Heightened sanitation
Daily cleaning, installation of cabin HEPA filters on flights to Kota Kinabalu
Low season |
April | Best time to beat the crowds with an average 8% drop in price. |
---|---|---|
High season |
December | Most popular time to fly with an average 22% increase in price. |
Average price round-trip |
$942 | (avg. price over the last 2 weeks) |
Good deal round-trip |
$706 | or less |
Good deal one-way |
$526 | or less |
Kota Kinabalu Airport is 4 miles from the center of Kota Kinabalu. View on Map.
Kota Kinabalu is served by Kota Kinabalu Airport, also commonly referred to as Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu Intl. The airport code is BKI.
Entry restrictions
Malaysia has restricted entry to all travelers through at least December 31, except for citizens, permanent residents with a MyPR card, diplomats, embassy employees, and spouses or children of Malaysian nationals, who must have a sticker label visa in the passport specifically indicating this status.
Travelers with a Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) permit and a printed entry permit from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and students with a student pass for a Malaysian institution may also enter the country.
On July 11, Malaysian Immigration issued updated guidelines for expatriate, skilled worker, and knowledge worker pass holders and their dependents to request permission to return to Malaysia. These guidelines also include instructions for pass holders currently in Malaysia who wish to depart and then return to Malaysia. Check the Malaysian Immigration website for more information.
Entry requirements
From August 17, all foreign residents who are returning to the country will be required to complete an application on the MYEntry online platform.
Airline crew must present a "Health Declaration Form" upon arrival, are subject to quarantine until their next flight, and must install the 'MySejahtera' app.
Quarantine requirements
All arriving travelers will be tested on arrival, and are subject to a 14-day quarantine requirement in a government facility. All costs for the quarantine are borne by the traveler. Travelers will be required to download the MySejahtera application and will be issued a wristband for identification and monitoring by the authorities during their quarantine period.
Foreigners with valid visas or work permits who entered Malaysia BEFORE the MCO began on March 16 may enter Sarawak without quarantine, but must request advance permission from the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC). Foreigners with valid visas or work permits who entered Malaysia during the MCO will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a government facility at their own expense, and must first request advance permission from SDMC. As of July 28, all foreigners who enter Sarawak from overseas will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing on the second and tenth day. They will be responsible for covering the costs of their quarantine and testing. More information is available here.
Transiting rules
Travelers may not transfer from international flights to domestic flights, except for Malaysian nationals who are traveling to Sabah or Sarawak. Foreigners may not enter Sabah without prior approval, which must be requested in advance from the Sabah State Secretary (Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Sabah) at crisis@sabah.gov.my.
There are currently 28,554 active cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in MY and 555 deaths as of Jan 12 2021
Please see our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Restrictions page for more information on restrictions worldwide.
KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights to Kota Kinabalu.
KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Kota Kinabalu is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.
Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Kota Kinabalu with an airline and back with another airline.
Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Kota Kinabalu up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.
Scores according to KAYAK customer reviews
Pros: "Having social distance space to take a nap"
Cons: "I sat in the middle seat of the middle of the plane and the staff kept skipping me during meal and drink service because they assumed the other side took care of me. So that was annoying. I had to keep flagging them down."
Pros: "The check-in crew in Chicago was very nice and efficient. The flight crew on-board were not friendly, they were very curt and rushed, and did not go out of their way to be helpful."
Cons: "Friendlier staff during the flight. Better food for breakfast. The connection port for my headphones did not work...I would not have been able to watch movies if I hadn't brought my own single connection head phones."
Pros: "The crew was really nice and very attentive."
Pros: "Food is delicious"
Cons: "Paid WIFI this time was horrible for the half of the trip WIFI don’t work"
Pros: "The aircraft was comfortable and the electronic amenities were decent and needs improvement"
Cons: "Free WiFi and Dancing boys"
Pros: "The flight crew/staff were professional and very helpful and accommodating to the passengers from check in to deboarding."
Cons: "Seats were a little close, especially for a long flight, with meals."
