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Malaysia Airlines reveals new Boeing 737 business class
The refreshed 737s get new seats from tip to tail, with seatback video screens swapped for streaming WiFi.By David Flynn, July 21 2022
It’s out with the old and in with the new at Malaysia Airlines, at least as far as the seats of its workhorse Boeing 737-800NG fleet is concerned.
Pulling back the curtains on its 737 refresh, the Oneworld member describes the new interior design as “a progressive step towards the future, with a fresh and premium cabin ambience that features a single colour: the trademark Malaysia Airlines blue.”
And yes, it’s very blue, right down to the iconic batik motif pressed into the seats.
Malaysia Airlines’ new Boeing 737 business class recliners retain a conventional two-by-two layout, although that is trimmed from four rows (16 seats) to three rows (12 seats), while the pitch is reduced from 42" to 39”.
Handily-located AC, USB-A and USB-C power outlets to keep your travel tech charged up.
The 162 economy seats (set at 30” pitch) also see USB-A and USB-C ports for every passenger; the airline says the seats in both cabins maximise legroom through a slimmer yet still highly comfortable design.
Another change is the removal of all seatback video screens, with video, music and podcasts all streamed through the aircraft’s WiFi system to the passenger’s own smartphone, tablet or even laptop.
As part of the ‘BYO device’ play, every seat – in business and economy – is fitted with a fold-down tray where you can perch your smartphone or tablet.
Also missing are the hard partitions between the business and economy cabins, with the airline opting for smaller lightweight dividers.
Malaysia Airlines says the lighter seats plus lack of partitions and video screens all contribute “to more eco-friendly flying” by trimming the weight of the refurbished 737-800NGs by around 679kg, which in turn reduces fuel consumption by some 91,000 litres per aircraft per year.
The first refreshed Boeing 737-800NG is scheduled to take to the skies at the end of July 2022, although the airline hasn’t said how long it will take to upgrade the entire 38-strong fleet.
"The cabin refurbishment exercise began in 2021, a bold step taken by the airline in response to feedback and suggestions received through customer surveys and various focus group sessions in 2020 to better understand the needs of our customers” says Lau Yin May, Malaysia Airlines’ Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer.
With Malaysia largely reopen to international visitors, the flag-carrier recently unlocked the doors to its Platinum Lounge at Kuala Lumpur, while both this and the adjacent Golden Lounge now welcome guests 24 hours a day.
Destinations beyond the reach or out-stripping the capacity of the Boeing 737s are handled by Airbus A330 and A350 jets with fully-flat business class beds, although there’s no sign of the double-decker Airbus A380s returning after the national airline’s parent company Malaysia Aviation Group put all six superjumbos up for sale in mid-2021.
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