Route of the Month - LHR-KUL

[Robert 0]

This was in Business Traveller at the end of September but the time was only available for persons with a subscription. Some the points are incorrect or out of date and based on the bookings my family made in November the prices dont see correct.

 

 

http://www.businesst...te-of-the-month

 

 

Alex McWhirter looks at how new services can benefit business travellers. This month: options from London to Kuala Lumpur

 

 

London-Kuala Lumpur

About 15 years ago, the route between the Malaysian capital and London was flourishing, but the effects of the Asian economic downturn of the late 1990s took their toll. As a result, British Airways and other European carriers, with the exception of KLM and Lufthansa, decided to pull out, citing unprofitability on the sector.

 

It's difficult to imagine now but BA schedules of 2001 show the carrier operating four B747 services a week on this route, until it withdrew later that year. Malaysia Airlines enjoyed a monopoly out of London until 2009, when local budget carrier Air Asia X appeared on the scene.

 

With its £99 one-way fares, this Malaysian airline was expected to shake up the market and turn Kuala Lumpur into a low-cost gateway for South East Asia. But, as you will read in In Focus (see page 14), it never happened.

 

Still, there are some important developments in the pipeline. For starters, Air Asia X will be moving its London operation from Stansted to Gatwick's South Terminal on October 24. Stansted is a fine airport, but Gatwick has better rail access to central London.

 

The main news is Malaysia Airlines' pending membership of Oneworld, which is set to start from the end of next year. When this happens, it will turn Kuala Lumpur into a more important destination, and perhaps other airlines will recognise this.

 

It is likely British Airways will restart services either using its own planes or under a codeshare arrangement with Malaysia Airlines.

 

Both carriers have extensive networks beyond their twin hubs of London Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur, meaning better connecting opportunities at both ends. Kuala Lumpur International airport is underutilised – it was set up in the late 1990s to rival nearby Singapore but it never realised its potential. So it has plenty of room to grow.

 

Malaysia Airlines has also ordered six A380 superjumbos, the first of which is scheduled to enter operation next year. The London route will be a priority.

 

 

What Malaysia Airlines offers

The carrier operates twice daily from Heathrow T4 with B747-400s in a conventional three-class layout, with 12 fully-flat seats in first, 41 angled lie-flat seats in business and 306 seats in economy. Flights adopt classic late-morning and late-night departures in each direction.

 

 

What Air Asia X offers

One of its 327-seat A340-300s, which features business and economy, serves the route. (The carrier's other A340-300 is used on its Paris Orly-Kuala Lumpur service.) Gone are the old Air Canada business seats, replaced by 18 angled lie-flat beds (170 degrees) that are priced in line with a conventional carrier's premium economy fare. The news is not so good concerning economy – to generate more revenue, Air Asia X ditched the A340's conventional eight-across 2-4-2 layout in favour of a denser nine-across configuration of 3-3-3.

 

Schedules vary by day of the week. Flights from London go overnight but inbound services operate during daylight hours. Right now, there are six flights a week from Stansted but, during November, schedules are cut to three services a week out of Gatwick to allow for aircraft maintenance. Then, from early December to March there will be five a week. Flights arrive at Kuala Lumpur's low-cost carrier terminal, which is quite some distance from the main facilities that are used by conventional carriers.

 

Air Asia X hopes to replace the four-engine A340 with a more fuel-efficient twin-engine A330 sometime next year. This plane will also be configured for two classes with the same seating types.

 

 

The indirect alternative

The classiest route is to take one of Singapore Airlines' (SIA) three daily flights, two of which are operated by A380s, into the city-state. They offer good onboard products and the best connections for the northbound hop to Kuala Lumpur. (Its service out of Manchester takes longer because there is an en route stop at Munich.) But SIA has the highest prices.

 

Most convenient is KLM's daily service via Amsterdam because you have a departure choice from so many UK regional airports. Lufthansa is not so convenient as its service touches down in Bangkok.

 

The best prices are with the Gulf carriers, which depart from London and regional airports. Emirates operates thrice-daily between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur using B777s. One of these services will be upgraded to an A380 from December 1.

 

 

Fares

For a return fare in mid-November incorporating a Saturday-night stay:

 

• Air Asia X: expect to pay upwards of £646 (plus fees for baggage, meals and so on) in economy, with business class priced at £1,883 (add extra for meals only).
• Malaysia Airlines: under £700 in economy, more than £2,800 for business and about £6,000 for first.
• KLM: less than £700 in economy and about £3,000 for business class.
• SIA: under £800 in economy, about £3,000 in business and £11,700 in first classGulf carriers such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar: about £550 for economy, upwards of £2,000 for business, first class (Emirates only) under £5,000.

Edited October 29, 2011 by Robert

[Mike P 0]

First class costing more than 30 to 55K in MYR? Shoot! You can own a good local made car!

