Well, let me introduce you to the secret language of KL:

• KL = Kuala Lumpur (surprise, surprise)
• KLIA = Kuala Lumpur International Airport
• KLIA Ekspres = the name of the express train that runs from the airport to the city centre
• LCCT = Low Cost Carrier Terminal (we will address this again shortly)
• KLCC = Kuala Lumpur City Centre or the spot where you find the famous Petronas Twin Towers

That wasn’t so hard, was it? But let’s now focus on KL LCCT (IATA: KUL) which is kind of an airport within an airport. Wikipedia has the following explanation of it:

The first purpose built Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was specifically built at KL International Airport to cater to the growing passengers of the low cost airlines, especially the passengers of Malaysia’s “no-frills” airline, AirAsia.

Bingo, that sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? It’s not.

The “extension” is located on the opposite side of the apron from the Main Terminal Building (KLIA), near the cargo area. By road, LCCT is about 20 km (!) from the Main Terminal Building; this is important to factor in when you’re choosing you’re route out. Don’t make the mistake we made and board a shuttle bus to the main terminal building (thinking it was 1 minutes away) and then take the KLIA Ekspres from there. First of all, this will cost you about 4 times more and secondly, the buses departing straight in front of the KL LCC terminal (you have the choice of several different companies) take you directly into KL Sentral in at least the same time, if not quicker – approx an hour depending on traffic.

When departing, there are a few things you can do at this terminal, although KL LCCT is nowhere near as entertaining as its richer big sister (read our review here):

• Since you’re at LCCT and the LC stands for Low Cost, surprise, “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch, dinner or breakfast” so make sure you stock up with some goodies from the small supermarket on the public side of the terminal before going through security
• Then, right after security, there’s a toy shop where you can buy “bribes” for that little monster in the seat in front of you (did I just say that?)
• Now this is a real find: you’ll be amazed at the selection of sweet and savoury delicacies that the ‘Country’s Tid-Bits & Candies Cottage’ has to offer. Trust me, amazing they are: You will find anything from boring safe candy’s, liquorice plum, dried mangoes and kiwi pulp, various cookies, nuts and chips to the taste bud challenging dried spicy cuttlefish. I dare you to try it! The best thing with the store is that you can try everything before you buy! (Find some pictures here)
• Use your last Ringgits or get some fresh ones from the ATM in the terminal and shop for your life at the souvenir shop offering all sorts of tackiness (I actually bought a Twin tower fridge magnet there, I must confess…). If you’re not into shopping, count the amount of different merchandise they offer with – wait for it – the twin towers on it.
• If by now you either feel sick from trying all that dried fish or are thirsty from counting, go next door and buy my all time favourite KL drink, a ‘100plus’. How good is it, people? Now you wish you filled the remaining luggage with this wonderful, thirst-quenching drink. Good news is AirAsia also sell it onboard.

Airport Name	Kuala Lumpur, Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)
Website	http://lcct-klia.com
IATA Code	KUL
Design
Shopping
Toilets
Overall
	not available at LCCT
	MYR 320 (Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Rose)

[Picture from Flickr - some rights reserved]

As most of the Asian airports I have experienced so far, KLIA was built for the future with plenty of space meaning you feel relaxed from the moment you arrive. But relaxation actually starts even earlier: the Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines hub is very well connected with the city centre by an express train which only takes 28 minutes non-stop. This also means, that even if you are just stopping-over for a few hours, it may make sense to quickly get into the city and see the magnificent Petronas Twin Towers or have a bite to eat at one of the many Indian or Thai influenced eateries around the city.

In terms of what you can do within the airport, there are quite a few options. After passing the passport checks and the security, you will find yourself in the terminal which mainly serves domestic flights. All international flights leave from the C gates which you reach through a short ride with the Aerotrain. Don’t bother checking out the shops before you get to the C gates as there are only a few there. You are a lot better off taking the shuttle immediately and spend your time in the satellite terminal.

There, I’m sure you will be pleased shocked to hear, they even have a Harrod’s store. I have always thought this was a typical London thing, but apparently not. Great weird. Besides that, you will find the usual shops including a Starbucks (on the first floor), Bodyshop, Mango and Versace stores. My top suggestions to kill some time, however, are:

• Check out the rather nice architecture of the satellite terminal (see picture above)
• Grab a final Carlsberg beer at the Forrestier bar and reflect on your trip to Malaysia
• Read your emails at one of the free Internet terminals (before gates C31,33 and C21,23)
• Visit the “Made in Malaysia” store and find the most ridiculous souvenirs – who could you surprise with one of them?
• Try to find a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for LateDeparture.com‘s price comparison (I couldn’t find one!)

Airport Name	Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Website	http://www.klia.com.my
IATA Code	KUL
Design
Shopping
Toilets
Overall
	MYR 432.00 (£77.80)
	n/a

[Picture from Flickr - some rights reserved]