A380 Flyer

Yeah I did forget India actually.

India-Australia could be the focal point of MH new strategy. But why would anyone fly them instead of SQ apart from price? And if middle class Indians with more disposable income than ever can afford to fly anyway, then I doubt they will care about knocking off 100MYR on the flights.

So I presume they would still choose SQ (has MH image been tarnished forever after 2014?), unless they really needed to transit in KUL for some reason.

templar42

I think it's certainly a salutary lesson about the importance of the free market. If only Khazanah (the arms-length SWF that owns MH) would sell shares in a democratic way to the general public that favours small investors, and completely privatise MH. They could learn so much from Margaret Thatcher's reforms of British industry (BA being a case in point) during the 1980s.

Anything else is little better than state-sponsored robbery, in which taxpayers are compelled to work in slavery (for a proportion of their time) in order to pay for an airline for which they didn't ask, and which it is no business of government to provide.

RTW1

If you read the restructuring plan you will find they will shift focus from routes where the majority is connecting in KUL to only routes where the majority has KUL as their final destination or departure.

So if they actually do that Australia looks unlickely, just like Europe will probably be gone. They are looking at increasing partnerships on those routes.

lokijuh

Price is probably the main reason, SQ can be very expensive at times. The other reason (for many Australian based travelers) is to get one world benefits, due to the QF linkage. Although, if the MH events this year weren't enough to dissuade travelers, changes to the QF program probably have been as well - they halved the rate of earning status on competing one world airlines on competing routes (between Australia and Asia and Europe), primarily targeted at CX and MH.

lingua101

But, I found OW is quite bad when you try to earn miles/points from other airlines other than the program itself.

For example to earn miles in CX on MH flights, I need to book K/M class. Even at K/M class, I can only earn 50%.

I just do a quick check on QF website, it says K/M/L/V earn 25%.

I cannot do dummy booking now, as MH booking engine is inaccessible. But I recall correctly, SIN-KUL to earn miles will easily be like SGD300-400.

I guess it is not much different story ex-Aussie. While discounted fare may be dirt cheap, but miles accrueable fare may not be.

lokijuh

The QF FF members I was talking about would probably - if in economy - would more fly it for the status benefits than the points. A QF gold or higher (and there are plenty of golds) will get lounge access flying MH, something they won't get on SQ if they don't have * alliance or VA status as well. Also most of the discount fares on SQ will get you no miles in most star programs or practically zero miles (10%) accruing to SQ or VA.

But often people would select MH in business to help their status earning on QF.... but now that status earning is effectively halved compared to what it used to be (and compared to flying on QF), it makes it less appealing (along with only 0.75 points per mile in business class!)

DellRocks

Anyone know if there will be further reduction / cut in long-haul flights?

Too much travel

I believe you mean that a reasonable proportion of the Malaysian population are of Dravidian stock from southern India.

TRVLUPGD

Malay is good enough for me ! AlternTely one can trace it back to Adam?

wolf72

I disagree. The cabin crew have won a dozen awards in the past decade and offer good inflight services, meals (international) and have a good safety record.

You're attitude towards the airline is clear for everyone to see. If you are going to go on an irrational rant, at least have some proof to back it up at the very least.

It isn't a bad airline at all. A top 10 airline in my books. But the management of the airline needs an overhaul as to cut down on overspending and sorting out their debts.

wolf72

I would agree with you. I would also suggest keeping the Frankfurt route as well as London and Paris at the absolute minimum. And Amsterdam.

These routes are decent routes for the airline from what I understand (financially). London their most lucrative though they do have an A380 sitting idle at KLIA at the moment unused. Not quite sure if they could perhaps introduce this for the Frankurt or Amsterdam routes or even a Sydney or Melbourne route perhaps?

QF ExLurker

MH want minimum of MYR 1300 to upgrade KUL-Australia, irrespective of availablity.
Yesterday at KUL one hour before departure I offered MYR 1000 which was rejected by the ticket desk.
Took off with some empty seats in J.

eminere

Good. Some things should be maintained.

QF ExLurker

There are arguments both ways.
Some airlines have a policy of always filling up J seats.
My offer was far above the cost of the extra service.
Ultimately it is up to the owners to decide how long they want to continue with empty seats in all classes.

wolf72

One other issue with MAS which I think is worth considering is to allow passengers to switch to an earlier flight IF there are seats available at a minimal charge (RM50?). Sometimes, we could be done with meetings and be on our way to the next destination a little bit earlier and there is always the chance someone else needs a seat on a later flight etc etc..but you get the impression the staff don't want to deal with the work and changes on the computer and of course, company policy on this sort of thing.

The airline could improve on many things..but not quite sure if Kazannah is willing to listen to customers though. They have a track record a mile long of ignoring advice from customers but listening to 'consultants' whom they pay a great deal of $ to for suggestions/directions/solutions to problems.

Incidently, Kazannah was set up to buy out all the failing/lost making semi government or non government assets that were in big financial trouble after the 97 financial melt down using tax payer dollars to fund their rescue's.