Welcome to my Malaysia Airlines 737 MAX J Class Trip Report!
This is Malaysia's Boeing 737 MAX 8, 9M-MVF (Photo: Chaity)
I have flown with Malaysia Airlines a good number of times in including the time when the airline was operating the older generation A330-300 (9M-MK* series), Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 747-400 in the fleet. I always have a soft spot for this airline and really would like to see this airline becoming a strong player in the region, giving much needed competition for the rivals. Like they say, strong competition means better service and possibily more attractive airfares for us.
When Malaysia Airlines took delivery of the first Boeing 737 MAX 8, I knew it was a matter of time to fly with the airline again and I decided to wait for a while until the airline operates a sizable fleet of the the new aircraft model such as the 737-8 and A330neo so that I won't have to worry about last minute equipment change. At this point of time, the airline is operating 14 Boeing 737-8 MAX and there are more to be delivered in the near future. As for the Airbus A330neo, I am considering flying this airline to either Sydney or Melbourne next year and from there, I connect to a LATAM flight to Santiago, Chile.
For my part 2 and part 3 series, I am pleased to share with you my experience on both Business and Economy class on the airline's Boeing 737 MAX 8. Hope you find this information useful.
Without further ado, let's begin this trip report.
About Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 10 aircraft will be the backbone of domestic routes and operate on regional routes (that do not require the capacity of the A330neo) and they are ordered to replace the 737-800 fleet and also since the MAX 10 is a larger capacity aircraft, it is likely to be deployed on high demand short to medium haul routes (between 1 to 6 hours flight) and free up the A330neo to focus on medium haul routes (between 6-10 hours flight).
What is the significant difference between both MAX 8 and MAX 10 in terms of cabin?
According to the airline, the MAX 10 will feature the lie-flat bed seats for the business class while the MAX 8 will feature the recline seats (this trip report) for the same class. In addition, the MAX 10 will also have individual In-Flight Entertainment screens for the economy class cabin. That's the plan for now and if there are any further developement, I will update this post accordingly.
Photo: Boeing
The new lie-flat business class seats only on the Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft (Photo: Malaysia Airlines)
Booking with Malaysia Airlines
The last time I flew with this airline was in 2016 and the mobile app/website was different from this version.
I must comment that this version is certainly an improvement over the previous and I like the interface of the app as I was able to do the booking with the important information provided for me without issues.
The map layout of the 737-8 Economy Class
The aircraft type information was provided and the rows are split into 3 sections for easier viewing. Of course I have to use Aerolopa.com to check ane make sure my window seat is aligned to a window.
There are options (for convenience) which the airline provides for you with a fee.
When I received an email from the airline that I was eligible for MHupgrade, I went for it. I bid about RM300 for the business class upgrade only on the MYY-KUL sector. 2 hours vs 45 minutes - no brainer right? Besides the price of bidding on the KUL-SIN route was higher but you get lounge access at KUL airport which is something you can consider when flying out of the home base.
For MYY, there is no lounge for MH business class passengers, so you have to make deal with what they have at this small airport in Miri. More on this in my part 3 of the trip report.
Do note: Make sure your debit or credit card has enough funds to process the transaction when your bid is successful. If not, the upgrade would go to someone else.
After receiving the notification of my successful bid, I took a lot at the seat map, fortunately for me, my preferred seat 3A was available.
My updated flight itinerary for the 1st leg
Random photos in Miri
I was blessed with good weather during my stay.
I stayed at the hotel near Jalan Pasang Lutong. This is quite a good location where there are plenty of food options and a shopping available.
This is the MYY mall. Look at the cloud formation!
This is one of the streets.
A mosque
I enjoyed this simple but delicious dry noodles with egg accompanied with a glass of chysanthemum tea.
It was certainly a love day during my 2nd day.
I had lamp chop with rice at the hotel's restaurant.
About Miri Airport
Miri Airport is located at the south-east part of Miri, a city located at the Malaysian state of Sarawak. This airport was opened in 1985 and is operated by the Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. Currently, the airport operates with one terminal building and a single runway (02/20), for the aircraft types, only narrow-body aircraft are deployed to this airport with the Airbus A320, Boeing 737-800/-8 MAX, ERJ-190E2 and ATR-72 aircraft operate to this airport most of the time.
