Malaysia Airlines Redeems Itself

In a previous post, I talked about my disappointment over the snacks and service that I got during a long-haul flight with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in June 2009. Even though MAS replied via Twitter that they have “forwarded the input their team and hope to continue improving”, I still had my reservations when I booked our KUL-IST-KUL (Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur) tickets with MAS a couple of weeks ago.

I actually had a choice between MAS, Emirates Air, and Egypt Air but MAS was the only one with a direct connection and the flight schedule that fit our intended itinerary perfectly.What about Turkish Airlines, you might ask? They’re actually code-sharing with MAS, i.e. people holding Turkish Airlines tickets still flew with the MAS flight. And pssst…MAS’ ticket was cheaper by a few hundred Ringgit! So I bought MAS tickets because of the price and schedule, albeit with some trepidation.

MAS’ in-flight hot meals have always been great so I wasn’t worried about that. On the KUL-IST leg of the flight, passengers had a choice between nasi ayam (chicken rice) and a mini steak with gravy for supper. DH had the chicken rice, I had the steak; we both agreed that the food tasted awesome. (Sorry, guys. It was only after we finished eating everything that I remembered that I should have taken a pic of the food!)  For the return flight to KL, we had a choice between chicken fillet in oriental sauce with steamed rice and chicken teriyaki with noodles, which were both equally good.

It was the snacks that I was more worried about. You see, in June 2009, they were giving away Hwa Tai biscuits on my KL-Capetown-KL flight.

My worry turned out to be baseless because MAS now gives away snack packs. Yippee! The snack packs contain a packet of salted peanuts, a slice of real cheddar cheese (no processed cheese here, thank you), a packet of crackers, a large oatmeal cookie, and a small Kitkat bar.

The quality of their fruit juices has also improved immensely — no more watered-down-tasting stuff this time.

The best surprise was on our Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur flight — there were two pieces of baklava for dessert together with our in-flight meals! (Click on the photo below to see a larger image.)

The airline crew were also very friendly and helpful…and even seemed to read minds. On the way to Istanbul, while everyone else was fast asleep, I woke up, feeling extremely thirsty. So I pressed that little button that summons a flight attendant to one’s seat. When the steward came, I was just about to open my mouth when I noticed that he was carrying a couple of mineral water containers with him. I laughed, pointed at the water, and gratefully accepted them. Small thing I know, but it’s always the small touches that make all the difference.