For this route (Kuala Lumpur - Medan) I chose Malindo Air. This was my 1st time experience with it. The other carriers operating on this route are AirAsia, Batik Air, and Malaysia Airlines. Surprisingly Malindo Air as a "hybrid" airline offered cheapest price for about IDR 330,000 (around USD 24.00) with 20kg baggage allowance included.
After watching the 2017 ASEAN Para Games, where Indonesia got some gold medals, I left the Bukit Jalil Stadium to the airport. As there was no direct transport between the stadium and the airport, firstly I had to take the LRT train to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), the main intercity bus terminal, where I would take an express bus to the airport.
TBS, Malaysia's largest bus terminal. Other than buses to the airport, here you can hop intercity buses to all states in Peninsular Malaysia and also international buses to Singapore and Hat Yai, Thailand.
The bus.
The journey from TBS to KLIA took about 45 minutes without any traffic jam. From the airport's bus station I proceed to the check-in counter. Here I just needed to print the boarding pass, as I had done the online check-in before.
The boarding pass. Compared to other Lion Group carriers, this is the best boarding pass design.
From the check-in counter I proceed to the airside after the immigration & custom checks. The checking process was quick without long queues.
Then we were welcomed by these miniatures.
Taking the aerotrain to satellite terminal.
The satellite terminal.
A short plane-spotting session.
As the sun set, I stopped the plane-spotting session, but we were still not allowed to enter the boarding gate. I chose to wait outside the gate and recharge my phone. The airport did not provide power stations, so I connected my cellphone to a PC which could be used publicly.
Finally about 30 minutes before boarding we could enter the waiting room.
At 7.40 p.m. (10 minutes behind the schedule) we were called for boarding.
Entering the cabin, firstly we passed the business class area. The seat seems comfortable.
The economy class. The seats reminded me to Batik Air, as the Malindo Air is currently re-branding as "Batik Air Malaysia". But I was surprised that there were no IFEs provided.
Parked at our left side was a Boeing 777-300ER of Turkish Airlines, waiting for departure back to Istanbul.
At about 8.15 p.m. (UTC+8), the boarding process was completed and the plane was pushed back before flying. I guess around 75-80% of the seats were occupied. Seating beside me was an old couple from Kisaran, North Sumatra, returning from KL.
Way to the runway. An A380 of Malaysia Airlines could be seen.
The take-off process was very smooth.
Then the seat-belt sign was switched off, and I started to check anything inside the seat pocket.
"Malindo Mag" magazine.
The cabin crews started to serve our drink. The choices were soft drinks and lychee water. As this was the short flight, we did not get any meal set.
Unfortunately I did not check the lavatory, as it was really difficult for me seating on the window side to move.
The flight was very short. It took about 50 minutes after departure from KL to reach Kuala Namu International Airport, Medan. At 8.00 p.m. (UTC+7) we were prepared for landing.
Way to the terminal building.
Here is the final shot of the cabin before leaving.
Final shots of the plane exterior.
Immigration check.
Passengers filling the customs forms.
Baggage belt.
The arrival area.
From the airport you can take the express train to Medan city center, but the fare was too expensive for me (IDR 90,000).
The cheaper mode to the city center was express buses. The fare was IDR 15,000-20,000, depending on your destination. And this was my choice.
I spent a night in Medan before taking an overnight bus to Pekanbaru on the next day.
Finally, let me show you some pictures of Medan city.
Medan's central post office, built by Dutch during the colonial time.
Medan's central railway station. The express train from Kuala Namu Airport terminates here. The station also serves intercity trains and commuter trains to Binjai and Tebing Tinggi.
Masjid Raya, Medan's largest mosque, with the blending of Malay, Moorish, and European architecture.
Istana Maimun, the palace of Deli Sultanate, one of Malay sultanates and kingdoms existed before the independence of Indonesia in 1945. The royal family are still existed until today, but they don't hold governmental authorities.
The most unforgettable things of Medan are exactly its foods.
Soto Medan, a mixture of Javanese soto and Malay/Indian curry taste. The "Soto Medan Sinar Pagi" is my family's favorite.
Ola Kisat, a restaurant serving traditional Karonese "Babi Panggang" (roasted pork).
