LHR -> KUL -> LGK how long to transfer in KUL?
 

Flying BA LHR -> KUL, scheduled to arrive Sunday 15:45

We'd like to go straight out to Langkawi but not sure how long to allow?

There's a 17:45 and an 18:45 flight with AirAsia - wondering if two hours to get the earlier one would be sufficient?

If booking Airasia you’ll have to clear immigration (can be a breeze but can also take an hour), collect bags and then transfer landside to the low cost terminal (KLIA2) by train (best option), bus or taxi. Definitely wouldn’t go for the 2 hour option. 3 hour should be fine but would have a back up.

Would book MH as that saves you going to KLIA2.

We normally book MH as a non connecting after an award 241 arriving into KUL. I would prefer the 3 hour option but have lounge access so its no hardship.

Does Air Asia go from the same airport that Ba lands at? I thought all the LCC went from a different place that would add time to your transfer..

Thanks both

With MH the options are 18:10 or 19:45. Flight in is economy Avios booking, but have lounge access with gold status I think.

Would 2hrs 25 be ok? Four hours to wait around for MH rather negates the convenience of same airport .

It’s a separate terminal, but is quite a trek so can seem like another airport. As others have said, you get on a train, but then it is start again with check in etc iirc.

T

+1 with other comments - definitely take MH if you can - far far easier - and transfer at KLIA is a breeze if you don’t use Air Asia.

Lounges are good and there’s a stack of Pokestops ;)

Enjoy Malaysia :)

Thanks - I've booked the 19:45 - four hours seems a lot, but figure we can have some food in the lounge.

Since you've booked now this makes little difference, however I'll reiterate how much easier it is to stay in KLIA1. The transfer to KLIA2 adds a fair bit of complexity and queues at KLIA2 can at times be 'interesting'.

As a Gold Executive Club member you can use the F lounge which is in the satellite building of KLIA1 (the Langkawi flight will probably go from the main terminal, but it's only a couple of minutes on the transit to get back) and is a perfectly pleasant place to spend a bit of time. You can grab a decent meal here along with a shower so your long connection will soon be over!

I'm a bit late but I would also have gone for the 4 hour option. Gives you a little leeway for delays and time for a shower. If you are a fan of uber type cabs, download grab and when you get to Langkawi airport you can use the free internet to order a car. Langkawi airport to Tanjung Rhu (north of the island) was RM21 (£4) a few months ago.

You've chosen the correct option. BA33 is routinely late (1 in 3 out of last 60 flights according to Flightstats). Normally nothing else arrives around 15:45, but a delay will put you closer to rush hour at KLIA. As a foreign passport holder in Economy, landing, say, around 1800 *can* take 45-60 mins to get through immigration (similar to T5 for non-EU pax)

BA won't check through bags, so you'll have to collect and recheck in upstairs. Not an issue with MH - with status, you can hop the queues and recheck in easily at premium counters, so 4 hours, which could be plenty if BA33 is on time, would still be doable if there's a delay. You can always ask politely to switch to an earlier flight if you're early - generally computer says no, but it's not unheard of

AK is at KLIA2, which, while nominally just a different terminal, is branded as a different airport, and is a good several miles from KLIA1. As a low cost terminal, the walking distances and security queues are eyewatering (think Luton), so your original 3 hours is cutting it fine even if you are on time. 2 hours? Absolutely no chance

As LGK is domestic, you won't have access to the satellite, which is international. I find the domestic lounge perfectly pleasant, with above average (local) food and drink, although no alcohol, in common with all MH domestic flights and lounges

Unfortunately I missed this before you booked. I’ve done this transfer and it was painless with MH if able to get everything booked on the same ticket.

We easily made a MH departure around 1800 even with a ~30 min delay to BA33. If I remember correctly, transferring from international to domestic at KLIA (not KLIA2) has a different immigration point which was empty when we went through in December 2018.

May not be much use now unless there is some way to combine your tickets.

In case you are interested, I’ve been through KUL twice last month around BA33 time (once from BA33 and once on MH from Manila) and on both occasions immigration queues to get landside were terrible. It took close to an hour both times.

Did BOM - KUL LGK back in January and it was a breeze going through transit. There is a separate immigration for international to domestic transfers. We landed around 7am and was in queue for 30 minutes total (not too bad). Had time to access the domestic lounge after and everything was fine and dandy.

Assuming this is seperate tickets then you'll need to clear immigration and collect your bags, which means you can't use the transit channel. Immigration can be horribly slow at times

But once you get to domestic check in then most Malaysian tickets allow you to "go show" for an earlier flight for no charge so see how you are on time

The Domestic lounge is rather lacking in food options and no booze. Not sure on showers. Unless something has changed you'd be OK to access the satellite lounge immediately after you disembark the BA flight though before you take the train/immigration.

#ftr it's actually not too bad getting over to KLIA2, the trains are frequent - RM2 but can pay with credit card. Not much in it if you have to clear main immigration anyway. Different if you are able to through-ticket or go HBO and stay in the transit channels

I have also arrived into KUL on BA 33 and exit immigration looked very bad unless you’re traveling in business or first (those lines were also long). The OP mentioned arriving in economy so would not have access to premium immigration lines. FWIW, connecting to MH, thus avoiding exit immigration is the right thing to do. Immigration from international to domestic terminals is never too bad in my experience.

There is no need to exit if you have separate tickets. See the MH threads. There is a transit counter In the satellite terminal and they can re-tag bags to your final destination on many airlines; certainly if you are connecting onto an MH flight.

As for “go show” I think MH is not as flexible anymore. You might ask in the MH forum.

It may not be bad getting over to KLIA2, but check in and immigration may take a while too at KLIA2. I’m just not familiar enough to know whether that is a peak departure time for AirAsia etc.

It is only a couple of minutes to get from the main terminal to the satellite terminal - but getting to the gate for the Langkawi flight requires going through the transfer immigration queue ,(if coming from the international gates in either the main or satellite terminal).

On a trip to LGK last September it took about 40 minutes total from F lounge to the gate, though other times I have got through the transfer immigration line in less than 5 minutes.

I can't comment on the baggage issue, but assuming that it is possible to do this at the transfer counter, the best plan for the OP would be to first get the baggage sorted at the desk in the satellite terminal, then head to the F (or J lounge - depending on time of day - if not lunch or dinner time then it is more convenient in my experience to use the J lounge for eating), then about 90* minutes before the LGK flight take-off time take the train to the main terminal, go though immigration to the A/B gates area and if time still allows wait in the domestic lounge.