FLYING JAKARTA TO KUALA LUMPUR:
There were a ton of options when it came time to book our flights from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur including the Indonesian carriers Lion Air, Batik Airlines, Malindo Air and of course the national airline Garuda. Other options included the Malaysian carriers Air Asia or Malaysia Airlines and then there was the outlier, KLM. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has a fifth freedom flight from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur. Fifth freedom means that KLM can sell seats between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur even though the flight is ultimately destined for Amsterdam routine Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur-Amsterdam. The opportunity to fly a fifth freedom flight combined with the low fare ($50 per person for the one way) meant that flying KLM was a no brainer.
I have a ton of pics and vids here but if you want to checkout the full report you can check it out right here: otherwise, keep on scroooooooling...
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/dr-is-southeast-asia-adventure-part-3-flying-klm-to-kuala-lumpur/
KLM JAKARTA-KUALA LUMPUR:
We arrived Soekarno-Hatta international airport’s terminal 3 three hours before the scheduled time of departure.
With three hours to go, our flight wasn’t even listed on the departures board yet.
At Soekanno Hatta airport, you cannot even go through the initial security required to get to the check-in desks until a couple of hours before your flights scheduled departure time. This meant that we had to hang out in the in the pre-departure area for an hour or so.
There was a small, covered area outside that appeared to be exclusively for crews awaiting their transportation into the city.
Back inside I was chilling (not literally because parts of the pre-departure are were actually quite toasty) when I spotted these crew members. Not sure what airline they fly for but I like the way the uniform and the hijab flow together.
Many of the travelers waiting to enter the check-in area were headed to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage. The individual groups could be identified by their name tags and their coordinated clothing.
We passed through initial security about two hours before our scheduled departure time, to find the KLM checkin desks relatively swamped. Despite the long lines, the process proceeded pretty quickly and we soon had boarding passes in hand heading to…
gate D2 where…
we found PH-BVC, a 2009 build Boeing 777-300 waiting to take us on the 703 mile, 1 hour and 37 minute flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Boarding started right on time and we were greeted at the R2 door by two cabin crew members. The crew do a five day trip, flying Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur with a lay-over in Kuala Lumpur. The next day they fly Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur and again layover in Kuala Lumpur before flying the final leg from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam the following day.
By now you know that I have a thing for doors and wings, so here is the R2 door during boarding.
The Business class cabin which looked relatively spacious. I could definitely see myself spending a few hours here on the way to Amsterdam but…
not tonight. Next up was KLM’s Economy Comfort which is more akin to United’s Economy Plus than a true Premium Economy product. Same seat width just a few extra inches of pitch (34 instead of 31).
It was just plain ole’ steerage for us tonight but for a 90 minute flight…
the space was sufficient.
You can checkout the full video fllight report here:
https://youtu.be/1gO92gcXnMs
After getting seated and settled, I checked out KLM’s in-flight magazine the Holland Herald and of course the first thing that I turned to was…
the fleet page.
Next up was the safety card. Safety is always first or…in this case second.
After checking out the seat pocket contents, I fired up the in-flight entertainment system and went right for the flight map.
We pushed off of the gate right on-time and after a very slow, 20+ minute taxi, the GE90 engines propelled us into the night skies over Jakarta
Our route from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur. Despite the long taxi, we were still scheduled to arrive Kuala Lumpur a few minutes ahead of schedule. Up, up and away…Next stop, KL.
Soon after take-off, luke warm towels (I’m sure they were intended to be hot) were distributed. Despite being luke warm, they were a nice touch for such a short flight, especially in coach class.
Legroom was the unfortunately standard 31 inches but the design of the seat with the magazine pocket above the knees did make the seat a bit more comfortable.
A warm snack service followed consisting of vegetable risoles. The taste was so-so but a warm snack on a 90 minute flight is still appreciated by this American who is used to having to buy food even on 9 hour flights from Chicago to Hawaii (yeah, I’m looking at you UA!)
