Different distances for the same route
This might seem trivial but I recently had some flights on MH between BKK and KUL and back to BKK. When checking the Miles that went to my Flying Blue account they correspond to different distances for BKK-KUL and KUL-BKK. How can that be correct?
Here's my workings to check the distances used to correspond to the Miles. I have FB Platinum status, so Elite Bonus = 100%. Also FB round up tie-break values for integer results (i.e. 1.49 = 1, 1.5 = 2).
MH BKK-KUL Booking Class S = 25%: earned 380 Miles. Therefore, the distance used is 760 mi as follows:
Dist = Miles / [BookClass + (BookClass x EliteBonus)] = 380/[0.25+(0.25x1.0)] = 380/0.5 = 760 mi
Check 760 mi gives 380 Miles:
Miles = (Dist x BookClass) + [(Dist x BookClass) x EliteBonus] = (760x0.25)+[(760x0.25)x1.0] = 190+190 = 380 Miles
MH KUL-BKK Booking Class H = 100%: earned 1516 Miles. Therefore, the distance used is 758 mi as follows:
Dist = Miles / [BookClass + (BookClass x EliteBonus)] = 1516/[1.0+(1.0x1.0)] = 1516/0.5 = 758 mi
Check 758 mi gives 1516 Miles:
Miles = (Dist x BookClass) + [(Dist x BookClass) x EliteBonus] = (758x1.0)+[(758x1.0)x1.0] = 758+758 = 1516 Miles
So how can the FB distance database have 760 mi for BKK to KUL and have 758 mi for KUL to BKK? I know it is only 2 mi different but from a maths/coding point of view this is simple and should be consistent.
Last edited by siw; Dec 25, 2023 at 6:31 am