Malaysia Airlines offers what’s possibly the most unnecessary yet simultaneously lovely ground service to its premium passengers. I can’t make sense of why it’s offered, but I’m certainly not complaining! Let me first share some background, and then I’ll talk about my experience.
Malaysia Airlines offers private terminal transfers
In early 2024, Malaysia Airlines introduced a private transfer service between the main terminal building and the satellite building at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). This service operates 24/7, and is available to all Malaysia Airlines business class passengers, as well as Enrich Platinum members (though not those with oneworld Emerald status through a partner program).
Those eligible for the service should proceed to gate G1 in the main terminal building, where the transfers depart from. These transfers are fully private, so aren’t shared with anyone else outside of a traveler’s party. Each car can hold up to four people.
When this service first launched, it was because the Aerotrain, the airport’s automated people mover that transports people between the terminals, was shut down for an extended period of time for repairs. During this time, the airport set up a bus service between the two terminals.
So the idea was that offering private transfers would be a nice personal touch for premium passengers. But here’s the thing — even with the Aerotrain back up and running, the airline has kept this service around.
That’s a bit odd on the surface, because the Aerotrain is really efficient, and runs every few minutes, with a journey time of just a few minutes. The private terminal transfers don’t actually save any time, so that’s the point?
I suspect there might be a couple most likely explanations:
- The airline realized that it’s a “surprise and delight” amenity that exceeds expectations, and ends up being memorable for passengers, and therefore has a halo effect; after all, private tarmac transfers are typically reserved for some top first class products, and not just any business class passenger
- Since this is offered in partnership with Mercedes-Benz, perhaps this isn’t actually costing the airline a whole lot, and it’s almost a good way for the car company to promote its vehicles to a relatively affluent crowd?
My experience with Malaysia Airlines’ Mercedes chauffeur
Since I’m currently on a trip where I’m flying Malaysia Airlines business class, I had the chance to check out this service. Okay, truth be told, since I’m in a transit, I may have just gone from the satellite terminal to the main terminal, just so I could return to the satellite terminal with this service (hey, don’t judge, reviewing this stuff is part of my job!). 😉
When you’re in the main portion of Terminal 1 at Kuala Lumpur Airport, just turn right, in the direction of gate G1. It’s just past the duty free shopping and Plaza Premium Lounge, on the right.
At gate G1 you’ll see a sign for “MH Private Terminal Transfer,” and that leads to a door, where there’s a staff member who will check your boarding pass. You’ll then be sent down an elevate to the first floor, as the terminal is on the fourth floor.
On the ground floor, there’s a waiting area with several chairs and couches, and there’s even a coffee machine.
One thing I can’t vouch for is how long the wait gets during busy periods. I did this at around 3AM, when Malaysia Airlines has no flights, so suffice it to say that there was no one in sight. 😉 But I’d imagine that during some times of the day there’s a wait, which again, makes you wonder what the point of this is (since the Aerotrain is efficient).
Anyway, the experience was lovely. One Malaysia Airlines employee helped me with my bags and placed them in the trunk, and then another employee drove me across the tarmac, a drive that took around three minutes. He then removed my bags out of the trunk for me. As you’d expect, there was great plane spotting along the way. The car used for this service is the all-electric EQS 500 4MATIC.
Bottom line
Malaysia Airlines offers a private transfer service between the main terminal building and the satellite building in Kuala Lumpur. While this was first offered when the Aerotrain was shut down for work to be performed, it has stuck around ever since.
What a pleasant surprise to see something like this for business class passengers, and they really try to make it something special, with a pretty seamless experience. I’m not sure there’s much in the way of time savings with this service, but I certainly think it has a nice halo effect for the overall experience.
What do you make of Malaysia Airlines’ premium ground transfer service?
