Jetstar Asia or Malaysian Airlines?

[trippin_the_rift]

Doing a quick dash SIN-KUL-SIN next month and I've got the choice of either Jetstar or Malaysian.

Jetstar would be the economy max fare with priority boarding/seat selection/QFF points.

Malaysian would be economy with free food, IFE, BSI etc.. (738). No status.

MH is slightly cheaper.

Any thoughts?

 

[wmetz]

Doesn't tiger do that route too???

 

[Austman]

Doing a quick dash SIN-KUL-SIN next month and I've got the choice of either Jetstar or Malaysian.

Jetstar would be the economy max fare with priority boarding/seat selection/QFF points.

Malaysian would be economy with free food, IFE, BSI etc.. (738). No status.

MH is slightly cheaper.

Any thoughts?

Last time I did this flight on MH, there was no IFE to speak of (but it was a 734 I think) and the food was a biscuit with tea/coffee. It's a short-ish flight.

Flying Jetstar gives you access to the Qantas lounges in Singapore at least (on arrival too). And some Jetstar Asia (or is it Valuair flights or both?) do give out a snack. I was on one a couple of months ago.

 

[yohy?!]

Last time I did this flight on MH, there was no IFE to speak of (but it was a 734 I think) and the food was a biscuit with tea/coffee. It's a short-ish flight.

Flying Jetstar gives you access to the Qantas lounges in Singapore at least (on arrival too). And some Jetstar Asia (or is it Valuair flights or both?) do give out a snack. I was on one a couple of months ago.

3K Plus fares and above include a hot meal and drink, decent food on my last leg in Sept

 

[wingspan]

Last time I did this flight on MH, there was no IFE to speak of (but it was a 734 I think) and the food was a biscuit with tea/coffee. It's a short-ish flight.

Flying Jetstar gives you access to the Qantas lounges in Singapore at least (on arrival too). And some Jetstar Asia (or is it Valuair flights or both?) do give out a snack. I was on one a couple of months ago.

I too have been served just a small packet of peanuts and a juice on these short routes with MH.

Flying with any Plus or Max bundle will give you a meal on all flights operated by JetStar Asia. On the tiny routes to KUL, PEN, or MES, you will be given a "light meal and a cold non-alcoholic drink".

 

[xt_20]

Seeing that you're a QF P1 I would go with 3K unless MH flights suit your schedule better since they have more flights a day, compared to 3K with 3 flights. MH only has 1 B738 flight on this route, rest are old B734s and you'll get peanuts + juice. They have many more flights in a day, soThe few times I flew this route, MH is usually half empty while 3K is very full.

Tiger fly this route too but from SIN budget terminal to KUL budget terminal. AirAsia fly from SIN T1 to KUL budget terminal.

 

[TheInsider]

I'd go with 3K.. Access to the QF lounge, priority boarding which they call out for and if your the only one a personal page , FF points & SC's, free seat selection of the basic seats, and the 'meal' which for that flight is a mexican chicken focaccia (which is alright, not the best) and a drink, and baggage.

 

[oz_mark]

THe flight itself is only 40 minutes or so, and it is not something you would fly on for a culinary adventure. My experience with MH in economy on this sector is that it is a packet or two of peanuts, and a soft drink or juice.

A Max fare on Jetstar should get you a choice of row 1 and the exit rows, get you access to the Qantas lounge in SIN, plus whatever the food is on that sector. Not so good for lounge access returning from KUL though.

As for MH, they have a mix of 738's and 734's on the sector (used to be just the one as mentioned above, but I thought as the 738 arrive and 734 exits, it was more than one flight a day now.

3K operates out of SIN from the same terminal as QF, while MH is another terminal. Both use the main terminal in KUL.

On balance, if there is not much price difference, I'd probably go 3K.

 

[fresherbill]

If I were you, I'd probably go 3K purely for lounge access and the miles, but that's about all. I had a Plus fare on my last SIN-KUL trip in October and didn't get any food or drink, and they boarded by row alone (i.e. there was no priority boarding based on status or fare type). It could've simply been a bad day, but I was pretty unimpressed.

In my honest opinion, it's such a quick 35 minute flight it hardly matters... I've done it in SQ J and 3K (all Y) and even on the former they sometimes struggle to get any service in at all. Same goes for IFE. I can't speak for MH, but I imagine the same would apply. Given that you spend more time in the terminal than on the plane, I'd focus on the perks that are not to do with the flight itself.

 

[richie9x]

Another option you might want to consider is Firefly, they are a subsidiary of Malaysian airlines. They fly turbo props from Singapore to Subang airport. Subang was KL's international airport before KLIA was built. It is a lot closer to central city than KLIA.

 

[Awesom Andy]

If you need the status, fly 3K. Otherwise, get a bus. I'm serious at that too. A decent one will get you from SIN cbd to KUL cbd in 4 - 5 hours, depending on traffic, with seating similar to regional business-class seats, and a free meal as well. If you add up the time you need for flying, i.e. 30min SIN cbd - airport, 2 hour for check-in + lounging + boarding, 1 hour for flight, 30min to deboard and customs, 30min for train to KUL cbd... why bother fly?

