Direct flights to SDK and TWU from KUL

[S V Choong 4]

Just checked MAS' online booking and found that MAS has already begun KUL-SDK (Sandakan) direct service bypassing BKI.

 

MAS has resumed KUL-TWU (Tawau) direct flights after a 2-3 weeks of temporary suspension during October 2005.

 

KUL - SDK MH2706, 734, Frequency: daily

SDK - KUL MH2707, 734, Frequency: daily

 

KUL - TWU MH2662, 734, Frequency: daily

TWU - KUL MH2663, 734, Frequency: daily

 

Meanwhile, traffic from BKI to SIN direct remains low.

 

SIN - BKI MH630, 734, Frequency: Tue, Thu, Sat

BKI - SIN MH631, 734, Frequency: Tue, Thu, Sat

Edited November 26, 2005 by S V Choong

[Bing Chu 0]

Frankly, I think it just shows up the complacency so apparently prevalent within MH - why they just couldn't see (or refuse to) the need for SDK and TWU direct to KUL all this while, and once AK initiated the routes, hey presto, MH is there for a piece of the cake too !

 

Now that AK is commencing JHB-SDK and JHB-TWU too, we await MH's knee jerk response !

 

Yes, sad about BKI-SIN vv isn't it ? At least we are getting some help from SilkAir soon, hope it lasts though.

[Fitri Shukri 0]

I went on an MH KUL-TWU on April. Passenger load was about 70% I guess,and from their ascentwhich I overheard in the terminal, they mostly are Sabahan. Took off from KUL around 1230 hours. It was the longest domestic flight I had so far, about 2 hours 50 minutes. Pretty boring after the lunch was served and since it was a B737, no inflight entertainment. Luckily the passengers next to me were nice people and had a good chat. We flew over the Maliau Basin, it look like one big crater!

 

I think there many more potential direct route between Sabah/Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. And it sure looks that AK sees the potential earlier and have the guts to fly first also.

[Rozhan 0]

Which side of the aircraft were you seated in Fitri...left or right? I would like to see the basin, as I believe it is still off-limits to the casual traveller... Plan to go to Sabah next year and explore other towns there.

[S V Choong 4]

I went on an MH KUL-TWU on April. Passenger load was about 70% I guess,and from their ascentwhich I overheard in the terminal, they mostly are Sabahan. Took off from KUL around 1230 hours. It was the longest domestic flight I had so far, about 2 hours 50 minutes. Pretty boring after the lunch was served and since it was a B737, no inflight entertainment. Luckily the passengers next to me were nice people and had a good chat. We flew over the Maliau Basin, it look like one big crater!

 

Fitri, I was on the KUL-TWU as well on Feb 2005. My flight was 100% full due to Chinese New Year. Most people on my flight was Sabahan too, judging by their accent in both Malay and the Chinese dialects they spoke. I didn't see the Maliau Basin and I was sitting on the left hand side of the a/c. Did see Bandar Seri Begawan though. We flew directly above TWU airport and then made a U turn and landed there.

 

But very nice to hear about the load outside of the peak season. 70% is quite good.

 

I think there many more potential direct route between Sabah/Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. And it sure looks that AK sees the potential earlier and have the guts to fly first also.

 

The passenger capacity to SIN or JHB is probably quite enough and I think AK is taking a bit of a risk as well. But fortunately AK's low fare means everyone will get to travel! I heard that these days a lot of people from Sabah would go to KL for further studies rather than Singapore as in the old days (back then exchange rate was more favourable in the 70-80s). Also, people nowdays prefer to go to JHB rather than SIN.

 

BC, MAS is a very conservative airline don't you think? They are not daring enough to try new ideas or go to the horizon where nobody has never been. I understand that their intention to make BKI as the second hub for international routes, but I just couldn't understand why the same criteria is also applied to domestic travel. I remember when I was still in Sabah, there's a flight daily, which route from TWU-SDK-BKI-KUL and vice versa. The flight duration was about 4 hours altogether! Although MAS tried to claim it was a flight making 2 stops but you don't need to change the a/c. I tried it twice once from TWU and never again!

