Flying Malev Business Class on an AA ticket... Any revelations?
 

I'm flying with my Spouse on Malev Hungarian Airlines in Business Class MAD - BUD next week and also from Kiev to Budapest in April. This is an airline I have no experience with. Does anyone have any input to make our journey event free, i.e., lounge use in MAD, BUD, or Borispol Airport in Kiev. Also, any input on making pre-check-in seating choices? One flight is on a partner airline, Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines... Any input on them? I'm a Malev and Aerosvit virgin & would appreciate any input to make our journey stress-free!




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Malev Business class is ok. On newer generation 737's its fixed seats with 5 across making the A/C seat side better than the D,E,F side. Sometimes row 1 AC is a tighter 2 seat area but I prefer it for legroom. Equally somtimes row 1 D-F only has 2 seats making 2D a very spacious seat.

Budapest airport is a joke. The lounges stink and options are few. There is an upper crust sandwich shop. Be warned all food places charge price to leave you with coins in your pockets and always just over the Hungarian Forint bill sizes. Use a credit card and avoid the currency. The airport exchange booths have awful rates find an ATM if you can. I think OTP banks runs a few, its a big bank.

On board the food is fair to good, the wine is disgusting so avoid it, and the service can be good to poor depending on the person. The planes tend to be fresh and clean. I have no info on Kiev. Malev uses the OneWorld part of the Madrid airport which is very nice.

My only experience with MA was last year flying JFK-BUD and back (business class), a route that I believe has been discontinued. The planes and seats were nothing fancy, but service was fine. My impression of the BUD lounge was more favorable than jm's. Sorry I can't provide more info.

Kiev & Aerosvit
 

Malev uses the airport lounge in Borispil. It is fairly nice but can get busy sometimes (if you're flying out of Kiev with Malev it should be okay but if your flight is operated by Aerosvit it will be very early in the morning with many departures around that time). There is pretty much no place to eat after security and passport control (sandwiches in the lounge only) so make sure you are not too hungry arriving to the airport. Malev's catering on BUD-KBP-BUD flights is a joke (the small portion actually makes you even hungrier). Aerosvit's catering is said to be better (never experienced it myself). Overall, Aerosvit get good remarks for its business class service. You can pre-assign seats on malev but Aerosvit will probably not be able to see your reservation and you won't be able to pre-assign seats (although it is possible if you book under VV).
BUD lounges are pretty much horrible...
Have a safe and enjoyable trip!^

When you go through passport control in Kiev, look for the sign that sais something like "Ukrainian citicens".. take that line (!) because if you look close enough, there is a small arrow on that sign pointing to the right. So actually the line below that sign is for forigners, but everyone misunderstands it, and therefore that line is always very short.

Malev businessclass food is actually really good!

I like MA C, because they have actual C seats, as opposed to many/most European airlines (short-haul). Catering in C is usually good (dismal in Y, but that tends to be everywhere)

At BUD there are several biz lounges, 2 MA/OW lounge on Schengen side and (AFAIK) one on the non-Schengen side. Nothing to write home about, but seen much worse than those. The non-MA/OW lounge operated by Celebi really sucks.

No idea on AeroSvit

The lounges at BUD 2B (schengen) are small, but as good as most US lounges and they have free booze :D. From MAD, you will arrive at 2B and leave from 2A (non-schengen).

Interesting, When I flew on MA C Intra-European, I always had regular coach seats for their C (6 across). I believe they have 5 across in Business only on one type of their Boeing aircraft, but 6 across is much more common. Also, even 5 across is NOT a proper C class seating, for proper C class look for SU (leather proper seats, 4 across, with lumbard support and full adjustment). MA C is mediocre, but not horrible. Try Tokaji dessert wine agfter dinner.

Having flown Malev (BUD - TLV) on Monday, I'd pretty sure I would never do it again - the food was poor, staff seemed unfriendly and the aircraft wasn't too clean, but I wasn't in Business, I was in coach.

I think my issue is more the fact that they canceled our reservation and put us on standby despite us having paid in full, and this being the return leg of the journey. I am still trying to get an explanation from Malev.

I usually fly HEL-BUD, 99% they have C seating in the first 4 raws + 5A&5C. Depending on C load, you may end up in those seats even flying Y, I always ask for raw 4 and sometimes get lucky :-)

On this route AY has only Y seating in C, I rather not take it - on a 2 hrs flight I value the seat more than the catering, which is nice in AY C.

Edit: last weekend was 50-50% with C seats and regular Y seats all the way.

Can I select a seat (business class) ahead of time on Malev? If so, how do I do so?

What planes do they usually fly between Paris and Budapest?

You can call them to select a C seat for intra-European. BUD-CDG sector is operated by their Boeign aircraft with 6 seats across in C, not 5 as mentioned above. Middle seat will be blocked.