Struggling Malaysian Budget Carrier MyAirline Abruptly Suspends Service, Leaving Travelers Stranded

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian budget carrier MYAirline abruptly suspended operations Thursday, citing financial pressures less than 11 months after it took to the skies. The cancellation of the airline’s 40 flights stranded thousands of passengers.

MYAirline made the announcement on social media, catching the government and many travelers by surprise. The company apologized for its “extremely painful decision” but said “significant financial pressures” forced it to suspend operations pending an ownership restructuring and recapitalization.

“We have worked tirelessly to explore various partnership and capital-raising options to prevent this suspension. Unfortunately, the constraints of time have left us with no alternative but to take this decision,” the airline’s board of directors said in a statement.

The move came just days after the airline said it was in the advanced stages of finalizing a strategic partnership. Local media reported that the suspension signaled those talks might have collapsed.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke slammed the hasty shutdown, saying it was unacceptable and gave the country a bad name. He said the airline had sold 125,000 tickets worth some 20 million ringgit ($4.2 million) for flights scheduled until March 2024.

“We were caught by surprise and totally shocked,” Loke said during a news conference. “They didn’t inform us. They just stopped operating with no airline staff at the airport. How can you just disappear like that? This is highly irresponsible.”

The government will ensure that ticket-holders are refunded, the minister said.

Loke said the airline has a fleet of eight planes and had intended to expand to 12 by the end of the year. He said it should have sought government help instead of ceasing operation without warning.

The Malaysian Aviation Commission will decide whether to revoke MYAirline’s air license, which expires next month, he said.

The airline, which operated flights to eight domestic destinations and Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is owned by businessman Allan Goh Hwan Hua. Just two days ago, CEO Rayner Teo, who has a 2% stake in the carrier, stepped down, citing health reasons.

The Malaysian Aviation Commission instructed MYAirline to immediately halt sales and bookings of flights, and said refunds must be paid. It said it was investigating the airline over complaints that employees’ salaries had gone unpaid, among other issues.

MYAirline made the announcement on social media before dawn on Monday, after passengers on early flights had already checked in at the terminal. Angry travelers took to social media to criticize the carrier for the sudden announcement that left them stranded.Malaysia Airports, which manages the country’s airports, said some 5,000 passengers were affected Thursday as 39 flights to local destinations and one to Thailand’s Don Mueang Airport were canceled. It said it was working to help those affected and the situation was under control.

Malaysia Airlines and low-cost carrier AirAsia and Batik Air announced discounts and special fares to help MYAirline passengers affected by the suspension

Malaysia Airports, which manages the country’s airports, said some 5,000 passengers were affected Thursday as 39 flights to local destinations and one to Thailand’s Don Mueang Airport were canceled. It said it was working to help those affected and the situation was under control.
Malaysia Airlines and low-cost carrier AirAsia and Batik Air announced discounts and special fares to help MYAirline passengers affected by the suspension

Malaysia To Add US Flights After Safety Rating Boost

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has upgraded Malaysia’s air safety rating to Category 1, allowing the country’s carriers to expand flights to the United States after a three-year hiatus, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said Saturday.

Wee said the move will bolster tourism and economic growth in Malaysia, which opened up from pandemic shutdowns in April.

“With the return to Category 1, our airlines can now mount new flights to the U.S. and have code sharing with American carriers. There is no more barrier now,” said Wee, who was in Montreal for an ICAO assembly. “This is good news after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Riad Asmat, CEO of low-cost carrier AirAsia Malaysia, said it was a “very good start.” He said AirAsia, currently the only Malaysian carrier that flies to the United States — from Kuala Lumpur to Honolulu — will seek opportunities to expand in the U.S.

The FAA lowered Malaysia’s rating in November 2019 to Category 2 due to non-compliance with safety standards. The FAA identified deficiencies in areas including technical expertise, record keeping and inspection procedures.

Under the FAA system, countries are listed either as Category 1, which meets International Civil Aviation Organization standards, or Category 2, which doesn’t meet standards.

Wee told an online news conference that the downgrade prompted Malaysia to restructure its Civil Aviation Authority and make various efforts to strengthen its aviation workforce, documentation processes and inspection methods to ensure effective safety oversight.

He said the FAA was satisfied the issues identified in 2019 had been rectified, but found 29 new problems in its December assessment. Those issues were swiftly rectified in the first half this year, he said, and the FAA has restored Malaysia’s Category 1 rating.

Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail said the national carrier will resume flight plans with its partners, especially American Airlines, but didn’t elaborate.

