Would you like to try out Malaysia Airlines First class? If you have Qantas points – or miles with any other Oneworld airline – you can! In fact, you can even bring along a friend… or your whole family.
Malaysia Airlines First class award availability between Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo is surprisingly excellent at present. First class award space between Kuala Lumpur and Osaka is also wide open from 5 August, when MH52/53 switches to an A350-900 service.
Most Malaysia Airlines flights to Tokyo and Osaka are operated by Airbus A350-900s with four First class seats. Some KL-Tokyo flights are operated by Airbus A380s which also have First class available. Most of the A350 flights have at least 2 First class award seats available, but some even have as many as four seats! That means you could theoretically book out the entire Malaysia Airlines First class cabin for your family using points.
Below is a screenshot from the Qantas website showing First class award availability from Kuala Lumpur to Osaka. There is at least 1 seat available every day during the month shown:
There does appear to be more availability from Kuala Lumpur to Japan (which are overnight flights) than the day return flights from Japan to Malaysia.
A Malaysia Airlines First class award from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo or Osaka will cost 78,000 Qantas points, plus around $27 in taxes. Flying from Tokyo to KL, the price is also 78,000 Qantas points and approximately $32 in taxes. The taxes on a flight from Osaka to Kuala Lumpur are $37.
If you have Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, you can book a Malaysia Airlines First class award for 70,000 Asia Miles one-way or 120,000 miles return. But the value of American Airlines AAdvantage miles is hard to beat. You’d pay just 40,000 AAdvantage miles one-way for First class from Malaysia to Japan, and the same low amount of taxes.
Malaysia Airlines also offers First class on its twice-daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and London Heathrow. Award availability on this route is much more limited, but there are a few seats available if you’re flexible with dates. Most flights only have a maximum of 1 First class award available. If you are lucky enough to find award availability from KL to London, a First class seat costs 134,000 Qantas points + $291 in taxes. ($265 of this amount is Malaysia Airlines surcharges.) Airbus A350s and A380s are also used on the flights to London.
Malaysia Airlines does not fly First class on any of its Australia or New Zealand routes. But you can book Business class reward seats using Qantas points.
Malaysia Airlines award flights can be booked on the Qantas website.
Would you like help using your frequent flyer points?
Australian Frequent Flyer offers a personalised service that’s designed to take the hard work out of redeeming your frequent flyer points!
Our Frequent Flyer Concierge team can help you to find the perfect flights using your points. Just let them know how many points you have and where you would like to go, and they’ll prepare an itinerary for you.
