Welcome to my Malaysia Airlines 737 MAX Y Class Trip Report!
Photo: Jike Z
This is 9M-MVC
Continued from my previous part (Part 2: MYY-KUL Business Class trip report), click here.
Introduction
I had a few choices for the connecting flight from KUL-SIN and the only flight scheduled to be operated by the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on the date I chose was flight MH609, the last flight of the day. Malaysia Airlines currently operates 5 X daily and flights are mostly operated by the Boeing 737-800 with the 737 MAX 8 operating on a few occasions like this flight I picked. Like I mentioned in my previous part, I like to do both flights operated by the 737 MAX 8 just in case the aircraft scheduled to operate either flight gets changed. In addition, my MHupgrade bid was accepted and that made it better for me as I would be able to review both the J and Y class products on this new aircraft.
Since I had about 4-5 hours of layover at KUL airport and I decided to check out the new aerotrain which connects passengers from the main terminal to the satellite terminal and vice versa. Something eventful happened to the new train, do read on to find out.
About Kuala Lumpur Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport is located in the Sepang District of Selangor which is estimated to be around 45km away from the central of Kuala Lumpur and was offically opened in June 1998. This airport was built because the Subang International Airport (now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) could not cope with future demand and therefore it would become a secondary airport which handles limited regional and domestic flights and the IATA code of KUL was transferred to this airport.
Currently this airport has 2 terminals, terminal 1 and terminal 2. They were formerly known as KLIA1 and KLIA2 which the name was rebranded in Febrary 2023. This airport is a main hub for Batik Air Malaysia, MAlaysia Airlines, MASkargo, Raya Airways, Air Asia and Air Asia X and has 3 runways 14L/32R, 14R/32L and 15/33.
This is the layout of KUL Airport (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
This is the layout of terminal 1 (Photo: Airport Guide)
During my transit at KUL
Terminal 1 Main Terminal
If you have access to use MAS's Golden Lounge in this terminal, do remember to drop by. Here is a great review by Milelion. You can check out his review on this lounge over here.
Travelators are available.
A Peranakan Style Shophouse
Sleeping pods
Another Peranakan style shop featuring a barber shop
Similar to Changi Airport Terminal 1 to 3, the security check is done at the gates.
This is the aerotrain station that connects the main terminal to the satellite terminal.
This is the Aerotrain of KLIA, currently undergoing a lot of controversy due to the poor reliability of the train.
This Aerotrain only resumed service last year July after being suspended for nearly 2 and a half years and bus shuttles were deployed during the aerotrain's downtime.
This train model is Alstom Innovia APM 300R and is configured in a 3-car unit. It can travel up to 56 km/h and can hold up to 270 passengers, it is an upgrade over the previous train used on this line.
The cabin interior of the new train
I hope the train operator can improve the train's operation reliability.
This is the Satellite terminal
There is also a MAS Golden Lounge in this terminal, you can check out The Shuttle Whale's review over here.
I find this terminal more interesting as there are more shops and eateries over here and not to forget there is Jungle Broadwalk to explore (during daytime).
The gates at Terminal 1 of KUL requires one to go through security first before being allowed to enter.
The list of airlines operating in KUL airport (Terminal 1 and 2)
When I went back to the aerotrain station, there were a long queue of people waiting and after 15 minutes or so, there was no sign of the train arriving and then we were told to take the shuttle bus. It turned out to be another train breakdown. Fortunately, I was not in a hurry.
We walked towards the ground level.
I manage to spot this Airbus A330-300 of Malaysia Airlines with the Oneworld livery. This is 9M-MTO, bound for Seoul, later that evening.
This bus has a weird configuration, for the section between the 2nd door and the rear of the bus, there were no seats except for one row of seats at the back of the bus. I suppose this helps to squeeze as many passengers as possible on this configuration?
The ride took about 5 minutes before reaching the main terminal.
Once I was back at the main terminal and I saw the aerotrain engineers working on the train and there were announcement made regarding the train break down.
Gate H4 was the assigned gate for my flight.
At this time, this section of the airport was quiet.
Here we are, we had to use the security screening at gate H6 in order to enter the gate area.
Once security screening was done, we entered the gate through this door.
Here is the holding room.
Soon it was time to board.
My last flight of the day!
About to find out which 737 MAX 8 I was flying on.
Welcome on board MH609!
On the top of the aircraft panel at the entrance of the door, you are able to see the manufacturing information of the aircraft which includes the registration of the aircraft.