Malaysia, Singapore Set To Reopen Borders To Some Travel

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia and Singapore said Wednesday they will partially reopen their borders next week to fully vaccinated citizens and some others, after nearly two years of closure due to the pandemic that had stranded many Malaysian workers in the neighboring city-state away from their families.

Leaders from both countries said limited travel will be allowed across the land border from Monday, with plans to gradually relax restrictions. Air travel will reopen on the same day to fully vaccinated passengers, allowing quarantine-free travel between the two countries, with fewer restrictions.

Travelers crossing the Causeway Bridge that connects the island of Singapore with the Malaysian peninsula must be citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders, according to separate statements from the leaders of both governments. In the first phase, the number of travelers crossing the land border per day will be limited to 2,880 and required to travel on designated bus services, the statements said.

The Causeway was one of the world’s busiest land borders before the pandemic struck.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the partial border reopening would give priority to workers in either country who have not been able to visit their families since the land crossing was shut in March 2020.

Lee said the reopening of the border will be a “big step towards reconnecting our people and economies.” A second land link will also subsequently be restored, he added.

Limits on land border crossings will progressively be relaxed to include general travelers and other modes of transportation than the bus services, the statements added.

Travelers, except children aged two and below, must test negative two days before entering Singapore and are required to register online before purchasing bus tickets. Unvaccinated children aged 12 and below must be accompanied by fully vaccinated parents or guardians, the governments said.

With more than 95% of the adult population in both countries fully vaccinated, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this has allowed both countries to reopen their land border in a “gradual, safe, systematic, and sustainable manner.”

More than 350,000 people crossed daily the Causeway before it was shut, mostly Malaysians working in Singapore due to a favorable exchange rate. Officials estimated that more than 100,000 Malaysians were stuck in the island-state after the border closed.

Malaysia Airlines Sale - Your Gateway To Sun And Adventure, Through September 6th.

Malaysia Airlines, has today launched an end of summer sale, with flights to the Far East, Australia and New Zealand.

 August 23rd, 2016 - Malaysia Airlines, has today launched an end of summer sale, with flights to the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. 

Between now and midnight on 6 September 2016, travelers can book flights with return fares starting at £479 (economy) and £1799 (business class) to selected destinations across the airlines network. 

With Malaysia Airlines, travelers can visit the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, soak up the sun in Phuket, leave the beaten track in Ho Chi Minh City. Explore the hidden treasures of Singapore, or discover Sydney - best known for its Opera House and Harbour Bridge. 

The journey begins at London Heathrow airport onboard one of our twice daily Superjumbo A380s to Kuala Lumpur, from where a convenient and seamless connection will take you to any of our other exciting destinations around Malaysia, across Asia and Australasia. 

Paul Simmons, Chief Commercial Officer, said: "We are committed to making travel more affordable for our customers. As the summer starts to draw to an end, make the most of this fantastic opportunity to enjoy some winter sun and adventure in our exciting destinations."

To enjoy this promotion, customers can book now at www.malaysiaairlines.com or via their local travel agent.

 Examples Sale Fares

Destination	Economy Class Return from (GBP)	Business Class Return from (GBP)
Kuala Lumpur	479.00	2039.00
Penang	519.00	2199.00
Singapore	569,00	1929.00
Bangkok	479.00	1799.00
Ho Chi Minh City	539.00	1899.00
Sydney	689.00	2729.00
Auckland	729.00	3329.00

Travelore News: British Tourists May Face Imprisonment For Stripping On Malaysian Mountain

Two of the tourists in court

A British tourist, Eleanor Hawkins, was arrested for posing naked on top of a sacred mountain in Malaysia. The 24-year-old Southampton University graduate from Derby was detained at Tawau airport today, as she was flying out from the island of Borneo to Kuala Lumpur. She is one of five tourists arrested for the same stunt.

Three of the tourists turned themselves in to the Malaysia authorities: 23-year-old Canadian Lindsey Peterson, his 22-year-old sister Danielle Peterson, and 23-year-old Dutchman Dylan Snel. 33-year-old Canadian Emil Kaminski was arrested on Wednesday, and the Malaysia police are still looking for five other individuals involved in the incident.

On May 30, she set out to climb Mount Kinabalu as part of a tour that was organized by Jungle Jack Backpackers Lodge, a popular budget hostel less than a mile from the entrance to Kinabalu national park. On the way back, members of the tour group began to strip off their clothes, despite their tour guide warning them not to do so. Their response to the guide was, “Stupid man, go to hell.”

The group took a nude selfie and dressed so they could return to their lodge. A park ranger filed a complaint and Eleanor was the first to be arrested.

The deputy first minister of the state of Sarawak, Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, explained to the media that tourists need to understand and respect the culture and traditions of the places they visit. For Malaysians, this mountain is sacred.

