Malaysian Airlines doubles direct Sydney-KL flights, spruiks $599 return fare

Need to scoot up from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur for a quick round of meetings and customer catch-ups? Malaysia’s flag carrier is doubling the daily direct service between the two cities as of November 1st.

In addition to the current 3pm/8.50pm MH0122 flight, MAS will convert the overnight MH0140 service which previously went via Brisbane into a direct SYD-KUL flight with a 9.55pm departure to arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 3.20am the following day. This shaves almost two and half hours off the journey compared to the SYD-BNE-KUL redeye.

“The flying times to KL from Sydney and Brisbane are pretty much the same but when you delink (those legs) and Sydneysiders no longer have to go via Brisbane they gain almost three hours” MAS’ media spokeswoman Julia Loong told Australian Business Traveller. (Mind you, the benefits of arriving at KL airport at 3.20am instead of 5.45am are perhaps debatable.)

Loong says that Brisbane-based business travellers still have five direct services “with full capacity, whereas previously they had to share with Sydney during peak periods. We’re seeing plenty of growth out of Sydney and also Brisbane.”

To coincide with the ‘daily double’, Malaysia Airlines is running a five day sale with return economy flights for $599, with tickets on sale from Monday, 25 October for travel dates from 1 March to 15 June 2011.

Malaysia Airlines’ Regional Senior Vice President Ignatius Ong says the earlier arrival of the non-stop overnighter will also make for easier connections to Europe via the carrier’s KL hub. “ As a network carrier, we have timed our flights to enable passengers arriving in KL to connect easily to Europe and other destinations.”

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.