Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia

General information, layout and terminals of the airport

Airport Interior

Kuala Lumpur International Airport, abbreviated KLIA, was officially launched in 1998 to replace the previously operating Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport. The airport immediately took a place in the leading positions among the airports of the world in many respects. Currently, KLIA ranks 13th in the world in terms of passenger traffic and 18th in terms of cargo turnover. The airport is located 50 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur.

Site - http://www.klia.com.my/.

For Russian tourists, the airport is the main air harbor to Malaysia. There are no direct flights from Russia here, but you can get there on convenient flights with transfers. Most often these are flights of the airlines Quatar Airways, Air Astana (carries out flights with transfers not only from Moscow), Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, etc. From other Asian countries, it is very budget-friendly to get to the Asian budget carrier AirAsia.

You can find and book tickets for the dates you need to Kuala Lumpur through the search form:

Prices for flights from Moscow to Kuala Lumpur:

Minimum prices for flights from Russia to Kuala Lumpur:

Minimum prices for flights to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia:

The airport consists of two terminals: KLIA international and klia 2 budget airlines international terminal. The previously operating LCCT budget terminal is no longer operational.

KLIA Main Terminal

Information rack

Most international flights from long-distance destinations are served by this terminal. In transport schemes, routes, booking systems and air tickets, it is usually indicated as KLIA, i.e. the same as the airport as a whole. Pronounced K-L-Ay-Ey.

Inside KLIA there is a satellite terminal Satellite terminal A, which is located in the middle of the airfield. It is to the satellite terminal that international airlines dock. There is practically nothing in it, except for a few cafes and restaurants, toilets, a tourist information desk (there you can get free guides and maps), an international web phone and toilets. Baggage claim and passport control are not here either. So once in the satellite terminal via teletrap, head to the main terminal. By the way, if you fly through KL in transit, you can purchase a sightseeing tour of the city on this stock, but this is only if you have a "distance" between flights of at least 8 hours.

To get from the satellite terminal to the main one, you need to ride the Aerotrainautomatic train. It is very easy to find its platform: it is located in the center of the terminal and all passengers, all tracks and all signs lead to it. Just go into the opened doors of the car, and in a couple of minutes you will be already in the main terminal.

Map of transport links between satellite and main terminal

Aerotrain Platform

Aerotrain on the way

In the main terminal

Passport control, baggage collection and customs inspection are carried out in the main terminal. All procedures are simple and well organized. First of all, you will need to go through passport control and right there, at the passport control desk, hand over the fingerprints of two index fingers. Put your fingers to the scanner at the command of the border guard and in a few seconds everything is ready. If you enter without a visa, you will receive a stamp for a period of 30 days and a sticker in your passport. about Malaysia visa here.

Then you go to get your luggage, and then go along the "green" or "red" corridor of customs, this is already as usual. Read about customs regulations in Malaysia here. After these procedures, you will find yourself in the arrivals hall on the third floor of the airport.

Baggage claim

Here you can exchange money. The exchange rate at the airport, as usual, is slightly lower than in the city. For example, in October 2011, the exchange rate at KLIA airport is 2.93, and in Kuala Lumpur 3.08 on the same day, i.e. the difference when exchanging 100 dollars will be 15 ringgit (about 300 rubles). But without the local currency can not do, dollars in Malaysia are not in use. You can change a small amount at the airport, and change the principal amount at exchange offices in cities as needed. The current official exchange rate and a detailed description of Malaysia's currency can be found here.

If you fly from KLIA, then the procedure is the same, only vice versa: check-in and baggage check-in, passport control, visit to Dutch free, Aerotrain, boarding. Departure hall is located on the fifth floor. When you get to the departure waiting area (after passing through passport control), you can not rush to go to the satellite terminal on Aerotrain, but wander around the main one: most of the Dutch Fries, cafes, shops are in the main terminal, and there is almost nothing to do in the satellite terminal. And you can ride Aerotrain back and forth, no one will take money from you :-).

Departure zone

Departure zone

Now about how to get from KLIA to the city

KLIA Express train

The fastest way is by train KLIA Express or KLIA Transit. This is the fastest way to get to the city center. Two types of trains operate between the main terminal of the airport and KL City Air Terminal (KL CAT) at KL Sentral station almost in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. To get to the trains, you need to go down to the first floor on the escalator, follow the signs to the trains and buy a ticket at the counter. There are two types of trains and, accordingly, tickets:

• KLIA Express. It takes 28 minutes to reach the final station without stopping. But such a trip will also cost you 35 ringgit (15 - children under 12 years old; up to 2 years old for free). Trains leave every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 20 minutes the rest of the time. Trains run from 5 am to midnight.
• KLIA Transit. It differs from the Express in that it makes three stops along the way at Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya, and Bandar Tasik Selatan, and the total journey time is 35 minutes. The cost from the airport to KL Sentral is also 35 ringgit. Trains depart every 30 minutes.

From KL Sentral station you can easily reach any tourist area of the city by public transport or taxi. Learn more about public transport in Kuala Lumpur here.

You can buy an electronic train ticket in advance here https://www.kliaekspres.com (Visa or Mastercard payment), but it only makes sense to do this if you do not want to deal with cash and exchange money at the airport. And so, tickets are always available.

