount of spice. A cold towel was provided again to wipe our hands.

Following our entree, we were served a tray with a mixed salad, bread roll and also our dessert for later. There was some Balsamic & Olive Oil Vinaigrette for the salad, while small shakers of salt and pepper were also available. These were really cute and a nice way fresher up what is usually just packets of salt and pepper. The salad was fresh yet the bread roll was slightly stale.

About 10 minutes after receiving our salad as a starter, we were served our main, being the Beef Braised Short Ribs. The ribs were slightly tough, but good for aeroplane food. The vegetables were cooked well and the polenta was a nice way to soak up the extra sauce.

The Chocolate Caramel Mousse with a side of caramelised apple compote was delicious and fluffy. A nice way to end a good meal considering it is aeroplane food. Overall, it was a pretty decent dining experience that we finished off with a coffee.

Later during our flight, we felt a bit peckish and decided to order off the Dine Anytime menu where we ordered the Selection of Cheese item – a small delicious cheese platter.

Overall Experience

The check-in process was smooth, with priority boarding facilitating easy access. The attentive service of the check-in attendant, who assisted with connections and baggage handling, added a personal touch to the experience. 

Upon entering the Plaza Premium Lounge, we appreciated the assistance in navigating the busy airport environment. For those travelling from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur, expect to visit the Strata Lounge Boarding was efficient, with a noticeable cabin layout featuring an alternating 1-2-1 and 2-2-2 configuration. 

The ample storage and amenities provided a comfortable environment, although the entertainment system was occasionally sluggish. The amenity kit by Aspinal of London contained standard essentials, complemented by noise-cancelling headphones. 

In-flight dining commenced with a pre-departure beverage and traditional Malaysian satays, followed by a well-presented main course and dessert. While the main course exhibited some toughness, the overall dining experience was satisfactory. 

Despite minor issues, the Malaysia Airlines Business Class offered a comfortable and enjoyable journey. Looking at travelling to Europe? Visit our latest Malaysia Airlines Business Class Europe Airfares here.

To fly Business Class with Malaysia Airlines ex. New Zealand on your round the world trip, speak to one of our experience airfare specialists today!

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