A report on my latest trip downunder and in Malaysia, all sectors flown in coach as full fare passenger

1/ 29MAR02 GVA-ZRH
SWISSAIR
A320-200
HB-IJI
ON TIME DEPARTURE

One of the last Swissair flight, really enjoyed my last one with this great airline. My return sector in 3 weeks will be with Swiss.

2/ 29MAR02 ZRH-KUL
MALAYSIA
B777-2H6
9M-MRG
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Great flight. I really like this 777 configuration 2-5-2.
In flight entertainment is perfect with PTVs.
Service is really above average.
Immigration a KUL is easy and staff friendly. I’ve rested a couple of hours in the indoor Pan Pacific KUL hotel, nice 4 stars hotel, nice discount with my airline ID.

3/ 30MAR02 KUL-BNE
MALAYSIA
A330-300
9M-MKH
ON TIME DEPARTURE

I was expecting a 777 (can’t read properly the timetable I guess) but the A330 is a nice surprise. The configuration is not as nice as in MH’s 777 and no PTVs unfortunately. Really enjoyed the ride in the A330 as it was strangely my first flight in this twin (with +20 logged in A340s..). Shame that MH hasn’t configured as luxurious as the 777.

4/ 31MAR02 BNE-PPP (Proserpine, Australia)
QANTAS LINK
Bae146-100
VH-NJR
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Even if I travel frequently aboard the 146s, I had only one ride prior to this flight in the short –100 serie, and it’s really a short aircraft.
We receive a sandwich and a drink from a friendly crew.
Proserpine airport is quite small, and it’s very sad to see the derelict condition of Ansett’s check-in. Infested by spiders, how come that nobody clean the area?!. Now I am off for 1 week of sailing at the great coral reef!

5/ 06APR02 PPP-BNE
QANTAS LINK
Bae146-100
VH-NJR
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Left my sail boat and back at the airport. Again VH-NJR, seems that they always dispatch the same aircraft on the same route. Short flight back to BNE, again sandwich and drink.

6/ 07APR02 BNE-CNS
QANTAS
B737-838
VH-VXA
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Great, my first ride in a 737-800 with winglets, nice look indeed.
Inside, I don’t really like it. These 737s are really less enjoyable than the A320s. Short snack and quick transit in CNS for my next flight to ASP.

7/ 07APR02 CNS-ASP (Alice Springs, NT Australia)
QANTAS LINK
Bae146-200
VH-NJN
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Again a 146, but a –200 this time. Uneventful flight again. We’re overflying nothing else than desert. ASP terminal is surprisingly very large. Alice Springs is really in the middle of nowhere, and it’s very hot!

8/ 11APR02 ASP-SYD
QANTAS
B737-476
VH-TJE
ON TIME DEPARTURE

3 hours flight till Sydney in this ex Australian Airlines 737-400. On this flight, you can really realise how big and wild is Australia. No house or village, just bush and desert. Nice approach and there we are in SYD, my last visit was in 1991. Disappointed to notice that the open SYD terrace is closed. Sad to see these idle 737s at the deserted Ansett terminal gates.

9/ 12APR02 SYD-KUL
MALAYSIA
B747-4H6
9M-MPK
ON TIME DEPARTURE

The lady screwed up my seat booking and I end up with a middle seat in a crowed 747, all what I like for long haul travel. At least I enjoy hours of Mario Bros on the PTVs. Catering is really excellent on Malaysia. Just next to me was a kind of middle-east family making more noise than an IL86, and calling the crew each 5 minutes for stupid questions or extra drinks. Each time, the crew answered kindly and with a smile, now that can be called excellent service indeed. Needless to say that on United, this family would have been deboarded after diversion to nearest airport  Really surprised of the quality of the service offered here, congrats to the crew for their professionalism

10/ 13APR02 KUL-LGK (Langkawi, Malaysia)
MALAYSIA
B737-4H6
9M-MQG
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Again on a 737-400, half empty. We receive just a glass of Manga juice but what else could we expect on a short domestic flight. Langkawi is considered as a freetax island, and the airport is of course a nice example.

11/ 16APR02 LGK-KUL
MALAYSIA
B737-4H6
9M-MMQ
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Shopping at LGK freetax, never had so cheap Marlboros in my life.
And another one of MH’s 734, they have a bunch of them and I am not surprised when you see how big their domestic network is.
And another half empty flight with orange juice.

12/ 17APR02 KUL-ZRH
MALAYSIA
B747-4H6
9M-MPB
ON TIME DEPARTURE

Again one of these bloody 747s, why the hell have they swapped with the great 777 on the ZRH route. The flight is 100% full but the quality of the service is still perfect. Night flight so I’ve slept for most of it (but still at least one hour with Mario Bros on the PTV). Wake up and breakfast 2 hours before landing, that’s a little bit early especially if you consider that the whole cabin was deep sleeping. Anyway, with so many pax to feed, I understand they want to take their time.

13/ 17APR02 ZRH-GVA
SWISS
A320-200
HB-IJN
ON TIME DEPARTURE

My first flight with Swiss on the “pendulaire” route. Nice to see magazine, boarding pass and safety card with the brand new Swiss logo. They were very
quick to erase the Swissair name, and this include the Swiss sticker over Swissair titles on the fuselage. I see through the windows that my inbound MH 747 has a technical problem and the sector to FCO will be delayed, glad it has not happened in KUL.


It was a long trip indeed, and I was really surprised by Malaysia quality of service. Will fly again with them anytime and with pleasure.
Tomorrow I am back in the air with Easyjet and later with SN Brussels Airlines, but that’s another story.