After arriving in Kuala Lumpur from our very plush Etihad flights, it was time to quickly collect our luggage, repack a few things, before heading straight for the business class check-in (thanks to our lucky MH Upgrade, which I’ll cover in another post) and onwards to the Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge; for a chance to see how it’s doing in 2025 (last seen, 2022).
Despite Chinese New Year and ongoing renovations in the departures area, check-in was prompt and relatively calm at the business class check-in area, with a queue of more or less one person waiting at each counter (no centralised queue, so pick wisely).
Even domestic economy (as seen below) didn’t look at all chaotic and the holiday period seemed to be being managed quite well.
KLIA sends domestic passengers through a separate, centralised security screening – quite a bit more lax than the main international screening at those gates, and where you can keep hold of liquids in excess of 100ml – and then downstairs, straight into a duty free area.
The lounge is off down the corridor to the right, passing a few luxury, and generally unvisited, boutiques along the way.
We were quickly admitted and, as on my previous visits, I was quick to secure three seats tucked in right alongside the floor-to-ceiling windows; where you can see right across the airfield and down to the end of the contact terminal pier.
The food & beverage selection hasn’t significantly changed in any way since before and is fronted by a selection of hot food at a buffet counter area, along with juices, large water bottles and a coffee machine.
Unfortunately we arrived right in the twilight zone between the breakfast items being cleared, and the lunch items still being prepared to be brought out.
In terms of dining, this will not be the most outstandingly luxurious affair anyone will ever receive in an airport lounge, but tempered expectations will surely go a long way.
The floor-to-ceiling windows continue all the way down to the end of the lounge, with seating all the way to the end (though these seats are popular), but there’s further more appropriate seating for dining further in from the buffet counter as well – which in particular on our visit seemed to be where families with kids had decided to base themselves.
Also in this same area, which I hadn’t realised before, is another coffee machine as well as a selection of fruits, salad ingredients for DIY, and yoghurts. Ultimately, given that we were caught in the food-less twilight zone, I ended up taking what I could from this area until ‘new’ hot food was presented a short time later.
After the long stretch from Abu Dhabi, we also decided to make use of the shower facilities on this visit – a nice positive, for a domestic lounge.
To be honest, this was all a bit confusing; there’s one cubicle each in the Ladies bathroom, and the Gents bathroom. But how and where you get a towel from, or know who’s next, is very unclear; there’s no signage, nobody’s really floating around to help, and after standing there for about 10 minutes, I ended up backtracking to reception to ask what exactly was supposed to happen.
The answer, for anyone who needs to know, is they put you on a waiting list with a washroom attendant who’ll also provide you with a packaged towel, toiletries, and a toothbrush set. The male washroom attendant (and the female washroom attendant, apparently) both were otherwise not easy to find, so going to reception is by far the best bet even though it’s a walk back to the entrance.
The shower itself however was lovely; I was ultimately invited to use the disability-friendly washroom (again – as happened in the international Golden Lounge previously), which had a shower, and the temperature, pressure, and cleanliness all was certainly nothing to complain about. I stepped out far more ready to take on the day!
Overall, this lounge remains a perfectly fine place to stay if you find yourself in the domestic terminal area with a little time to spare, though I certainly wouldn’t make it my business to be there any earlier than needed!