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Verdict
Malindo Air
3.6/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew7.5
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Meal/catering5.0
Kuala Lumpur - KUL
7.1/10
Efficiency7.0
Access7.5
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0
Medan - KNO
7.4/10
Efficiency7.0
Access7.5
Services7.0
Cleanliness8.0
Conclusion
This was my 1st experience with Malindo Air. I was surprised that compared to our friends experience written on this website, I did not get similar facilities. No IFEs and foods provided. But it was probably due to the short flight (less than 1 hour). I hope that for the longer flights (e.g: Kuala Lumpur - Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur - Bangkok) they serve us better. The cabin condition was clean and well-maintained, and the crews were nice and good-looking.
My comments about KLIA airport is still similar with previous reports. The facilities (especially power plug outlets) and cleanliness need to be improved. I think the LCC's klia2 has been better, where you can easily find power plugs and 24 hours restaurant before the airside.
Kuala Namu International Airport in Medan (actually it's located not exactly in Medan but in its adjacent Deli Serdang Regency) is nice and clean. Honestly, this airport has been better than Soekarno-Hatta Airport. But the service still can be improved. I really hope more international flights will depart and arrive to the airport, other than regular flights to our closest neighbors Malaysia & Singapore. Qatar Airways has planned to fly to the airport in 2018 (http://www.routesonline.com/news/29/breaking-news/270138/qatar-airways-reveals-curious-list-of-future-routes-for-2017-and-2018/).
Thanks for reading.
3 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Thank you for the report! I see Malindo, I comment :p
Other than buses to the airport, here you can hop intercity buses to all states in Peninsular Malaysia and also international buses to Singapore and Hat Yai, Thailand. - They even also have an intercity train station, which serves both commuter trains and intercity trains as far as Padang Besar.
... But I was surprised that there were no IFEs provided. - Sounds like you're flying on their new plane - the older ones still have the IFE, but again it's pure luck to get the older planes as they all share the same configuration and impossible to detect.
The cabin crews started to serve our drink. The choices were soft drinks and lychee water. As this was the short flight, we did not get any meal set. - I previously wondered whether you were about to get a meal considering it's an international flight on their mainline fleet, but it seems like it's even a feat to have drink choices. How did you find the service?
I wonder why you're very interested about Malindo.
"I previously wondered whether you were about to get a meal considering it's an international flight on their mainline fleet, but it seems like it's even a feat to have drink choices. How did you find the service?" The service was good but nothing special. The crews brought trays containing drink cups and I picked the cup by myself. I just realized that it was a Coke without any explanation from the crews. Some minutes later, I asked for a cup once more. A stewardess came, again with the tray, and I picked a cup which looked like a plain water. I did not know exactly what that was, but after drinking it, it had lychee taste. But personally on this short flight I don't have any problem for not having food service.
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36 reviews
2 Comments
Other than buses to the airport, here you can hop intercity buses to all states in Peninsular Malaysia and also international buses to Singapore and Hat Yai, Thailand.
- They even also have an intercity train station, which serves both commuter trains and intercity trains as far as Padang Besar.
... But I was surprised that there were no IFEs provided.
- Sounds like you're flying on their new plane - the older ones still have the IFE, but again it's pure luck to get the older planes as they all share the same configuration and impossible to detect.
The cabin crews started to serve our drink. The choices were soft drinks and lychee water. As this was the short flight, we did not get any meal set.
- I previously wondered whether you were about to get a meal considering it's an international flight on their mainline fleet, but it seems like it's even a feat to have drink choices. How did you find the service?
I wonder why you're very interested about Malindo.
"I previously wondered whether you were about to get a meal considering it's an international flight on their mainline fleet, but it seems like it's even a feat to have drink choices. How did you find the service?"
The service was good but nothing special. The crews brought trays containing drink cups and I picked the cup by myself. I just realized that it was a Coke without any explanation from the crews. Some minutes later, I asked for a cup once more. A stewardess came, again with the tray, and I picked a cup which looked like a plain water. I did not know exactly what that was, but after drinking it, it had lychee taste.
But personally on this short flight I don't have any problem for not having food service.
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