KLIA Kuala Lumpur Airport

I am a frequent user of KLIA. The airport is OK but could be a whole lot better. The usual temptation for airports to prioritise income from rents over the smooth movement of passengers has prevailed. Many of the corridors in the satellite terminal have become narrow passageways because shops have been plonked in the middle of them. I'm sure the designers didn't intend it this way and it really grates on me that space and convenience for the users is sacrificed at the altar of the almighty ringgit. Add to this the propensity for people to shuffle three abreast in these narrow spaces and you have a number of unnecessary choke points. F&B outlets are plentiful but expensive and the airline lounges are generally pretty average. There are few places to sit in the terminal unless you're spending money (by design?) and the sanitation in the restrooms is not great although miles ahead of the disgraceful LCCT (thankfully now superseded by KLIA2) Taxi services like elsewhere in Malaysia are terrible and the access roads in the arrivals and departure areas are chaos with double parking in no standing zones the norm. Use the KLIA express train and forget the taxis.

KLIA2 on opening day. Feared the worst. Booked shuttle from hotel to make sure I got there right. Arrived early. Everything went fine. Temporary helpers every where to assist. Check-in was smooth. Immigration Q only 8 pax long. Kudos to AirAsia and MAHB. However some improvements possible. Have small trolleys airside. Signage at more locations. Don't like the non-intuitive layout too much walking unclear where-to next - but these too late to change.

Air Asia terminal is filthy. There is one toilet block that has thousands of people through it daily. The filth and smell is unbelievable. Ladies exiting the toilets had their mouth covered. Air Asia get your act together and clean the place up. The terminal is also in a poor state and dirty. The cleaners were standing around talking and doing nothing. The food is terrible as well. I have travelled many airports and this is the worst.

Great surrounding of the airport the atmosphere is relaxing. Airport staff were so friendly. Directions sign inside the terminal is near-perfect. Toilet cleanliness is ok but can be better. Waiting seat inside the terminal should be added more now seems not enough especially during peak time. Lots of restaurants to be chosen. Waiting time at check in counter is exceptional. Overall this airport is outstanding.

The wide open spaces and the high ceilings are both a psychological relief after a long a flight and an architectural wonder. The choices are shops are decent. The choices of cafes and restaurants are decent but somehow scattered around the airport. The food court is a bit hidden and mostly visited by airport staff looking for a cheap meal. Toilets are OK cleanliness of them toilets should be better. Wifi is OK a few computer terminals would be greatly appreciated. What I find exasperating is that the waiting area at the piers are closed until 30 minutes or so before the flight. The departure area also lacks seats despite ample space.

LCCT is a miserable dirty worn out and disorganised place. There is no flow of process and people wander around not knowing. The immigration is slow the queues are long. Even Starbucks is dirty and old. This airport brings shame to Malaysia. The sooner it closes the better.

Probably due to the recent dramatic events with MH370 security checks have doubled at KLIA. Problem is that there isn't any more staff so many empty counters at immigration. We are queuing at the premier lane and it will probably take us 45 mins to clear immigration just in time to board the flight. We might have been in serious trouble if we would have had to use the regular immigration counters. So it's certainly wise to allow yourself 1 hour to pass immigration at KLIA now. it's a pity as facilities at KLIA are nice but you'll probably have no time left for coffee or shopping.

Used the bus service to KLIA which was cheap and took 40 minutes. The bus stop at KLIA was OK no problems sadly the escalator to the next level was not functioning. Some signs have flickering lights. As usual the steely and grey and cavernous KLIA was reassuring there were not many seats. KLIA does have alot of space for more comfortable seating areas learn from Changi. The shops seem inviting enough to warrant some window shopping there is a food court with cheap food but its is so hidden I doubt many first timers at KLIA know its there. Despite having used this airport frequently never seem to know where the smoking area is. Checking in was ok. Immigration was a breeze was one hour early for the flight so went to the gate what I didn't like is that the waiting area is closed until 30 minutes before the flight. Many passengers came early and there were not enough seats. Overall the facilities of KLIA are pretty good but the management and customer service is non existent.

I'm hoping all the bad reviews are for the LCCT because surely the main terminal is one of the better ones in SE Asia. Even with extra security and immigration checks due to MH370 all queues moved quickly and the staff were very friendly. Even the gate security checks although poorly designed like most airports were still pretty painless. Plenty of facilities and easy to get around. Biggest gripe was that the airport's free wifi seemed to not be working properly although I was able to use the free wifi offered by a cafe.

I use the airport just because my family lives in Malaysia but the extreme inefficiencies in the usage of space and overkilling hand baggage checks really gets on my nerve every time. Somebody might've made some millions selling those metal sensors for each available gate but on the contrary it really shows how fragile the security system can be between custom clearance and the gates. How are we the passengers to feel safe with all these extra checks? Moreover even if it is necessary all the seats at the gates are inside the glass barriers. I really don't understand why these gallery of seats are only for show and we the passengers need to stand (or sit on the floor for some) waiting for the gates to be opened and be directly instructed to board the plane. This is clearly a management problem.