Malaysia is fully open to international tourism
In April 2022 Malaysia reopened its borders to international visitors, regardless of their vaccination status. Starting 1 August 2022 pre-departure and on-arrival tests are not required for all visitors. There is also no need to obtain travel insurance or undergo quarantine upon arrival.
Travelers may transit via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for up to 24 hours as long as they remain airside.
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Tips, tricks & hacks
for flying to Malaysia
Book a seat in a quiet zone
Some airlines (for example AirAsia X) start to offer child-free "quiet zones" for a peaceful flight experience. Children below 10 years old are not allowed in this section. Those seats are usually located in front of the plane (bonus: less noise from the engines) with soft ambient lighting and early meal service.
Use low-cost carriers to fly cheap around Malaysia
Flying around the region is fairly inexpensive if you choose local budget airlines. Malaysian domestic flights are operated by low-cost carriers AirAsia, Firefly, and MASwings (a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines).
When flying within Malaysia, many connections between regional airports require a change of plane in Kuala Lumpur - it can make flying less of a time-saver than it might seem.
Airports in Malaysia
Malaysia has 6 international and 16 domestic airports – Kuala Lumpur KUL, Langkawi LGK, Kuching KCH, Penang PEN, Kota Kinabalu BKI, and Senai JHB among others.
As in any country, airports with the largest volume of flights are located near major cities – about 10 to 20 kilometers from the city center – with public transport and airport shuttle service available. These are hubs for major Malaysian airlines, with large passenger terminals, first class lounges, shops, and restaurants.
Kuala Lumpur from
Langkawi from
Penang from
Flights from Russia to Malaysia (airports nearby Volosovo)
- Check flight schedules and ticket prices in October 2022 for flights to Malaysia from nearby airports in your area.
- Once in Malaysia, there are frequent flights between the major cities via local carriers such as Malindo Air, AirAsia, Firefly, and MASwings.
- Popular destinations near Malaysia can be easily reached with regional low-cost airlines by the likes of Air Arabia, Air India Express, Bangkok Airways, Flynas, Jetstar Airways, Lion Air, Saudia, Scoot, and VietJet Air.
Here are some examples of the real-time economy class airfares from Russia to Malaysia in October 2022. All prices are for one-way flights.
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Flights are cheaper in the low season
Seasons in Malaysia differ from one side of the peninsula to the other, however, December to February and June to August may be considered the high tourist seasons. If you want to visit Malaysia during this time, be prepared to book your tickets well in advance.
The low season is between March and June when the country experiences the worst rains and low humidity. As the rain tends to drive tourists away, it is the best time to look for cheap flights to Malaysia.
Book your flights in the local currency
Airfares that a flight search engine or airline website quotes you often vary depending on where you book from. Try to spoof your location and currency so that it looks like you're booking the flight from the same country it departs from. For example, if you are in the US and booking a leg of your trip from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur, set the country on the airline website to Japan and the currency to Japanese yen (JPY).
This simple trick doesn't work every time (not all websites set prices the same way), but it can sometimes save you significant money.
Stopover options for traveling to Malaysia
Direct flights to Malaysia can be expensive. So if you’re looking at a long-haul trip with at least one connection, rather than simply transiting an airport, why not take an opportunity and plan a longer stopover? It won’t only break up your journey but will become a legitimate part of your vacation.
When booking flight tickets, many airlines include a stopover en route to your final destination. Those flights are usually cheaper than non-stop flights, and they can be a great way of seeing more than one place on your trip. You can often add it at no additional cost, just by looking for multi-city flights with longer layovers.
Check flight prices and other details for these great stopover options when traveling to Malaysia:
Flights to Malaysia fromUnited States and Canada
- Most flying routes from North America to Malaysia are over the Pacific, even if the departure airport is on the east coast. Travel times for these routes vary between from 21 to 26 hours depending on the point of departure, length of layover, etc.
- For long-haul flights choosing a reputable airline is crucial. Comfortable seats, inflight entertainment, food and drinks, and just the general atmosphere of the flight can make a big difference to the trip. For flights from the United States or Canada to Malaysia, we recommend legacy carriers such as Air Canada, American Airlines, ANA, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines.
- There are no direct flights from the United States or Canada to Malaysia. However, most main hubs in SE Asia have direct flights to Malaysia, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop.
- When flying to Malaysia you have plenty of convenient layover or stopover options. Flights with one or more stops depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta
ATL, DallasDFW, DenverDEN, ChicagoORD, Los AngelesLAX, Las VegasDFW, MiamiMIA, SeattleSEA, HoustonIAH, New YorkJFK, and San FranciscoSFOin the United States and TorontoYYZ, VancouverYVR, CalgaryLAS, and MontrealYULin Canada. Your chosen airline will most likely dictate which airport you transit through – among the best stopovers are Bali, Bangkok, Fiji and Pacific Islands, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, and Tokyo.
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"Hot seats" on long-haul flights
Those days seat selection is considered an optional, extra paid service - seats with extra legroom (front and exit rows) are usually priced higher. However, if you’re about to take a long-haul flight, those “hot seats” are worth considering - expect to pay $50-$100, which is much less than upgrading to Premium Economy.
If you want to choose your seats, do this early (ideally during the booking) for a more extensive selection of available options.
Notify your bank before traveling
Banks do whatever they can to protect you from identity theft, but this eagerness could backfire when you travel. They may lock your card to protect against fraud when they see strange charges in unfamiliar locations across Asia.
