Malaysia Airlines Brunei to KL

Malaysia Airlines fly to and from Brunei from KL four times a week. They go on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. (I wish they would go everyday) The flight is often busy, with lots of workers connecting through from other parts of the Malaysia Airlines network. I rate Malaysia Airlines Regional product quite highly and the Brunei route is no exception. Relatively modern 737-800s with spacious 4 row 2X2 seating in Business Class. The food is pretty good, there is usually a choice of three meals and there is a limited bar available as well. Business Class also gets you off the plane quickly- which can be very useful in Brunei.

Business class tickets can be quite steep on this route- almost £200 each way. Sometimes there are promos that bring it down to about £100. (Economy is about £60 each way). If using avios it is worth the extra 7,500 to get in the front. If you are offered MH upgrade it could be worth putting in a low bid (I have never not been successful) though don't forget you may lose the tier points and avios you may have earned on your economy ticket.

Royal Skies Lounge Brunei

The Royal Skies Lounge was refurbished recently, and it offers a quiet and pleasant space to passengers. The food on offer is quite reasonable, though the lack of passengers suggests that turnover at the buffet is not so great. There is a good range of soft drinks and quite good coffee. The wifi is reliable (I love the note on the agents desk- do not unplug the wifi to charge handphones!) There are also a number of computer terminals hidden away nicely if you have work to do.

I get access to this lounge when flying on Malaysia Airlines- either in Business class or as a sapphire member of the oneworld alliance. Of course, it is also available to those flying in Business class on Royal Brunei and to passengers who have status in their loyalty programme "Royal Skies". (Silver members of this programme get access to this lounge, Gold members get access to lounges in other airports aswell.

British Airways Club World London to Kuala Lumpur

This route is currently flown by an older 777. As a result it is a bit noisy and dated. However, this is less of a problem in Club World than in World Traveller or World Traveller Plus. The entertainment system is OK, though not great by Business Class Standards. I also find the BA programme/movie range not really to my taste. Perhaps I am a bit picky. These days an alternative is to watch downloaded content on your tablet. Unfortunately there was no USB point, and so I had to use my laptop as a power source.

The service was fine and the food provided of a very good standard. However, if I had a choice I would travel with Malaysia Airlines on their A380. I have not quite got to grips with the Club World layout. If you are travelling with a companion side by side is surely better- this can be done on BA, but you are then trapped by the feet of other passengers if the seats are used.

Travelling alone, I also don't think the layout works. To avoid invading the personal space of another passenger you need two seats to be free (the one next to you, becuase when that divider goes down you are face to face, and the one which needs to climb over you to get out of their seat when you are sleeping) whereas on Malaysia Airlines you only need the seat next to you to be free. (it normally is when flying to Paris, London perhaps less so!)

As I have written before, it is great that there is now the choice of two A380s and one 777 flying between KL and LHR. Long may it continue.

Legoland Johor Bharu

Legoland Johor Bharu is amazing. It has (almost) everything that Legoland Windsor has except the queues. I have been many times, and it has never been busy. The new water park is also fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Although expensive for Malaysia, it is not compared to Windsor or indeed Universal Studios in Singapore (which is also fantastic, but frighteningly expensive.)

There are a number of options for getting there. I have driven from KL before, it takes 3-4 hours. Malaysia airlines operate inexpensive flights from KL to Johor Bharu. You will pick up 10 tier points in economy- though not if you book a "promo" fare. However, you may want to consider flying business class. These flights are often around 350MYR and will collect you 40 BA tier points at less than £2 a point.

There are an increasing number of accommodation options. I use the renaissance, (because of marriott status) but it is some distance from the park. There is a traders much closer (and next to Hello Kitty Land!) I have not tried the legoland hotel- it can be quite pricey. I am told a new development across the road from the park will include a global hotel brand so that may be a good option in the near future.

MH Upgrade Test Update

I recently wrote about the dangers of using MHupgrade- it is unlikely that you will secure tier points or avios/miles due for a business class ticket, and possible that you will lose the points due on your economy segment.

I am currently waiting to see if I get credit for a return flight where I used MHupgrade on one leg. I wrote about it here. There is no sign of these flights in my account yet. I'll put a missing avios claim in soon, I'll keep you posted!

Cathay Pacific Lounge Kuala Lumpur

One world passengers can also make use of the Cathay Pacific lounge in the satellite building. As you would expect this lounge is a lot smaller than the Malaysia airlines lounges in the airport. However, it may be worth a visit for a number of reasons. First, if you are not flying with Cathay, you are likely to find the lounge empty or almost empty. Secondly, if you are a beer drinker, they offer a better range- usually tiger and heineken, than the Malaysia Airlines. The food offer is well presented, and again, makes a change from what is on offer in the nearby Malaysia lounges.

The Malaysia Airlines flights to both London and Paris leave around midnight. However, my connecting flight to KL arrives around 18:00. As a result, I often have a lot of time to kill at the airport- for this reason I do visit the Cathay Lounge, really just for a change of scene. However, if you are only going to be in a lounge for a couple of hours it probably makes sense to choose the Malaysia Lounges. Of course, an emerald one world member has a potential "lounge crawl" if they wish. A visit to the regional lounge, the Malaysia Business lounge, the Cathay lounge, and then finally back to the Malaysia First class lounge will keep you busy for some time.

