Using KLIA2—Airlines, Train Services, Parking, and Facilities

As an engineer, Mazlan had the opportunity to travel and work abroad. He has traveled to over 30 countries.

KLIA2 Airport

Kuala Lumpur International Airport's low cost terminal, or KLIA2, handles low cost airlines. The terminal measures almost 2.76m sq. ft. (257,000 sq. m)—about the size of 24 football fields. Airlines that fly out of and into KLIA2 include:

1. AirAsia, Air Asia X, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, AirAsia Zest
2. Jetstar Asia
3. Tiger Airways Singapore (Tigerair)
4. Cebu Pacific Air

KLIA2 Flight Code

Kuala Lumpur has three airports. One at Subang with Flight Code SZB and two at Sepang, KLIA and KLIA2. Both having the same Flight Code KUL. This can be confusing for the first timer but if you fly on any of the above airlines, then you will depart and arrive at KLIA2.

Why the same flight code for KLIA and KLIA2?

IATA deem these two airports as one airport with two terminals. Hence, the same flight code.

There are not within the same building complex but in separate buildings a kilometer apart. Hence it is not possible to transit airside within KLIA and KLIA2.

See the section below on how to move to and from KLIA - KLIA2.

Driving to KLIA2

KLIA2 is two kilometres away from the main Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

To arrive by car, take the same highways as you would to KLIA. Follow the signage for KLIA. Just before the Petronas petrol station, the signage for KLIA2 starts to appear. Follow the signs and take this slip-road. Drive through the overhead ramp that leads to KLIA2.

KLIA2 Location Map

How to Get to KLIA2 From KLIA

To travel between KLIA2 and the main KLIA terminal:

• Drive your own car.
• Take the bus shuttle (every 15 minutes). Located in transportation hub on Level 1. RM2 per person.
• Take the train shuttle (seven times an hour during peak hours; five times an hour during off-peak. Located in the transportation hub on Level 1. RM2 per person.
• Take a taxi. If you are in a hurry, this is the best option.

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There is no dedicated walkway linking the two terminals.

Train Service to and from KLIA2/KLIA

Tips for Train Users

• Train tickets on both the ERL KLIA Ekspres and Transit are only good for ERL trains. They cannot be used on the city's Light Rail or Mono Rail trains or ib the KTM Inter-City train. Hence, if you do not use the airport train on a daily basis, just buy a one-way ticket.
• The main ticket counter is on Level 2 of gateway@klia2. There are smaller counters in the Domestic and International Arrival Halls.
• The ERL waiting platform at KLIA2 is not enclosed except for a small room that is air-conditioned. On a hot day, the humid weather can be challenging, so grab yourself an ice-cold mineral water.

Taxi at KLIA2

• Both metered and coupon-based taxis can be found in the Level 1 transportation hub. Buy tickets at taxi counters in the domestic and international arrival halls on Level 2.
• For coupon-based taxis, the ticket is inclusive of toll charges, if any, and there will be no other charges to be paid to the driver.
• For a metered taxi, you pay RM2 for airport service to the ground staff who then directs you to the waiting taxi. He will also take note of the taxi registration number in case of future complaints. Your taxi fare is calculated through the taximeter and total cost will include toll charges, if any.

As a guide, budget taxi (using the small Proton Waja, about the size of VW Polo) from KLIA2 to most hotels in Kuala Lumpur City Center will cost about RM85, inclusive of toll charges.

By Bus to and from KLIA2

There are 20 bus lots at KLIA2 with services to Kuala Lumpur City Center, the neighboring townships and areas within and outside the Klang Valley. The bus terminal is on Level 1 in the transportation hub. Ticket counters are in the international and domestic arrival halls.

Available buses are as follows:

• SKYBUS: From KL Sentral to/from KLIA2; RM10 per trip. Frequency: 30-minute intervals. From 1 Utama bus terminal to/from KLIA2; RM15. Frequency: 1-hour intervals. The first bus from KLIA2 departs at 5:00am and the last bus from KLIA2 is at 2:45am.
• Aerobus: From KL Sentral to/from KLIA2; RM10. Service starts at 4.30am and last bus at 2.30am from KLIA2. From KL Sentral, the first bus at 2.45am and last bus at midnight.
• Star Shuttle: From Batu 3 Jalan Ipoh KL (RM10), Puduraya KL (RM12), Ipoh (RM42), Teluk Intan and Sitiawan (RM45) to KLIA2. Check out the website for bus schedules.
• Airport Coach: 30 minutes interval. The first bus departs at 5:00 am and the last bus at 11:00 pm daily from KL Sentral. From KLIA first bus leaves at 6:00 am and the last bus at 12:30 am.
• Jetbus: From Bandar Tasik Selatan Terminal Bersepadu Selatan to/from KLIA2; RM8.
• Airport Liner: From KTM Nilai to KLIA2 at Rm4.00. The bus stops at designated areas along the way. See website for these stops and their respective fares and schedules.
• YoYo Bus: From Ipoh (Bercham, Aman Jaya), Taiping, Johor Bahru and Yong Peng to KLIA2. Check the website for respective fares and schedules.
• Transnasional: KLIA2 to/from Malacca (Melaka Sentral); RM21.90.

