I fly with “The World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines” quite a lot since I can get a cheaper price, but out of curiosity, I bought a return ticket from Kota Kinabalu – Kuala Lumpur and fly with Malindo Air.
Yes, this is my first time flying with Malindo Air and I heard a lot about them from my colleagues who work in Tourism and Hospitality. So here are my reviews and a few things that you need to know before flying with Malindo Air.
Booking, Payment, and Check-in
Among three things that most of us will ask before making any decision whether to book with airlines.
For Malindo Air, booking through the website was super easy. The payment was smooth with a slightly more selection of banks and Check-in on the counter was a breeze.
Short introduction about Malindo air, it is a Malaysian full-service airline owned by Indonesia. The word MALINDO is derived from 2 words, MALAYSIA and INDONESIA which signifies the cooperative venture between both countries.
What is so special about Malindo Air? and the 5 things you need to know about Malindo Air
1. Spacious Leg Room
Reclining leather seats (yeah you heard it, leather seat) with seat pitches of 45″ for Business class and 32″ for Economy class, so it is very comfortable and you won’t feel cramp.
2. In-flight Entertainment for All
Yes, everyone can enjoy free in-flight entertainment (latest movies, TV Programmes, and even games) through the touch screen panel. But it is advisable to bring your headphone or earphone just in case they do not provide any during the entire flight and mind you, they won’t loan you high-quality headphones or earphones, so the sound might be slightly off.
3. FREE Checked Baggage Allowance
With any ticket purchased (from Malindo Air’s official website), apart from getting a FREE 7kg hand carry, you are also entitled to FREE checked baggage (Economy class – 25kg). So you saved the cost of purchasing prepaid baggage.
4. Meal On-Board
With your Malindo Air ticket, not only do you get FREE in-flight entertainment, FREE checked baggage allowance, and spacious legroom, but you will also get FREE snacks on board (depending on flight duration). In our case, travelling from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur took about 2 hours and 30 minutes and we were served Hot Snack (Pizza and muffin) with beverages (Drinking water and Fruit Juice or Soft Drinks).
5. Friend and Professional Crews
Starting from the waiting area inside the airport before the flight until boarding the plane and during the entire flight, Malindo Air crews are friendly and professional. They are very helpful and attentive. Well at least during our flight.
Tips: If you are flying from KLIA, you can drop your luggage and check-in at KL Sentral and they will settle everything, and that is one of the best-added services. Before heading to KLIA, you will have ample time to do last-minute shopping at Nu Sentral, KL Sentral.
My Verdict
I’m a big fan of the spacious legroom as it will be much easy for you to go out from your seat (if you are sitting next to the window). For meals or snacks, I’m not a fan of pizza and I would suggest that hot meals are also served for short-haul flights – less than 2 and a half hours of flight. For entertainment, most of the movies are new and the only downside I could think of is the touch-responsive of the screen. As for the cabin service, I can say that the cabin crews were professional in their way, very friendly, and helpful.
If you ask me whether would I fly again with Malindo Air? Well, I will say Big Yes!
