Malaysia Airlines increases Adelaide-Kuala Lumpur flights
By John Walton, March 28 2011
Malaysia Airlines is boosting its flights from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur, making the route more attractive to South Australia-based business travellers, who won't need to connect in Melbourne, Sydney or Perth as frequently.
Flights now operate six days a week, with only Tuesdays not served into Adelaide, and Wednesdays without a flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Connections are available through Malaysia Airlines' Kuala Lumpur hub to many Asian, Middle Eastern and European cities.
For SA-based frequent flyers, the flights are particularly useful since Malaysia Airlines is a partner in Virgin Blue's Velocity Rewards program, meaning that Velocity members can earn points from flying Malaysia Airlines.
From Kuala Lumpur, flight MH139 departs at 2150 and arrives into Adelaide at 0615 the next day (all times local), every day except Tuesday.
Heading northbound, timings are slightly more complicated (all times are, again, local):
- On Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, flights leave Adelaide at 0900 and arrive into KL at 1500, using flight number MH136.
- On Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, flights depart at 1500 and arrive at 2100, with flight number MH 138.
Malaysia Airlines will use large Boeing 777-200 planes on the route.
In business class, there are five rows of sloped lie-flat seats in 2-3-2 configuration. Avoid row 5, which is in an unenviable position between the lavatories and Economy Class bassinet cribs immediately behind.
Economy is laid out in a 2-5-2 seating plan, which is unusual for a 777. Window pairs A+C and J+K are an excellent choice, while the very middle seat of the centre five (seat F) is definitely one to avoid. Avoid the entire five-seat block if at all possible.
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
08 Oct 2011
Total posts 49
I should think 2-5-2 would be better than 3-3-3 configuration? There will be less passengers having to climb over two seats to get out to the aisle. There are only 25 "F" seats in economy cabin out of a total of 247. So the economy cabin can be almost 90% full and every passenger can still avoid middle seats. If MH has a 3-3-3 configuration, then there will be 50 window seats passengers who have to climb over 2 seats out to the aisle.
08 Oct 2011
Total posts 49
And in 3-3-3, there might be around 75 "centre" seats, i.e. about 30% chance of being sanwiched in between two other passengers compared to only 10% in 2-5-2. Think of what is the probablity of economy cabin being higher than 90% full.
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