What’s it like flying Malaysia Airlines business class from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane?

One of the reasons I chose to book with Turkish Airlines to Australia was that the final sector would let me experience Malaysia Airlines business class again. Just 11 months previously, I had thoroughly enjoyed my first flight with them and couldn’t wait to do it again.

Before travel I was quite miffed to find out you cannot select a seat when booked on a codeshare flight number. I tried again close to my travel date and somehow the agent snagged a seat for my return but could not get me one for this service.

Kuala Lumpur

After arriving on Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, I headed to the Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge. As per usual it was quite busy, so I found a seat and generally relaxed for a bit.

Soon enough it was time to head down to the gate. You need to go through security at the gate in Kuala Lumpur, similar to Singapore. It’s irritating, particularly as I had two laptops with me that had to come out of my bag.

MH135 – Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane (KUL-BNE)
7 March 2026
Airbus A330-300 – 9M-MTI
Seat: Business Class 6G
Departure: 21:35 Arrival: 07:25+1

After screening, you sit in the gate holding pen for a bit and then boarding is called. I was up and straight down to the aircraft as quickly as possible and was first on board.

Nobody wants seat 06G!

I don’t like sitting in an aisle seat, unless I am in economy class on a long flight. In this instance I had no choice and I received 06G, perhaps one of the worst seats in this configuration. It lacks storage and is open to the aisle. Still, it didn’t really bother me. What bothered me more was the guy across the aisle who reeked whenever he stood up.

Unfortunately the massage function wasn’t working in the seat either, which is a shame. Regardless it was still quite comfortable and waiting for me were the headphones, amenity kit and a bottle of water… and inexplicably the menu from the previous flight! First order of business was getting the seat topper out of its plastic packaging and putting it over the seat. Many people seem to do this while the aircraft is on the ground, and most of our cabin did on this flight.

Welcome Drinks

I’m a big fan of the Hibiscus welcome drink on MH, and I was not disappointed this time. It’s rather nice! Unusually they did not follow up with a Champagne service like on every other flight I’ve taken with the airline. The guy in front of me wasn’t having it and asked for one, so I did too, so we were the pre-flight rebels.

In actual fact, the guy in front of me decided to get his money’s worth and was drinking heavily. Anytime the crew were passing he was getting another drink, which was interesting to watch – both for quantity and variety. It didn’t seem to do him much harm though.

Did anyone say Satay?

We left the gate and then spent a good hour heading to the runway with not a single announcement from the cockpit crew. Later I asked the cabin crew and they said Kuala Lumpur was on single runway ops, which is why it delayed us for such a long time. Once in the air, the first order of business is a drinks service, followed by the signature satay service.

I love the satay service, and they have three kinds – beef, chicken and vegetarian. Naturally I sampled all three, enjoying them immensely as per usual.

Malaysia Airlines Business Class Dinner

A late dinner is served on the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane. The starter is Cajun Smoked Chicken accompanied by grilled peaches, roasted walnuts and raspberry dressing. There is no choice, everyone has the same one. For my main I selected the Nasi Dagang with Mackerel Curry, served with Malay-style fragrant rice, served with mackerel curry and pickled vegetables.

Delicious, delicious, delicious! I’m a big fan of Asian food, so I’m not usually disappointed with what is offered by Asian airlines in premium cabins.

Snooze O’Clock

Once the meal was complete, I put the seat into lie-flat mode and had a nap. I was quite tired by this stage and had planned to sleep on this sector. Sleep was comfortable enough, though I didn’t love being exposed on the aisle.

After a good few hours of sleep, I was up again and used the Wi-Fi to check some things for my onwards connection with Virgin Australia. Due to this flight being so late, and my being on separate tickets, I was worried I wouldn’t make it. I did make it, through absolute pure unadulterated luck!

Overall Thoughts

Malaysia Airlines business class on board service is very consistent. When I was on board and they began with the welcome drinks it was very much a case of déjà vu as everything was pretty much identical.

With good quality meals, friendly and obliging crew, passably good Wi-Fi and a comfortable seat, I always look forward to my flights with MH. Now if only you could select a seat on a codeshare…

What do you think of Malaysia Airlines business class? Are your experiences similar? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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