After the service items were collected, people kicked back and relaxed for the remaining 30 minutes or so of the flight. These two a definitely chips off of the old block, catch a few ZZZ’s whenever and wherever you can!
The in-flight entertainment system had a nice feature highlighting tourist sites of the destination city. We definitely had to see Petaling Street before we left KL. About 15 minutes out, we started our descent into KLIA-Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
We landed early and arrived the gate 7 minutes ahead of schedule. Given the sea of Malaysia Airlines tails, I knew we were definitely in Kuala Lumpur.
Disembarkation was nice and smooth and all passengers (even those continuing onwards to Amsterdam) had to disembark prior to the crew change. As you can see, KLM is a part of the 3-4-3 777 movement. At least the TV screen are large enough to take your mind off of the misery for a little while. Is it just me, or does the air actually smell better up here at the pointy end of the airplane? Okay, it’s probably just me.
The dual air bridges presented a bit of a problem when it came time to collect our gate checked stroller but it provided a nice photo op.
Of course I had to check out FlightRadar 24 as soon as we landed.
I was kind of surprised how crowded the airport was at this late hour, especially on New Year’s eve. It took a while to get two vans into the city (remember we were a group of 11 on New Years Eve) but eventually we were on the road and heading into the city center.
If I haven't bored you to tears yet and you want to check out the full trip report, you can check it out right here:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/dr-is-southeast-asia-adventure-part-3-flying-klm-to-kuala-lumpur/
You can check out the full flight video report here if you like:
https://youtu.be/1gO92gcXnMs
If not, lets check out some of the highlights of our time in Malaysia...
Kuala Lumpur is the capitol city of Malaysia and personally one of my favorite cities. I had been to Kuala Lumpur (or KL as it is affectionately known) once before about a decade ago and I immediately fell in love with it at that time. There was no way that I was coming back to southeast Asia without coming to KL. So come along with me as I explore Malaysia’s capital city.
You can check out my video exploring Kuala Lumpur and Putrijaya here:
https://youtu.be/XENxnnmSsHI
EXPLORING KUALA LUMPUR:
What jet lag? The day started bright and early at the Doubletree with a short visit to the gym and a long visit to the breakfast buffet.
Our day 1 agenda included a ride on the hop on hop off double decker bus. I had to mitigate some of that breakfast buffet damage by walking a half mile to the bus stop.
One of the first things that caught my eye from the second floor of the bus was the high commission for Pakistan. I’m guessing that would be British English for the Pakistani embassy. Whatever it is, the architecture really caught my eye.
Our first stop was the KL Tower which is actually a communication tower. Trust me, you do not want to know what I had to do to get this person-free shot. Lets just say it involved me literally laying in the street which was still wet with the recent rain water. But, I got it!!
Within walking distance of the KL Tower is the KL Eco Park.
The Eco park is an actual forest preserve right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of KL.
Next up was the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex. We bounced around the shops and bought some souvenirs but what really caught my eye was this unique sculpture on the lawn outside.
NEXT UP, PUTRAJAYA:
Putrajaya is the federal administrative center of Malaysia and the seat of government was shifted here from KL in 1999.
Perdana Putra, the first of the government buildings completed in Putrajaya. This building houses government offices as well as the office of the prime minister.
The Putra Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque (for obvious reasons), is one of the most beautiful mosques that I have ever seen.
The Putra mosque is open to everyone although visitors have to be appropriately dressed. Now, what does someone do if they want to visit the mosque but they aren’t appropriately dressed? Well the mosque provides garments free of charge that for some reason reminded me of Hogwarts and Harry Potter. Is it just me?
The only thing more beautiful than the wall tiles of the prayer hall was the ceiling and the dome which was of course pink! what else?
No visit to the mosque would be complete without a little ice cream, right?
MEANWHILE BACK IN KUALA LUMPUR:
Our next day started bright and early at the Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia. The Islamic Arts Museum is located in the Perdana Botanical Gardens.