Tribal elders have called for the case to also go before a native court.

These tourists could be imprisoned for up to three months.

The five are expected to appear before the court again on Monday, where they will find out if they are to face charges.

One of the five arrested, Emil Kaminski, is a blogger and adventure tourism organizer from Winnipeg, and appears to have no remorse for the incident. In addition to possible charges for indecent exposure, he may be also charged for insulting the culture via his posts on social media.

Kaminiski called the minister "a deranged prick, and a regressive" and was quoted as having said, “it's just a f------ mountain."

Raffles, Batavia, Majestic: Six Of The Best Colonial Hotels In South-East Asia

English afternoon tea at the Majestic in Malaysia. Photograph: Supplied

Whip out your linen and your Somerset Maugham – high tea and afternoon G&Ts are undergoing a revival at south-east Asia’s refurbished colonial hotels, cafes and bars

You might expect all vestiges of colonial life to be slowly fading from Asia’s modern, busy cities. But instead elements of those days, particularly the ones relating to the tourist trade, are being recreated, preserved and celebrated.

If you are travelling on a budget, many of the region’s colonial-era hotels may seem prohibitively expensive but you can still get a taste of days of yore, should you wish to, in a hotel bar with an afternoon gin and tonic or taking high tea in a hotel lounge.

The Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Modern Kuala Lumpur is like any big developing Asian city: malls, traffic, more malls, street hawker stalls, Chinatown, nice bit where diplomats live, shiny towers, malls … But there’s a pocket of KL that will be forever England.

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 High tea at the Majestic Hotel in Malaysia. Photograph: Brigid Delaney/The Guardian.

Arriving at the Majestic Hotel – built in 1932 and recently refurbished – is like stepping into a Somerset Maugham novel. There’s a smoking room, where guys in linen suits (seriously!) light up, play pool and drink whisky; there’s a screening room that shows black and white movies from Hollywood’s golden age; and in the suites there are deep, lovely clawfoot baths where you can wash away the humidity and sweat of life in the hot zone.

During my stay at the Majestic (a 51-room hotel that combines neoclassical and art deco style), every afternoon the lobby was full of people enjoying English-style high tea – with plates of cakes, scones and pots of tea. Being serendaded by the piano “takes guests back to 1932”, one of the staff told me.

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 The Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Photograph: Roderick Eime/flickr

Galle Fort Hotel, Galle, Sri Lanka

Galle, the capital of the southern part of Sri Lanka, is a Unesco world heritage site, and the Galle fort was built by the Portuguese in 1588 then fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century.

Many of the Portuguese- and Dutch-era buildings have been restored and renovated, but one of my favourites is the Galle Fort Hotel.

Restored to its former glory, the hotel is one of the pricier places to stay in town (up to $320 a night in peak season) – but you can soak up the vibe simply by having a G&T in the hotel’s bar, which is a pleasant porch area out the front where you can sit amid the tropical blossoms and watch the street life pass by.

Cafe Batavia and Hermitage Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia

Colonial Jakarta is a crumbly mess: beautiful old buildings with white cracked paint and trees growing out the windows; boarded-up windows and creaky narrow staircases where ravens now nest. It’s as if the city doesn’t have the heart to tear down the old buildings but lacks the money to restore them.

There is one notable exception – Cafe Batavia. Originally built circa 1805-1850 as administration offices before becoming an art gallery in 1990, an Australian, Graham James, bought it in 1991 and reopened it as Cafe Batavia in 1993.

There are black and white pictures all over the walls, an old piano and historical trinkets. The food is a pricey by Indonesian standards but the atmosphere is like stepping back in time.

If you want to stay at a heritage hotel in Jakarta, then the Hermitage Hotel is a welcome change from many of the capital’s gleaming chain hotels. Situated in the historical district of Menteng, in central Jakarta, the hotel is in an art deco building from 1923 that was once a Dutch Telecommunications office.

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 Cafe Batavia in Jakarta. Photograph: Brian Giesen/flickr

Mesa Stila, Central Java, Indonesia

On the grounds of a coffee plantation, surrounded by a ring of active volcanos,Mesa Stila in Central Java is strange, almost otherworldly place.

Now branded as a health and wellness resort, with an excellent spa, it’s buildings and furniture hark back to Dutch colonial times. In the central lobby, ceiling fans, wide day beds, a large verandah and a piano all add to the colonial vibe and afternoon tea is served daily.

The hotel was a favorite of the former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and only a few hours away from the incredible Borobudur temple complex.