Edited November 26, 2005 by S V Choong

[Sing Yew 1]

BC, MAS is a very conservative airline don't you think?  They are not daring enough to try new ideas or go to the horizon where nobody has never been.  I understand that their intention to make BKI as the second hub for international routes, but I just couldn't understand why the same criteria is also applied to domestic travel.  I remember when I was still in Sabah, there's a flight daily, which route from TWU-SDK-BKI-KUL and vice versa.  The flight duration was about 4 hours altogether!  Although MAS tried to claim it was a flight making 2 stops but you don't need to change the a/c.  I tried it twice once from TWU and never again!

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AK introduces the new flights and if the demand doesn't match the supply they offer, they'll stop or reduce the frequency. So, they're pretty responsive I'll say.

 

[Bing Chu 0]

Well, being "conservative" is perhaps one convenient excuse for the situation MH finds itself in nowadays. It sort of contradicts quite starkly against their slogan 'Going Beyond Expectations' you think not ?! Perhaps that tagline only applies to the red ink in the bean counters' books !

 

I think it's fair to say the general concensus amongst us here is that MH management is way too busy coping with all the 'political' influences to have any time nor ability to spare for the real business of running an airline, commercially. Reality is that competitors out there are all too ready to exploit any weaknesses, and they are quick in their response too.

 

Just compare how quickly AK drops any non-profit generating route(s) vs the dilly-dallying with MH's 'politically inspired' services.

 

Just my thoughts, for what it's worth.

[Rozhan 0]

I remember when I was still in Sabah, there's a flight daily, which route from TWU-SDK-BKI-KUL and vice versa.  The flight duration was about 4 hours altogether!  Although MAS tried to claim it was a flight making 2 stops but you don't need to change the a/c.  I tried it twice once from TWU and never again!

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I love multiple stops for the multiple take-offs and landings... but not too long a duration. I once took MH 2625 BKI-LBU-MYY-KCH. While the flight was fun, the only hassle was having to disembark at MYY for Immigration formalities although my final destination was KCH, and other passengers may continue to KUL.

[Bing Chu 0]

The most ludricous flight I had was a BKI-LBU-MYY in the late 80's We were made to disembark at LBU, had our passports stamped, then reboarded the plane for MYY, where we had our passports stamped again upon arrival. Not sure if there was the same requirement MYY-LBU-BKI, we took MYY-BKI direct !

[Rozhan 0]

MH 2625 BKI-LBU-MYY-KCH-KUL

 

No need to stamp passports / immigration card at LBU these days. We just had to disembark for the cleaners to clean the aircraft, and given transit passes to shop around at the duty free outlet there. Then off to waiting lounge for boarding call.

 

In MYY, everyone had to disembark and rush over to Immigration as this is the first point of entry to Sarawak. As I was ending my journey at KCH, there was no more immigration formalities there and we exited via the domestic arrival gate. I'm not sure if those continuing to KUL would have to stamp their immigration cards when they transit at KCH, but I believe they would have had to do so.

 

Perhaps smoother transit with MyCard holders now with the recent recognition of MyCard for travel purposes to Sabah and Sarawak.

Edited November 28, 2005 by Rozhan

[Walter Sim 1]

I flew KUL-LBU-MYY before,

 

few years back when i was a kido.

 

That time i did not disembark from the plane, i remembered seeing the steward opening the back door and him sitting on the floor with his legs out of the carpet. That was when i was a kid.

[S V Choong 4]

Has anyone here tried MH60 /61 during the 80s to early 90s, routing:

 

MH60 (Airbus A300B4-203):

KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG-TPE-NRT

 

MH61 (same equipment)

NRT-TPE-HKG-BKI-KCH-KUL

 

I have been on such flight..... but only route from KUL-HKG only... Imagine to get to NRT on such flight must be quite a pain and back then I don't think they have BKI-TPE and BKI-NRT direct.

