The Platinum Lounge at the Satellite Terminal Building of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 is the flagship lounge of Malaysia Airlines. Despite the airline not having any First Class seating in its fleet, Malaysia Airlines continues to maintain the lounge to serve Business Suite passengers flying on its A350-900 aircraft and for other Oneworld Emerald frequent flyers departing from KLIA Terminal 1. The lounge is particularly useful for Emerald flyers in the morning as the Golden Lounge (for Business Class, Enrich Gold and Oneworld Sapphire) next door can be quite packed.
The reception is shared between the Golden Lounge and the Platinum Lounge. Turning left from the reception area brings you to the Golden Lounge, and turning right brings you to the Platinum Lounge.
Upon entry into the Platinum Lounge, you'll find yourself at the Dining Area, where ala-carte dining is offered. As I was at the lounge in the morning, a variety of breakfast offerings for both local and international cuisine was offered. I was provided with a plate of fresh fruits prior to placing my order.
I opted for the Nasi Lemak while my partner opted for the American Breakfast selection.
The dining area was well lit, had comfortable seating, and the staff were attentive and professional. Despite all this, seating was relatively limited in the ala carte dining area. My visit in the morning saw all tables occupied, and other passengers had to wait at the main lounge area for a table to be available.
Honestly speaking, while I'm happy that Malaysia Airlines continues to offer table service for its most loyal and elite frequent flyers, I'm somewhat disappointed by the offerings on the ala carte menu. For one, the Golden Lounge next door without table service has an excellent Laksa Corner with made-to-order local noodles at any given time of day. I was also not too impressed by the food itself. It felt as if the food was simply nicely plated and from the buffet at the Golden Lounge next door. My point is, Qatar does a wonderful job at differentiating its ala-carte dining at its lounges and buffet dining, and perhaps Malaysia Airlines can improve their service offerings for its most elite flyers. In fact, I see no reason to opt for the Platinum Lounge as opposed to the Golden Lounge besides having more peace and quietness for work, since the offerings at the Golden Lounge are honestly much better.
There were a variety of drinks and alcoholic beverages available at the main seating area of the Platinum Lounge.
Do note that as an Enrich Platinum/Oneworld Emerald frequent flyer, you are entitled to use the Business Suites check-in area that is located away from the Economy Class check in area at KLIA Terminal 1.
Overall, while I'm glad that Malaysia Airlines continues to operate the Platinum Lounge despite not having a First Class product, there are considerable opportunities for the airline to truly separate its Platinum Lounge as the lines are somewhat blurred between prestige and offering. If you've been to the splendid Qatar Airways Al-Mourjan Business Lounge at Hamad International Airport and the Qatar Airways Al-Safwa First Lounge, you'll know exactly what I mean. At a time where global travel is starting to pick up, I'm hoping that Malaysia Airlines continues to redefine itself from its competition and set its standards in line with what we're used to seeing across its Oneworld partners.