[Raj 0]

First class costing more than 30 to 55K in MYR? Shoot! You can own a good local made car!

 

You seriously think passengers who do fly First Class are actually going to buy a "Local Mae Car"? Think again Mate!

[Y. J. Foo 0]

You seriously think passengers who do fly First Class are actually going to buy a "Local Mae Car"? Think again Mate!

 

Or actually pay the full fare themselves... (e.g. with upgrades, paid by companies etc)

[Mike P 0]

You seriously think passengers who do fly First Class are actually going to buy a "Local Mae Car"? Think again Mate!

 

I think you got the wrong idea, Raj. I just simply saying the cost of flying a first class can allow someone buying a local made car... or even foreign cars at other nations since they do not impose 200% taxes on foreign cars like Malaysian Government does.

[Josh T 0]

Interesting that the quoted price for economy between MH and D7 is not much different, especially when the small price difference doesn't even include the extras that you have to pay for on D7.

[Johan Z 0]

Interesting that the quoted price for economy between MH and D7 is not much different, especially when the small price difference doesn't even include the extras that you have to pay for on D7.

Now you know how LCCs make lots of money

[Mushrif A 3]

Now you know how LCCs make lots of money

 

I'm not so sanguine about D7 making tons of money on that route. In fact, the article seems to implicitly suggest that the consumer should really think & shop around, as all-in-all, D7 may not be offering a value-for-money fare.

[flee 5]

This is the BUSINESS Traveller magazine.

 

Business travellers will find it hard to get low fares on D7 because they are unable to book 10 months in advance (when D7's fares are usually the lowest). LCCs are more suited for budget travellers who can plan their travel well in advance.

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

Interesting that the quoted price for economy between MH and D7 is not much different, especially when the small price difference doesn't even include the extras that you have to pay for on D7.

 

But they're the masters of conditioning people to think that they're cheapest always. It's similar to other LCCs around the world.

[Josh T 0]

But they're the masters of conditioning people to think that they're cheapest always. It's similar to other LCCs around the world.

So, basically, what you're saying is that LCCs prey on stupid people. I rarely ever find LCCs to be good value.

[Rob 0]

So, basically, what you're saying is that LCCs prey on stupid people. I rarely ever find LCCs to be good value.

 

I don't think that's what he means. I'd be careful calling people stupid.

 

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

So, basically, what you're saying is that LCCs prey on stupid people. I rarely ever find LCCs to be good value.

 

Well, not really stupid but not enlightened I must say.

[Mike P 0]

Be smart, whenever you book, don't just check on LCC, do compare with other premium airlines for best value tickets.

[Johan Z 0]

I'm not so sanguine about D7 making tons of money on that route. In fact, the article seems to implicitly suggest that the consumer should really think & shop around, as all-in-all, D7 may not be offering a value-for-money fare.

 

I meant in general, I didn't mention this particular route.

[Robert 0]

I always compare the total cost inc the add ons and based on my 3 trips to over in the past 2 years which were booked at less than 2 months notice I found D7 either more expensive or just a few hundred cheaper than other airlines.

 

 

[Mushrif A 3]

So, basically, what you're saying is that LCCs prey on stupid people. I rarely ever find LCCs to be good value.

 

Not stupid but naive.

[Mike P 0]

Nothing personal... but solely business... that's how they make money.

[flee 5]

I always compare the total cost inc the add ons and based on my 3 trips to over in the past 2 years which were booked at less than 2 months notice I found D7 either more expensive or just a few hundred cheaper than other airlines.

That is generally true but this varies with the routes too. E.g. one of my relatives booked about 6 weeks before her Melbourne trip in Jan this year. While SQ, MH and EK fares were hovering around RM 2200-2500, D7 offered up a RM 1,500+ return fare.

 

I was pleasantly surprised as I told her not to have her hopes up too high as I knew that I could have booked the same tickets for about RM 800 return had I become a "victim" during one of D7's sales promotion periods.

 

My own brother managed to get the £99 tickets for the STN-KUL route (although the final fare was closer to £250 return after all the extras are added). I had a great KUL-TPE return fare of RM 333 return too, so there are bargains to be had if you plan your trips early.

 

As such it is not easy to generalise what kind of fares D7 can kick up. Generally speaking, taking the database opening sale (means that bookings have to be done around 10-11 months before traveling) will get you one of the cheapest seats. But not many people can plan so far ahead, so seldom see these sort of fares.

 

At the end of the day, no two person's travel arrangements can be identical. So you just check all available options and decide which it is the best offer available.

[Josh T 0]

Well, not really stupid but not enlightened I must say.

Well, definitely those who are not travel-savvy.

[Mike P 0]

Do try the fleapy.com to find the cheapest flight on AirAsia.