 

BC Tam have probably been on such flight Rozhan, perhaps this is the kind of flight you like?

Edited November 29, 2005 by S V Choong

[Rozhan 0]

  Rozhan, perhaps this is the kind of flight you like?

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OH YES!! Even better if there are many empty seats and I can go from left to right of the cabin taking videos and pictures MH 2625 I took was full!

[Isaac 0]

Has anyone here tried MH60 /61 during the 80s to early 90s, routing:

 

MH60 (Airbus A300B4-203):

KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG-TPE-NRT

 

MH61 (same equipment)

NRT-TPE-HKG-BKI-KCH-KUL

17776[/snapback]

Poor bird ... must be exhausted !

 

[S V Choong 4]

Yeah if memory serves me right, the flights departed as an early morning flight (still counted as night flight) at around 5-6am from Subang Airport. My dad just love to be on this flight, coz it was cheaper and it is an Airbus A300 flight! The flight then route to KCH (sometimes direct to BKI on certain days). By the time it reached NRT it was probably around night time.... 7-8pm. I guess it will stop at NRT for a night then flyout to TPE-HKG-BKI then KUL. So when it arrives at KUL is another night!!

Edited November 29, 2005 by S V Choong

[Walter Sim 1]

i took MYY-KCH-KUL once, around last year. MYY to KCH was totally full and KCH to KUL sector was plain empt.y They were like 4 of my family, with a guy going back to Dubai, and i think another few more. the most i can make up is below 20 PAX. Meal was served immedietly and my dad and the guy both chatted with the steward and stuff. It was no doubt emptiest flight i've ever been on.

[Bing Chu 0]

BC Tam have probably been on such flight 

17776[/snapback]

SV,

 

Not quite, never been to NRT and TPE was way back when a change of airline was necessary at HKG !

 

How certain are you of the KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG-TPE-NRT vv routing though ? My recollection is of

KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG vv

KUL-KCH-BKI-SEL vv

KUL-KCH-BKI-NRT vv

after they discontinued SEL & NRT direct to KCH.

KCH was also serviced by Dragonair directly from HKG previously, and there was a KUL-KCH-MNL-TPE service for a while too.

 

Wonder who thought of KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG-TPE-NRT, probably some compromise between Sabahan/Sarawakian piliticians vs Flight Planning Dept at MH !! Hey, maybe if they push hard enough, we might yet see KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG-TPE-NRT-LAX-EWR-LHR-DXB-SIN-KUL (daily service ?)

[S V Choong 4]

BC, well I must say I am pretty sure of it. I have been on the MH60 to HKG several times already and did remember looking at the timetable that the plane will continue all the way to TPE and NRT with Airbus A300B4-203. Then when I came over to NZ during the early 90s and tried and rebooked a MH60 flight from BKI-HKG and hoping to travel to TPE and NRT..... but was told by MAS that they have just revised the flight route 1 month ago!! ARGGGHHHH...... Apparently traffice rights between HKG-TPE and TPE-NRT has been revoked by the governments of three territories. Also quite possible because MAS was getting rid of A300 by 1994.

 

Funny how they did have KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG-TPE-NRT vv. flights, absolute madness.

 

Wow, KCH was more important than BKI back then eh?

 

KUL-KCH-BKI-HKG-TPE-NRT-LAX-EWR-LHR-DXB-SIN-KUL (daily service ?) 

I wouldn't mind such a flight only if they allow multiple stops in a couple of those destination!!

 

I thought the KUL-NRT-LAX-Mexico City (MEX?) was mad enough but nowdays the KUL-JNB-CPT-EZE is also equally crazy.

Edited November 30, 2005 by S V Choong

[Isaac 0]

Apparently traffice rights between HKG-TPE and TPE-NRT has been revoked by the governments of three territories. 

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Yeah, it could be. HKG/TPE and TPE/NRT are like golden routes ...