Please take note that bus companies will wait for the bus to be filled before departing. During peak hours, that usually takes about 10 minutes. Otherwise it might take about 20 minutes. Travel time from KLIA2 to KL Sentral is about 50-60 minutes, but may take an extra 15 minutes if traffic is slower.

KLIA2 Parking Options and Rates

• Cars: KLIA2 has 5,690 car and 800 motorcycle parking bays in its adjacent, 8-storey car park building. From the parking garage, exit at level CP4 and walk through the shopping mall to enter KLIA2 departure area at Level 3. The parking facilities are open 24 hours a day and are secure.
• Long-term parking: Long-term parking is only available at the KLIA main terminal building. If you choose to park your car there, then take the RM2 bus shuttle from KLIA to KLIA2. The shuttle operates at 15-minute intervals.
• Valet parking: If you are in a hurry, KLIA2 does have valet parking.

Currently the parking rates at KLIA2 (inclusive of 6% service charge) are:

• RM4 per hour for the first three hours.
• RM3 per hour for the next four to nine hours.
• RM2 per hour for ten hours and more.
• Maximum daily rate is RM46 per day. If you lose your ticket, you will be charged RM50 per day. If you park more than three days, then the fee from the fourth day onward will be RM20 per day (first three day still remain at RM46 per day).

Do not forget to pay your parking at the Autopay machines located at car park levels CP1, CP4 and CP7 only. If you have Touch & Go card, you can use this and avoid this hassle.

Buggy Services Inside KLIA2

Here's where to find free buggies to take you around the terminal:

• International Departures: After the immigration counters, buggies on the right side ferry passengers to L gates. Buggies on the left side ferry passengers to end of skybridge.
• International Arrivals: Buggy will pick-up passengers along P and Q gates and will drop them off at the lift leading to arrival level skybridge. Another buggy will ferry passengers to end of skybridge.
• Domestic Departures: Buggy will ferry passengers from escalator to J and K gates.
• Domestic Arrivals: Buggy will pick up passengers along J and K gates.

Main Terminal Building Floor Level Guide

Here is a quick guide to the main KLIA2 terminal building levels:

• Level 1: Transportation hub for buses, taxis, car rentals, and trains.
• Level 1M: Airport link-bridge that connects KLIA2 main terminal building to Tune Hotel.
• Level 2: Arrival hall, shops, restaurants, and prayer rooms. Express Rail Link (ERL) ticket office (train platform one level down).
• Level 2M: Relaxation zone.
• Level 3: Departure Hall, shops, restaurants, and prayer rooms.

See the KLIA2 Floor Layout Plan below for additional info.

KLIA2 Floor Plan

KLIA2 Facilities at Departure Gates/Piers

Food, Shops, and Facilities on the Concourse Area and Mall

With over 200 retail spaces and other facilities at KLIA2, there are too many to list them here individually. So here is a summary of what to expect:

• Banks
• Bureau De Change (BDC) / Money Changer
• Pharmacies
• Supermarket
• Retail shops
• Fast-food outlets
• Restaurants
• Photo shops
• ATMs
• Prayer rooms
• Baby care rooms
• Loan of wheelchair and baby stroller
• Bookshops
• Plaza Premium Lounge
• Container sleeping facilities (opening soon)
• Smoking room

Summary: Tips For Using KLIA2

KLIA2 is not user-friendly and the sheer size of the airport combined with the shopping mall can be very challenging. Hence, if you are a first time user of KLIA2, take note of the following tips:

• Be there extra early as the signage aren't that great and you have to keep asking for directions and may still get lost
• It is going to be a long walk from the moment you get off the taxi or train, to check in and boarding the plane. So don't be shy to ask for a wheelchair especially for the elderly and pregnant woman or with small kids.
• If you are an arriving passenger, taxi area is one level below on the 1st floor. Your arrival area is on the second floor. (I don't understand how this airport architect thinks! Sometimes I wonder if this architect is qualified to design a low cost carrier airport)
• Watch out for the signage to the toilets in case you need to go and the first one is full and you need to find the next one! (Good luck!)
• Don't get carried away with shopping (yes, there are many shops to tempt you) as you need time for that long walk to the departure lounge

Hotels at KLIA2

Currently, there are three hotels in and adjacent to KLIA2, along with a "capsule hotel" for budget travelers.