Airport taxi

The most expensive and most convenient way is by taxi. It is recommended to use the official Airport Limo taxi and refuse the services of unofficial taxis and local bombers. The cost of a trip on Airport Limo taxi is fixed per trip (not on the meter) and ranges from 70 to 100 ringgit depending on the class of car and destination in the city.

Taxi booking is made at the Limo taxi counters: at the exit from the international arrivals hall (International Arrival Hall); in the domestic arrivals hall (Domestic Arrival Hall); in the baggage claim hall for domestic flights (Domestic Baggage Reclaim). i.e. all these counters you will find right here, on the 3rd floor, where you will find yourself after baggage claim. At the counter, you say the destination (so that you do not slip an expensive taxi, ask for a budget taxi), pay the named amount and get a receipt with which you go to the exit on the same floor and look for the right car.

If you still decide to use a non-Airport Taxi, be prepared for the fact that taxi drivers will try to cheat you and take more money from you. But now you know how much an official taxi costs, and you can bargain. You can find a taxi outside the airport or in the parking lot, but be sure to discuss with the driver the final price in advance, or even better, write it down on a piece of paper and show the driver so that you understand each other exactly.

You can also book an online tourist transfer from the airport. It is more expensive than a taxi, but the service is also higher: you are met at the airport with a sign, taken to a predetermined Place/Hotel without the problem of the language barrier. What is good, you do not need to change money at the airport and pay on the spot, everything can be paid in advance online. Check prices and book transfers from the airport to the city center or other cities/resorts in Malaysia through the search form:

How does the transfer booking works  see more >

Find the route

Book your transfer online

The driver meets you at the airport or train station

The cheapest and most convenient way is by bus. By bus you can get not only to KL, but also to some other cities in Malaysia.

All buses recover and wait for passengers in the covered parking lot, which is located at the exit of the main terminal on the ground floor across the street, on the right, in Block C. You can also get there without leaving the airport, following the signs. There are several operators operating bus services to/from the city from the bus parking lot of the main terminal. Here are some:

• Airport Coach. A very convenient and high-quality operator, in addition to direct flights to/from the airport for a fee in RM25 can take or pick you up to/from the hotel door.
  Buses depart every 30 minutes from the airport from 6:30 to 00:30 and additionally at 3:30 at night. From KL depart from 5:00 to 23:00 and additionally at 2:00. Travel time is 1-1.5 hours. The terminus in KL is KL Sentral. From the airport depart from Platform No. 1 of the bus station of the main terminal. The cost of tickets is RM10 (children'S RM6) in one direction and RM18 in both directions. Tickets at the airport are sold at the ticket office No. 3; in the KL on the lower floor of the KL Sentral station. On the carrier's official website http://airportcoach.com.my there is a timetable and a cost.
• Starwira. Star Shuttle buses depart from the main terminal and proceed to Pudu Raya, near Chinatown (Chinatown is one of the popular tourist areas of Kuala Lumpur). The cost of the trip is RM10 (from KL-RM12). Buses leave every 30 minutes around the clock. This operator also offers delivery to the hotel (according to the list of hotels on the website) for RM18 and transfer from the hotel to the place of departure of the bus for RM20. In addition, Starwira provides transportation to the cities of Ipoh and Sitiawan to get to Pangkor Island. On the carrier's official website www.starwira.com you can check the timetable and cost if the information in this article is outdated.

But in general, all these details about companies you do not need. Just go down to the bus station, buy a bus ticket and wait to be sent. As soon as you go down to the station, you will immediately be met by "Barkers", and, having received an answer from you where you need, they will lead you to the right bus or to the ticket office.

How to get from KLIA to KLIA2

If, after arriving at KLIA, you continue on a budget airline, such as AirAsia, then you will need to get to the KLIA2 budget airline terminal. It is most convenient to do this on the KLIA Transit train. Trains depart from the lower floor of the terminal (easy to find on the signs), cost 2 ringgit between the terminals, no more than 5 minutes on the way.

Low-cost airline terminal KLIA2

Since May 9, 2014, a new terminal for low-cost airlines KLIA2 has been launched. Up to this point, all low-cost airlines operated through the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) Terminal, which, with the commissioning of the new terminal, ceased to receive passengers. Absolutely all flights of budget airlines now arrive and depart not from LCCT, but from KLIA2, including the most popular budget airline in the region, AirAsia.

The new klia2 terminal is four times larger than the old LCCT terminal. It is the largest airport in the world, designed to operate exclusively budget airlines. Learn more about the new klia2 terminal here...

Kuala Lumpur airport terminal KLIA2

How to get from KLIA2 to the city

As well as from the main terminal KLIA, KLIA2 can be reached by taxi, bus, train. All transport is concentrated on the lower floor of the airport. The cheapest way is bus (from 10 ringgit), the fastest is KLIA Express train (55 ringgit). Buses run into the city to KL Central and Puduraya stations.

On the lower floor there is a whole bus station, and you can go from here not only to the center of Kuala Lumpur, but also to other cities: Malacca, Johor Bahru, Genting Highlands, Ipoh, etc.