Contact your bank so they are aware that you are traveling. They will add a record to your account and share it with their fraud detection system – this will prevent your "abnormal" spending patterns from triggering a block on your card. If you using online banking, you may be able to set an online travel notice by yourself by entering your destinations and the length of your trip.
Airlines of Malaysia
There are five main airlines in Malaysia that handle most of the international and domestic air traffic.
The national carrier Malaysia Airlines has the status of the country’s flagship and flies to around 80 destinations across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. While it serves only 15 domestic destinations (including Alor Setar, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, Miri, and Penang), other smaller Malaysia airports are covered with help from its subsidiary airlines: FireFly and MASwings. Firefly operates scheduled flights from its two home bases in Penang and Subang, focusing mostly on tertiary cities. MASwings focuses on operating flights between the Malaysian Peninsula and Malaysian Borneo, including inter-Borneo routes within the Sabah and Sarawak states.
AirAsia is the most popular choice when it comes to low-cost airlines. It is based at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and flies to nearly 20 destinations across Malaysia – Alor Setar, Johor Bahru, Kota Bahru, Kuching, Langkawi, Penang, Sandakan, and others.
Batik Air (formerly known as Malindo Air) is a hybrid airline owned by Lion Air Group. The airline is best known for connecting destinations in Malaysia with destinations in Indonesia (it flies to Ambon, Bali, Banda Aceh, Bandung, Batam, Medan, Pekanbaru, and others).
Flights to Malaysia from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Malaysia. Direct flights options are limited. Currently, only Malaysia Airlines operate non-stop flights (from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, around 13 hours flight time). Flying with any other airline involves a change of plane in the Middle East or elsewhere in Asia.
- To break the trip and stretch your legs, consider transit through popular Asian airport hubs, extending your total journey time by 1–3 hours. A 1-day stopover in Dubai, Delhi, Bangkok, and Singapore will be a great option to reduce your jet lag at the final destination and do some extra sightseeing.
- The best chance for a cheaper flight is when you are flexible about the departure point. Especially look for larger cities with airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines: London
LHRand ManchesterMANin the United Kingdom; FrankfurtFRA, MunichMUCand BerlinBERin Germany; ParisCDGand NiceNCEin France; MunichMUCand BerlinBERin Germany; AmsterdamAMSin the Netherlands; MadridMADin Spain; StockholmARNin Sweden; ZurichZRHin Switzerland; BrusselsBRUin Belgium; OsloOSLin Norway; WarsawWAWin Poland; and DublinDUBin Ireland.
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Pre-book your meal on a budget airline
Most budget airlines don't include meals in the price of your ticket. If you think you may want a meal in-flight, purchase it while you’re booking, as the meal selection for buying onboard is usually limited and prices are higher.
Booking through a travel agent eases the pain
If you hate dealing with airlines’ customer care, consider using a travel agent to book your flights. They can remove all that drama from your booking experience. When an airline cancels a flight or makes a change to your itinerary, travel agents have the power to handle this on your behalf. Sometimes, they can even “bend” the rules.
The best thing: you’ll typically pay the same price for the flight ticket. Commissions made by agents generally come from the airline side, not from the customer side.
Air Traveler Club.How to book a superdeal to Malaysia?
Every superdeal you receive from Air Traveler Club includes a link you can use to book a flight. It always directs you to the website that offers the lowest price. Sometimes it’s an airline website; in other cases, Google Flights or a similar flight booking platform.
This video explains how to use Google Flights to book a plane ticket.
Flights from Asia
- Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many short-haul flights: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380.
- When flying within Asia, you’ll often use regional airlines. The budget carriers offer tens of weekly flights to Malaysia with relatively comfortable flight experience and the cheapest fares – check the prices from Air Arabia, Air India Express, Bangkok Airways, Flynas, Jetstar Airways, Lion Air, Saudia, Scoot, and VietJet Air.
- For more comfort and top-notch customer service, consider flying with recognized full-service airlines such as ANA, Asiana, EVA Air, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Qantas.
- Mentioned airlines operate direct or 1-stop flights from primary Asian hubs such as Bangkok
BKKin Thailand, SingaporeSIN, BaliDPSin Indonesia, Hong KongHKG, SeoulICNin South Korea, TokyoHNDin Japan, DubaiDXBin UAE, Kuala LumpurKULin Malaysia, HanoiHANand Ho Chi Minh CitySGNin Vietnam, Phnom PenhPNHin Cambodia, DelhiDELin India, BeijingPEKin China, TaipeiTPEin Taiwan, ManilaMNLin the Philippines), DohaDOHin Qatar, IstanbulISTin Turkey, and others.
Flight prices can vary considerably. Here are some real-time examples:
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Best times to contact airline’s call center
Call center wait times may be frustratingly long. And only a handful of airlines offer a call-back service. To decrease lengthy periods on hold, try to call the airline during off-peak times in the middle of the week – Tuesday to Thursday. Savvy travelers suggest that the best time to call is early in the morning: from 4 am to 7 am (call center time zone) for 24/7 hotlines or right after the call center opens. Also, late hours on weekends can increase the chance for your call to be answered promptly.
Tight airport connection?
Always check the airport terminals if you have a connecting flight with a different airline or separate point-to-point tickets. Make sure you have enough time to transfer between these terminals so you don’t miss your next flight.
If your airport connection is tight (1-hour layover or less), pick a set near the front of the plane. It can shave 5–10 minutes off your deplaning time, especially on larger planes. Some airlines place their "hot seats" there and charge extra fees, but it still may be worth it.
When flying domestically, try not to book the last flight out of your connecting airport. In case of a cancellation, the airline will put you on its next flight, but it will require an overnight stay and arrival a day later.
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