Low-cost Malaysian flyer MYAirline has Air Asia in its sights. Since its launch at the end of 2022, it has sparked hopes for a future of very cheap Asian travel.
Is MYAirline comparable to AirAsia?
Headquartered in the Malaysian capital’s budget flight hub, Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2), formerly dominated by AirAsia, MYAirline seems hell-bent on surpassing the national budget competitor. One of its promotional taglines is “fly the new red” — a direct hint at the AirAsia brand’s bright red colour, as MYAirlines’ planes are painted a darker shade of red.
MYAirline had its maiden voyage to Kuching International Airport on December 1, 2022. After a mere seven months working with a tiny fleet of six Airbuses, MYAirline has carried more than a million passengers and is emerging as a valid and equally cheap (if not cheaper) alternative to Malaysia’s stalwart budget airline AirAsia.
There are positive reports of MYAirline’s punctuality (a real issue with many AirAsia flights, especially after the spike in demand due to the reopening of most South-East Asian countries in mid-2022). It was just a matter of time before I had my opportunity to try MYAirline and, at last, I flew it from Kuala Lumpur to Miri on June 14, 2023.
My experience flying from Kuala Lumpur to Miri with MYAirline
For starters, my ticket price was incredibly low, and if I didn’t have to wait longer to hear about my travel arrangements in Sarawak, it could have even been cheaper.
I booked tickets two weeks before my flight and paid 59RM ($A19) one way from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching and 79RM ($A25) for the return leg. Like most regional low-cost air carriers, both tickets included the standard free 7kg hand luggage, with no in-flight meals and no check-in luggage allowance. This was OK for me as I only had to be away for 10 days, and the flight between KL and Miri was about two hours.
Booking on the MYAirline website was easy, and so was paying with a Visa credit card.
Punctuality matters
The punctuality of both flights and the smooth boarding procedures surprised me. Both planes departed on the dot, and we landed a few minutes earlier than scheduled.
I was also pleasantly surprised about my return flight from Miri to Kuala Lumpur when I was automatically upgraded to express boarding (which costs RM48/$A15 extra) simply because I arrived at the check-in counter two hours before my flight’s scheduled time.
This is quite an improvement from my most recent experience flying with AirAsia in 2022, when my plane from Bali to Kuala Lumpur was rescheduled 10 hours later in the evening, disrupting my onward travel plans. I won’t start on about the many other friends who have had their flights delayed or outright cancelled by AirAsia . . . with no refund!
MYAirline’s hassle-free check-in
Even the check-in procedure was smooth; regardless, I made a small mistake. After checking in online and printing my boarding pass, I thought the paper was enough to board a domestic flight within the Malaysian States. I did not visit the check-in desk to verify my documents before approaching the gates. But because Sarawak has a new immigration procedure for all travellers flying from Peninsular Malaysia, I was reminded at the gate to return to the check-in desk, where I was lucky to find no queues and very polite and co-operative MYAirline ground staff.
You may be wondering about hand luggage. Ours (a 40-litre backpack and a camera bag filled with lenses) was not weighed or double-checked. We were travelling very lightly. However, the price of MYAirline’s luggage upgrades is very reasonable compared to AirAsia’s.
Seating arrangement and legroom
One of the most common complaints about AirAsia is how cramped the seats are, with legroom sacrificed to slot in more seats. MYAirline has more space, but it must also be noted that, to save on fuel costs, the company opted for flat, thinner and unadjustable titanium and carbonium-fibre seats that help save up to 30-40kg of fuel each hour of flight. This may not be ideal for some people, but I swear I did not suffer much when getting from Kuala Lumpur to Miri.
MYAirline crew
Speaking of the crew, the main difference is the uniforms. Compared to AirAsia’s tight-fitting attendants’ clothes — which have often been judged as “too sexy” by devout Malaysian Muslims — the MYAirline crew wears a gender-neutral pair of black trousers and a red jacket co-ordinated with white sneakers.
A new favourite in Malaysian skies
If you are Malaysia-bound, consider MYAirline for your internal flights, especially when travelling between Kuala Lumpur and the Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah, as the company offers near-unbeatable promo fares. To be frank, MYAirline doesn’t always beat AirAsia’s best prices, but they are much better value when it does.
What surprised me most was the punctuality of their flights on both trips — something worth shelling out a few more dollars for rather than risk using other less punctual Asian low-cost carriers.
MYAirline is set to become even more attractive for South-East Asia-bound travellers after June 28, 2023, when it starts spreading wings internationally and offering daily direct flights from KLIA2 to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. The fleet will reach 20 planes by the end of 2023, flying to Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. Keep your eyes on MYAirline, as it may even reach Australia’s shores at rock-bottom fares sooner than you think.