Pros: "The crew was great."
Cons: "Food wasn't that great."
Pros: "The crew was amazing. One of the onboarding staff was exceptional. Some onboarding staffs were unfriendly."
Cons: "Not allowing a laptop bag unlike Etihad, Emirates and other airlines was a bummer."
Pros: "Very courteous, friendly, professional flight crew and gate crew."
Cons: "Nothing to mention...very pleased"
Pros: "I was at airport 1 hour before the flight time But they already closed the gate, and I missed the flight, and my return flight is gone too Omg to much for me"
Cons: "I wish you can do something for me Because the tickets is really expensive"
Cons: "Slow boarding while passengers stand in the queue, late take off"
Pros: "This was my first experience with Qatar & it was outstanding. Crew members are extremely courteous & helpful. The aircraft seats in economy class were roomy & comfortable. Bathrooms were kept clean throughout the long flight. Food was very good as was the selection of flight entertainment. Can't thi"
Pros: "seat was great"
Cons: "flight attendant should be nicer"
Pros: "The crew was very friendly and helpful throughout the flight"
Cons: "The boarding process in Chicago wasn’t great. Zones were not used"
Pros: "Delighteful experience"
Cons: "Better guidance at transit stop"
Pros: "Plenty of room to move around"
Pros: "Food was excellent and the crew updated us through out the flight"
Cons: "That fee for overweight was excessive"
Pros: "Q-suits. Very comfortable and private. Great upgrade to the 777. WiFi now available for very reasonable price"
Cons: "Bus transfer to Termial 5 is VERY poorly organized and takes over an hour. This makes it harder to get to Terminal 5 even if you don't have to clear security again. Seats had a bar under the padding at about the position of my hips. Uncomfortable to sleep for several hours"
Cons: "Ord to Doh: People kept window blinds open all through 15 hour flight Flight temperature kept very warm"
Pros: "Good food and good hospitality"
Cons: "The gentleman next to me had broad shoulders, so I spent most of the flight with my body a bit twisted, and eating without being able to move my right arm normally was undesirable. The cabin was kept a bit warm throughout the flight. We had a long wait (30 - 45 minutes after leaving the gate) before takeoff."
Pros: "Video on Demand at each seat in coach. Friendly staff. Also patient staff, what with the languages they have to cover with each flight. The airline goes everywhere so it’s impossible to say what anyone will be speaking."
Pros: "B777 Dreamliner is dreamy. Lots of overhead luggage space. Decent leg room (could always be more). Great individual entertainment screen for long transcontinental flights. Flight staff was a mixed international crew, very friendly, unpretentious, polite and just nice compared to other airlines. The planes they use seem very new. Would definitely recommend Qatar Air over Aeroflot any day."
Cons: "Food was decent for airline food but nothing to rave about and as with most airlines uses too much plastic packaging. Although I was pleased that some of the flights used metal flatware, but still too much waste in the industry in my opinion. Also, the headphone jack was not compatible with my headphones. The type used on the 777 is the dual pronged one. I did not have an adapter so had to use the crappy headphones that are provided."
Pros: "Food was great Seats were comfortable Everyone was super nice"
Pros: "Courteous and friendly staff, on the plane and at the airports. Gave advice and directions when asked. Asked about time for food serving and said anytime you want something, come to the galley."
Cons: "A chorus of crying infants..."
Pros: "Great service and crew"
Cons: "I’m a 6’3” in shape man. I selected the bulkhead seats for extra leg room. Great crew, but my shoulders stuck past the seat edge 3” on both sides. Qatar should revise their claim of most room in cabin - this 12 hour flight was one of the roughest I’ve had in a long time comfort wise."
Pros: "Good food. Great staff and service"
Cons: "I wish there was more seating room and unusually long waiting time for toilets."
Cons: "Boarding at JFK very disorganized. Poor system. No vetting of wheel chair users many fakers."
Pros: "Every thing is great."
