Travelling is now back for Malaysians and the recent MATTA fair shows that we all still have that wanderlust to hop on a plane and go for a quick getaway. However, what most of us fail to take into consideration is the cost of transportation to the airport.
As with most airports, KLIA Terminal 1 (KLIA T1) and KLIA Terminal 2 (KLIA T2) are located far from the city centre and suburbs. Getting a cab, especially in the wee hours of the morning, could cost you more than trying to get to Narnia.
However, there are ways you can keep your airport transportation expenses low. If you are travelling light, and have time on your end, you can get to the airport and save enough to cover a meal when you get there.
Here are your options for transportation from the most expensive to the cheapest:
Booking a ride with Grab
While there are other e-hailing services that you can use, such as inDriver or BuddyDriver, Grab is still the most easiest and accessible when it comes to booking a ride to KLIA T1/T2.
Grab does not charge a midnight surcharge, hence it is perfect for those who have to catch a red-eye flight. It also allows you to pre-book your ride for at least one week (7 days) in advance but you do have to pay a bit extra.
It is also on a fixed rate basis, where the fare is calculated based on the distance between the pick-up and drop-off points entered and the estimated travel time.
Using KL Sentral as the starting point, here’s how much it costs to take a Grab to KLIA T1/ KLIA T2:
| Duration^ | To KLIA: 49 mins From KLIA: 48 mins |
| Distance | 60.9 km + 57.3 km |
| Toll | To KLIA • MEX - Putrajaya Toll Plaza - RM3.50 • ELITE – KLIA - RM4.30 From KLIA • ELITE – Putrajaya - RM4.30 TOTAL: RM7.80 + RM4.30 = RM12.10 |
| Estimated fare for JustGrab | RM52 to RM71.50 Two-way: RM143 + 12.10 = RM155.10 |
| Estimated fare for GrabCar 6-seater | RM84 to RM115.5 Two-way: RM231 + 12.10 = RM243.10 |
Grab allows both cash and credit card payment, which is perfect for those who live on cold hard cash.
Taking a taxi to KLIA T1 & KLIA T2
One of the best things about getting a cab to the airport is that you can call and pre-book your ride in advance, so you can concentrate on cramming everything into your luggage 30 minutes before you need to leave for the airport.
But now that you can schedule rides with Grab, there’s not much reason for you to choose a taxi to get a ride to the airport.
Plus, with taxis, there are a lot of surcharges you need to consider. If you are taking one of those red-eye flights, you will need to pay a 50% midnight surcharge and a pre-booking fee.
Here’s the lowdown on taxi fare from KL Sentral – KLIA T1/KLIA T2 – KL Sentral:
(between 6.01 a.m. and 11.59 p.m.) | (between 12.00 a.m. and 6.00 a.m.) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Duration^ | From KLIA: 51 mins |
|
| Distance | ||
| Toll | • MEX - Putrajaya Toll Plaza - RM3.50 • ELITE – KLIA - RM4.30 From KLIA • ELITE – Putrajaya - RM4.30 TOTAL: RM7.80 + RM4.30 = RM12.10 |
|
| Pre-booking fee | ||
| Total estimated fare | RM73.66 to RM75.84 Two-way: RM149.50 + 12.10 = RM161.60 | RM110.49 to RM113.76 Two-way: RM224.20 + RM12.10 = RM236.30 |
Based on the estimation above, Grab is still a cheaper option compared to taxis if you’re going to the airport during normal hours.
Hopping on the KLIA Ekspres
Driving or taking any road transport can be risky, especially if you are travelling during peak hours. The traffic can totally throw off your travel time, and you really don’t want to risk missing your flight.
The most popular and convenient option you can consider is taking the KLIA Ekspres. Used to cost RM33 one way, the KLIA Ekspres fare saw a hike in January 2016. Here’s the latest fee schedule for KLIA Ekspres:
| One-way | ||
| Two-way |
You can get a 10% discount if you purchase the ticket online.
Here is how much you need to fork out for KLIA Ekspres based on the number of people you are travelling with:
| Duration | |||
| Total two-way fare (adult) | |||
If you travel light, alone and also in a rush to catch your flight, KLIA Ekspres is no doubt your saviour. Paying RM100 for both ways is still much cheaper than getting a cab or Grab, plus it’s much faster. However, if you are travelling in a group and time is on your side, KLIA Ekspres can be quite steep. Perhaps it is worth the money to skip the traffic congestion during peak hours.
Aboard the KLIA Transit
If you are not travelling to the airport from KL Sentral, you can opt for the KLIA Transit. It’s a commuter service between KLIA T1/KLIA T2 and KL Sentral with three stops – at Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya and Bandar Tasik Selatan.
Here’s the fee schedule for KLIA Transit:
Image from www.kliaekspres.com
A return fare from KL Sentral to KLIA T1/KLIA T2 is the same as KLIA Ekspres, but the travel time is longer at 39 minutes to KLIA T2. If you are leaving from KL Sentral to either of the airports, it will make more sense to take the KLIA Ekspres.
However, if you are leaving from any of the three stops (Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya, and Salak Tinggi), it will be more cost-efficient to take the KLIA Transit.
