BA compared to Malaysia Airlines
 

My flights to Kuala Lumpur for August have been cancelled. I was flying out in first and returning in Club World.

I've got 2 options now. I can either fly to Singapore with BA in first and return in CW, or fly to KUL with Malaysia Airlines out in business suites and returning in business. Does anyone have opinions on Malaysia Airlines suites/business classes and how they compare to BA? Thanks, Tom

In these times August is eternity. Wait until late June ~ July to then resolve. It a fast changing situation.

It is indeed an eternity.

If the choice remain the same I would definitely choose MH.
Their business suite is their former F seat and is excellent.
The business seat on A350 are nice, but not all equal. The solo "throne" seat on the right hand side are great. So are the window solo eats on the left hand side.
Current F offering on BA is dismal. Seat no better than MH suite. And transiting in SIN could be painful.

MH is a much better choice than BA.

Business Suite on MH is F seat but J food and service. A review is available here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mala...=#post32380525

I personally think the experience is comparable to BA F. It comes down to how much you crave Malaysian local cuisine (satay, nasi lemak, rendang) generally onboard - and that will swing my vote.

I know nothing of the MH product but I do have one thing which may influence you ultimate choice.

Does you trip begin in London? If not, when you do start to think about firming up plans keep in mind that in normal times MH operate from T4. I guess it then becomes a choice of transferring terminals at LHR or transiting in SIN.

I am one of MH's earliest and most dedicated supporters, but if I were booking a significant flight for H2 2021 I wouldn't personally want to bet on MH still doing long haul (or even existing at all).

I’m with this - MH has fallen quite hard in recent years. If I’m interpreting correctly and the BA flights require a connection whereas MH doesn’t I’d take MH just for that, but don’t expect it to be SQ. MH J and J Suites are positioned at a similar market positioning to BA J and F these days. I think I would rather take BA F than MH J Suites these days assuming i) proper BA F catering has returned and b) it’s not unrefurbed 777 F.

If this isn’t a rerouted BA ticket then I would be very wary of booking with MH directly right now as EuropeanPete points out.

There is almost zero chance of LHR T4 opening in 2021.

Without wanting to wander too far off this topic I have BA 50% off award KUL flights booked for early March but appreciate its unlikely to happen. I could swap for later in the year but am concerned about the weather when staying in KL and Langkawi somewhere between July and October ( when my ticket validity expires )- anybody have thoughts they could share on (a) a March trip actually going ahead and (b) Malaysian summer/autumn weather?

No chance of getting into Malaysia by March IMO, they are grappling with growing case counts currently and like many countries in that part of the world are maintaining strict border controls.

Later in the year it will be monsoon there, so if you are looking for a beach holiday will need to rethink. The east coast will be OK but less accommodation options especially high end. You could consider Bali, their economy is 80% tourism so likely to open sooner and the weather is best there in July/August. It'll also be quiet as highly unlikely Aus and other markets will be travelling there yet. But I wouldn't make a maybe booking now, just leave it and see what happens nearer the time

My in-laws live in Ipoh so we are usually back and forwards to Malaysia regularly . I have always had a soft spot for MAS . Malaysia Airlines soft and hard product used to be superb , the crews in particular were a delight . Sadly this is no longer the case in my opinion plus customer service is very shaky when things go wrong , which would be a major factor in making a choice these days .

In these times I would value a direct flight above almost all else. There is no predicting what could happen by the end of 2020, Christmas travel plans have been disrupted at very short notice by border closures. I think most European governments will be very jumpy about “importing” new variants of C-19 and borders will open and close repeatedly.
If MAS does go under, or cancel their LON route your ticket is issued by BA, so they will be the first port of call for a re-routing, personally I would look on MAS as an adventure you would not otherwise have had. You have a a flat-bed on an A350 and a direct service, how bad can it be?

Here is my take. I am (was) a frequent visitor to Malaysia, to see clients and enjoy flying MH.

My quick takes:

1. MH service and food is pretty good in business

2. For me the A350 non-throne business class seats are narrow and somewhat like the American Airlines ‘swimming’ seats. Not so comfortable if you get one. In the unlikely event the A380 is back the A380 seats win hands down

3. A BA/MH mix might be interesting, if available as an option

Unfortunately, Chinese New Year is late in 2021, mid-February, and regional governments are keeping things tight until then, plus allow for 14 days afterwards. The Thanksgiving virus uptick in the US has not gone unnoticed but this is more about proving the intent of waiting until after CNY

That suggests visiting Malaysia in March is probably unlikely from my regular conference calls

In Peninsular Malaysia temperatures are pretty much similar all year round with the late monsoon, from September to December for highest for rainfall. July and August are pretty good times to visit,.

We used them last year for a trip to DPS - it was a much better experience than flying on BA. Lounges in LHR and the domestic lounge in DPS were also great as well. I can fully recommend MH and hope they'll be back to LHR.