How full: At about 65 per cent, much emptier in Economy than I would have expected, given the Malaysian school holidays had just started. Business class was full.
Entertainment: Malaysian Airlines' entertainment system on the A350 is much better than that of their A330 fleet. The touchscreen is very sensitive, and the system has many features, such as a camera mounted on the aircraft that faces downwards. This was fun to watch on landing. The movies were a mediocre selection ranging from new releases to classics such as The Sound of Music.
The service: Service was spectacular, exceeding my expectations. The staff even giving a stuffed toy to a child in front of me. There were a few delays in cleaning up the rubbish from the meal service but the Malaysian hospitality was excellent.
Food: Great, once more exceeding my expectations. For lunch, the Asian-vegetarian meal consisted of a lovely paneer curry served with rice and a dhal curry, along with yoghurt, a bread roll and water. The food was excellent, which resulted in a clean plate, something that doesn't happen often for vegetarians. To finish, we were served an orange iceblock, which sadly did not match the standards of Air New Zealand's Kapiti icecream. We were also served a snack closer to landing of a herb focaccia sandwich containing roasted vegetables, which was delicious.
Toilets: Relatively small but kept clean throughout the flight.
Luggage: One checked bag per passenger weighing no more than 23kg, along with a 7kg carry-on bag.
A Malaysia Airlines A350-900. Photo / Supplied
Airport Experience: KLIA1, or Kuala Lumpur International Airport (number 1) is a fabulous airport to depart from. The check-in was smooth and staff were very helpful, and the airport itself was very clean. The range of food and shopping was vast with a good selection of items to buy after security. Old Town Coffee does great toast and beverages, but make sure you ask for the sugar on the side as otherwise everything is very sweet. McDonald's also went down a treat, and their new addition of a scrambled egg sandwich was delightful for breakfast. The gate lounges, however, were very cold and a jumper had to come out of the bag. Tokyo Narita airport was very easy to navigate.
Would you fly again: Yes, in a heartbeat. The service and food were both wonderful and it is a good way of flying directly between Malaysia and Japan.
