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While there is plenty of seating, the seats themselves looked a bit outdated, but Malaysian Airlines is currently in the process of renovating the lounge, which should be completed by the end of this year.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.
