Have Perut Will Travel...: KNO Day 1 │ KLIA to Kualanamu • MH860!

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Wednesday, 17 June 2026

KNO Day 1 │ KLIA to Kualanamu • MH860!

Journey to Medan: Departure Before Dawn

A brand new adventure awaited us in Medan, Sumatra, and our day began long before sunrise. MH860 was scheduled for 8:30am, and as always, we kept to our trusted four hour buffer between home and the airport. Brendan was able to drive us to KL Sentral, so we were out the door at 4:30am. The city was still fast asleep, the air cool, and twenty minutes later he dropped us off. We unloaded our bags, shared our fond farewells, and watched him disappear into the early morning light.

The Early Ride to KLIA

Since KL CAT only opened at six — leaving us with too little time — we decided not to check in there. Even so, we still wanted to ride the KLIA Express, and the first train left at 5:00am. As always, we bought our tickets online to enjoy RM15 off each return fare, paying RM35 each. We headed down to the platform and boarded the first train out at precisely five.

Check In Before Sunrise

We arrived at KLIA at 5:27am and made a beeline for the international check in counters upstairs. Fifteen minutes later we were checked in and our yellow submarines were safely deposited. With MH860 boarding at 7:30am from Gate H2, we made our way toward the Departure Hall.

Through Immigration in Minutes

Immigration was a breeze thanks to the MyBorderPass app, and by the time we emerged it was ten to six. The airport was only just beginning to wake.

Starbucks Before Boarding

With more than an hour to burn, we stopped at Starbucks. I had a Caramel Macchiato, Cat tried the Protein Matcha, and with a shared chicken sandwich the total came to RM72.35. A quiet, familiar pause before the morning rush.

Waiting at Gate H2

At seven, we checked the FIDS and headed to Gate H2, only to find it still closed. It finally opened half an hour later, and passengers were allowed in.

Boarding MH860

We cleared the final security checkpoint at 7:45am, though not before an overzealous security lady insisted I was flying to Phnom Penh. Once past that, we took our seats. Being in Group 2, we boarded at 7:56am. The flight was full, and after everyone settled in, the aircraft pushed back at 8:24am. Ten minutes later, in rainy conditions, MH860 lifted off toward Sumatra.

Why Medan?

This trip was long in the making. We first planned it for February last year, but ended up choosing Jakarta and Bandung for Chinese New Year. Medan was pushed to June this year. Our main reason was simple: Cat’s love for Bika Ambon, the famous honeycomb textured cake that actually originated in Medan. We were also excited to finally hear a Batak church choir, and with any luck, I hoped to add another travel tattoo.

Touchdown in North Sumatra

The one hour flight was choppy throughout, with the aircraft only reaching 22,000 feet. Turbulence forced the crew to cancel inflight service, and at 8:54am the plane began its descent. MH860 touched down at 8:20am local time. Kudos to Captain Imanul Kamil and Chief Steward Zazali Ahmad for an excellent flight. We disembarked ten minutes later and headed to Carousel 01.

Welcome to Medan!