 

[richie9x]

If you need the status, fly 3K. Otherwise, get a bus. I'm serious at that too. A decent one will get you from SIN cbd to KUL cbd in 4 - 5 hours, depending on traffic, with seating similar to regional business-class seats, and a free meal as well. If you add up the time you need for flying, i.e. 30min SIN cbd - airport, 2 hour for check-in + lounging + boarding, 1 hour for flight, 30min to deboard and customs, 30min for train to KUL cbd... why bother fly?

I once took the Aeroline coach service from Singapore to KL. It left from down near the oceanliner terminal in SG and stopped in KL near KLCC. They sell themselves as a business class coach service. You get big spacious seats and a meal. There is a lounge on the lower deck. It took 5 hours with a stop halfway along the route. Although at certain times of the day the boarder crossing can get quite jammed. The trip is smooth, but not as smooth as an airplane. The service and the food is better than you would get on the equivalent flight in Business class. The main negative is the time it takes.

Personally flying appeals to me more. So other than that one trip on aeroline I have always flown.

 

[serfty]

I did the train once (KTMB). It was much cheaper to buy the ticket ex KL than ex SG.

Some years ago, both MH and SQ offered first on this route for not too much and one could do a FLounge run - buy one-way ex SIN on SQ and ex KUL on MH. Three hours in an airline's home "Flagship" lounge followed by 30 minute flight.

 

[Timba-Jet]

Agree the bus is a very comfy trip. Factor in door to door time it's not much more than flying.

Only downside is if you are chasing FF points/status.

 

[Travel Guru]

I'd go Jetstar over Malaysian.

I flew MH KUL-HKT last month in Y and was one of the worst flights service wise I've had.

Didn't accept the meal (if you can call it that) and the steward offered the 2 pax next to me a drink and didnt bother offering me one, then came back 20 mins later and asked me if I'd like another drink only for me to tell her 'actually I'd like you to offer me one in the first place'.

Was thoroughly unimpressed, MH service in the air and on the ground (from a back end perspective) has gone downhill alot in my eyes.

TG

 

[Stephen65]

I did the train once (KTMB). It was much cheaper to buy the ticket ex KL than ex SG.

That's because train ticket prices between SIN and Malaysian destinations are the same figure regardless of the direction of travel, except that if you buy them in Malaysia you are charged in ringgit but if you buy them in Singapore you are charged in Singaporean dollars...

 

[richie9x]

I did the train once (KTMB). It was much cheaper to buy the ticket ex KL than ex SG.

Which lead to some people from Singapore buying a train ticket to JB. Getting off the train at JB then buying quickly buying a ticket for the rest of the journey to KL at the cheaper Malaysian rate and quickly getting back on the train.

Although earlier this year they closed the Tanjong Pagar railway station in Singapore. So to catch the train from Singapore you have to make your way to Woodlands border crossing. So the train trip is not so convenient any more.

 

[serfty]

Which lead to some people from Singapore buying a train ticket to JB. Getting off the train at JB then buying quickly buying a ticket for the rest of the journey to KL at the cheaper Malaysian rate and quickly getting back on the train.

Although earlier this year they closed the Tanjong Pagar railway station in Singapore. So to catch the train from Singapore you have to make your way to Woodlands border crossing. So the train trip is not so convenient any more.

Heard of the first one; shame about the second - but I guess having that "Malaysian" railway reserve through the island was going to be sorted eventually.

 

[Lynnelanne]

I have caught the aeroliners bus quite a few times as I have lived in both SIN and Penang. IMHO it's actually just as quick as flying by the time you get to the airport, check in, hang around waiting, go through all the security cough... the aeroliner bus is comfortable, leaves on time, has big comfy seats, has a toilet downstairs for 'light usage ', and even gives out a meal which is invariably served by a gay guy who thinks he's a 1950's air hostess . The meal is inedible (with all that to-die-for food in Malaysia, they chose to give out Subways), but the bus stops at a roadside place for a toilet break, and it usually has fresh fruits and local snacks. I quite enjoy the bus ride, whereas flying is tedious and if you fly into KLIA by the time you then get into KL I reckon you haven't saved much time. The bus is cheaper too, but that is not my primary concern at all.

 

[aussiejohn]

I've been on the train, the bus and flown. Prefer flying even though it is only about 45 minute flight and KLIA is a fair way out of town.

Air Asia and Tiger both do the sector and you can usually get a bargain flight.

Last time I did it in April this year, I went on Silk Air, but I was using up some soon to expire Kris Flyer miles.

Time before that, I flew Air Asia. Fare including taxes was $A6! Couldn't do better than that!

However, if you use Air Asia, you will arrive at the ghastly tin shed they laughingly call the Low Cost Carrier Terminal at KLIA. The 1 hour bus trip from LCCT into KL Sentral Station is 9 Ringitt.