Malaysia Airlines New A330neo. Is it Worth the Hype?

This is Peter, Chief Travel Officer of BolehMiles—and I’m excited to bring you a full review of Malaysia Airlines’ shiny new A330neo on the Kuala Lumpur–Denpasar (Bali) route! This marks my second review of Malaysia Airlines Business Class—you can check out the first one here, or read my reviews of other airlines here.

A special shoutout to Mr. Faizal, the head flight attendant of this flight, and his fantastic crew for their warm hospitality, showing me around the cabin and patiently walking me through all the little details that made this flight memorable.

Overview

The flight I took was on the KUL–Denpasar route, which cost me 25,000 Enrich. As of June 2025, there are three A330neo aircraft in service, operating routes to Auckland, Melbourne, Denpasar, and Sydney. A total of 20 A330neo aircrafts will be progressively delivered to Malaysia Airlines till 2028. Here’s a quick look at how many Enrich Points you’ll need to redeem a seat in this Business Class cabin. You can also check out our full Enrich guide here.

Route	Enrich Saver Redemption	Registration (A330neo aircraft)
KUL – MEL (MH149) MEL – KUL (MH148)	75,000	9M-MNG 9M-MNH 9M-MNI
KUL – SYD (MH123) SYD – KUL (MH122)	75,000
KUL – DPS (MH715) DPS – KUL (MH714)	25,000
KUL – AKL (MH133) AKL – KUL (MH132)	105,000

The Cabin

My first impression? The cabin looks quite different in real life compared to the marketing pictures and videos, which featured neon pink/purple lighting that made everything appear more dramatic.

Since my flight was in the early morning, here’s a look at the cabin in all its natural glory—bathed in sunlight instead of neon lights.

Arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration with seats from Collins Aerospace, this is a welcome upgrade from the older A330-300s, where some seats offered noticeably less space than others. (You can read our review of the MH A330-300 here.) The Business Class cabin features a total of 7 rows and 28 seats.

On the A330neo, every seat is equal—same size, direct aisle access, and no more worrying about getting shortchanged on comfort or space.

For added privacy, the window seats on this aircraft are also angled slightly away from the centre, unlike the older A330-300s, where seats were aligned straight and parallel to the cabin.

And here’s how the cabin looks mid-flight, with the neon lights on and all the window shades dimmed.

The Seats

Here’s a first look at the bulkhead seat, which is a nice improvement over the A330-300s, where the seat was directly exposed to the galley, a detail we previously had a small gripe with.

Marketed by Malaysia Airlines as a personal “Mini Suite”, the window seat offers a decent amount of space, though it’s noticeably less than the throne seats on the A330-300, especially in terms of counter and storage area.

Storage space is limited: you can fit small items like a wallet or earpiece, but there isn’t much room for a backpack or anything bulkier.

The tray table is decently sized and can be adjusted closer to you. It’s great for getting some work done on a laptop. While it’s not the sturdiest we’ve encountered, it’s certainly not flimsy either.

The middle seats are angled slightly toward each other, making them great for couples or travel partners. But if you’re flying solo, you can easily slide the partition for added privacy.

The Door

Let’s take a closer look at the door. It creates a cozy little personal space for you in the sky.

When you’re seated, you won’t see your neighbors, and they won’t see what you’re doing either. However, the door isn’t particularly tall, measuring around 1 metre. It’s not quite in the same league as Qatar’s latest Qsuite doors, which stand at 1.42 metres.

That said, an average adult walking down the aisle can still see into your suite, which does reduce the overall privacy factor. But hey, it’s still a door, and a low door is better than no door.

One minor detail: the toggle to unlock the door is located behind the seat, so you’ll need to stand up slightly to reach it before sliding the door shut.

The Bed

Malaysia Airlines describes the “Elevation seat as featuring proprietary comfort technology, with an ergonomically optimised suspension and cushioning system designed to offer seamless, smooth transitions from upright to lounge and fully-flat bed mode”

In my experience, the transitions didn’t feel noticeably special, but the bed itself was comfortable, and I managed to catch about 30 minutes of sleep during this short flight.

The Food

As this was a short flight, there was no satay service. The meal began with a starter of Greek yogurt, fresh fruits, and a slice of banana cake.

For the main course, I had the Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang, served in a rectangular lunchbox-style container. It felt more like an economy-class presentation, and I would’ve appreciated better plating, but I understand the time constraints on a short flight. That said, the rendang itself tasted pretty decent.

The Entertainment System, WiFi and Power

The in-flight entertainment (IFE) system is a major upgrade from the old A330-300. The 17.3-inch screen with 4K resolution delivers noticeably sharper and brighter visuals. The movie selection also appears to be improved . I saw some titles available here weren’t listed on Malaysia Airlines’ standard entertainment catalogue online.

The WiFi performed surprisingly well, clocking in at 18 Mbps download and 0.63 Mbps upload. I was able to make a WhatsApp voice call, and even upload cabin photos to the BolehMiles Telegram channel to share the experience live.

The seat also comes with a 60W USB-C charging port which is perfect for modern laptops, tablets, and phones. A universal power outlet is also available, starting at 110V 50Hz, in case you need one.

The Toilet

There are three lavatories in the Business Class cabin. One located near the cockpit after the galley, and two more behind the last row. With 28 seats sharing 3 toilets, that’s actually a pretty decent ratio. The lavatories themselves are fairly standard and on the smaller side, with no particularly fancy touches.

The Crew

The crew was friendly and incredibly attentive, offering drink refills, checking in to see if I needed anything, and even suggesting photo angles to capture the cabin. They were also lovely to chat with throughout the flight.

Conclusion

I really love the direction Malaysia Airlines is heading with its refreshed Business Class cabin on the A330neo—marketed as the “Mini Suite.” Hopefully, we’ll see more of this aircraft replacing the older A330-300s on additional routes. I’m definitely looking forward to experiencing it on a longer flight.

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