Trip Report: Malindo Air, Kuala Lumpur to Colombo (September 2019)

Trip Report: Malindo Air, Kuala Lumpur to Colombo
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was in Kuala Lumpur and needed to travel to Colombo.  There are a couple of options on this route, but based on timing and price I choose to go with Malindo Air.  I had arrived into Kuala Lumpur on Malindo (check out that review here) so I had a general idea of what I was expecting.  It is interesting to note that even when booking on one ticket, Malindo combines two one-way fares so you can either pay for them individually or separately; the fare will be the same (my two flights were the same price either booked together or separately).  Booking the flight through the Malindo website was easy and it allowed me to select which option best suited me.  From the reviews and previous passengers, Malindo used to provide full service experience at budget prices; however, now they have changed their product into bundles; the bundles range from basic to business with variations in between.  As I had checked baggage, I choose the option that included checked luggage - this fare only included checked baggage and not preselecting your seat, as there was another option that included both of these combinations; the bundle that I selected also included a meal (all bundles apparently included a meal).  Note: standard luggage allowance is 23kg but as Malindo is shifting to a low-cost carrier model, they have reduced their complimentary luggage allowance to 20kg; you can add more weight for a fee.

You could manage your booking either through the website or through the app - you got more services from the website than through the app; with the app, I was able to check-in online and select my seat 48hours prior to departure.  My flight was scheduled to depart Kuala Lumpur at 10:25pm and arrive into Colombo at 11:25pm but earlier in the morning I received an email from Malindo stating that my flight was delayed and that my new departure time was 11:35pm.  I appreciated Malindo's proactiveness in this situation and allowing the passengers almost all day to rearrange their schedule.      

Even though Kuala Lumpur is Malindo's hub, I had to wait until 3 hours prior to my flight before the check-in desks opened.  Check-in was a breeze, and even though my luggage was at 20kg, the weight enforcement was not stringent.  Once the gate was opened, passengers went through gate security and to the boarding area to wait for the flight; even though the gate was open the plane still had not arrived.  I got a bit nervous as whether the flight would be delayed further - also, Malindo has a 'flexible' definition of on-time; the plane landed, passengers deplaned, and boarded was done by groups.  Even though we were delayed and boarding started later than usual, there was no sense of rush or hurry amongst either the ground staff or airline crew; everyone took their time to board and get situated in their seat.

Malindo Air is part of the Lion Air Group which also Batik Air, Lion Air, and Thai Lion Air so even though the flight was operated by Malindo Air, the outside of the plane said Batik Air.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 with a 2-2 in business class and a 3-3 in economy class.  The plane generally looked in good condition and looked fairly new, with mood lighting and updated overhead panels.  The seat pitch was very good and very generous - I am 6'1 and my knees weren't even touching the seat in front of me.  The seat looked new and stylish in black and red leather type, but it was not that comfortable and was really uncomfortable towards the end of the flight.  Malindo had prided itself of providing seatback entertainment on its flight and this plane had the seatback PTV with a headphone jack and USB port (my previous flight did not have the PTV).  The PTV had a decent selection of movies and TV shows, and while it was not extensive, it was enough to pass the time and provide a good distraction.  Below the PTV was a standard tray table followed by a seatback pocket which contained the airline magazine, the duty free magazine, and safety card.  Once all passengers had boarded, a safety video was shown as we taxied to the runway and took off for Colombo.  


The flight time to Colombo was 3hr 35minute but, as with my first flight, as we reached cruising altitude the FA's came around to start their service.  They were very fast and very quick (even though we had a lot of time) but it was late and I think they wanted to complete their service so passengers could rest.  The service consisted of a complimentary meal and complimentary water, tea, or coffee - other drinks were available but they had to be purchased and only with small American bills or small Malaysian bills (you could not use credit cards).  Again, the meal meal itself was small, basic, but it was better in taste and flavor than my previous meal with Malindo; the size here was substantial for the 3+ hour flight, but it was the same size as the 5+hour flight.  The meal service really reflected the struggle Malindo is going through - as they are not sure if they are a low-cost carrier or an economy carrier with perks.  The complimentary meal part of international economy, but the quality and size of it, as well as asking patrons to pay for other drinks besides water, felt more like a low-cost carrier.  Once the meal trays were cleared, the cabin lights were dimmed and most passengers slept since it was an overnight flight.  About 45 minutes prior to landing, the cabin lights came back on and the cabin was prepared for landing.  During the flight, FAs did provide water but mostly they were available in the back if passengers needed anything. 