MHupgrade: a test

I have previously written about the problem with both MHupgrade (where you are invited to bid for an upgrade, and the decision made 48hrs prior to departure) and the paid for instant upgrade at check in or in the lounge- that is you are booked into I class and do not receive elite miles or tier points. It could also be the case that such as upgrade will cost you the economy tier points as well. The theory has been tested. A return was booked and flown in V bucket, and a successful MHupgrade bid made only on one leg (no bid was made the outbound leg). In an ideal world 10+40 tier points would be earned. Perhaps a fair outcome would be 10+10 tier points. However, I am expecting 10+0 tier points- meaning that paying for the upgrade has cost the price of the upgrade (£40) + 10 Tier points plus around 400 Avios.

The positive about MHupgrade is that it can get you into the very good domestic and regional business class offered by Malaysia Airlines very cheaply- but do factor in the cost of those lost tier points- especially if it means you end up having to do  tier point run later in the year.

MHupgrade- is it worth it?

MHupgrade is Malaysia airline's version of last minute paid for upgrades. After you have booked an Economy ticket (or Business ticket, where first is also available) you sometimes (often) receive an invite to bid for an upgrade. I have made bids on a number of short haul routes- and even though my bids have been the lowest possible amount, or very close to it, they have always been successful. The new Business ticket is issued about 48hrs before departure, and does inlcude the increased luggage allowance. (The instant upgrades available at check in or in the lounges do not include the higher luggage allowance.)

The big drawback of MHupgrade is that it can cost you tier points (and avios) The same is true for the instant upgrade. For example, if you are booked into a v-class economy ticket on a short haul flight you will pick up 10 BA tier points. If you do an MHupgrade, or an instant upgrade you ticket usually changes to I class, which will earn zero tier points. So upgrading has actually cost you tier points and avios. As a result I no longer make use of the upgrade facility.

If you are doing an instant upgrade, perhaps at the lounge, I do wonder if the agent has some control over which booking class your ticket goes into. I have done two instant upgrades that did receive full tier points. The first was a long haul from London to KL- I was unwell and booked in Economy. I paid a significant amount for the upgrade to Business- and received the 160 tier points. The second time, I explained my frustration about the upgrades booking into I class to the agent- but, because I needed some sleep having flown in on a red eye I went ahead with the instant upgrade anyway. I was booked into Z class, and I received the 40 tier points- so it may be worth asking the agent if they can book the upgrade into Z class for you.

If I am flying the sector anyway (so it is not a tier point run) I am willing to pay up to £3 per tier point. So if they always gave full tier points for an upgrade I would be willing to pay £90 more than the usual £50 or so I offer- and I would bid for an upgrade every time. Its a shame they don't.

Qatar Airways 2 for 1 Business Class sale

Qatar airways has launched another round of their 2 for 1 Business Class flights from a number of European destinations to destinations including KL, Bangkok and Melbourne. Two Business Class return tickets from London to Kuala Lumpur are being advertised at £3,270. (This is £1,635 each, but you have to travel together.) This flight will earn you 560 BA tier points per passenger. So if this fits in with your travel plans it could be a good option. It can be booked until 17th May for travel up to 15th December.

Malaysia Airlines for Tier Point Runs

In order to maintain Silver status in the British Airways Executive club you need to collect 600 tier points in each membership year. (You also need to take four British Airways Flights). Silver Status is equivalent to sapphire One World Status and will get you lounge access across the one world network. In order to obtain BA Gold you need to earn 1500 tier points.

Flying on Malaysia Airlines is a good way to pick up cheap tier points. Ideally you are looking for flights just over 2000 miles as these pick up 140 tier points in Business Class. It is possible to find tier points runs that work out as less than £1 a tier point on Malaysia Airlines- though they can be awkward.

For example a return flight from Phuket to New Delhi via KL will earn 360 tier points (40+140+140+40) and can be purchased in June (and quite often) for approximately £351.

Perhaps you need fewer Tier Points to get you over the line to a higher status level. If this is the case then the domestic business class promotions are sometimes good value. You can often find Business Tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bharu or Langkawi for RM380, around £70. This will net you 40 tier points (80 return) for less than £2 a tier point.

People looking for Tier Point runs from Europe or Asia have spent years looking at American Airlines in the US with envy- Malaysia Airlines give us a chance to pick up those last few tier points almost as cheaply we could in the US.

Malaysia Airlines A380 Business Class

With the news that Malaysia Airlines has put its A380s up for sale, this could be a bit of a wasted post. However, if you are travelling to or from Europe in the next few months the MH A380 Business product is very high quality. The lounges in both KL and London are of a good standard. The lounge in Paris is not. However, once on board the plane you are assured a warm welcome, a spacious cabin and a comfortable seat. The cabin is in 2X2X2 formation, which is great if you are travelling with a companion, less so if you are alone. The food served is very good, especially out of Paris. I have not successfully used the chef on call service. I did book it once, but I slept the whole way to London, and didn't fancy steak for breakfast! However, chef on call is an interesting innovation number of carriers are using. It gives the passenger a wider choice of meals, and cuts out the waste and cost of carrying reserve meals. However, I do not always know what I am going to want to eat in the future!