On the day of departure
Welcome to Miri Airport!
The entrance to the airport (alighting and departure point for Grab rides)
The arrival hall
There are a few shops and benches around.
Complimentary airport wifi is available.
This is the 2nd level (departure hall).
The view from the 2nd level.
There are eateries on the 2nd level.
Charging stations are available at the land side.
There is a Starbucks cafe at the airport.
I spent an hour and a half at this coffee place relaxing.
The view from my seat at Starbucks.
I received a notification from Flightradar24 and I was happy to know that 9M-MVF gets the honour to fly me to KUL.
I received the update from Flighty not too long after.
Off she goes!
The check-in counters are located at the far end of the first level.
I went over to the business class check-in counter and after waiting for the passenger in front of me, the check-in process took around a couple of minutes to complete.
This was my first time flying on Malaysia Airlines Business Class.
There is a Famous Amos shop at the airside.
This is the waiting area at the departure hall.
There is an upcoming Zus cafe, opening up in a few weeks time.
The waiting area was later on crowded with a good number of departure happening around the same time, later that day.
Charging ports are available.
More seating areas are available over here.
These are the flight departures happening at that time. Air Asia's flight to KUL was delayed for a one and a half hours.
My ride had arrived.
By this time, the place was crowded.
My first sight of 9M-MVF!
I was in the group 1 for boarding.
Let's go!
I loved this kind of aerobridge.
You are able to view your aircraft while walking through one.
This would also be my first time on a Malaysia airlines aircraft featuring the "Negaraku" which is now part of the standard livery for the fleet. This livery reflects the design of the Malaysian national flag and it represents the spirit of nationalism, allowing the world to see the essential unique Malaysian values on all the routes the airline flies to and this information comes from the Malaysian Airlines Chairman, Nor Yusof.
Hello 9M-MVF!
Time to board!
Another look at this beautiful livery.
Welcome on board Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8!
My ride: 9M-MVF
Route: MYY-KUL
Miles: 854
Airlines flying on this route: Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines
Average Flight Time: 2 hours
My seat: 3A (Aerolopa.com)
Date of departure: 15th October 2025
Airline: Malaysia Airlines
Last Flight with this Airline: August 2016
Route: MYY-KUL
Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8
Registration: 9M-MVF
Gate: 2
Seat: 3A (Business Class)
Load: 10/12 in J Class
Boarding: 1709
Schedule Departure: 1745
Push Back: 1737
Take Off: 1750
Flight Time: 2 hours
Actual Flight Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Schedule Arrival: 2010
Actual Arrival: 1947
Departure Runway: 02
Departure Weather: Partially Cloudy
Arrival Runway: 14L
Arrival Weather: Cloudy
Arrival Terminal: 1
My inflight experience
Boarding process was organised as we boarded according to groups. However there were a good number of passengers at group 1 in front of me so I wasn't able to take a clean photo of the economy class but luckily, I have photos of it in my next part of the trip report.
Once on board, I was greeted by 2 friendly crew and you can tell how experience they are especially the female purser. The impression I have for these seats is they look very much like an international Premium Economy Class cabin and to be honest, most of us prefer a lie-flat seat especially on international routes. For this airline, these 737 MAX 8 are deployed on both domestic and regional routes and the longest flight I believe is KUL-ICN and that flight is around 6 hours 15 minutes and that can be too much not just for the economy class passenger, the business class passengers may not find it comfortable after a few hours.
I was fortunate to have my seat besides me remain vacant which means a bit more privacy. But for this type of seat, privacy is thrown out of the window especially if all the seats are occupied.
Although this was a short domestic flight, blanket and pillows were provided. The seat itself is comfortable and I was able to stretch a bit and later on during the flight I tried the fully reclined mode, it was fairly comfortable. The main issue I have for these type of seats is when the person in front of me sets his seat to a fully recline mode, the space between me and the seat in front is greatly reduced and that makes it a bit difficult to getting out of the seat especially if I have a seat mate besides me. Personally I feel that for flights more than 3 hours, I prefer to be in a more comfortable seat - lie-flat bed seats as I prefer to fully stretch my legs out especially if I pay a premium price for it.