My first flight with Malindo was very confusing as I was not sure whether Malindo was a standard economy airline or trying to be a low-cost carrier.  They seemed to be a mix or hybrid of the two with low ticket prices but bundled; complimentary meal but the quality and only option of water is very low-cost.  Positives of the airline include low ticket prices, generous legroom, usually PTV, and complimentary meal.  Based on my two experiences with Malindo, the question I have is - would I fly them again?  After this experience, I am not sure - I would definitely not fly them long-haul (the 5+hour flight was a bit rough) but I would not mind a 3.5 hour or less flight.  While they would not be my first option, the positive aspects of the flight, and the low price would make me not avoid them.

Trip Report: Malindo Air, Lahore to Kuala Lumpur (September 2019)

Trip Report: Malindo Air, Lahore to Kuala Lumpur
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I need to go to Colombo from Pakistan and most of the flight options were Middle East carriers, which I had already flown, and they were quite expensive.  Malindo Air then came up in the search and it is an airline I have not experienced and the price was drastically lower so I decided to book this option.  My flight to Lahore would leave at 9:25p and arrive into Kuala Lumpur the next day at 6:25a.  I was originally going to connect in Kuala Lumpur to my flight to Colombo, but the flight schedule was giving me a 9-10 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur.  When I looked at the tickets, I noticed that Malindo was just combining two one-ways - from Lahore to Kuala Lumpur and from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo - so instead of one ticket I decided to break it up into two sectors: the first being Lahore to Kuala Lumpur and the second being Kuala Lumpur to Colombo on another day (that review here). 

Booking the flight through the Malindo website was easy and it allowed me to select which option best suited me.  From the reviews and previous passengers, Malindo used to provide full service experience at budget prices; however, now they have changed their product into bundles; the bundles range from basic to business with variations in between.  As I had checked baggage, I choose the option that included checked luggage - this fare only included checked baggage and not preselecting your seat, as there was another option that included both of these combinations; the bundle that I selected also included a meal (all bundles apparently included a meal).  Note: standard luggage allowance is 23kg but as Malindo is shifting to a low-cost carrier model, they have reduced their complimentary luggage allowance to 20kg; you can add more weight for a fee.

You could manage your booking either through the website or through the app - you got more services from the website than through the app; with the app, I was able to check-in online and select my seat 48hours prior to departure.  Even though I already had my boarding pass, I got to the airport about 2 hours early as sometimes there is heavy security.  Check-in was a breeze, and even though my luggage was at 20kg the enforcement on both of my flight was not stringent.  When I got to the gate, the plane had still not arrived from Kuala Lumpur - and I was a bit hesitant as previously Malindo had a 'flexible' definition of on-time; but luckily the plane landed early and got to the gate at 8:30pm.  After deplaning and a crew change, it was time for us to board the flight to Kuala Lumpur.

Malindo Air is part of the Lion Air Group which also Batik Air, Lion Air, and Thai Lion Air so even

though the flight was operated by Malindo Air, the outside of the plane said Batik Air.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 with a 2-2 in business class and a 3-3 in economy class.  The plane generally looked in good condition and looked fairly new, with mood lighting and updated overhead panels.  The seat pitch was very good and very generous - I am 6'1 and my knees weren't even touching the seat in front of me.  The seat looked new and stylish in black and red leather type, but it was not that comfortable and was really uncomfortable towards the end of the flight.  Malindo had prided itself of providing seatback entertainment on its flights but this plane did not have it; it had the outline and the place set up for it so either they were in the process of installing it or removing it (I am not sure).  The seat had a space for the PTV and below that was a tray table followed by a seatback pocket which contained the airline magazine, the duty free magazine, and safety card.  Given there were no PTVs, manual safety demonstrations were done once all the passengers had boarded and the boarding door was closed.

The flight time to Kuala Lumpur was 5hr35min but as soon as we reached cruising altitude the FA's came around to start their service.  They were very fast and very quick (even though we had a lot of time) but it was late and I think they wanted to complete their service so passengers could rest.  The service consisted of a complimentary meal and complimentary water, tea, or coffee - other drinks were available but they had to be purchased and only with small American bills or small Malaysian bills (you could not use credit cards).  The meal itself was extremely small, basic, and to be honest not that good either in taste, flavor, or size; it was definitely not substantial enough especially since it was the only meal served during the 5+hour flight.  The meal service really reflected the struggle Malindo is going through - as they are not sure if they are a low-cost carrier or an economy carrier with perks.  The complimentary meal part of international economy, but the quality and size of it, as well as asking patrons to pay for other drinks besides water, felt more like a low-cost carrier.  Once the meal trays were cleared, the cabin lights were dimmed and most passengers slept since it was an overnight flight.  About 45 minutes prior to landing, the cabin lights came back on and the cabin was prepared for landing.  During the flight, FAs did provide water but mostly they were available in the back if passengers needed anything. 

