Malaysia Air Formed In 1937 by Frank Vanderlugt

The company now known as Malaysia Airlines was formed back in 1937 as a business venture of the Ocean Steamship Company of Liverpool, the Straits Steamship of Singapore and Imperial Airways. The initial service was only between Penang and Singapore. In 1963 the name of the company was changed to Malaysian Airlines Limited. The name lasted for only four years and was changed to Malaysia-Singapore Airlines in 1967.

Today, Malaysia Airlines, which in 1947 became the national carrier, is one of the largest airlines in all of Asia. Each day Malaysia Airlines flies to 100 destinations on six continents and delivers nearly 50,000 passengers each day.

Malaysia Airlines has been honored on many occasions over the last decade and has racked up more than 100 awards in this time. Recent awards include "World's Best Cabin Crew," awarded for four years in a row from 2001 through 2004, and "Economy Class Onboard Excellence" in 2006.

In the late 1990s, Malaysia Airlines was struggling financially and new management was brought on board to revitalize the operations. In 2006 Malaysia Airlines unveiled a major restructuring of pricing to ensure consistent pricing while being in tune with the needs of the marketplace. In 2007 Malaysia Airlines launched a program to improve sales and distribution. Passengers and investors can feel confident with these new initiatives because they indicate the airlines commitment to being around and being competitive for years to come.

Malaysia Airlines has the focus on the passenger with the system they call the Passenger Services System. It is divided into five sub-areas. Reservations are being streamlined to be more efficient. The entire reservations system is being updated to bring it in line with industry standards.

Ticketing is the next step in the system. Malaysia Airlines is working to eliminate paper tickets and move all passengers to electronic tickets. This is in response to a mandate from the International Air Transport Association which states that all airlines will be capable of being 100% electronic tickets by the end of the 2007. This doesn't mean that a passenger cannot still request a paper ticket, just that the airline is capable of providing an electronic ticket to all passengers on all flights.

With tighter airport security around the globe, Malaysia Airlines is facing the same challenges to control departures. To help control the flow of passengers and avoid bottlenecks at check-in points, the airline is offering multiple check-in options to disperse the crowd.

Airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, can be hit with fraud that can cost a great deal of money. One such fraudulent practice is false bookings. The booking appears legitimate but no passenger appears to claim the seat. The airline loses money because there is little or no time to re-sale the seat. Malaysia Airlines is working to reduce this fraud with a system that checks the reservations authenticity early on.

Malaysia Airlines is very proactive in training their employees to present a positive image of the company at every point of contact. The training recognizes that image and manners play a vital role in a company's reputation in the mind of their customers. To enhance the company's public image, all front-line employees take courses that include image, manners, social etiquette in the business world, creating a corporate identity and social skills.