Long international flights can be exhausting and tiresome, and a lot of people are willing to dish out some serious cash for that extra personal space (totally underrated sometimes!) and comfort (ditto!).
Beyond economy class, the user-friendly MAS online booking system also offers its passengers First Class and Business Class tickets that aims to make the journey not only comfortable, but also delightfully wonderful. Of course, fliers are not just paying for the comfort, but also the perks that come together with it. Luxurious seating, wider entertainment range, better food and drinks, and then some!
And here’s a pretty cherry to go with that cake. In a bold move by Malaysia Airlines (MAS), they’ve gone the extra mile by only allowing passengers above 12 years old into the upper decks where the First and Business class seats are located.
The restriction came about as First Class passengers began criticising that they could not fully enjoy the amenities despite having paid a much higher amount, much less proper rest and sleep due to crying babies. Not exactly what you expect to experience when luxury and mile-high indulgence is the main thing premium fliers are paying for.
Applicable to the Airbus A380’s and 747’s, the higher classes already does not have the space nor the facilities to accommodate baby bassinets, whereas only economy class would be equipped accordingly. The A380 will fit six bassinets in the lower floors, and will open up three more bassinet positions whenever there is an overwhelming demand for seats in economy class from families with children and infants. So it’s not like there’s no room for the kiddies!
It’s not easy for kids when they’re travelling, more so in an airplane, and even more so if it’s their first time. Long journeys, limited moving space and popping ears spells restlessness, discomfort and raw boredom for them. Heck! It’s even an issue for most adults – we’re just better suited to handle it. Drinking water, hum and even forced yawning tends to help alleviate the popping ears problem.
But fret not. Malaysia Airlines has pimped out the economy class, showcasing it as a family friendly (kids friendly that is) zone with strong in-flight entertainment (touch screen personal TV anyone?). Now that ought to keep the little ones pacified for a fair bit ey? They’ve also provided mindful facilities such as toilets, with eight for economy in a 350 seats configuration, as well as dual aerobridges that spells out faster onboarding and deboarding from economy.
The online booking system would automatically exclude First Class and Business Class from your range of options the moment you select accompanying children under 12 years old to ensure that there’s no confusion when navigating selections. What’s more, children under 12 years old wouldn’t even be allowed to step foot onto the first and business zones so there’s little worry of a hyped up or anxious kid running around causing a parade of a commotion. They’ve even made it that the 747’s will not be able to accommodate travel cots, thus making it a baby-free section.
Of course the decision didn’t come without some criticisms as some parties have declared the move as discriminatory. MAS defended its decision as a strategic one, having no difference from “quiet carriages” on some premium training services.
But all in all, the move has since been well received by fliers, and the move has even been adopted by several other airlines. MAS has got some impressive destinations under its belt, not to mention that of course, it flies to the ever beautiful Malaysia if you were to ever decide on some diverse multiculturalism and diverse ecosystem of urban development and natural beauties. For some wicked cool Malaysia Airlines online booking deals, check out Traveloka today!
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