- Flight
- about 13.5 to 14 hours westbound
- Departs
- Kuala Lumpur International
- Lands at
- Heathrow
- Time difference
- London is 7 to 8 hours behind
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Kuala Lumpur to London is about thirteen and a half hours westbound, and London is seven or eight hours behind. Malaysia Airlines flies it nightly, and British Airways came back to the route in 2025 after five years away.
The early landing
The Malaysia Airlines service leaves Kuala Lumpur late at night and is on the ground at Heathrow before six in the morning. That is a very early arrival, and the main consequence is practical: nothing is open and no room is ready.
Book the previous night at your hotel if the budget allows. It is the single thing that makes an arrival like this bearable, and it costs less than the day you would otherwise lose.
Two carriers, one airport
Both nonstops use Heathrow, Malaysia Airlines into Terminal 4 and British Airways into Terminal 5. There is no Gatwick service. Between them there are roughly fifteen flights a week, so there is some choice of day without much choice of time.
Eight hours, used well
Your evening is London’s lunchtime, which is the easy window for writing to anyone before you travel. That matters more than it sounds, because arranging anything after a landing at six in the morning is the worst version of it.
Worth knowing before you go
Everything here is arranged in advance and agreed in writing, with the hourly rate settled before anyone meets. The glossary covers the shorthand you will see in adverts, which is not obvious if you have not met it before, and the visitor guide covers the etiquette.
The flight home
The flight home is the quicker one. Heading east you have the jet stream behind you rather than against you, which is worth about an hour on a route this long, so London back to Kuala Lumpur is shorter than the flight you took to get here. Pleasant, and easy to forget when you are working out how much of the day the return will eat.
Before you book
Visitors from Malaysia who do not need a visa still need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. It is a short online application, and it should be made through the official GOV.UK ETA service, not a site that charges extra to do it for you. The rules change, so check them before you book.
When to get in touch
London runs 8 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 7pm and 7am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Areas near where you land at Heathrow
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Also close to where you land, with no profiles of their own but a guide to getting there and how outcall works: Feltham, Hayes, Hounslow, Southall.
Other cities in South East Asia
See every departure city
Cities with a similar flight time
Common questions
How long is the flight from Kuala Lumpur to London?
The flight from Kuala Lumpur International takes about 13.5 to 14 hours westbound. Add the connection time if your fare has a stop, and allow for getting to and through the airport at both ends.
What is the time difference between Kuala Lumpur and London?
London is 7 to 8 hours behind. The United Kingdom and most other countries change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap shifts by an hour.
What time should I message from Kuala Lumpur?
London runs 8 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 7pm and 7am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Which London airport do flights from Kuala Lumpur land at?
Most land at Heathrow, about fifteen miles west of central London and on the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line. Some services use Gatwick, to the south, so check the airport on your ticket before you book a hotel.
Do I need an ETA to fly from Kuala Lumpur to London?
Most visitors from Malaysia who do not need a visa need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. Apply through the official GOV.UK service only, and check the current rules before you book, because they change.
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.
Is prostitution legal in the UK?
Selling and buying sex between consenting adults is not itself a crime in England, Wales or Scotland. Northern Ireland is the exception, where paying for sex has been an offence since 1 June 2015. Public soliciting, brothel keeping and exploiting another person's work are offences in different forms across the UK.