Cons: "Food Seat great service"
Cons: "Delayed"
Pros: "On demand entertainment systems seem standard, as I’ve flown Qatar several times and always had it. Friendly staff. And Doha is a great connection airport."
Pros: "I have made more than 6 round trips on Qatar Airways for AMD-ORD-AMD in last 18 months and can not be happier!!"
Pros: "Cabin crew including the ground staff were awesome in providing best of its class customer service. Food and entertainment onboard was really good."
Pros: "My flight from Chicago to Doha was late to come in and there was a gate agent waiting for us and two other passengers with a sign when we got off the plane. He told us that our flight had already left but he would get us on the next one. We ended up getting seats on the next flight but then were also given the option to get a temporary visa and explore Doha for the night. We opted for the comped night which included a very nice hotel and $100 in meal vouchers. We absolutely LOVED Doha and the hotel and food was fantastic! I don't think I have ever received better service from an airline or a hotel. We ended up walking around Souq Waquif and the downtown until 1am (we are two young females!) with no issue and just used Uber to get to and from the hotel. Everything was so well laid out for us! No complaints whatsoever!"
Pros: "smooth and on time with efficient service."
Pros: "Hospitality, boarding process"
Cons: "Food was slightly undercooked (chicken). Should have better process to check for that"
Pros: "Enjoyed the food and the service from the crew. Plane was new and relatively new and comfortable."
Cons: "The check in agents were not very polite or helpful. They did not offer much assistance and help for a first time customer on Qatar Airways. My bags were also not loaded onto the plane and had to arrive on a later flight"
Pros: "Seats are comfortable with plenty of leg space. Aircrafts were clean and tidy. Landing and take off were smoothest I have ever experienced."
Cons: "Menu choice was very basic and quantity was also poor. Food quality was below par in terms of taste and presentation. In-flight crew was inefficient and flow. Meal trays laid on meal tables for hours after the passengers finished food. Flight attendants literally responded in over 30 min of call. I pressed special meals online before boarding. However, the flight attendants were not sure. They went back to kitchen to verify that and return with the ordered meal."
Cons: "Luggage items are missing."
Pros: "It was excellent."
Cons: "It was excellent."
Cons: "No consistency with hand luggage. My companions and I were held to strict weight limits. Others were getting on with three and four bags."
Pros: "The entertainment options were fantastic! The flight attendants were very cordial and hardworking."
Cons: "I was very pleased with my flight. I really have I complaints."
Pros: "everything was as expected from a world-class in the travel world."
Cons: "In economy class, the seats are not as roomy as I thought and leg room space is not suited for overseas 12+ hours travel comfort."
Pros: "Vegetarian food options"
Pros: "The Chicago flight was more than hour late so had to miss my cincinnati connection. Had to wait for 4 hours at the airport to catch my next flight- making the long journey even longer. No priority lounge access provided to make up for the delay. Qatar never getting my business again."
Pros: "Inflight services, food"
Cons: "Wheelchair services in India, person left in between and had to walk with pain in my foot for a distance."
Cons: "Boarding staff give us wrong advice to make extra money from the passenger. They also pressurized us to decide quickly. our each check in baggage was over weight 1 KG or less than 1 KG due to faulty scale at home. Instead of giving us a choice or advice that you are allowed two more hand bags. They pressurized us to make one baggage over weight from all 7 bags and harassed us to do it quickly because they are closing counter in 20 minutes. That's how they charged me another $65. Also they lied on the counter that your seats are in a row but when i went into the plane our seats were separate. Lesson learned don't trust the person over the counter of Qatar airways."
Pros: "Everything"
Cons: "Food need to be improved"
Pros: "Comfort & punctuality"
Pros: "ok"
Cons: "If the assigned seat reclined. I had to Move to a different seat which Worked."
Cons: "The plane was old but the flight was inexpensive"
Cons: "Avoid Malaysian airlines and avoid KUL airport. What a mess of a company ..."
