Malaysia Airlines offers Qantas frequent flyers a first class upgrade
By David Flynn, October 10 2018
Malaysia Airlines will continue flying its Airbus A350 between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur through to March 30 2019, with top-tier Qantas Platinum frequent flyers and their Oneworld Emerald equivalents booked in business class being offered a free upgrade to a first class suite on the nine-hour flight.
The A350 – which is rostered onto the daily Sydney-KL flight MH122/MH123 – contains a small first class cabin of four suites...
... which are a modified version of the Vantage XL seat chosen by Qantas for its Business Suite, but with several design enhancements including additional space and sliding privacy doors.
However, as Malaysia Airlines doesn't sell first class between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, the suites are being treated as part of the A350's business class cabin.
A spokesman for Malaysia Airlines tells Australian Business Traveller than Qantas Platinum and Platinum One-grade frequent flyers, as well as the airline's own Enrich Platinum members and other Oneworld Emerald cardholders, "will be able to pre-select seating in the four first class suites which are being sold as business class."
Meals and service will be the same as in business class, of course, but you'll be able to fly with a little more privacy in a better-appointed seat.
AusBT review: Malaysia Airlines A350 business class and Malaysia Airlines A350 first class
Malaysia Airlines is also making a play to win frequent flyers over to its own Enrich loyalty scheme with a flash promotion offering triple points and triple status credits.
The 3X Everything covers a triple serve of Enrich Miles, Elite Miles and Elite Sectors to not only turbocharge your Enrich balance but to rocket your way up the status ladder.
For example, even a return business class trip between Kuala Lumpur and London will see you pocket Enrich Gold status, which is equivalent to Qantas Gold and Oneworld Sapphire for benefits such as access to international business class lounges, priority checkin and a higher luggage allowance.
(If you're headed for Kuala Lumpur, it's also worth checking out our reviews of Malaysia Airlines' flagship business class and first class lounges.)
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
29 Aug 2018
Total posts 15
Thanks for the heads-up. I've just grabbed one of the seats!
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 98
Seems not every day . My flight on 12/11 ( MH 123) remains as an A330.
CX
05 Jun 2012
Total posts 127
Don't get over-excited. The seat itself is exactly the same as the J seat - it is just in a suite enclosure with upgraded IFE. It is not, however, any more comfortable per se than the J seat. Since F is not being sold separately, I assume the food and service will be the same.
05 Jul 2016
Total posts 22
Also bear in mind that unless the flight is full, MH will happily bump you back to the business class and leave the first class row empty (even though you previously selected and MH confirmed the first row seat).
16 Dec 2017
Total posts 9
EXACTLY!!! Dont be silly about the "upgrade". Mh is so infamous about the bait and switch thing - last min cabin close and kick all "upgraded pax" to a random seat at the back. Many frds and myself had suffered already. The same had happened on couple of popular bloggers too.
29 Aug 2018
Total posts 15
My next flight is coming up next week so will see if I get bumped off the first row.
14 Oct 2017
Total posts 2
No A350 scheduled for 15/12, SYD-KUL ... but as others say, I have seen Malaysia Airlines renege on their "first" class offering before ... you think you've got it in the bag, and then they claim the cabin is closed. Also, yes, I think it's pretty much the same as J seat. Being 6" 3" ... it doesn't make it any better for me. I will be flying onto LHR after KUL .. still wish they had A380 on the KUL-LHR leg, but doesn't seem likely
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2014
Total posts 49
Yep I purchased J on an A330 which was subb'd to an A350 and I had the option of selecting the F seats (as a QF WP).
American Airlines - AAdvantage
15 Feb 2013
Total posts 44
Doing this on MH in a day's time. Currently booked in row 1. We will see what happens.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
15 Feb 2013
Total posts 44
No go. We were downgraded and they told us at check in they don't let anyone sit there unless the flight is full.
16 Dec 2017
Total posts 9
Sorry to hear that. Thats inline with what had happened to the majority.
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 98
Thanks antkleve . I will move my seat back to the business class section . Seems totally disingenuous of Malaysia Airlines to offer then renege especially given they don’t sell the seats and therefore leave them empty . My flight looks empty in business so Seems I will not be given the opportunity to try the first seat .This seems counter to there current push to attract new Enrich members !
American Airlines - AAdvantage
15 Feb 2013
Total posts 44
Other airlines don't have any problems blocking seats from being selected before check in. Examples are Asiana who don't sell the F cabin on their 380 flight to Sydney, or QR who always block the first row in business.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
15 Feb 2013
Total posts 44
My approach whenever I fly on MH is to never have any expectations. It's really no better than EgyptAir. It was particularly annoying that all the seats with any foot space were taken by the time I checked in and then we were re-seated again at the gate because the IFE was not functioning in half the cabin. To make matters worse the seat was malfunctioning and the lumbar support kept activating for no reason.
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 98
It would seem Malaysia Airlines have mislead Ausbt and it’s readers given they only offer the F seats if the flight is at capacity even though the seats are freely available to allocate at the time of booking.
03 May 2013
Total posts 677
You've never flow Egyptair clearly....what a shambles the are - hardly any comparison!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2016
Total posts 4
My wife is a QF Plat and bagged one two weeks ago on KL to SYD. Even better she was on an economy ticket upgraded using MHupgrade.
12 Apr 2011
Total posts 71
Looks like MH is now selling F on these flights.
29 Aug 2018
Total posts 15
So I checked in online 2 days ago and got 1K. When I got to the airport they have moved me to 9K. So I complained. Told them they should not have allowed me to check in if it's not available. Eventually the supervisor made a few calls and they gave me 1A. Am at the lounge now so assuming I will be at the front.
29 Aug 2018
Total posts 15
Very happy with the MH service yesterday in the First cabin. There were 2 toilets for the 3 of us.
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