Here is the total travel cost per person (adult and child) for return (two-way) transportation:
| Sector | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RM5.80 (C) | |||||
RM12.60 (C) | RM7.20 (C) | ||||
RM16.40 (A) | RM11.20 (C) | RM4.20 (C) | |||
RM45 (C) | RM34.60 (C) | RM8.40 (C) | RM4.40 (C) | ||
RM45 (C) | RM34.60 (C) | RM8.40 (C) | RM4.40 (C) | RM2 (C) |
You can get a 10% discount if you purchase your ticket online on the website and the KLIA Ekspres app, or if you regularly travel to the airport, you can opt for the KLIA Transit TravelCard with a one-month validity. It costs between RM60 and RM420, depending on the stops.
Driving to KLIA T1 or KLIA T2
If you have the privilege of being chauffeured by your friend or family member to the airport, it will definitely be the most comfortable yet affordable option. Nothing beats sitting in your own car (or the car of someone you know), playing the music that you love, and chit-chatting all the way to the destination.
But how much does it really cost to drive to the airport and back?
Let’s take the example of a 1.5-litre car with a fuel efficiency of 7.0 litre per 100km, here’s how much it will cost and how long it will take:
| Duration^ | To KLIA: 49 mins From KLIA: 48 mins | To KLIA: 47 mins From KLIA: 49 mins |
| Distance | 60.9 km + 57.3 km | 58.7 km + 57.5 km |
| Toll | To KLIA • MEX - Putrajaya Toll Plaza - RM3.50 • ELITE – KLIA - RM4.30 From KLIA • ELITE – Putrajaya - RM4.30 TOTAL: RM7.80 + RM4.30 = RM12.10 | To KLIA • MEX - Putrajaya Toll Plaza - RM3.50 • ELITE – KLIA - RM4.30 From KLIA • ELITE – Putrajaya - RM4.30 TOTAL: RM7.80 + RM4.30 = RM12.10 |
| Estimated fuel cost | RM6.82 + RM6.42 = RM13.24 | RM6.58 + RM6.44 = RM13.02 |
| Parking* | RM4 per hour | RM4 for the first 3 hours |
| Total estimated travel cost | RM29.34 | RM29.12 |
According to the TravelSmarter website, it takes about 47 to 49 minutes to get to KLIA T1 and KLIA T2 respectively. Of course, the travel time for driving really depends on the traffic condition. It might take longer than one hour to get there if traffic is not in your favour.
Take a bus to KLIA T1/KLIA T2
Why spend all your money on your transport to the airport when you can keep the money for your holiday abroad? There are many bus services to the airport that are cheaper than all of the above options.
Here are some of the common bus services and how much the return fare cost:
| Airport Coach | Pick-up/Drop-off: KL Sentral • RM20 | Not available |
| Aerobus | Pick-up/Drop-off: Paradigm Mall PJ • Adult: RM22 • Child: RM16 | Pick-up/Drop-off: KL Sentral & Paradigm Mall PJ • Adult: RM18 • Child: RM10 |
| Express Coach | Pick-up/Drop-off: KL Sentral • Adult: RM18.00 • Child: RM10.00 | Not available |
| Star Shuttle | Pick-up/Drop-off: Pudu Raya, Batu 3 Jalan Ipoh • RM32 to RM30 | Pick-up/Drop-off: Pudu Raya, Batu 3 Jalan Ipoh • RM32 to RM30 |
Taking the bus to the airport is undoubtedly the cheapest option but it also requires you to plan ahead as the travel time is the longest among all of the transportation available. The estimated travel time is around one hour, depending on traffic.
However, if you need to catch a flight in the middle of the night, this may not be the best option as the bus services are not run 24 hours. Here is the schedule of all the bus services to both KLIA T1 and KLIA T2.
| Airport Coach | ||
| KL Sentral | ||
| KLIA T1 | ||
| Aerobus | ||
| KL Sentral (To KLIA T2) | ||
| KLIA T2 | ||
| Paradigm Mall, PJ | ||
| KLIA T1 | ||
| Express Coach | ||
| KL Sentral | ||
| KLIA T1 | ||
| Star Shuttle | ||
| Pudu Raya | ||
| Batu 3 Jalan Ipoh | ||
| KLIA T1 | ||
| KLIA T2 | ||
The highest bus fare to KLIA T1 is RM32 per person. If you are travelling in a group of three, that would come up to RM96. That’s still cheaper than any of the options above, except for driving there on your own. However, if no one is able to drive you there, the parking cost of leaving your car at the airport would have been more expensive than all your bus fare combined.
If the schedule of the bus coincides with your flight time, this is definitely the cheapest option for you to get to the airport.
There are many factors to consider when you are deciding which transport to use to go to the airport. Are you in a rush? How light or heavy you travel would also play a role in limiting your options. If you are travelling with a lot of luggage, you may even be forced to grab more than one taxi or a larger vehicle (which costs more) to accommodate you and your travelling companions’ suitcases.
Of course, the more flexible you are, the more options you have to consider. Sometimes, paying more just to get the comfort of a car arriving at your doorstep to pick you up, anytime you want, may just be worth it.
Note: Calculation for distance, travel time and toll for the driving to the airport option is based on the TravelSmarter calculator.
^ Duration by road (driving, Grab, taxi) varies according to traffic conditions. The above examples assume the route of MEX Highway & ELITE Highway.