If paying cash for this flight, and you do not mind including a connection, it is worth searching for prices from Phuket and Bangkok. The fact that you are going back on yourself does bring the cost down- sometimes significantly. Another starting point worth looking at is Bali. If you are using miles or Avios, then availability is often better to Paris.

Malaysia Airlines A380s for sale

The news that Malaysia Airlines has put its A380s up for sale is not unexpected, but is disappointing. The service between KL and London and Paris has been of a good standard and very convenient for a number of years. Two of the planes appear to be listed as available immediately. It is possible that some of the European routes could be axed or changed to a 777-200 soon. Perhaps London will go to one flight a day. However, I would be more disappointed (and I think it more likely) that Paris will either be served by a 777-200 or scrapped altogether.

The important point to note is that the Malaysia airlines 777s do not have flat beds in Business Class. It is a specious cabin, but it does not compare well to the A380s. It is certainly something to watch over the coming months. I fly between Europe and Kuala Lumpur regularly. It looks as though I will be travelling via the Middle East or Hong Kong before too long- as I was before the A380s arrived in Malaysia's fleet in 2012

Tim Clarke, president of Emirates airlines, calls the A380 a passenger magnet. It is a shame that Malaysia Airlines is not able to make this work.

Malaysia airlines still has much to offer travellers within and to and from ASEAN. The regional shorter routes (and domestic routes) served by 737-800s have a sound Business class product that puts many European carriers to shame. Malaysia Airlines is also a source of Tier Points (or status miles) in other one-world frequent flyer schemes.

One World Alliance - key benefitsof British Airways Executive Club

The one world alliance contains a large number of key airlines for travellers based in the ASEAN region. The founding members included British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, which gave the alliance useful coverage between Europe and Asia and within Asia. Recently Malaysia Airlines, Qatar and Sri Lankan Airlines have joined making the alliance particularly attractive.

Of all of the loyalty programmes within one world, despite the recent changes the British Airways Executive club is my preferred choice. This is despite the fact that the majority of my flights are actually flown with Malaysia Airlines. The key benefits of the British Airways Executive Club are:

1. Clear progression through the tiers- Tier points are straight forward and earned on almost every flight (be careful on Malyasia Airlines though- more to follow on this)

2. Even following the devlauation, generous points earning opportunities from flying- especially on British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia.

3. The household account- this makes earning avios as a family a breeze and means reward flights are earned much quicker than with competing schemes.

4. Tier status benefits are well respected throughout the alliance- sometimes additional luggage allowances can be a little bit of a struggle at check in though.

By having status in the BA programme rather than the MH programme I do miss out on some benefits when flying on Malaysia Airlines. For example, I do not pick up tier bonus enrich points. The additional luggage allowance for enrich passengers with status is generous and quite straight forward (50%/100% extra for Gold/Platinum members). Finally I never get upgraded when travelling on Malaysia Airlines. However, given how empty Business/first cabins seem to be I assume that Malaysia Airlines only upgrade for operational reasons, so I doubt I miss much.

The British Airways Executive club is a good option for ASEAN travellers. However, you do need to have 4 flights on British Airways flights each year to maintain status. This may be a problem for a reader who does not travel once a year or so to Europe (or Australia).

More on the benefits of the Executive Club, and how to earn and maintain status in future posts.

Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur to Paris

I have used the Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur and Return quite regularly. It is a useful route even when travelling to the UK for a number of reasons:

1. It is cheaper than the flight to and from London (I imagine because of lower airport taxes and less demand) and they use an A380.
2. There is often Avios availability, either in Business or First Class.
3. The night flights (BA and Malaysia Airlines) arrive very early in the morning at Heathrow. I am not one for going straight to meetings, and so usually have a day in London first. As a result I find myself waiting to check in at my hotel. Arriving in Paris gives me the opportunity to refresh in the excellent American Airlines lounge at Charles De Gaulle before hoping across the channel and arriving in London at a more reasonable hour.

I have also found that this flight is often quite empty- which makes the journey a little more pleasant in all classes.

It is certainly one to consider if you are flying between Europe and Asia. If you add an Asian Leg in the Business Fare can be very competitive. For example Phuket to Paris and return via KL with Malaysia Airlines can often be booked for around £1,100. This will earn you over 17,000 avios and 360 tier points.

Its not all perfect though. The lounge for both business and first class passengers in Paris is rather feeble. The 50KG first class weight limit is fine, but the two pieces rule was enforced (on me anyway) the last time I flew the route- which was a pain as I ended up flying with two pieces of hand luggage.

There may well be a question mark over this route going forward. I'll continue to do my bit by flying it when I can! (edit: Courtesy of headforpoints.com I discover that Malaysia Airlines has put its A380s up for sale. It seems the threat to this route is very real indeed)

In forthcoming posts I'll review my experience of each of the cabins on this service.