The airline chose not to install Inflight Entertainment Screen in both classes for this aircraft but you can use your own device to access the Wifi for both streaming and internet (Complimentary) and this is down to one's personal preference. Personally I prefer to have the IFE screen to watch the movies especially on longer sectors. Despite the shortcomings for this cabin product, I enjoyed the flight very much, flying in good weather and being taken good care by the crew.
For the inflight meal, there were 3 options: Chicken, Fish and Beef. Unfortunately they ran out of the beef option when the crew reached my row. I chose the sweet & sour fish option and was it good? I find it so-so. After the meal service, I had a little chat with one of the crew and I didn't know that the Malaysian airlines cabin crew are trained to work on all the aircraft until today. He also told me about the wifi system and he finds the wifi connection is stronger on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 than the Airbus A330neo and A350-900, no comments about that but I am planning to fly on the A330neo next year and maybe the A350 as well. Watch this space!
This 2 hours flight went past very quickly, I was able to enjoy the beautiful view and do some work during the flight, thanks to the wifi connection. We landed ahead of time and I was certainly happy with this flight experience. Not the best business class seats but the cabin service was great, the complimentary wifi connection and flying in good weather helped to make this flight a memorable one for me.
Economy Class
A glimpse of the economy class
A divider between both economy and business class
For this trip report, I will focus on my business class experience. For the economy class trip report, stay tuned for the next part.
Business Class
There are 12 Safran Z600 recliner seats configured in a 2-2 configuration with 3 rows at the front cabin.
- Seat pitch: 39 inches
- Seat width: 23 inches wide
- Fold down tablet holder
- Retractable tray table
- USB-A, USB-C and Universal AC sockets are available
For Both Economy and Business Class passengers
In-Flight Entertainment: Viasat Ka-band In-flight Connectivity (MHstudio and internet connection)
The Safran Z600 recliner seats
These seats are designed with a modern blue and grey colour seat support with Malay textile motifs on the seat cover.
There is no privacy divider between the seats as the armrest area is where the retractable tray table is stored.
This is my seat, 3A.
The headrest can be adjusted.
I do like the blue colour of the seat.
The lack of the IFE screen and the limited legroom space may not be ideal for some.
Overview of the business class seats
The front view of the seat consists of a coat hanger, tablet holder and a literature holder
It is nice to have a few windows to myself.
View of the seats across the aisle
Front view of the cabin
This is how it looks like when the person in front of me fully reclines his seat.
The seat in its original position
The seat in its fully reclined position.
Enjoying the sunset view
The cabin in dimmed lighting
More photos of the seat
USB chargers and Universal socket are found near the foot of the armrest area.
This is where the retractable tray tables are stored.
The rear view of the business class seat
I was able to stretched my legs.
The 2-seater business class seats
Seat Recline buttons
This is how you take out the tray table.
The tray table
There is instruction on how to access the WiFi.
I was able to place my cellphone on the tablet holder.
I find the screen of my phone too small to enjoy a movie. A tablet would be better in this case.
Some information to take note of.
There is not much privacy between the seats.
The headrest is comfortable.
What I like about this seat is having 2 windows for myself.
I was able to enjoy great view like this (below).
What's inside this folder?
Inflight Duty-Free magazine
Inflight magazine
Disposal Bag
Safety Card
This is the front lavatory (behind the cockpit) and it is very cramp.
The small basin with amenities
It was a tight fit for me!
There is even a mirror on the door.
Can you see how small the lavatory is?
Inflight Entertainment
MHstudio is quite good: Complimentary wifi and a good variety of movies, audios and shows.
MHstudio's main page
The best thing is there is no need to log in to connect to the WiFi.
The latest movies
The selection may not be as intensive as others but it is definitely adequate for the flight duration on my flight.
TV Series shows are also available.
