Our Final Aeroline Journey — Full Episode
Our short 48 hour trip to Penang ended almost as quickly as it began. We woke at six in the morning, the sky still dark and quiet. Because most of our packing was done the night before, we moved calmly through the apartment, checking chargers and zipping bags. By 6:45am, we stepped out for what could be our last ride on an Aeroline bus.
Leaving Penang at Dawn
We had booked a Grab Car Plus for seven o’clock, paying an inflated RM52.00 for peace of mind. With road closures expected for the George Town Heritage Celebrations, we did not want any delays on the way to Queensbay Mall.
The driver arrived early at 6:45am, and to our relief the roads were clear. The twenty minute ride was smooth, and he dropped us off at the Starbucks in the North Zone. The café was still closed, so we waited quietly as the mall slowly woke up. At 8:00am, the shutters opened and we ordered a latte to start the day.
Boarding Aeroline
More than an hour passed, and at 8:10am, our Aeroline bus — VLT8817 — arrived. Five minutes later, we boarded and settled into the cool cabin. At 8:30am, the bus pulled away right on time, beginning our journey back to Kuala Lumpur.
Why Aeroline Is Leaving Kuala Lumpur
Aeroline had recently announced that it would stop serving Kuala Lumpur after more than twenty years. Rising costs, operational challenges, and new regulations made it difficult to continue. Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency required all buses to operate only from licensed terminals, which would increase expenses and weaken Aeroline’s premium service model.
The company had moved its Kuala Lumpur stop to TRX Mall, but it was not allowed to operate there. Instead of raising fares or lowering service quality, Aeroline chose to exit Kuala Lumpur completely and focus on other routes. More details on future schedules would be announced later.
Arrival and Trouble
We reached Kuala Lumpur at 1:45pm, but the arrival was disappointing. The bus dropped us off beside an electrical substation inside a car park, directly across from TRX Mall’s main entrance. A proper covered bus stop stood empty just fifty meters away, yet the driver and conductor chose the car park instead.
Then things got worse. Cat became violently ill, throwing up again and again until there was nothing left but bile. The cause was clear to us — the Fried Rice Vermicelli Aeroline had served earlier that morning.
The Final Straw
After many attempts, we finally managed to hail a Grab at 2:30pm for RM23.00, right there beside the electrical substation. The driver struggled to locate us, and by the time he arrived, we were drenched and exhausted.
Twenty minutes later, we reached home — relieved but deeply disappointed.
As far as we were concerned, Aeroline had burned its bridges with us. What once was our bus service of choice had become an abomination of its former self!
(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)
📍 Location:
Hutton Central Hotel - https://maps.app.goo.gl/uUGAtyMMvLa79Afj9
Aeroline Queensbay Mall - https://maps.app.goo.gl/qAzcm4qNVEBNXqzn7
Aeroline (TRX) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/7BHpRM5PnmTfucoA7
Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/swtNfVmjFK4FgRsf8
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