Upgraded Kuala Lumpur trip!

Hey guys! Sorry didn't update my blog for quite a long time since last month, as I was preparing my mid-term exam for 2nd semester. Anyways, recently I had myself a short trip to KL. It was quite surprising as I was only told about the flights just one day before the date of travel by my mom, since she help me to book the air ticket online! and from what I know, the aircraft deployed for that flight has been upgraded to a Boeing 747-400! A great chance for me to try it out before they were going to 'retire' during mid-November this year, and replaced by the new Airbus 380-800. Okay, so let's head in to our 1st Trip Report!

PART 1: JOURNEY FROM BKI TO KUL

Flight Information
Date: 18 August 2012 (Saturday)
Airline: Malaysia Airlines
Flight number: MH2621
Aircraft/Rego: B747-4H6/9M-MPP (Putrajaya)
Seat: 33K (Windowless)
Origin: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI/WBKK)
Destination: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL/WMKK)
Estimated time departure(ETD): 1325 HRS
Estimated time arrival(ETA): 1555 HRS
Actual time departure: 1335 HRS
Actual time arrival: 1553 HRS
Flight duration: 2 hours 18 minutes
Departure gate/runway in used: A2/02
Arrival gate/runway in used: A10/32L

It's 9.30am, and I was doing the final check for my luggage, to make sure that I have bring all the things that I will needed for my trip. After that, I was on my way to the airport. We reached the airport around 10.45am. As we reached the check-in counter, there were lots of people queuing and waiting for their turn for check-in, I think most of them were in the same flight as me.

Before our turn for check-in, there was someone 'stucked' at the counter due to the overweight(or I should say 'very overweight' =.= ) of her luggage. She looks like a student who is going to KL for further studies. As she keep taking out her blanket, towels and books from her luggage to make it become lighter, suddenly a kind man who was taking a hand-carry bag heading to the counter and talked to the guy who is working at the counter(I think he is trying to help the student since he didn't have any luggage to be drop). And finally the man left and the student was allowed to put all the things back to her luggage again(she is lucky enough though!) After that, it was our turn for the check-in, put both of our luggage on the 'tie', and surprisingly both of the luggage were only 6.80KG!

Even though I have already check-in online, but I was assigned another 'half-formal' boarding pass under my request. Why I called this type of boarding pass 'half-formal'? Because if you compared with the old boarding passes, you will noticed that the only difference is the green color above the boarding pass is missing! Only 'ALL WHITE' -.-

[Now]

[Before]

I still prefer this kind of boarding pass, which makes MH really looks like a 5 stars airline!

Okay, forget about the boarding pass. Let's head in to the departure hall!

Look at the time, it was 11.15am, and I still have about 1 hour and 45 minutes to kill. So what did I do?

Below is the answer....

SPOTTING of course!

Recently Malaysia Airlines has upgraded the aircraft used for BKI-HKG route from the old 737-400 to the 737-800. As well as for the BKI-TPE route, soon will be upgrade to 738 too during november this year.

Seen here 9M-MXF operated as MH384 bound for Hong Kong. Really lucky for those who were onboard this flight, since MH384/385 these few days were mainly operated by those -ML series 738.

after pushback

An Airasia A320-216 with unknown rego on final approach.

While I was walking around the gates to find a better spotting area, suddenly a shop managed to catch the sight of my eyes...

Bonia, which was the shop of my friend's mother. I promised him before to 'go around' the shop, and...here's the proof! hehe...

Baggage information for Asiana's flights to ICN.

Continue on my spotting session!

Malaysia Airlines B737-8FZ with rego 9M-MLF operated as MH7403, an additional flight for the BKI-KUL route due to school holidays and Hari Raya. The aircraft came again in the evening as MH2640.

Royal Brunei Airlines A319-132 V8-RBR arrived from Bandar Seri Begawan as BI824, which will be return back to BWN after a 50 minutes turnaround. This is the 2nd time for me to spot RBR inside the terminal, last time was during my flight with Firefly from BKI-KUL.

Another A319-132 appears! This time is Silkair 9V-SBH bound for Singapore Changi, with full load!

And finally, the time is here! Our aircraft 'Putrajaya', with rego 9M-MPP has arrived from KUL as MH2612 at 12.20pm, which was 25 minutes behind schedule.

Seen here 9M-MPP taxiing to gate A2 behind RBA A319.

The 'Queen Of The Sky'!

