One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
PEN7.3+0.3
AOR7.0
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
PEN6.0+0.4
AOR5.6
Food & retail
Best for
PEN
Penang Island / George Town leisure and Bayan Lepas business tripsPriority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass holders using Plaza Premium domestic or internationalFirefly / AirAsia regional hoppers connecting northwestern Malaysia
Watch out for
PEN
8,269,978 passengers (2025) on a ~6.5 million design — pad international immigrationNo sterile domestic↔international transfer inside the shared campusNo MH Golden Lounge at PEN — Plaza Premium domestic is the contract room
PEN · Northwestern Malaysia’s Bayan Lepas gateway: one over-capacity terminal campus, Firefly hub / AirAsia base, Rapid Penang buses and coupon taxis to George Town, and two Plaza Premium contract lounges — tradeoffs are 8.27 million 2025 passengers on a ~6.5 million design envelope, a single runway, no rail until 2031, and construction through the mid-2028 expansion.
AOR · Kedah’s compact Alor Setar gateway with clear **AirAsia**, **Firefly** and **Malaysia Airlines** domestic banks to **KUL / SZB / JHB** — single MAHB terminal; taxis ~10–15 min to centre and Anak Bukit rail nearby; no Priority Pass lounge on research day.
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
PEN6.4+1.2
AOR5.2
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
PEN7.3+0.5
AOR6.8
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
PEN5.8
AOR6.4+0.6
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
PEN6.5+2.3
AOR4.2
AOR
AirAsia / Firefly / MH domestic into Kedah–PerlisCompact single-terminal banks without lounge huntingTravelers linking Anak Bukit rail after a short taxi
Apron and terminal works through 2027–2028; remote-stand bus gates still common
AOR
No Priority Pass / Plaza Premium lounge listed on research dayDomestic-only schedule — no published international banksStarbucks landside noted on Wikipedia — airside F&B thinNo published MCT
MyNIISe autogates
Duty-free after international immigration
Immigration is the delay — security usually is not
Screening is often short; pad time for international immigration, especially first-time foreign arrivals.
8.27 million people on a 6.5 million design
Calendar 2025 was 8,269,978 passengers against a ~6.5 million design envelope — arrive earlier than the schedule suggests.
Eat landside unless you have Plaza Premium
Landside convenience retail and cafés beat airside markup for a real meal and sealed water.
AOR
Single MAHB terminalTaxi + Anak Bukit rail linkLandside café (Starbucks noted)
Domestic KUL / SZB / JHB only
AirAsia, Firefly and MH cover Kuala Lumpur International, Subang and Johor Bahru.
Single MAHB domestic terminal
Compact Kepala Batas complex; runway shared with RMAF training.
Landside café pin; thin airside F&B
Wikipedia notes Starbucks landside; do not invent airside bottle prices.