Sama-Sama Express Hotel

If you are in transit, you can use Sama-Sama Express Hotel KLIA2, which is an airside transit hotel located at Satellite Building, next to Gate C5. It is part of the 5-Star Sama-Sama hotel group.

This express hotel has 80 rooms that are rented on an hourly basis with a minimum stay of 6 hours. If you are in transit, you don't have to clear Malaysian Customs and Immigration to check-in into this hotel.

Check the Sama Sama Hotel website for room availability, rates, and promotions.

Tune Hotel KLIA2

This budget hotel is adjacent to KLIA2 and is only 10 mins walk to the main terminal building. You don't have to worry about the weather as you will be walking through a covered walkway.

If you are a transit passenger, you need to clear Custom and Immigration, in order to use this hotel.

It has 312 double rooms, 84 twin rooms, and four family rooms. It also has its own 167 car park bays with an affordable rate of RM2 per hour as compared to the airport rates that starts at RM4 per hour.

Room rate varies, so it is best to check the hotel's website for the current rates or for any promotional rates.

Sama-Sama Hotel

This 5-star hotel is about 5 minutes' walk from the KLIA arrival hall. If you take the complimentary buggy ride, it is only two minutes from the arrival hall.

As with Tune Hotel KLIA2, you need to clear Immigration and Customs if you want to use this hotel.

With its 442 rooms of varying types and rates, you will have a choice to fit your budget. If you are a hotel guest, you get a complimentary train shuttle to KLIA2. Check out the hotel's website for the latest room rates, availability and promotions.

The Capsule by Container Hotel

Need a cheaper option while on transit? Try The Capsule by Container Hotel that offers 79 capsule bedrooms. You have the option of booking for three hours at RM45, six hours at RM70 or 12 hours at RM90.

If you don't need the room, you can also buy a la carte rates for shower at RM15 or locker rental at RM20 per day.

The Capsule by Container Hotel is located on the 1st floor of the gateway@KLIA2 shopping mall. So if you are a transit passenger, you need to clear Custom and Immigration to use this Capsule Hotel.

What Is Gateway@klia2?

Gateway@klia2 is a shopping mall within KLIA2 integrated airport complex and has a good tenancy mix of medium to high-end product brands. With over 350,000 sq. ft. of net retail area, it has over 200 shops that spread over 4-levels.

Located in between the drop-off and the Main Terminal building, it targets shoppers from travellers, visitors and the residents from the neighboring townships.

If you have any last minute shopping or want to 'loose' the local currencies, then you will be spoilt for choices here.

KLIA2 F&B outlets too expensive for you? There many food outlets at gateway@klia2 as well as at the airport areas. If you find the prices too steep for your budget, you can go to the food court or buy drinks and food at the supermarket, which might work out cheaper.

Or head over to 7-Eleven at KLIA2 for affordable snack and ample seating area for you to eat, while enjoying their complimentary WiFi!

Free Wi-Fi and Charging Station at KLIA2

Wi-Fi is free at KLIA2, but only for the first hour, which should be more than sufficient for transit passengers. If your flight is delayed and you required additional surfing time, try to logout and login again after 10 minutes (or go over to 7-Eleven for their complimentary WiFi!)

Charging stations are available only at the departure and arrival areas. If you are not at these areas, then you will have to find wall plug points to charge your laptops, handphones, etc.

Why Is KLIA2 so Huge?

KLIA2 Review

As I had mentioned earlier, there is a lot of walking when you are at KLIA2 and there are not enough seats for people to take a short rest.

This is bad for the elderly, parent with kids, pregnant woman, if you have mobility problems or even if you are fit and healthy. The airport authorities MUST provide these basic needs, and do not forget to have more walkalators!

The airport was designed to be an airport within a mall, hence the sheer size of the place. Premium spaces are rented out and passengers got narrow passageways, small waiting areas and the inconvenience of the long walk, and walking up & down ramps & escalators. Okay, there are lifts available for those who cannot use the stairs or escalators, but still it is one hell of a walk.

KLIA2 is beautiful with many good facilities (that generate incomes for the airport), but to make it even better, I hope the authority will do something on the above issues...to start with!

Questions & Answers

Question: how do I arrange a buggy to go from Air Asia arrivals in Sydney to take me to the main area?

Answer: Buggy will pick-up passengers along P and Q gates.

Buggy will drop off passengers at the lift leading to arrival level sky bridge.

Another buggy will ferry passengers to end of sky bridge.

If you need any other assistance, you can call AirAsia Call Centers at least 48hours before departure if you need special assistance like for a wheelchair, etc.

Question: Is there a bus from KLIA2 to KL Sentral departing before 5 am?

Answer: Yes, there is.

© 2014 Mazlan A