My ride: 9M-MVC (Photo: Ryotaro Shinozaki)
Boeing 737 MAX 8 (Leased from ALC)
Configuration: C12 Y162
Engines: 2 X CFM Leap 1B-27
Delivered in June 2024
8824th Boeing 737 Built
Age: 1+ Years Old (November 2025)
Built in Renton (RNT)
My flight route: KUL-SIN
Miles: 184
Average Flight Time: 45 minutes
Airlines on this route: Malaysia Airlines, Scoot, Ethiopian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia and Firefly
My seat: 24F (Aerolopa.com)
Date of departure: 15th October 2025
Airlines: Malaysia Airlines
Flight: MH609
Route: KUL-SIN
Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8
Registration: 9M-MVC
Departure Terminal: 1
Seat: 24F
Gate: H4
Load: 90% in Y Class
Flight Time: 50 minutes
Actual Flight Time: 38 minutes
Schedule Departure: 2305
Boarding: 2234
Push Back: 2257
Take Off: 2310
Schedule Arrival: 0010
Actual Arrival: 2348
Departure Runway: 14R
Departure Weather: Partially Cloudy
Arrival Terminal: 2
Arrival Gate: F35L
Arrival Runway: 02L
Arrival Weather: Partially Cloudy
My inflight experience
I don't mind the gate area at this airport even though we have to pass through security in order to access it. as there is a handicapped toilet so there is not a need to exit the gate area in order to look for one.
Boarding procedure was according to zone area and I overhead a conversation of someone missing an earlier flight but luckily he managed to get a seat on this flight.
Anyway, once on board, reality hits me when I walked through the economy class cabin. Comparing this to the older cabin (red seats), this new cabin gives me the low-cost carrier vibes: tight legroom space, no seatback screen and no headrest. The seat itself feels slightly hard, is the kind of seats you get on a public bus. While it is not uncomfortable, but I can't see myself feeling comfortable after a time frame maybe 2 hours or longer, this seat is not ideal especially if you have a seatmate. Unfortunately for me, I was sitting with a regular size caucasian guy and I felt a squeezy. Luckily, this was a short 40 minutes flight so it was bearable.
We pushed back ahead of schedule and took off in good weather condition. The flight purser made the announcement during take off and later on during the cruise, the female first office updated us on the weather on arrival. For entertainment, the flight's wifi was not turned on but at least snack and beverage were provided for each passenger. For the rest of the flight, the ride was smooth and we touched down ahead of schedule. Inflight service was a bit rush but the crew were efficently and friendly. Despite the short flight, we received a packet of peanuts, famous amos cookies and a bottle of water.
Although the taxi from the runway to our gate (arrival) took about 1/3 of the flight time but we managed to reach our gate ahead of schedule.
*Do note that the airline's Boeing 737-800 aircraft have been refurblished with these cabin products therefore the cabin experience is similar. These 737-800 aircraft will operate for a few more years before being replaced by the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 10.
Wireless streaming is available on both Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8.
Wireless Wifi is only available on the 737 MAX 8.
Business Class
More information of this class can be found on my previous trip report, click here for it.
The bulkhead row
Even on this short 45 minutes flight, pillow and blanket were offered.
The last row of the business class (Seat 3A and 3C)
Last few photos of these seats
As you can see some of these seats were vacant. MHupgrade was available on this flight but despite the shorter flight time compared to my previous flight, the bidding price was more expensive than my previous flight.
The seat map of the airline's Boeing 737 MAX 8 cabin (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
Pros and Cons of these Economy class and Business Class products
Pros
- The availibility of the USB Charging ports (Type A and C)
- Wireless In Flight Entertainment with complimentary WiFi connection
- 2-2 seating arrangement in J class (Better than the so called business class cabin with the 3-3 configuration with the middle seat remaining vacant)
- Solid divider (not a full bulkhead partition wall - suspending from the overhead locker) between row 3 (Business) and row 4 (Economy) and passengers sitting in row 4 get to enjoy more legroom space.
Cons
- Feels like flying on a low cost carrier
- Lack of padding for the economy class seat can be uncomfortable after a while.
- Tight legroom space in Economy Class
- Recliner seat in J class may not be ideal for routes with flight time more than 3 hours
- Manual control of the recliner seats in J class make it feel more like a premium economy class seat
- Lack of privacy in the business class cabin
Economy Class
There are 162 Safran 110i slimline seats configured in a 3-3 arrangement.
- Legroom space of 30 inches for all seats except row 14 and 15 (Emergency rows) with 36 inches of legroom space.
- Seat width of 17.5 inches
- Fold down tablet holder
- USB type A, type C and universal socket are available
In-Flight Entertainment: Wifi Streaming and Complimentary Wifi (Not available on this flight)
Photos of the Economy Class cabin
This is the new economy class seats
These seats do not offer adjustable headrest.
Legroom space is at 30 inches for the standard seats, making it slightly uncomfortable for tall people like myself.
The lack of IFE screens helps to reduce the airline's weight and reduces maintainence work.
The Boeing Sky Interior is certainly one of the highlights flying on this aircraft model.
Not everyone will like these seats. Personally for me, I find it bearable for short flights.
The left sides of the economy class cabin.
The colour of the seats does look nice in my opinion.
Here is my seat, 24F.
Front view of the cabin
My seat, 24F
View from my row
Overhead compartment is sufficient enough to store standard size carry-on luggages.
My recent experience with this cabin product was with Air France and ITA Airways's Airbus A220 aircraft so it was not a new experience.
At least for these seats, there is no IFE box to obstruct and decrease the amount of legroom space.
Emergency rows offer better legroom space.
