Flying to Kuala Lumpur to cover Global Meet 2025 for Tourism Malaysia, I took Malaysian Airlines flight MH0250 from Sydney on 30 September.
Check in was fully staffed with no machines and no separate bag drop queue, resulting in about a 20 minute wait. Security was a breeze through Sydney Airport’s new Smith machines, followed by quick machine passport control. Boarding was efficient and doors closed right on schedule at 9.20am.
The aircraft, an Airbus A330 300, was configured with five rows of business class, followed by a small two row cabin of extra legroom economy seats, then a galley and the main economy section in a 2 4 2 layout.
I was seated in 10C in the legroom section (selected at booking for $142.72) which to my mind was an absolute bargain.
The seat was comfortable with plenty of legroom (I’m 187cm tall) and the small cabin felt quiet and private, with a bathroom just behind.
The seat had an adjustable headrest and a small non touchscreen monitor in the headrest, though the entertainment selection was good.
Look at all that space!
Lunch was served soon after take off (barley salad plus a choice of beef, chicken curry or pasta, with a bread roll, butter, cheese and biscuits, and cheesecake). Alcohol was not visibly offered with lunch, but about 90 minutes before landing a light meal of chicken or vegetable sandwiches was served and wine was available then.
The flight was smooth and uneventful, landing in Kuala Lumpur at 4.50pm, around 35 minutes late.
The return flight on 9 October from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney (MH0141) was on an A330 900, a newer and more recently outfitted aircraft.
KLIA’s automated check in was efficient, with many machines available to print boarding passes and bag tags, plus a separate bag drop area with no queue. The legroom seats (again $142.72 when selected at booking) were in the first three rows of economy.
These seats were comfortable with decent recline and adjustable headrests, and the large touchscreen entertainment system offered a wide selection of movies and TV shows.
The only downside was that the legroom section sat at the front of the two main economy cabins, so toilets were a bit of a walk to the back of the cabin, and the section didn’t feel quite as exclusive as the smaller Sydney to KL layout. Still, the newer aircraft, seats and upgraded technology made for a very comfortable flight.
The extra legroom sections on both flights are a fantastic option for travellers who need a bit more space. The only other airline I’ve experienced offering a similar dedicated section of extra legroom seats is Etihad, and it was refreshing not to have to sit in an emergency exit row for once.
When you can get them legroom seats are also a much cheaper alternative to premium economy (although Malaysian Airlines does not offer premium economy on these aircraft).
Cabin crew on both legs were friendly and polite, and excellent WiFi was available completely free on both flights (a standout feature for a full service carrier).
At $142.72 for an extra legroom seat, Malaysian Airlines offers outstanding value and comfort on this popular route (a modest investment that makes a long flight feel far shorter).
Traveltalk travelled as a guest of Tourism Malaysia.
