Flying from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur
I got to Kuching airport by rideshare 2h20 before my 1520 departure to Kuala Lumpur with the ultimate destination being Auckland. I was quite excited to be heading home after having been unwell for a few days.
With little queueing, I was airside 2h before my flight to kill time. The aircraft must have had some issues during the turnaround in Singapore on its previous leg and arrived a little late which resulted in us being 20 mins late to Kuala Lumpur.
Onboard, I chose a meal which I hadn’t tried before. It was the fish in hot bean sauce which proved less spicy and umami (from the fermented beans) than expected. I suppose it has to be expected for a general “audience” considering the other option is the spicy Nasi Hujan Panas with Chicken Rendang.
The after-meal beverage service was a little different with no orange or apple juice available (in addition to the other hot and cold options). The only juice available was grape (a Cypriot brand). Very classy!
Continuing to Auckland
Arriving about 10 mins later than scheduled, I slowly made my way to the international departure area and spent about 1h30 in the lounge. The food today was Indian. While delicious, I had to show restrain as I had only recovered from tummy problems.
The Malaysia Airlines flight boarded rather late, around 2120 for the 2145 departure. I was using a Flexi ticket from over two years ago, purchased during the pandemic, which allowed me priority boarding and luggage (as indicated by the “PDTC” code on my boarding pass).
We ended up departing about 30 mins late due to the late boarding, baggage loading and catering delays.
Economy class seats on the leased Airbus A330-200 had less recline than the domestic/shorthaul Boeing 737 (quite generous compared to other airlines). Fortunately, I was able to shift to a row of four extra-legroom seats shared with another man.
There were special meals galore, made up largely of Hindu and vegetarian meals. I felt bad for having booked a free “Chef on Call” meal instead of the standard offering. All these delayed the main meal service for passengers without special orders.
The hot meal was complemented with a delicious croissant instead of a side salad or appetiser. It’s a great idea for a night flight as people can choose to save it for later. But it was strange not having a dessert but only a bag of peanuts and a small square of chocolate.
I put my eyeshades on after dinner and tried to sleep upright. It didn’t work and seeing that my row-mate was already asleep, I lay down across three seats and dozed off after a long attempt (despite having taken a sleeping pill).