fender5787

Hey all,

I just saw that the airtrain connection between the main and satellite terminals at KUL are down permanently and replaced with a bus. With the bus, how long does it now take to get to/from the satellite terminal, and how often do the buses depart? Thanks!

djsflynn

I didn't realise it was down permanently, ie had ended full stop, just that it's been suspended for a long time now.

I've done the bus transfer twice , the actual travel time on the bus from one terminal to the next is maybe 10 minutes (could well be a bit less), the time is more standing in line witting for the bus to arrive and then to be loaded with passengers and depart. I'm not aware of the frequency between busses, sorry.

sentosa

The Aerotrain broke down at the beginning of March, and because it is 25 years old, they have to dismantle parts of the track to see what the problem is, and , hopefully repair it.
We did this transfer in June, flying in on MAS.
It was well organised and lots of staff about to guide you.
You come off the flight and walk to where the Aerotrain station is, then follow the well posted signs to the busses., maybe a five minute walk.
You are then marshalled into lanes, I think there were three lanes.
A bus comes along to each lane and as soon as it was full it moves on and another bus comes along.
It was a very busy time when we arrived, several big long haul flights arrived around the same time as us.
Probably took maybe 15 minutes more than using the Aerotrain.

CXYYZ

I think sentosa �s guess of 15 additional minutes is fair. The process is not as seamless as the Aerotrain service but it is well organized. Biggest variables seem to be how busy the airport is at that moment and how many buses they happen to have running.

The train system is being replaced entirely. The replacement was planned but the way the existing service came to an end was not.

Undated press release from the airport operator (seemingly issued sometime between August 2020 and March 2022): https://airports.malaysiaairports.co...-years-service

News article about abrupt end of service in March: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malay...-replace/57847

carrotjuice

The breakdown of the train has generated a lot of political attention with headlines alluding to "embarrassment at Malaysia's main international gateway" amongst other things.

Apparently when it first broke down in March 2023, people had to WALK the entire track: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2...deo-goes-viral

For most people it's a major inconvenience. But for avgeeks, it's a wonderful story to regale your friends and families at dinner.

Apparently, new trains will only arrive come 2025.

a5un

Connecting in KUL has become a big hindrance recently, especially if you have to connect from KLIA2 - Immigration x 2 - KLIA1 - KLIA satellite, or vice versa.

wantan

The story in the link was when the train and replacement train broke down so passengers on the broken down train had to get out and walk to the terminal.

IMHO the airport operator should have run the buses in parallel and reduce the Aerotrain frequency (perhaps reserving it for those who have mobility issues) instead of a all or none solution.

Connecting between KLIA T1 and KLIA T2 has never been seamless. Apart from being marketed as separate airports previously , it costs RM2 per way (still!). To see how fragmented it all is, I think KLIA has the most airport hotels , at least 4 at last count ? Excluding the Concerde Inn that is 5 minutes away ....

immunedata

Seeing as this bus service is set to run for a good while longer I thought I would add for anyone searching, that although the bus transfer is _relatively_ painless, a real bug bear of mine is arriving 'first' getting ferried onto bus 2 or 3 in the line and then see other folks board bus 1 which then departs first. Although it's incredibly marginal I would always recommend pushing for the first bus up front!

alphanovdelyankee

Have a flight KUL to HKT and want to check out the Satellite terminal lounges.

Was wondering how much time I need in case HKT flight is from the main terminal. Is it doable in 15 mins or need more time?

crackjack

(I am guessing you mean the time needed just to cross over, on top of the - minimum 20mins before departure - window when you are required to be at the gate / get through security.)

Even with the Airtrain, 10mins was the minimum for me, budgeting 2-3 mins each to: 1. walk to AirTrain platform, 2. wait for AirTrain, 3. ride to Main terminal, 4. walk to gate.

I�d say leave ~20mins for the bus / walk at minimum if you walk fast, 25-30mins preferable. The walk to the bus gate does take a bit longer, waiting times for buses could take a bit too.

SilverChris

I've never had to wait more than 2-3 minutes for a bus, which is actually an improvement over the aerotrain when it was running. But yes, I'd say budgeting 30 minutes to get from the Satellite lounge to the G/H gates is comfortable enough.

poopbunny

On average, the buses are 5-10 minutes more than the aerotrain.

The frequency of buses > aerotrain.

But the drive between the satellite and main terminal is more.

crackjack

Had an early morning flight, I boarded the bus and then we were waiting for 3 minutes; people had been sitting down for a bit longer before I got on. I think that if it is not peak hour, they sometimes wait until the bus is a bit more full.

Still, took me just over 20 minutes to get from the lounge door to a gate half-way down the H-wing (I do tend to walk fast).

SirToby

Can confirm and add data point from a recent SIN - KUL - BKK trip:
Took about 20 min from gate to Satellite lounge (and back) during my layover.
It was not very busy, so no queues and basically no waiting time each way (neither for bus nor in bus).

infinitium

Recently flew thru KUL outbound and inbound -- took the bus both times. No wait times on either leg.. it was (surprisingly) efficient given the state of Malaysian airports (and Malaysian carriers)