British Airways Club World London to Kuala Lumpur

This route is currently flown by an older 777. As a result it is a bit noisy and dated. However, this is less of a problem in Club World than in World Traveller or World Traveller Plus. The entertainment system is OK, though not great by Business Class Standards. I also find the BA programme/movie range not really to my taste. Perhaps I am a bit picky. These days an alternative is to watch downloaded content on your tablet. Unfortunately there was no USB point, and so I had to use my laptop as a power source.

The service was fine and the food provided of a very good standard. However, if I had a choice I would travel with Malaysia Airlines on their A380. I have not quite got to grips with the Club World layout. If you are travelling with a companion side by side is surely better- this can be done on BA, but you are then trapped by the feet of other passengers if the seats are used.

Travelling alone, I also don't think the layout works. To avoid invading the personal space of another passenger you need two seats to be free (the one next to you, becuase when that divider goes down you are face to face, and the one which needs to climb over you to get out of their seat when you are sleeping) whereas on Malaysia Airlines you only need the seat next to you to be free. (it normally is when flying to Paris, London perhaps less so!)

As I have written before, it is great that there is now the choice of two A380s and one 777 flying between KL and LHR. Long may it continue.

Galleries Lounges at Heathrow

The Galleries Lounges at T5 Heathrow are quite good. They are spacious and there is often a good range of hot and cold food as will as a good range of beers and wines. The two lounges in the main building do get very busy. If you are travelling from satellite building B or C it is usually better to head over to B to the lounge there. It is much quieter. However, there isn't a first class lounge there.


If you are flying from the main building and you have lots of time to kill, you can still make use of the lounge in building B. You will not be able to take the transit back to A, but on floor -4 there is a walkway which connects all the buildings and is open to the public. It takes 10-15 minutes to walk back from the lounge in satellite building B to the main Building.

Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt Kensington London

The Radisson Vanderbilt in London is a very useful mid scale hotel. It is located right by Gloucester Road tube station, which is on the Piccadilly line that will whisk you into the centre of London in a matter of Minutes. it is one stop, or a short walk from High Street Kensington and Hyde Park. Being those few stops away from the centre of the universe does bring room rates down to more manageable levels- think £150 per night rather than £350!


The hotel itself is very will finished. The fittings and furnishing are impressive and in keeping with the beautiful building. The rooms can be a little small, but that is the nature of London and the building itself. They are always well maintained and clean. The breakfast is very good indeed- and I highly recommend indulging. A small Gym and a bar with some character complete the picture. This will be a hotel I use again when visiting London.

Britiah Airways World Traveller Plus

BA's Premium Economy Product is an interesting one. It is certainly an improvement on Economy, the extra leg room and very slightly wider seats do make a difference. The small cabins do make the experience a bit more bearable. However, some of the frustrations of Economy are still present. One that sticks in the mind from a recent flight is the queues for the loo. As is often the case it very much depends on which plane you are on. The A380 World Traveller Plus cabins are very impressive. There are lots of convenient storage spaces and the seats a re comfortable. The older 777s are less good. The entertainment equipment is poor and the middle east airline's economy entertainment systems are far superior.


One other disadvantage can be that it can sometimes be full, because the cabin is quite small. However, this was not the case on my most recent flight.


World Traveller Plus does have a role to play. If you are flying economy, and there is a cheap upgrade available it can be worth it for the tier points alone. It can also be worth booking with the view to picking up a cheap or avios upgrade to Club World at a later stage. Sometimes, if all the cheap economy tickets have gone, it can sometimes be cheaper to fly in Premium Economy (This seems to happen quite often on the Hong Kong route.

KLIA Satellite Lounges....again

A one world member who is flying Business Class, or that only has Sapphire status in a one world programme has a choice between the Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge or the Cathay Pacific Lounge. The Golden Lounge is more spacious and has a greater range of food on offer- the food is OK (but I think the regional golden lounge is better). The wash room and shower facilities are certainly more extensive than Cathay have- as would be expected. However, the wifi in the Golden Lounge can be a little inconsistent- and today the Cathay Lounge came to the rescue and allowed me put through an urgent click and collect order before being stuck on a plane for 13 hours.

Don't forget they also serve Heineken or Tiger rather than Carlsberg. The Cathay Lounge is well worth a visit.

Legoland Johor Bharu

Legoland Johor Bharu is amazing. It has (almost) everything that Legoland Windsor has except the queues. I have been many times, and it has never been busy. The new water park is also fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Although expensive for Malaysia, it is not compared to Windsor or indeed Universal Studios in Singapore (which is also fantastic, but frighteningly expensive.)

There are a number of options for getting there. I have driven from KL before, it takes 3-4 hours. Malaysia airlines operate inexpensive flights from KL to Johor Bharu. You will pick up 10 tier points in economy- though not if you book a "promo" fare. However, you may want to consider flying business class. These flights are often around 350MYR and will collect you 40 BA tier points at less than £2 a point.

There are an increasing number of accommodation options. I use the renaissance, (because of marriott status) but it is some distance from the park. There is a traders much closer (and next to Hello Kitty Land!) I have not tried the legoland hotel- it can be quite pricey. I am told a new development across the road from the park will include a global hotel brand so that may be a good option in the near future.