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 Just down the road from Mesa Stila … Buddhist monks pray at the Borobudur temple during the Vesak festival in Magelang, Central Java. Photograph: Clara Prima/AFP/Getty Images

Strand Hotel, Rangoon, Burma

The Strand’s website declares it was named “the finest hostelry East of Suez” by John Murray in his Handbook for Travelers written in the early 20th century. Built in 1901, the three-story, five-star hotel boasts that it’s one of south-east Asia’s “few grand colonial hotels and one of its most awe inspiring”.

All the rooms were booked out when I visited Rangoon a few months ago (you need to book a long way in advance – there’s a shortage of hotel rooms in the capital) but there were plenty of seats at the bar.

Make sure you bring your copy of George Orwell’s Burmese Days to complete the experience.

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 An old favourite of Orwell … the Strand Hotel in Burma. Photograph: Shaun Dunphy/flickr

Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Raffles is a colonial icon – famous for its liveried Sikh doormen and its Singapore Sling house cocktail.

Open in 1887, Raffles Hotel Singapore is a prime example of colonial architecture, boasting period furniture and a tropical garden.

High tea is popular at Raffles – and you’re encouraged to book ahead. It’s the usual fare of cakes and crustless sandwiches served on a three-tiered stand, in the beautiful Tiffin Room. While you nibble on your sandwiches, a harpist plays in the background.

One thing I noticed at high teas at both the Majestic and Raffles that would have been unheard of in Maugham’s day: pretty much everyone, at every table, photographing their food.

Other notable examples of colonial-era hotels in Asia

Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Metropole, Hanoi, Vietnam

Majestic Malacca, Malaysia

The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand

Peace Hotel Shanghai, China

The Peninsula, Hong Kong

Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Imperial, New Delhi, India

 High tea at the Peninsula in Hong Kong. Photograph: finedining indian/flickr

Contributed by Brigid Delaney, www.theguardian.com

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport

Travelore Tips: Pay $160 For A Month Of Flights On AirAsia

AirAsia launches its new all-you-can-jet option, the AirAsia ASEAN Pass, this month—but is it worth your while? Read on to find out.

How does a month of flying around Southeast Asia for under $200 sound?

That's the question we asked last year, when it was first announced that AirAsia would introduce some sort of pass for unlimited flights. Well, that pass—the AirAsia ASEAN Pass, named for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—is official and available for purchase, beginning today.

The ASEAN Pass's original promise of travel to ten countries has been kept, and passengers may elect to fly to airports in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Burma, Laos, and Brunei. The greatest variety of destinations is of course offered from AirAsia's base in Kuala Lumpur, although Bangkok also has a bunch. Popular leisure destinations in the passes include Bali, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Langkawi, and Puerto Princesa. With just those it'd be very tempting to turn an ASEAN Pass into a "best exotic beaches of Southeast Asia" pass, but culture and business travelers will find plenty destinations of interest as well.

There are, in fact, two versions of the ASEAN Pass:

ASEAN Pass 10 credits

· Costs $160 USD

· 10 credits for use on flights

· 30 days validity from the start of travel

ASEAN Pass+ 20 credits

· Costs $290 USD

· 20 credits for use on flights

· 60 days validity from the start of travel

Built in (and explained in the official FAQ) are many points of flexibility. For instance, the pass can be handed over to another traveler and the bearer's name can be changed so long as the travel hasn't yet begun. Families can also get in on the fun as the Pass is valid for travelers aged 12 and up. The biggest restriction is that flights need to be booked two weeks ahead and each route may only be used once, so last-minute weekend hops can't happen. The best way for non-residents of Southeast Asia to make use of a pass is to plan for a full three to four weeks of travel, flying in to Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur on a major international airline and beginning the AirAsia Pass from there. Potential ideas for a dot-to-dot itinerary around the region could be visiting friends, hitting some legendary dive sites or surf breaks, scouting for a vacation home, seeking out regional food specialties, or simply adding more stamps to the passport.

The pass was due to debut on January 15, but the tragedy of AirAsia Indonesia flight 8501 on December 28, 2014 placed AirAsia in the world spotlight, and not for the positive reason they had planned. We personally expected AirAsia to drop the idea of the ASEAN Pass, but now that the airline can absolutely use the extra business, the plan proceeds with only a month-and-a-half delay. Overall, the program bears less a resemblance to the original, unlimited "All-You-Can-Jet" Pass from JetBlue and more to the airline's AYCJ successors, called the "GoPacks," though there's no doubt the ASEAN Pass is inspired by both.

View the FAQ and step-by-step use of the ASEAN pass on AirAsia's dedicated website. As of right now, there is no end date to the ASEAN pass promotion for either sale or travel, thought this will likely change once the airline sees action on it.

This piece originally appeared on Jaunted.com.