Cons: "I paid more than 1500 ringgit for the bags, although the booking of the trip was comprehensive. Unfortunately the site disappointed me"
Pros: "The timeliness of the boarding and flight takeoff"
Cons: "The landing. Seemed a little rough"
Pros: "The seat was very nice position."
Pros: "Some staff were good others could not be bothered."
Cons: "Nicer staff"
Pros: "Price were amongst the cheapest"
Cons: "Terrible cabin cleaness and rude crew members. Nothing matches the Malaysian hospitality promoted."
Pros: "the crew was flexible enough to allow change of seat to emergency exit after takeoff. Some of the crew are friendly, but not all."
Cons: "the seats. I am 5'9 tall and my knees are touching the seat in front of me. Entertainment system needs to be upgraded. Food is so-so. Overall, MH flights, not just this recent one was just what was expected as the bare minimum."
Pros: "Very little."
Cons: "Flight status went from check in status to final call....not boarding announcement as promised in lounge. Rude check in lady at counter. Misguided info about check in. Old ratty plane. Bad food. Luggage damaged on arrival. Awful seats."
Pros: "Everything was really good"
Cons: "But the flight left and arrived 30 minn late!"
Pros: "Everimg went smoothly, from check in to boarding and flight. The ground and flight crew were helpful."
Cons: "Nothing for this trip"
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Changed gates 3 times . No one knew what was going on. Late flight. Request for wheel chair not fulfilled. Very tight transfer. Very far to another gate when transiting from kL to Yangon. Ridiculously far. My first n last time with Malaysia airlines."
Pros: "Overall is great"
Cons: "None"
Pros: "I was surprised to board an A380 to fly from KUL to BKK"
Cons: "In Bangkok we had to get off on the field to board a bus"
Cons: "Fight was delayed"
Pros: "Food was good and staff was always with a smile in their face"
Cons: "Super crowded and not much room in between rows, I aspected a bit larger and more comfortable plane for an international flight"
Pros: "Can’t find anything good."
Cons: "The airline is protected by the government. Hence there is no motivation for them to improve. This airline is my last choice. My biggest dissatisfaction is the hospitality shown by the crew.. not sincere and in some cases rude... is this the MH - MALAYSIAN Hospitality that they keep advertising? Very disappointing.."
Pros: "Service and integtity"
Cons: "None"
Pros: "Nice crew and comfy seat."
Cons: "Table tray was dirty and there was old coffee spilled along the side."
Pros: "The flights were on time :)."
Pros: "All aspects were fine. Weather caused a delay for landing of ore than 45 minutes, but not airline's fault."
Pros: "We arrived at the counter 1:50 before scheduled departure. The queue took 55 minutes for us to reach the counter. We were told then we should have rushed the counter to clear the 1 hour hurdle. There was no approach by staff to warn the waiting queue to do this. We were given boarding passes and told to try our luck taking the luggage through security and try gate baggage check. We made the plane 20 minutes before scheduled departure"
Cons: "Very old plane equipment Short seat pitch limits economy class passenger comfort"
Pros: "Food and hospitality"
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Canceled flights both directions. Poor airport. Long runway times. When told I was notified about the canceled flights, I was issued absolutely no apologies."
Cons: "I request for extra water but I was just given the glass which was on my tray. The Stewart told me he would come back but never did... not very nice One Air Asia, sûre you have to pay for the drink but you don't stay thirsty, and finally ticket is much cheaper..."
Cons: "I wasn't aware I was in Malaysian airline, I thought it was silk just as it was when I arrived... could of been a little clearer but other then that everything was great"
Pros: "Malaysian airlines airport crew at least tried to get us back to Singapore."
Cons: "Malaysian airlines did not offer us any incentives or better seats after removing us from our flight. We were seated separately and all in the middle row."
Cons: "They damaged MY OVER 400 Euro suitcase handle and said that they dont take any responsibility!!!"
Pros: "Everything"
Cons: "Nothing"
Cons: "I was having 10hrs of layover in Malaysia, the airline neither facilitates with any transit lounge, room, and lunch. I am very disappointed."
