As transit passenger with less than 24 hours between my two
flights, I was granted access to the Malaysian Airlines First Class lounge, located
in the satellite lounge.
I walked into the lounge and was shown to the first class
section, located on the right hand side. Since Malaysian Airlines currently
only operates a single route with first class, it was no surprise that the
first class portion of the lounge was one long, but thin corridor.
Lining the corridor was bunch of plush seats to lounge
around in, with views of the tarmac below.
At the end of the lounge was a private nap room, a big plus
for those having a long layover.
There’s also a proper sit down restaurant with gorgeous
views of the airport tarmac, complete with full table service. I was quickly
seated and handed the lunch menu.
I first ordered the Curry Lakhsa, a Malaysian dish
consisting of egg noodles and various types of meat.
This was followed by a rib eye steak, which was incredible
and among the best I’ve had at an airport.
After my meal I headed to the smoking lounge, where I was
poured a glass of Cattier Brut.
This was not the most elegant of champagnes at a mere $30
per bottle, but still it’s hard to beat watching planes go down the runway
while drinking bubbly.
Before I left for my plane, I decided to take a quick look
at the business class lounge. Immediately upon entering the lounge, you’ll
notice a full service bar, much to the relief of thirsty passengers on flights
less than three hours (Malaysian Airlines has a draconian policy of not serving
alcohol for short haul flights).
The business class lounge looked quite spacious with plenty
of seats during the afternoon lull, but I was told it gets filled to capacity
during peak hours.
While there is plenty of seating, the seats themselves
looked a bit outdated, but Malaysian Airlines is currently in the process of
renovating the lounge, which should be completed by the end of this year.
There’s a small buffet in the main seating area. However, I
recommend heading to the dining area in the back, where a Curry Lakhsa bar
serves the same delicious dish I had earlier.
Overall, the first class lounge was a good place to wait
before my flight, but I certainly wouldn’t come to the airport early just to
lounge around. Similarly, the business class lounge certainly was functional,
but lacking in the wow factor.