Overall, it was a confusing flight with Malindo Air but I think my experience reflects what the airline itself is going through.  The airline used to be a traditional airline with some extra perks in economy class but it is slowly shifting to add more a low-cost model and right now its a mixture between standard and low-cost.  That mixture and shift is apparent onboard their flights - the ticket prices are still low but now they have been bundled like a low cost; the legroom is very good and the planes look and feel modern, like a standard airline; the complimentary meal is standard but the quality and only option of water is very low-cost.  The question at the end is always - would I fly them again?  After this experience, I am not sure - I would definitely not fly them long-haul and my max would be 3.5 hours long and while they would not be my first option, if the ticket price was right and the timing low, then I would not avoid them.

Train Report: LNER, Central London to Edinburgh (August 2019)

Trip Report: LNER Train, Central London to Edinburgh
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling from London to Edinburgh and this trip can be made either via plane, bus, or train.  I usually enjoy train travel in Europe - it is usually so much more convenient and connected than in America - so I decided to take the train one way and a plane on my return (I traveled British Airways on the return and you can check out that review here).  LNER - London North Eastern Railway - is apparently the only operator of the train between Central London and Edinburgh.  Online it was very to see the various timings of the trains, select the one that fit my schedule, book the ticket, preselect my seat, and manage my reservation.   You could preselect your seat online and the train had a variety of seats - either 4 around a table or two individually.  Since we were three in the group, we decided to book 3 of the 4 group seats.   

The train that I had booked departed London's King Cross at 3:30pm and would arrive into

Edinburgh at 8:13; considering it was going to take about 5 hours, I assumed that the train would make multiple stops throughout the journey.  Even though I was able to print out my ticket online, as well as have a mobile ticket, I still arrived at the train station about an hour prior to my departure to give myself enough time.  Unfortunately, the car dropped us off at St. Pancreas and we had to go to King's Cross but eventually we made it to King's Cross and looked at the timetable only to be informed that they do not provide the track number until 15 minutes prior to boarding.  This means there is a long waiting period, a lot of staring at the screens, and then all passengers rushing towards the track as soon as the track number is announced; it is not fun.

We made it onto the train, loaded our luggage onto the luggage compartments, and proceeded to our seat.  As I said, we had booked 3 of the 4 seats that are around a table.  My previous experience traveling on trains in Europe has been in Switzerland, and again we book 3 of the 4 group seats and the seats were nice, comfortable, spacious, and the 4th seat remained empty no matter how many stops we made.  On this trip, the 4th seat had been occupied by another passenger (even though there were plenty of empty seats available), the seats were tight in terms of both width and seat pitch, and after 5+ hours they were a bit uncomfortable.  The table in the middle was also very close to the seats and it made getting in and out of the seat very difficult.  One positive aspect of the seat was the on top, on a small screen, was each individual's stop; it helped to know when the other passenger was getting off but it was bit of invasion of privacy.  The train made many stops throughout the journey, and the announcements were not very clear especially for the smaller stops.  In terms of services for the passengers, there was a dining car available as well as restrooms - there were no usb or charging ports and while wifi was technically available, it was spotty and almost never worked.   

As I said, my previous experience in European train travel as been in both Switzerland and Belgium so that was my base of comparison.  Also, on this route the train competes with the airlines - ryanair, easyjet, and BA - all of whom have the same or lower fares and can make the journey in a faster time.  Taking into account all these factors, as well as the narrow seat pitch, it was a disappointing rail journey.  The seats were a bit uncomfortable, especially towards the end, the wifi was spotty, no charging ports, and generally it felt like I paid for a general economy seat - which is fine but then I paid the same price for my return airfare with BA (check out that review here) and that took less time so what is the incentive to ride the train?  

