New Redemption rates - effective 16th of Feb

[andye]

BA, EK and now MH, who else this year already?? I think the big one is coming.. AA and maybe QF too.

I'd hoped QF had done enough already-BA & MH have only devalued to be nearly as bad to burn as QF.
Agree AA/US is sticking out like a sore thumb on discount economy earn and premium burn.
Will be interesting to see if availability improves in the future

 

[BillytheFIsh]

I received this unpleasant surprise in my inbox today...

It'll be a shame for the cheap points + pay options that were available to Europe as well as the 51k options...

 

[MH_fan]

Those are huge increases! I will definitely have to make some J redemptions for the end of the year. 102000 miles plus taxes of $1200 is simply too good to pass up for a return ticket to London!

 

[auriga]

This is very bad news indeed! Not happy.

 

[MH_fan]

Maybe if there's a bad backlash with these changes, they may renege just like what happened with TG when they tried to do something similar!

 

[k3nnis]

Yep bad news. Looks like I may need to fly SQ or CX.....

 

[kogayka]

Just wondering if i could redeem now and then later change the travel dates?

 

[dajop]

Just wondering if i could redeem now and then later change the travel dates?

Yes for a fee. No changes in routing or class or name permitted.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

The change fee is set at US$20, but I'd be wary of the following:

"21. Enrich Online Awards may be reissued only for travel on the same airline, by the same person and provided no part of the Enrich Award has been utilised. Additional Enrich Miles may be required for any change in the itinerary. If the new itinerary requires fewer Enrich Miles, the excess Enrich Miles will not be refunded. A re-issuance fee will apply. The re-issued Enrich Award will have the same expiry date as the original Enrich Award. The reissuance can only be done at any nearest Malaysia Airlines Ticket offices."

At best, this will be an inconvenience, at worst, they might try to charge you under the new table.

 

[zainman]

Yep bad news. Looks like I may need to fly SQ or CX.....

Didn't CX also just recently enhance​ Asia miles and MPC?

 

[k3nnis]

Not that I know of. Syd-hkg return is still 80000 asiamiles.... On cx

 

[andye]

Maybe if there's a bad backlash with these changes, they may renege just like what happened with TG when they tried to do something similar!

I doubt they would renege. I do think they have miscalculated (particularly for Australia with the punitive redemption band). Perhaps we will see miles discount offers more frequently as the Amex money slows to a trickle.

 

[moffat39]

For all Australia to Europe redemptions, we now fall into Zone 6 (given that the miles from all ports serviced by MH exceed 10000 one way - excepting IST but that isnt the most attractive destination compared to CDG / LHR which are serviced by the A380).. On a basic level, the return redemption goes from 120000 points (102K with the online discount) to 230000 (195K with online discount).

If I understand this correctly the redemption points required are now more than SQ!

SQ Brisbane return to Amsterdam/Rome/Copenhagen on J after the on line discount are 136,000 points with the return to other locations in Europe (which have the 380 or 777ER) on J after discount 161,500 points.

Compare this to the 190,000 that will be required for MH J redemption.

Had been planning a trip to Europe for a white Christmas for wife and I with flying MH in J on the way over and SQ in J on the way back (still availability at the moment for preferred dates).

If I book now saving will be 88,000 points on MH. Otherwise decision not a hard one to make.

 

[dajop]

For all Australia to Europe redemptions, we now fall into Zone 6 (given that the miles from all ports serviced by MH exceed 10000 one way - excepting IST but that isnt the most attractive destination compared to CDG / LHR which are serviced by the A380)..

As an aside do you work for Qantas International? Just you seem to use the generally accepted Qantas definition of all Australia. (ie not including ADL, DRW or PER).

All European flights from Perth & Darwin fall into Zone 6 (7200-10000 miles) and according to great circle mapper, ADL-KUL-FRA and ADL-KUL-AMS (the 777 destinations) also fall into Zone 6. But still going up to 76,500 from 51,000 today.

 

[MH_fan]

I think MH are making a huge mistake with these changes. I admit that the redemption rates were ridiculously low and they should have increased by 25-30% but not almost 100%, which is effectively what is happening for travellers between east coast Australia and London/Paris. You simply don't make it harder to earn AND harder to burn. You do one or the other. QF makes it very easy to earn but hard to burn. I have been a supporter of MH through the years and even through the tough times but even these changes are testing my loyalty to them. I feel that they will lose a lot of customers with these changes to Enrich. It's also not the right time to do this, especially when the brand has been so badly damaged by the events of last year. Not giving people a lot more notice of the changes will also piss people off, particularly their frequent flyers. Stupid, really. Stupid.

 

[zainman]

I think MH are making a huge mistake with these changes. I admit that the redemption rates were ridiculously low and they should have increased by 25-30% but not almost 100%, which is effectively what is happening for travellers between east coast Australia and London/Paris. You simply don't make it harder to earn AND harder to burn. You do one or the other. QF makes it very easy to earn but hard to burn. I have been a supporter of MH through the years and even through the tough times but even these changes are testing my loyalty to them. I feel that they will lose a lot of customers with these changes to Enrich. It's also not the right time to do this, especially when the brand has been so badly damaged by the events of last year. Not giving people a lot more notice of the changes will also piss people off, particularly their frequent flyers. Stupid, really. Stupid.

time to send a PM to admin to change your handle?

 

[andye]

I think MH are making a huge mistake with these changes. I admit that the redemption rates were ridiculously low and they should have increased by 25-30% but not almost 100%, which is effectively what is happening for travellers between east coast Australia and London/Paris. You simply don't make it harder to earn AND harder to burn. You do one or the other. QF makes it very easy to earn but hard to burn. I have been a supporter of MH through the years and even through the tough times but even these changes are testing my loyalty to them. I feel that they will lose a lot of customers with these changes to Enrich. It's also not the right time to do this, especially when the brand has been so badly damaged by the events of last year. Not giving people a lot more notice of the changes will also piss people off, particularly their frequent flyers. Stupid, really. Stupid.

You would imagine that someone at MH might twig that the Australian-based Enrich member is likely to be quite a sophisticated points-user. Very few Australians will credit or redeem with Enrich unless it offers an advantage (even if they find themselves flying MH). Obviously you can't change the earn rate regionally but you can offer an inducement with the redemption table-instead they have done the opposite.

 

[Danger UXB]

Can't believe what they are up to. Burnt my last 200k points last night on 2 rtn to CDG leaving my points balance at 50. This will probably be the last MH redemption unless they have a convenient change of mind!

 

[MH_fan]

I'm hoping to burn 200 of my nearly 400k points with them and I also need to work out how to burn almost 100k points in my partner's account!

 

[Danger UXB]

I'm hoping to burn 200 of my nearly 400k points with them and I also need to work out how to burn almost 100k points in my partner's account!

I donated mine to the inlaws for their golden wedding anniversary. It's like the master card ad "MEL to CDG return in J 202k points, brownie points gained....priceless"