Chapter 2: In which we go visiting and get into high places
2.1. The first flight
The big day was finally upon us! Our first leg was the 5.5 hour flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur. Due to the unsociable timing of this flight with Malaysia Airlines (scheduled departure at 2:25am), we splurged on business class flights using our Qantas points. The day of (well, technically the day before) our flight, we were informed that departure would be delayed until 3:25am.
With such a late departure, we had all day and all night to get organised, but before I knew it, the dog sitter was arriving and it was time to go. I went to a last dance training session before meeting Ben at his Grandma's place. We enjoyed a last catch-up with Grandma for a bit before grabbing an Uber to the airport.
We were slightly too early to check in yet, but by the time we bought a last minute power adapter pack and weighed all our luggage (just for interest - we had plenty of allowance in business class!), check in was just opening up. I usually pack fairly lightly, and my suitcase usually hovers between 10-15kg, but for a 4 week trip across multiple climate zones with a post wedding photo shoot, my suitcase was already close to 20kg!
Malaysia Airlines doesn't have its own lounge at Perth Airport, so we were directed to the Aspire Lounge, which gets rave reviews. It was quite busy when we arrived, but definitely quieted down as the night wore on. There wasn't a huge selection of food, and it didn't get topped up either - it was quite clear that they were winding down, but we had been promised that they would remain open until our flight boarded, and luckily the drinks remained free-flowing.
The lounge had a couple of cute insta opportunities and a flash looking viewing deck.
What it really needed was some sleeping pods! Here we are trying to keep ourselves awake until departure time.
Unfortunately the estimated departure time kept getting later and later. Eventually we headed down to the gate anyway just for a change of scenery. We were probably waiting there for 20 minutes when we were paged
Turned out not to be anything too drastic - just a change of seating as the one we'd booked for Ben had been damaged. We wouldn't be seated directly next to each other, but we were close enough, and were planning to be sleeping anyway
Finally, a bit after 4am, we started boarding!
The seating arrangement for business class is usually 1-2-1, so couples usually have the middle 2 seats. Even though we weren't seated together, we were both still in middle seats, which wasn't an issue. There were blankets and pillows provided, so we could get comfy straight away. I also liked the little footrest that could be used even during takeoff and landing. There was plenty of room for all our stuff, a couple of charging points, and we were also provided with comfortable noise-cancelling headphones for our entertainment units.
While we were waiting for everyone to board, we were given a welcome drink, and were able to order what we wanted for dinner. I was exhausted and was pretty much planning to go straight to sleep, so I just ordered the appetizer of the signature satay sticks, and a warm milo to help put me to sleep. I took in the views over Perth as we were taking off, then I just watched a couple of episodes of Big Bang Theory to keep me awake until the food was served.
After enjoying my satay sticks and milo (at about 5am lol!), I reclined my seat into the sleeping position, curled up with my cushy blanket (as much as one can 'curl up' on something thinner than a hospital bed) and fell straight asleep. I did wake up in time for breakfast, but don't remember what was served and mustn't have taken any photos. I may have even watched a movie before we landed.
All up, apart from the late departure, it was quite an enjoyable flight and smooth-ish start to the trip.
looking forward to your report.
Always great to share experiences with a local!