Information on the airline
I did a check on the speed of the Wi-Fi and this is the result.
I was able to browse through the websites and social media like X, Thread and Facebook without issues.
I used Flightradar24 to check my flight's progress.
There were a few clouds along the way.
Earlier on that day, there was thunderstorm in Kuala Lumpur area and fortunately for us, the weather cleared up by the time we arrived.
Inflight Meal
Sweet & Sour Fish option comes with salad and a dessert (cake).
The crew later gave me my choice of beverage (coke).
I was given 2 packets of salted peanuts but I gave them away since I am not a fan of peanuts. From what I heard, this snack is popular among the frequent flyers of this airline.
Later on, the crew gave me a choice of bread and I chose the garlic bread.
Overall this was a standard meal, nothing to shout about. I give this a rating of 3/5.
Window view photos (Take off to Landing)
Air Asia Airbus A320ceo (9M-RAA)
Batik Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 (9M-LRJ)
The view from my seat
Pushed back in this beautiful weather.
On our way to runway 02 for departure.
The taxi to the runway took less than 10 mins.
Almost there.
Turning into the runway.
Thanks for the hospitality, Miri!
Off we go in this beautiful sunset!
We had a good view of the city before turning left and flying over the South China Sea, heading towards Kuala Lumpur.
Turning left!
Goodbye Miri!
It was a perfect day for flying.
One last look!
The split scimitar winglets and the Genx-1B engines in view.
Flying over South China Sea.
It was getting dark.
At this point, we started our descent and the pilots and cabin crew had prepared the aircraft for landing.
Beautiful sky, isn't it?
Making a turn as we were following the traffic path into runway 14L.
The city of Kuala Lumpur
Our aircraft's landing gear were deployed and flaps were set during our final approach.
We touched down smoothly and taxied to our assigned gate, B7.
My flight summary
Welcome to Kuala Lumpur International Airport!
As I had cleared immigration at MYY airport, I didn't have to go through it again in this airport. All I need to do is follow the transit sign and soon I was at the departure hall (airside).
This is the gate area. I headed towards the main concourse.
Here is the main concourse where the shops and restaurants are.
Complimentary airport wifi is available.
Since I had plenty of time to kill and didn't have lounge access, I decided to try out the new Aerotrain and check out the satellite terminal.
More of my KUL 2025 airport experience in my next part.
My ratings
Airline Mobile App/Website (User-friendliness): 4/5
Airport Experience (MYY): 3/5
In-Flight Service: 5/5
In-Flight Entertainment: 4/5
Seat Comfort: 3.5/5
Cabin Ambiance: 5/5
Cabin Condition: 5/5
Punctuality: 5/5
In-Flight Meal: 3/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
Overall Rating: 41.5/50
Percentage: 83%
Conclusion
There is nothing to be excited about flying on the new regional class product, a recliner seat product which is similar to the premium economy class of many airlines out there. These seats are alright for flights up to 4 hours (max) to me but anything longer, I either opted for the A330neo or fly with another airline if I am flying in the same class. However, the lack of IFE Screen is made up by the online wifi entertainment with internet connection available for everyone and this is certainly one of the highlights flying on this aircraft model. Another highlight would be the great inflight service from the experienced crew. They were friendly and showed me how Malaysian hospitality is like. As for the inflight meal, it is certainly not the best.
While some are still skeptical about flying the 737 MAX which is completely understandable, I think the aircraft has undergone enough scrutiny and is safe to fly them now and also I trust the airlines and pilots to know the situation of this aircraft model. Whatever it is , I am grateful to have the chance of trying out this new cabin product without spending over the top.
In my next trip report, I will do an overview of the airline's 737-8 cabin products as I will be flying on the economy class on the next sector.
For my previous trip report (Scoot's ERJ-190-E2 SIN-MYY), click here
Part 3: My MH's 737 MAX 8 Y Class Experience (KUL-SIN) trip report, coming up soon.
Thanks for reading and have a great one!
Charles Ryan
(If you are happy with my work, feel free to contribute by donating any amount over here. Greatly appreciated!)
No comments:
Post a Comment