Pax for today's flight! and note this picture didn't cover up the whole waiting area, there was still a lot of people behind there! You can imagine how many passengers can the 747 carry =P 

while walking around the waiting area, I noticed this signboard...

Next up: The Boarding Process and Take off!

So STAY TUNED! =D

Let's continue on my trip report!

Around 1.10pm, the boarding call was made. Since the boarding process already being delayed for about 15 minutes, Business class passengers and passengers who are travelling with children were invited to board the aircraft first. After that, economy class passengers were allowed to board the aircraft without following the row of the seats that they were seating.

'resting under the Queen of the skies'! hehe...

As I mentioned above, I've got myself a windowless seat! =.=! Then in order to record the take off video, I keep standing on my seat and waited for all the passengers to board the aircraft, since I want to see whether all the window seats is occupied or not. And luckily, I found that there was an unoccupied window seat just 1 row right in front of me, beside a lady and her husband. She was kind enough to let me have that seat 'temporary' (since she want her child to sit beside her after take off)...I would like to say THANK YOU very much to that kind lady! :) If not I would not be able to 'enjoy the window view' of this big mama(747).

This was my original seat.

After settle down in my new seat, and I got myself a good window view! 

The handset that will be using for the Inflight Entertainment system --Select.

The legroom was pretty good and enough for me

Soon, the captain made his announcement about our flight info and pushback was began too.

Safety video as usual before departure.  

I think MH should really make a new safety video for their new aircraft B738, A333 as well as the A380(not sure whether MH has made a new safety video for the A380 or not, but I guess they did). Since this kind of safety video really looks like you are flying on an 90s aircraft when onboard those new planes hehe...just my 2 cents though!

Taxiing down the new extended runway 02 for our departure!

Meanwhile an AK A320 was waiting for our departure on the old holding point.

Entering runway 02, the aircraft stopped for a while and....5,4,3,2,1....then four of the PW engines began to 'ROAR'! 'Malaysian 2621 is now cleared for take off!' 

As we almost reached half of the runway, the aircraft began to ROTATE and lifted off into the sky!

and getting further....

a look at one of the four Pratt & Whitney PW4056 Engines!

leaving Sabah

15 minutes after take off

Today's route

Now you know where in the world is daytime now with this feature! 

Next up: The inflight service and cabin walk-through

SO STAY TUNED! =D

Let's continue on the last part of this TR (part 1)!

Just 10 minutes after the seat belt sign has been switched off, I decided to walk around to check out the cabin of this B747-400. The second place(first was galley of course) that I visited is the lavatory. There was something very funny happened in this picture. As you can see, the 'drawer'(or I should use 'box'? hehe) has labelled clearly that the contents inside is TOOTHBRUSH. But after I opened it......

I was like, 'YEA I SAW TOOTHBRUSH INSIDE'! =.= 

not sure whether other lavatories have the same 'funny situation' or not, since I only checked out one of them

Anyways, meal was served shortly after I returned to my seat. There was a choice of Ginger chicken with fried rice or the usual Sweet and sour fish with rice.

and this is what I had chosen, the Ginger chicken with fried rice. Taste quite good, with my favourite OJ.

Check out the Select Inflight entertainment system while enjoying my meal.

a game that I didn't played for a long time when I was in primary school --Bejeweled 2!

Lots of tracks and albums are included in the Select inflight entertainment system, which will be updated every month.

Can you guess whose album is this? =P

45 minutes before landing, I decided to go and ask for one FA's permission whether I can go upstairs and take a photo of the upper deck business class cabin or not. I added in: ''This will be my last time to onboard this B747-400''. And finally she decided to let me go and take only ONE photo from behind of the cabin. Well, thanks anyways! 

Here's the cabin of the upper deck business class.

Since I don't have any window view for my seat, what I can only do is watching movie and playing games, until landing! The aircraft experienced some turbulence throughout the journey.

Around 3.45pm, the aircraft made a right turn and landed safely on KUL runway 32L, then parked at gate A10, one of the furthest gates in the main terminal.

Disembarked from the aircraft.

Last picture of 'Putrajaya', thanks for the safe and enjoyable journey!

spotted MH 2nd latest B738 with Boeing sky interior and AVOD, 9M-MXI at gate A11!

after walking a very long distance from our gate, we arrived at the baggage carousel area, which was belt 'M'.

and here ended my part one trip report! 

Thanks for reading and STAY TUNED for the return trip!! =D