The main hall is flooded with natural light and like much of Malaysia, the architecture is phenomenal.
No trip to KL would be complete without a visit to the world famous Petronas Towers.
As a Chicagoan I’ve always had a bone to pick with the Petronas Towers which took the mantle of tallest building in the world from Chi-town’s very own Sears Tower in 1998.
The Petronas Towers are definitely number 1 (and 2) in KL but the Menara Public Bank building adjacent to Petronas makes a beautiful back drop, especially at night with the color changing fountains.
I'm still in love with Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia but all good things must come to an end. Next up was Bali, yes we were back tracking back to Indonesia!
NEXT UP, BALI!
We had an afternoon flight with Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Bali. Unfortunately check-in was a bit choatic that afternoon with long lines and somewhat confusnig signage.
Eventually we were all checked in and through security and immigration and waiting at the gate for MH853, the…
Boeing 737-800 service to Depasar/Bali.
We boarded on time and we were soon pushing off of the gate. Keep an eye out for parts 5 and 6, flying to Bali and Exploring Bali coming real soon!
If I haven't bored you to tears yet and you want to check out the full trip report, you can check it out right here:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/dr-is-southeast-asia-adventure-part-3-flying-klm-to-kuala-lumpur/
You can check out the full flight video report here if you like:
https://youtu.be/1gO92gcXnMs
If you are really bored and want to check out our other trip reports, you can see them right here:
Holland Part 1-Flying airBaltic RIX-AMS
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/amsterdam- ... airbaltic/
Holland Part 2-Amsterdam and Evolving Sexuality in Holland.
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/amsterdam- ... nd-part-2/
Latvia Part 1-The Flights to Latvia:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/latvia-getting-there/
Latvia Part 2-A Two Headed Dog, Rapid Detox and a Polar Plunge:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/latvia-...encing-latvia/
San Diego Comic Con Part 1-Flying There:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/san-die...getting-there/
San Diego Comic Con Part 2-The Con!:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/san-die...17-part-2-con/
San Diego Comic Con Part 3-Flying Home:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/san-die...-geeks-part-3/
Hajj, My Journey of Forgiveness, Redemption and Rebirth Part 1-Flying to Saudi Arabia:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/hajj-my...ebirth-aprt-1/
Hajj, My Journey of Forgiveness, Redemption and Rebirth Part 2- Exploring Medinah:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/hajj-jo...art-2-medinah/
Hajj, My Journey of Forgiveness, Redemption and Rebirth Part 3-The Hajj:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/hajj-jo...n-part-3-hajj/
Hajj, My Journey of Forgiveness, Redemption and Rebirth Part 4-Flying Home:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/hajj-jo...-heading-home/
Part 1-Farewell to the Queen Flying to Seoul on a United 747:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/farewel...getting-there/
Part 2-Exploring Seoul, the DMZ and all things K-Pop:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/farewel...-part-2-seoul/
Part 3-Flying Home, The Farewell Flight United 747 flight ICN-SFO:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/farewel...rt-3-farewell/
Part 1- Nigeria, Twinning and The Slave Trade. Flying to Lagos:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/nigeria-tw ... ing-there/
Part 2- Nigeria, Twinning and The Slave Trade. Experiencing Nigeria:
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/nigeria-tw ... g-nigeria/
Part 3- Nigeria, Twinning and The Slave Trade. Flying LOS-FRA-ORD
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/nigeria-tw ... ying-home/
Can a UNITED guy find his SPIRIT: NK ORD-LAX-ORD
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/can-a-unit ... is-spirit/
SE Asia Adventure Part 1 NK ORD-HND-CGK
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/doctor-is- ... indonesia/
SE Asia Adventure Part 2: Jakarta
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/dr-is-sout ... indonesia/
SE Asia Adventure Part 3: KL CGK-KUL
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/dr-is-sout ... la-lumpur/
SE Asia Adventure Part 4: Malaysia
http://www.twindoctorstv.com/dr-is-sout ... la-lumpur/
