MH Award availability in Business - why so stingy?
 

Been searching for connections from NRT to KUL. Currently, I'm booked on JL, but would like to get in a bit sooner than the JL flight gets in (so that I can catch an earlier flight to LGK).

I noticed that no matter what intra-asia routing I search, CX and JL seem to offer decent availability in C, PE and Y, however MH is offering mostly Y seats, perhaps 1 C-seat (I need a total of 3 C seats).

Doesn't appear they release more seats closer to departure date (mine is mid-Dec, about a week before x-mas).

With MH's current financial state and public perception, you'd think they'd open up their space to partner award - why so stingy?

It could also be down to demand. MH have been very aggressive of late promoting their enrich programs to members and offering a lot of promotions and discounted points, etc etc.

MAS auctions their business class space to economy passengers (and first class space to business passengers): http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/vn/e...MHupgrade.html

I've upgraded once before - paid rm900 to upgrade to biz on a KUL-SYD flight, and recall that the biz cabin was packed.

Some additional revenue for the seat is better than none i.e. releasing it as an award I guess.

I've never though of MH being stingy with business class awards, maybe it's just a matter of routes, and in this instance perhaps timing, mid December. In my main travels (SIN-Australia), MH always seem to have some availability in business, sometimes BA do too, but it is very difficult to find anything on QF. They define stingy when it comes to business class awards.

Also, I suspect they limit availability to partners, which is becoming increasingly common across a range of airlines. Using Enrich absolutely no problem in getting 3 awards seat mid December on the route.

I noticed all the routes I looked at to use avios on had 1 biz class and often 8 economy seats(these were short haul <1000miles). Seems kinda frustrating not to be able to find 2.

one of the issue i am facing.
I need to Business tkts while i could always see 1 , waiting since jul.
Called MH and checked, they seem to be expensive compared to avios.
Does anyone have experience with award booking with MH- enrich? Transfer from TYP? I do not want to transfer until i am sure .

MH adopts "QF-style" award inventory. IME, there are usually 2 U seats on short-haul (<4 hours) and 1 U seat on long-haul. Once that U seat is gone, it's gone. But if someone cancels the U ticket, it goes back into the U inventory. They used to open up U before departure but they don't do that anymore.

Passengers using Enrich miles does not come from the P/U/X inventory. The miles required varies according to the booking class based on the chart found here.

MH also applies married segment rule...

But I haven't had much problem booking inter Asian flights in Business class using AAdvantage or Avios.