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Where's Johnny Jet? Flying Malaysia Airlines

By Johnny Jet
JohnnyJet.com
January 18, 2007

Key: Bold links open pictures in a separate browser window, while regular hyperlinks open websites.

Greetings from the good ol' U.S. of A. Last time I wrote I was leaving the highlands of Malaysia. This week I make our way back to the U.S. in style, as I board Malaysia Airlines (tel. 800/552-9264; www.malaysiaairlines.com). Once through the cabin door I get to take the cherished left turn into first class. On the flight home I stop in Taiwan for some quick shopping before crossing over the Pacific Ocean. If you want to read about a dream ride (and news about an inexpensive Los Angeles car service), then come aboard.

Bags Wrapped

I spent my last night in Malaysia at the JW Marriott in Kuala Lumpur (here's the link to that review). In the morning I took a 10-minute ride to the Sentral Train Station, where I checked in for my flight (and checked my bags all the way through to Los Angeles). Because I bought so many gifts, and wanted to add one more layer of protection, I had my bags wrapped in plastic by one of those neat machines you see in many airports. In Europe it usually costs €7; in New York it's $8 -- but in Malaysia it was just 7MYR ($1.98). Boy, it's gonna be tough to go home and get used to paying top dollar for almost everything.

Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge

I took the 28-minute KLIA express train to the airport (35MYR/$10), went through security in two minutes, and made my way to Malaysia Airlines' Golden Lounge. This is for sure the largest (43,284 square feet) airport lounge I have ever been in, and one of the plushest. It features separate seating for business and first class passengers. Both areas have plenty of food choices. There's your typical lounge snacks and open bar -- but this one also had an American breakfast, noodle bar, free wireless, showers, a massage room, a kids' place -- even a putting green.

Kuala Lumpur to Taipei

Of course, I spent too much time in the lounge. I was running so late, I needed a buggy complete with flashing lights and that annoying beeping noise to rush me to the plane. Like every passenger, I had to go through a secondary screening again at the gate (it was thorough, and comforting). Then I was escorted onto the aircraft. My earlier Malaysia Airlines flight from Stockholm to KL (here's the link) was a Boeing 777 with only business and economy class cabins. There was no first class, so I had no idea what to expect.

My Big Phat Seat

There were 10 pod-like capsule seats with plenty of space in between. Only two of the other seats were taken, making it even more spacious. My private seat was along the window, with 81 inches of pitch. When passengers slide the seat into a 6-foot, 6-inch flat bed and drop the armrest, there's 25 inches of width. How's that for comfort? The first leg of the flight was only 4 hours and 15 minutes, so I did not sleep. I was too excited and busy, flipping through the endless entertainment channels that were displayed on a 15-inch touch-screen monitor. There were 39 on-demand movies, from recent blockbusters to classics; 100 TV shows (including many American favorites); 55 video games, and 200 albums (from which passengers pick their favorite songs, to make a personalized play list). There was also a live tracking system, which invited me to play with the remote-controlled window shades so I could enjoy the view outside.

Food on the Plane

The seats also come with a gigantic table. If I was traveling with a friend, she could dine across from me on my buddy seat (normally the foot stool). Instead I used that space for my laptop, which I plugged into an electrical outlet so I could work offline as long as I wanted. This leg of the flight offered some of the best airline service I have ever had. Not only did they fill my glass constantly, but when I finished any of my many food courses it was immediately picked up too. All of this was done without feeling rushed, watched and being addressed as Mr. DiScala (my real name) every time. I should mention the food: I started with chicken/beef satays, a mixed green salad, cheese-filled cannelloni, fresh fruit and tiramisu. It was all delicious. This was definitely not your typical airline food -- but then again, I was not in your typical first-class cabin either.

Layover in Taiwan

There is no nonstop flight from Kuala Lumpur to the United States, so this plane always stops in Taipei. That was fine with me. I prefer to get up and walk around -- even if it's only an hour or so. Besides, I had never been to Taiwan. Even though I had no time to explore, I could see some of it by staring out the window on landing. As we descended I looked feverishly for Taipei 101 (the tallest building in the world), but when I asked the flight attendant to point it out she said it's in the city -- a good 45-minute drive away.

Taipei Airport

When we landed everyone had to get off the plane and take their belongings, for another security check. I imagined the Taipei airport to be modern, with lots of cool stores, and thought an hour would be nowhere near enough time. Boy, was I wrong. This place is the pits. It might be the worst airport I've ever seen. It's old, dark and depressing, with low ceilings. In the terminal we were in I did not see any places to eat. And there were no stores worth visiting except Taiwan Original Resident Art, which sold attractive local necklaces cheaply. The only impressive thing about the airport were the store clerks. While pricing out some gifts, I realized I had no idea of the exchange rate on this island nation. But all the clerks carried calculators, and before you could ask they punched the keypad faster than a mad scientist, then gave the conversion in your local currency. How did they know where people were from? Just by looking at them. FYI: $1 USD = 32 Taiwan New Dollars.

Taipei to Los Angeles

How many times have you been excited to get on an 11-hour, 15-minute flight? Well, I was (and I couldn't wait to get out of the Taipei airport). On the flight to L.A. there was a whole new flight crew. They were friendly as well, though not as attentive as the last bunch. Don't get me wrong -- they were still great. I did try to sleep for a couple of hours on this flight, but it was difficult. I was too busy making movies from my around- the-world trip (and eating). The food on this flight was also excellent. For dinner I had "three cup chicken" (slowly braised in Chinese spices), and just before touching down I had breakfast. I ordered French toast with orange cream cheese filling, but I could have had either a mushroom frittata or fried noodles. I was the first person off the plane, and excited to be back on U.S. soil. I cleared customs without having to wait in a long line. The agent looked at my passport, and read my customs form, which listed all the countries I had just visited: Portugal, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Around the World

The next morning I lay in bed wide awake at 5am, thinking about my trip. It was my first time going around the world, and I felt like I really accomplished something. I thought back 15 years ago, when I was growing up in Connecticut and refused to get on a plane. My asthma doctor prescribed too much medication, which gave me anxiety. I was not only terrified of flying, but at times afraid to leave my parents' house. Believe me, I feel for people with these fears, because they're terrible. But they're curable. Fortunately, I went to an Indian homeopathic doctor who weaned me off some of the medicine, and gave me confidence (this is a whole other story). But what I realized from this trip is that the world really isn't as big as I always imagined it. It was always a goal of mine to travel around the world, but it seemed unattainable. It's amazing to think that a few hundred years ago it took people a couple of years to travel around the globe (and they did it by boat). Today you can do it in a couple of days if you wanted to -- though why would you?

Buying an Around the World Ticket

If you are interested in a round-the-world ticket, you can book one online. Airtreks (here's the link to my review) makes it simple. If you prefer a live person, call my personal travel agent, John Dekker, at 1-800-JohnnyJet. He specializes in cheap international business and first class fares.

Next Week

Next week we take to the skies again. This time we stay in the United States -- but we go someplace nice and warm.

John E. DiScala (aka Johnny Jet), is the founder of www.johnnyjet.com, the ultimate travel website and weekly newsletter. He logs over 150,000 miles a year, has been featured in over 850 articles (including Frommers.com, USA Today, Time, Fortune, the New York Times, CNBC and MSNBC), and has published the book, You Are Here Traveling With JohnnyJet.com.

Talk with fellow Frommer's travelers on our Malaysia Message Boards today.

Related Information:

Destinations: Los Angeles, Malaysia
Tips & Tools: Miscellaneous

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.




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