These are the better seats together with row 4.
Quite a basic cabin if you ask me.
The first few rows of the economy class
This is row 4, as you can see there are plenty of legroom space thanks to the airline for opting for this divider instead of the wall partition.
More photos
At seat 24F, I had a window aligned to my seat and that is great.
The seatback offers 2 usb charging ports, device and literature holder. There is also information on how to connect to the inflight WiFi.
Unfortunately, my seat mates turned up later and I sat besides a fairly large size caucasian guy.
These seats are similar to the ones found on a tourist bus.
Tight legroom space
The gaps between the seats
Middle seat passenger may find the legroom space quite limited.
The standard seatbelt
USB charging ports
Instructions on how to use the WiFi In-Flight Entertainment
Retractable Traytable
Device holder
I had a bit of extra space for my leg at the side of the seat.
The cabin view during inflight
What's provided for each Y class passenger?
A packet of the famous salted peanuts, famous amos cookies and a bottle of water.
Safety Card
Inflight magazine
Disposal Bag
The airline's fleet including it's subsidiaries.
(Sorry for the poor quality)
We were at the gate, preparing for departure.
Just took off from KUL runway 14R.
Only the 737 MAX 8 fleet for this airline has these Split Scimitar Winglets.
Just like my previous flight, this was a smooth flight.
At this point, we were on final approach into SIN's runway 02L.
At that time, traffic was light for arrival so we landed ahead of schedule.
Touched down with the reverse thrust deployed together with the speed brake.
Flight Summary
Welcome back to Changi Airport!
We disembarked at F35 of Terminal 2.
As I didn't want to miss my bus home, I walked as fast as I can.
This is the arrival hall. Immigration was a fast process thanks to the ability of using Face Scanning technology.
I made my way to the basement.
This is the main reason why double decker buses cannot be deployed on the airport bus services. (Due to the height restriction)
This is the Terminal 2 bus stop (located at basement level).
It can get a bit stuffy and smelly from the exhaust smoke from the diesel buses and airport vehicles.
With that, my trip reports of my triangle route trip for October 2025 has come to an end. Hope you enjoy this 3-part series.
My ratings
Airline Website/Mobile App: 4/5
Airport Experience (KUL Terminal 1): 3.5/5
Inflight Service: 3/5
Seat Comfort: 3/5
Inflight Entertainment: 0/5 (Wifi was not turned on)
Cabin Ambiance: 5/5
Seat Condition: 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
InFlight Meal/Beverage: 4/5
Punctuality: 5/5
Overall Rating: 37.5/50
Percentage: 75%
Conclusion
My previous flight with this airline before the 737 MAX 8 experience was with the airline's Boeing 737-800 featuring the older economy class product and this was with the individual IFE screens. Here are some photos of the cabin.
This is the old economy class cabin
Seat pitch is quite tight.
The seat pitch may be tight for me (192 cm tall) but this seat is more comfortable due to its thickness unlike the new slimline seats. However there are usb charging ports and WiFi streaming and internet available on the 737 MAX 8 for entertainment and I supposed without the IFE screens, maintainence on these aircraft is lower and hopefully the airline has passed on those savings to us.
While the hard products on both classes for the new cabin are not top tier, the inflight service on the other hand was impressive especially on the first flight. The second flight, the service may be a bit rush but the crew did their jobs efficiently and checked the cabin from time to time in the short flight for the 2nd leg. Just like Singapore Airlines' kebayu version on the female cabin crew, Malaysia Airlines' is just as nice.
After flying on MH and SQ's 737 MAX 8, there is only one winner and that is Singapore Airlines, the cabin products in both classes are simply better with both IFE screen and Wireless Wifi available for all passengers although you have to be a Krisflyer member in order to take advantage of the complimentary WiFi. Both the economy and business class seats are better especially with the latter having lie-flat bed seats and if you are a lucky solo travellers, you might find yourself on the throne seat which is very comfortable according to the other flight reviewers.
However, MH will have lie-flat bed business class products on the 737 MAX 10 aircraft (once they are delivered) and IFE screeens in both classes and that would make the airline more competitive against the rivals in the ASEAN region. I will definitely try out the new products when they become available.
It is certainly an interesting experience flying with Malaysia Airlines and I was glad that everything went well. So my next flight with this airline will be on the Airbus A330neo aircraft. Most likely I will fly either to Melbourne or Sydney to enjoy the new aircraft.
I hope you find the information of these trip reports useful.
You can check out my old 737-800 trip report with Malaysia Airlines over here.
For part 1 of my Triangle Route Trip: Scoot ERJ-190E2 SIN-MYY, click here
For part 2 of my Triangle Route Trip: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-8 J Class MYY-KUL, click here
Have a good one!
Charles Ryan
Next Trip Report: My South American Flying Adventure Series to come on my next trip report starting with my Qatar Airways QSuites Experience on the airline's Airbus A350-900 from Singapore to Doha.
Stay tuned!
(If you are happy with my work, feel free to contribute by donating any amount over here. Greatly appreciated!)
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