Trip Report: Serene Air, Karachi to Lahore (September 2019)

Trip Report: Serene Air, Karachi to Lahore
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I needed to travel from Karachi to Lahore on this domestic sector in Pakistan there are three airlines operating - PIA, airblue, and SereneAir.  I have traveled with PIA and airblue before (see the review of PIA here and airblue here) so I wanted to try the new carrier on this sector.  Serene Air is new to the market and, as per Pakistani law, it must operate domestic sectors for 3 years before operating international markets.  Everyone had kept raving about SereneAir and their all-Boeing airplanes so I had high expectations for the flight.  It was easy to book the flight through the website, but the problem is I was not able to pay for the flight.  If using a credit card, the credit card has be verified at either the airport or a Serene Air office within 24-hours, and I don't live in Pakistan so I could not do that (it seems that this is an issue with all Pakistan-based airlines as I had the same trouble with PIA and airblue before).  In the end, I had to put the ticket on a 24-hold, transfer the cash payment to someone I knew in Pakistan who could go to the SereneAir office with my reservation number and confirm my booking; it was a tremendous pain.  Once the ticket was confirmed, I received an email confirmation with my reservation details.  Most airlines within Pakistan do not offer mobile check-in so all check-in procedures have to be done at the counter.  Most airlines do offer complimentary checked luggage as well as a meal on their domestic flights, and Serene offered complimentary 30kg luggage as part of the domestic ticket.

I had arrived into Karachi earlier that evening from Sri Lanka (check out that review here) and it was very easy to connect from the international to domestic terminal in Karachi.  I had more time than expected and I was able to go to the SereneAir website to manage my reservation and there I could preselect my seat.  I had initally chosen a middle seat near the front of the plane but switched to a window seat near the back at the counter (and will explain later why I was thankful I did so).  The flight was scheduled to take off from Karachi at 7pm and arrive into Lahore at 8:45pm.  I waited until 5pm and then went to the counters where it was very easy to check into my flight, drop my luggage, and receive my boarding pass.  I then proceeded to the gate to wait for my departure.  The incoming plane arrived about an hour prior to our departure, but the airline did not seem to be in a rush to start boarding.  Boarding commenced about 30 minutes prior to departure and it was a bit chaotic as neither groups nor seat sections were enforced, after a bit of time it was a general free for all (other domestic carriers have tried to somewhat enforce the group numbers but Serene did not try at all).  

The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737 and from the outside it looked nice and freshly painted, but apparently that is where the updates stopped.  Inside the plane looked and felt worn and old, and it looks like the seats had only received a blue cover and that is it; despite the airline being new, the aircraft looked extremely worn out and tired.  The seats were laid out in an all economy 3-3 seats and the seats were basic with a tray table and a seat-back pocket; the seat-pocket only contained the safety card and nothing else.  The seats themselves were generally uncomfortable, the seat pitch was tight, and my seat the seat-back pocket was broken so it was sticking out thus making the seat pitch even tighter.  It took a while for boarding to be completed, as it was a completely full flight, but once everyone had boarded, the boarding doors were closed, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we took off for Lahore.  While the passengers were boarding, both English and Urdu newspapers were handed out to passengers throughout the cabin. 

The flight time from Karachi to Lahore is 1hr 30min and as it was night time, Serene Air provides a full dinner during the flight.  There were a total of 4 cabin crew on board and despite the short flight time, it took them a while to get the inflight service started (two of them seemed apathetic while one seemed somewhat customer friendly).  Two cabin crew started from the front and two started from the back providing meals as well as drinks.  The meals consisted of rice and meat, yogurt, and dessert; it was not substantial but enough for the short flight time.  Complimentary drinks included soft drinks, juices, and water but they were provided in very tiny cups (basically a shot of a drink).  Tea and coffee service followed the meal service, but given the delay in starting everything, by the time the FA's came around with coffee and tea the captain had already announced our initial decent into the Lahore area.  The FA's quickly completed their tea and coffee service and then came around to quickly collect the trays and trash, and prepare the cabin for landing.  As we departed late, we also arrived late and the airline did not seem to want to make up the time in the air.  We landed, taxied to the gate, deplaned, and went to receive my luggage (which came rather quickly).

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in my flight with Serene Air.  It is a new player in the Pakistani aviation sector and a lot of people had high praise for their service and their all-Boeing planes.  Having flown with them now and with their competitors previously (PIA and airblue - both reviews on the blog) I did not experience anything great; in fact, there was nothing on this flight that would make me want to choose Serene Air.  Given their competitors are more established, have a wider regional and domestic network, and can offer the same fares as well as same onboard service - I do not see any incentive to choose Serene Air which provided the same low fares, the same meals, and average service in older planes.