RM 284 Find Cheap Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu – Compare and Save

Among airlines operating Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu flights:

• Malaysia Airlines: offers free seat selection
• AirAsia: offers free seat selection
• Batik Air: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

4 airlines operate flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. The airlines offering direct flights on this route include:

• AirAsia
• Malaysia Airlines
• Batik Air
• Firefly

Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu may depart from several airports in Kuala Lumpur area, including Kuala Lumpur Intl (KUL) and Kuala Lumpur Subang (SZB). Flights usually arrive at Kota Kinabalu (BKI).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Malaysia Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• AirAsia: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Batik Air: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu:

• Economy class
• Business Class

On this route, stopover flights are cheaper than direct options on average. Stopover fares average RM 387 return via Sibu (SBW), compared with RM 438 for direct.

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge RM 15–RM 405 for the first checked bag in Economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

One-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu most commonly connect through:

• Singapore Changi (SIN) – 63% of one-stop connections
• Sibu (SBW) – 13% of one-stop connections
• Miri (MYY) – 9% of one-stop connections
• Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei Intl (BWN) – 7% of one-stop connections

Singapore Changi (SIN) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 7% on the Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu route. Tuesday is the cheapest departure day at RM 434 return on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at RM 466, a difference of RM 32. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu route, 27% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 2 hours 24 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu flights, with 42% leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 38%, Evening flights for 12%, and Night flights for 8%.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu:

• Earliest: departs at 06:00 and lands at 08:37
• Latest: departs at 22:15 and lands at 00:52.

The flight takes about 2h 37m.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within 2 weeks of departure) run 33% above the route average of RM 438. Book 25 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu takes 2h 37m, covering 2,608 km.

No. A passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

One-way fares from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu are currently higher than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about RM 296, which is 5% above the typical average for this route.

Malaysia Airlines is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while Firefly has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu flights are:

• Malaysia Airlines: 88% on time
• Firefly: 73% on time
• AirAsia: 61% on time

On average, flights on this route are punctual 73% of the time.

Morning flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Sandakan (SDK) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 5h 14m, compared to 5h 40m via Tawau (TWU) and 6h 31m via Johor Bahru Sultan Ismail Intl (JHB).

Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around RM 63 for economy cars. Top options include:
· keddy by Europcar
· GREEN MOTION
· Europcar
· KK Rent A Car
· Hertz

Return flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu range from RM 342 to RM 613, with an average of RM 438 over the past 12 months. Anything below RM 342 counts as a good deal.