Royal Brunei Airlines

If you are travelling to Brunei and there are time constraints RBA offers early(ish) and late flights to and from Brunei to KL and Singapore. If there is any flexibility in my schedule I will usually use Malaysia airlines to make the most of my status in the one world alliance. Sometimes I'll even fly to Miri (often very inexpensive) and drive up to Brunei.

My desire to avoid RBA has been reinforced recently, when a booking I had for a late departure from Brunei- allowing a full day's work in Brunei, followed by a full day's work in Kuala Lumpur was cancelled. Although not offered instantly, a free cancellation was forthcoming, but it is disappointing that I will have to let someone down.

Marriott Courtyard Mumbai

The courtyard by Marriott in Mumbai is located very close to the airport- a very inexpensive and short cab ride. Whilst the hassle some have to go through to get a visa for India may make this an unlikely stopover, if you do find yourself needing a room near to Mumbai airport the courtyard is a great option. It is inexpensive, about half the price of the JW marriott on Juhu Beach. Although you give up some of the opulence of the JW marriott, and the rooms are a bit smaller, the service at the Courtyard is fantastic and full benefits are given Gold and Platinum elite guests (EG Courtyards do not have to give free breakfast to elites, and in Europe they tend not to, but here breakfast was complimentary for my entire party) There is also an executive club lounge which is on a par with those you would find in a JW Marriott. The small pool is very enticing and is an oasis of calm above the busy streets of Mumbai.

MH Upgrade Test Update

I recently wrote about the dangers of using MHupgrade- it is unlikely that you will secure tier points or avios/miles due for a business class ticket, and possible that you will lose the points due on your economy segment.

I am currently waiting to see if I get credit for a return flight where I used MHupgrade on one leg. I wrote about it here. There is no sign of these flights in my account yet. I'll put a missing avios claim in soon, I'll keep you posted!

Why Royal Skies doesn't work for me

A number of years ago I found myself in South East Asia for a time. I gave Royal Skies, the frequent Flyer programme of Royal Brunei Airlines a try. Those readers who live in Brunei (and there are some!) will be familiar with Royal Skies. It does look reasonably attractive. There are plenty of collection opportunities in Brunei, including credit cards, restaurants, coffee shops and even a supermarket. However, when using the scheme, I found it quite frustrating for a number of reasons.

Firstly, miles earned from partners took months to credit to the account. Secondly, many partners would routinely offer discounts that were not available if you claimed the miles- the discount was invariably better value, and so points turned down. Thirdly, you cannot book redemptions online. This means you cannot get a confirmation there and then, instead you have to make contact with an agent. This is not always easy.

Some Brunei banks offer credit cards that come with status in the programme. These might well be worth considering especially if they offer lounge access. I'll review the newly refurbished lounge in Brunei in a forthcoming post.

Malaysia Airlines Lounge Satellite (Long Haul)

In the satellite building of Kuala Lumpur International Airport you will find both a Business Class and a First Class Malaysia Airlines lounge. The Business Class lounge is big, and offers a variety of hot and cold food that can be quite good. There is a very quiet and well equipped business centre, and the staff are happy to help you with printing if required. The bar is also very attractive. A range of wines, including champagne are available, as with the regional lounge, the beer choice is limited to carlsberg There is usually some sport to watch on the big screen. The washrooms and showers are fine, though at peak times it can be difficult to get access to the showers.

That is not the case in the First Class lounge. Here the showers are usually available, and they are quite impressive. The lounge does have a more sophisticated and quieter feel, as you would expect. On the other hand, the buffet food is no better than next door. However, there is also a table service section- I have not tried this, nor do I know if there is a more extensive choice of beer!

Near to the shared reception areas are a large number of lockers which can be very useful if you are travelling alone and do not want to carry any hand baggage wherever you go in the airport.

One world passengers could use the Cathay Pacific lounge in the satellite building instead, which is briefly reviewed here.

Malaysia Airlines Lounge Kuala Lumpur Regional

If you are flying internationally from Kuala Lumpur you have a choice of a large number of lounges. It is perfectly reasonable to get on the transit to the satellite building where a Business and First Class Malaysia Airlines lounges and a Cathay Pacific lounge are available to one world passengers. If you are flying regionally there is also a Malaysia Airlines Business Class lounge in the main terminal building. It is my favourite of the Business Lounges at KLIA. An escalator whisks you away from the hustle and bustle of the main terminal. A very pleasant water feature welcomes you into the main lounge, which has a good view of airport operations. The bar is a prominent feature, and wine, including champagne and a wide range of spirits are enthusiastically dispensed. The beer choice is rather limited (to Carlsberg). The food is often good, with some convincing hot and cold options. The lounge is well organised, with a large business centre with a number of PCs available for use, an area for children, an eating area as well as quieter space with comfortable seating. There is also a spa, which offers massages and other treatments if you have time. The washrooms and showers are invariably clean- and they appear to have solved the lack of hot water issue from a couple of years ago.

All in all, well worth a visit. Even if you are just popping in for a beer on your way to the satellite terminal for your long haul flight!