5D/4N Backpacking London Without A Tour – Free & Easy (Part 2) : Flying with Malaysia Airlines for the Very First Time On-board the Airbus A380 to London, UK

Do you remember your very first flight with Malaysia Airlines? I do. It was in November last year that my sister and I flew with Malaysia Airlines on-board the mighty Airbus A380 to London, United Kingdom. 😀 We both booked window seats on the upper-deck of the spacious, four-engine jet airliner to enjoy the breathtaking view 30,000 feet from above. For your info, the Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger plane.

A 14-hour Comfortable, But Turbulent Flight to London

Our night flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Heathrow Airport, London took about 14 hours. The first leg of the journey was smooth. The second leg of the journey however, was a tad rough and bumpy. Many a time, we were requested to be seated and buckled our seat belts as the plane made its way through the turbulence.

To take our minds off the nerve-racking, but apparently quite common situation, my sister and I preoccupied ourselves with the in-flight entertainment service provided by Malaysia Airlines. We watched movies, listened to songs, played games and even learn a new language too! 😀

Warm & Satisfying In-Flight Meals, Snacks & Drinks

What I look forward on the flight was the in-flight meals and drinks. 😀 Throughout the long flight to London, we were served a total of 2 main meals and some light snacks/refreshments in between. Upon take off, we were given a packet of salted peanuts to go with our choice of drinks – coffee/tea, mineral water, carbonated drink, fruit juice, wine or beer.

The first main meal was a choice of chicken or fish. My sister and I took the fish in black bean sauce with rice and vegetables. If I remember correctly, the other dish was chicken with stir-fried noodles and vegetables. Both dishes were served with a side serving of fresh salad, a slice of cake, some crackers and a bun with cream cheese and butter.

The second main meal was again a choice of chicken or fish. This time however, it was chicken rendang with rice or baked fish with vegetables. Both dishes were served with a side serving of mashed potatoes, fresh fruits and a bun with butter. We also received a tiny packet of mineral water each. I had red wine to go with my food. 😉

The flight attendants were attentive and kind enough to offer refills for our drinks throughout the flight. Besides that, we were given packets of crackers with cheese, biscuits and titbits.

Lack of Attentiveness & Poor Service by the Flight Attendants

However, our flight experience back to Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) from London (Heathrow Airport) was not as good as our flight experience to London, United Kingdom. The quality of the food, snacks and drinks served on-board the flight was good, however the service by the flight attendants deteriorated. 🙁

This new batch of flight attendants lack the attentiveness the previous batch displayed. We were not offered refills for our drinks until we requested for it. Unlike the previous experience where the flight attendants personally handed out packets of snacks to us, this time the packets of snacks were passed around in a tray for the passengers to help themselves.

Is this a rare case or a common substandard practice? Someone please enlighten me. They seemed to be doing their job half-heartedly and were uninterested in serving the passengers on-board. We do not see them doing their rounds regularly too.

Thankfully, the good food made up for the lack of service we received. This time, we were served baked chicken breast with mashed potatoes and a side serving of shrimp salad, a slice of cake, crackers and cheese and a bun. The next meal was the Malaysian favourite, nasi lemak with a side serving of vegetables, a slice of cake and a bun with butter. 😀

To London with Love

Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and whole of Europe. It is no surprise because many visitors opt to arrive in London before venturing out to other parts of Europe. So did we, but I will share about our Europe trip in another separate blog post. 😉 After a long, but comfortable flight, our Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380 landed safely in the evening in London, United Kingdom, Heathrow Airport Terminal 4.

After going through stringent airport security check and customs, we made our way to Terminal 2 via the free shuttle trains (a 20-minute ride) in order to catch a National Express bus to central London (Victoria Coach Station). For more information on getting to/from/around Heathrow Airport, visit the official website here.

Overall, we had a comfortable and pleasant flight to London with Malaysia Airlines. For our first time taking Malaysia Airlines to overseas, it was a good and memorable experience. 😀 My sister and I look forward to future flights on-board Malaysia Airlines to other international destinations besides London, United Kingdom.

We felt grateful for the kind generosity and hospitality of Malaysia Airlines for collaborating with The Malaysian Women’s Weekly and sponsoring our economy class return flights to London, United Kingdom. Thank you, Malaysia Airlines! 😀

Up next: Taking the Tube/Underground trains around London for the very first time – of mazes, maps and fascinating train stations