Flying in Malaysia and airports
LCCT at Kuala Lumpur Airport
The vast majority of tourists arriving into Malaysia do so via one of the country’s international airports. Kuala Lumpur remains the main transport hub of the country although there are swelling number of flights coming directly into Penang and Langkawi as well. There has been a recent rise in budget flights to smaller destinations with some exceptionally cheap domestic fares (sometimes under RM20 one way) which offer superb value when pitted against a ten hour bus journey.
Air Asia is one of the biggest budget air carriers in Southeast Asia and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) LCCT terminal is their major hub. From here there are direct flights as far as Taipei, Australia, Manila, India and London. Other no frills airlines using KLIA include Silk Air, Cebu Pacific and Berjaya Air, the latter having short-hop services to the popular Malaysian tourist haunts of Pulau Tioman, Pulau Pangkor and Pulau Redang.
Malaysian airports
KLIA handles more than 25 million passengers per year making it the 13th most popular airport on the planet. There is a wide choice of eating and shopping including international high street names such as Burger King and Starbucks, the latter with free WiFi internet. Getting to KLIA from the city centre is easy with direct bus and train connections from Pudu Raya Bus Terminal and KL Sentral Train Station. The train takes less than half-an-hour and costs RM35 while the bus costs RM15 with the journey lasting around 90 minutes. More on KLIA.
Penang International Airport is another important gateway into the country and popular with visa-runners from Phuket and Bangkok. The airport is also the base of the no frills wing of Malaysian Airlines called Firefly.
AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines aircrafts at KLIA
International flights arrive here from Medan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Banda Aceh, Bangkok, Perth, Taipei, Phuket, Jakarta, Koh Samui, Macau, and Guangzhou. There are domestic connections with KL, Kota Kinabalu, Johor Bahru, Kuching and Pulau Langkawi. And the terminal is located around half-an-hour from Georgetown or the popular beach resort of Batu Ferringhi. More on Penang International Airport.
Pulau Langkawi International Airport is the smallest of the three major Malaysian air gateways and mainly deals with tourist traffic from around the region. Flying here is a good option rather than taking a lengthy overnight bus and then a ferry, so check out what budget deals are available and try to book several weeks in advance. Air Asia is the major carrier but Berjaya Air and Firefly also have services here. More on Langkawi transport.
Deals and air travel tips
Passengers who purchase a long-haul international flight with Malaysian Airlines can get a Discovery Malaysia Pass for US$199. These allow five flights within Malaysia including one to Sabah or Sarawak. Dates can be changed as many times as you wish for free and changes to the route cost only US$25. Generally when booking the best prices can be found during weekdays with any travel from Friday to Monday morning much more expensive.
When on holiday it is always the best value to plan an itinerary before setting off and book ticket as early as possible. Try to eat before getting on the plan as snacks on board are always overpriced and generally pretty tasteless. Although bringing drinks through security is these days prohibited there’s nothing wrong with carrying an empty bottle through and filling up at a water fountain in the departure lounge. And remember to take a spare jumper and pair of socks with you as inflight air conditioning can get quite chilly.
