H C Chai

Kenneth, the products are already outdated now, probably with the exception of C cabin on the B777's. By 2010, MH is going to look like Royal Brunei back in the early 00's.

AFAIK MH has been offering "0" fare on the SIN-KCH route for a while. But the taxes and surcharges add up to something ridiculous. MH taxes and surcharges are one of the highest in the region, if not the world! Pity those Enrich members....

This is great news! Especially for KCH which desperately needs more international flights to live up to its International Airport status! It would be even nicer to include Tawau too. The east coast of Sabah has one of the best dive sites in Malaysia ...

Wow, No fuel surcharge! Shame that the first phase of Asean open skies is only limited to flights between capital cities.

Unbelievable, even M fare attracts £200 penalty for date changes! Which planet they are on when rival SQ allows date change at no cost on their lowest fare bucket ex-LHR (W class).

Can't have everything, I guess?! I like the idea of smart fare, they are offering something that you don't find in AK - 25kg baggage allowance, seat selection and enrich miles. Surely there are people out there who are willing to pay extra for these added services.

BI is also reducing flights to KCH to 2x per week in October. At least its temporary, I hope.

Kuching has novotel! Wow! Kenneth, where are these two places? In the city centre?

Which means there will be no evening flights mid-week between KCH and SIN! Thanks for the info Aaron! My parents will be flying MI on KCH-SIN-XMN vv next month. IIRC their return flight is on a Wednesday. Opps!!

Ouch! Is this permanent?!

A local chinese newspaper quoted that Airasia is to cancel KCH - MFM flight from end October 2008. Not sure if this is only a rumour? I only learnt this from my parents and couldn't find any other sources from the internet. However the AK website now shows no flights after end Oct for KCH - MFM, BKI - MFM and JHB - MFM! The KCH-MFM route was only launched in November 2007. It doesn't even last a year! I almost booked MFM-KCH for my home trip in Feb 2009. That was close!!! A friend of mine recently booked her first flight with AirAsia on KCH-DPS. After half a dozens of phone calls and emails, AK/QZ reluctantly booked her on KCH-KUL-DPS. Sometimes cheap is not cheerful

Excellent coverage!!

Hah! Thanks for the info Andi! Btw which website did you use to access the seatmap?

I am assuming that the purpose of the curtain is to separate the Y cabin from the premium cabin. And the reason it is the movable (as opposed to a solid partition) is the size of the cabin can be increased/decreased according to the demand of premium seats for each flight?! Anyway, lets wait and see! If there really is a premium cabin, I wonder what Maswing will call it? Premium economy or Economy extra sound more appropriate than Business IMO.

wow, nice pics!! Those removable curtains reminds me of the narrow bodies of European airlines (BA, Lufthansa etc.) Would be interesting to find out if the front rows offer a better pitch than those in the back?! If one buys a business class ticket, does MASWing block the seat next to you?

What a lovely colour scheme! I definitely prefer this to the smarties scheme MH did to its B734's. Will be doing KCH-SIN next Feb but guess I have to be super lucky to be on this plane. Chances of 1~2 out of 10 maybe? The economy class seats look so much more comfortable with the adjustable headrests and new contours. However it has a configuration of 12C/138Y vs old configuration of 12C/132Y. If Business class seat pitch remains the same, this would only mean that the seat pitch in economy has been reduced from 32" to Ouch!

I am not being miserable, but apart from SQ and Southwest, it looks like MH is comparing itself with airlines which are making losses. What happen to airlines such as Lufthansa, BA, Emirates, Qatar which are still making profits? It also fails to compare its own 1H07 results. Hmmm. Nevertheless, being able to make a profit in 1H08 is great!

MAS does not serve snack box on KCH-BKI-KCH. I last flew this route in 2007, and was served only a small bun with some unknown stuffing (dodgy looking processed meat). Looks like you're luckier than me!

Hi Hakan, IIRC TK uses A340-300 on their Istanbul-Japan routes. The business class cabin seem to have undergone an upgrade and now has angled lie flat seats (just like their A330-200). I flew TK few years back in Y, on STN-IST. I think their service is better than most european airlines. Based on the feedback it sounds like a good idea to stay with asian airlines, i.e. All Nippon and Asiana. Which means my side trip will most likely be South Korea! I was thinking about giving Swiss a go, but I am not too sure now. Yes it is! I am planning to make the most out of my DC miles before they are converted to Miles&Less. Once again thank you all for the feedback.

Hi all, just wondering does anyone know (or experienced personally) which Star Alliance airlines offer the best business class products between mainland Europe and North Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong). -Air China -ANA -Asiana -Austrian -LOT Polish -Lufthansa -SAS -Swiss -Turkish I am planning a trip to Japan in spring 2009 using the *A awards (plus another country - most likely South Korea or Hong Kong. I'm yet to decide the routings). So far I have heard that ANA is one of the best, while LOT, Austrian and SAS are best avoided. How about Swiss? They will be introducing new business class seats on long haul fleet from spring next year, but I bet chances of me getting the retrofitted cabin are very small. Anyone who has flown with these airlines in J class, I would love to know your experience! Would be most grateful if you can also let me know websites which have reviews on business class products. So far I have tried FT, flatbeds and airliners.net. FT is one big universe! Thanks in advance ...

I was talking about KCH in general - there are just so few international flights flying into or out of KCH these days. Unlike KK, Kuching lacks world class beach resorts to attract foreign travellers. Anyway, does anyone know how is the load on CGK-KCH-CGK? My mum's friends missed their flight to CGK few months ago, having paid a visit to KFC after checking in. Unbelivable!

wow, I can't believe they are keeping the KCH-CGK route! Traditionally international routes ex-KCH always get the axe first. KCH-MNL, KCH-NRT, KCH-SEL, KCH-PER to name a few.

Remember to check the fare rules and the booking class before you make any purchase at Expedia. Some booking class are not eligible for upgrades. Expedia fare may be of good value but the downside is it may be very restricted - i.e. non-refundable or non-changable.

Expedia is one of the biggest online travel store in the UK. I first used them back in 2001. Some of their Expedia special fare can be very attractive.

Nice to see that MASWings colours fit well into the ATR. I'm hoping that with the new ATR's, MASWings will introduce new routes or reinstate routes previously suspended (e.g. KCH-PNK, KCH-BWN, BKI-BPP). Very slim chance I guess?!