Cons: "Had to change gates last minute in Kuala Lumpur. Since security is at the gate, that meant going through security twice. When we went to the new gate there was much confusion among security staff as they were not informed of the gate change."
Cons: "Both outbound and inbound flights were delayed for hours. Terrible."
Pros: "This was a comfortable flight with nice staff and great food and entertainment choices"
Cons: "No 12 1/2 hour flight can be ideal but this was good deal."
Pros: "The cabin crew was welcoming. The flight itself was smooth and on time."
Cons: "The smell of the toilets were really bad. Urine on the floor. I know I purchased economy class tickets but I expect the toilet facility to be better maintained."
Pros: "Massage chair, very relaxing for long hour journey"
Pros: "It was a very good flight ."
Pros: "Everything on time and smooth. Crew was attentive and friendly."
Pros: "We bought the entire ticket under Malaysia airlines with connecting flight out of Kuala Lumpur to Taipei in 1 hr. The agents in malysia airlines couldn't check us into the connecting flight because it's co share with China airlines and was rude to us when we questioned them why since we bought the tickets from them. We need up having to run to the connecting flight at Kuala Lumpur because the arriving flight was late. Very unprofessional"
Cons: "We bought the entire ticket under Malaysia airlines with connecting flight out of Kuala Lumpur to Taipei in 1 hr. The agents in malysia airlines couldn't check us into the connecting flight because it's co share with China airlines and was rude to us when we questioned them why since we bought the tickets from them. We need up having to run to the connecting flight at Kuala Lumpur because the arriving flight was late. Very unprofessional"
Pros: "The crew is friendly"
Cons: "Check in counter not enough resulting in very very long queue and check in time"
Cons: "Flight canceled last minute! Lost my connection back home. Still no news about pay back. Had to book another flight on my own expense."
Cons: "Lost baggage on direct flight"
Pros: "The equipment and level of service on this MAS flight was excellent. Food was delicious. Seat was comfortable."
Cons: "Though it wasn't part of the flight, the business class lounge at KUL is just a step below the excellent facilities at airports like HKG. Just a step though, mostly in the shower area. Food options were great though. And take advantage of the Massage Spa within the lounge."
Cons: "The airline lost our backpack raincover and did nothing to help find place a claim"
Cons: "Luggage was lost. Spent last night and all day today without a lot of the things we needed to make our current stay comfortable. We did not have adequate swimwear, contact lenses solution, and most importantly, my wife's medication. She fell ill last night and continued to feel sick today because she was not able to take her medicine. To top it off, my wife currently cannot find a favorite piece of clothing. It is green, lacy lingerie. We are sure it was packed before leaving our previous destination. Could you please check to see if this piece of clothing was located, either at the airport in Bali or in Kuala Lumpur? If found, please send to our next destination, Pingviman Hotel, Chiang Mai. Because of the inconvenience, including not having our luggage for an entire day, my wife feeling ill, and this loss of her valued item of clothing, we believe we deserve some compensation. We are very displeased with these circumstances and hope you agree that something needs to be offered to us to once again feel satisfied. Thank you for your time. John and Emily"
Cons: "There could be more leg room available and wifi on the plane"
Pros: "Pilot kept taking detour to avoid turbulence"
Cons: "Food -very little in quantity. Dinner: just a sandwich. Breakfast - just a little bit. Cabin Staff - unmotivated; poor Sevice"
Airlines flying to Kota Kinabalu have enacted additional safety measures and adjusted policies to better accommodate travelers. Policies vary by airline.
Heightened sanitation
Daily cleaning, installation of cabin HEPA filters on flights to Kota Kinabalu
Mandatory masks
Masks required on board, masks provided on flights to Kota Kinabalu
Social distancing seating
Middle seats unavailable to book on flights to Kota Kinabalu
Pre-flight testing
Testing for antibodies, testing for symptoms for flights to Kota Kinabalu
Flexible cancellations
Waiving of change fees. Search flexible flights to Kota Kinabalu