MH to axe First Class, rebrand and reposition as Business Suites
Dec 11, 2018, 3:40 am
#16
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
If this move does not include lower prices, not sure how much such a rebrand will help?
Anyway, interested to see what happens in ~5hrs!
Dec 11, 2018, 4:20 am
#17
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: MH Gold, AC Super Elite, UA Platinum, Accor All Gold, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 497
This is gonna fail spectacularly. Basically all has been said already: downgrade from First to Business Suites is a serious dent into outstation benefits and cabins need to be retrofitted. The A350 First seat was already the same as Business anyway but will still cost more.
Nope, Malaysia Airlines management clearly doesn't have a clue when it comes to premium travelers' demands (demonstrated for example by the alcohol policy in domestic lounge and short-haul flights) and this will prove to be costly for an already struggling carrier.
Foreign, knowledgeable management needs to be brought in to turn the tide.
Nope, Malaysia Airlines management clearly doesn't have a clue when it comes to premium travelers' demands (demonstrated for example by the alcohol policy in domestic lounge and short-haul flights) and this will prove to be costly for an already struggling carrier.
Foreign, knowledgeable management needs to be brought in to turn the tide.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:09 am
#21
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Here
Posts: 1,907
My own KUL-SYD now shows MHupgrade bids to business suite instead of first. The bad news? Same recommended price, same minimum bids (415 and 360 USD) respectively...
Dec 11, 2018, 10:32 am
#22
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The KUL city
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, TK Elite+
Posts: 2,663
This is gonna fail spectacularly. Basically all has been said already: downgrade from First to Business Suites is a serious dent into outstation benefits and cabins need to be retrofitted. The A350 First seat was already the same as Business anyway but will still cost more.
Foreign, knowledgeable management needs to be brought in to turn the tide.
Foreign, knowledgeable management needs to be brought in to turn the tide.
IIRC, it was a foreign, knowledgeable management who introduced the no alcohol policy on flights below 3 hours
Dec 11, 2018, 12:29 pm
#23
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: QF Plat VA Silver
Posts: 31
Dec 11, 2018, 3:13 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 1,841
Just checked pricing for KUL-LHR mid-March on MH4, having done the same prior to the overnight Flicking of the Switch:
- Flexible Business Class – MYR12,168
- Business Suites – MYR14,747
- Flexible First Class (as available pre-Dec12) – MYR21,303
Dec 11, 2018, 10:19 pm
#27
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: 1A
Programs: Elite Diamond Purple Dot Gold Silver Titanium for life
Posts: 1,822
Interesting product positioning from MH - but not much has been thought through from loyalty perspective (ie: lounge access, earn rates via codeshare).
Basically, MH seems to be taking a bet - decrease the ticket price without decreasing any of the associated costs, and hoping that fills more seats. That increase in seats also needs to cover the revenue loss from miles, change in overall member loyalty (ticket sales etc), first class lost revenue and loss of P class sales from OW partners.
Given that MH has turned their lounges into a shopping mall, I'm not surprised to see a cheapening of their onboard product.
Time will tell if it's a good move
Dec 12, 2018, 4:00 am
#28
Suspended
Join Date: May 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 2,863
I was just playing around in Sabre, and I saw that while BusinessSuites are still coded as F class, the redemption saver bucket P has been eliminated and it has become a discounted fare for the cabin. As it stands, miles are not redeemable for that cabin anymore.
Dec 12, 2018, 12:06 pm
#30
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The KUL city
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, TK Elite+
Posts: 2,663
Technically MH is right. It remained, just that P is now a revenue bucket instead of an award bucket. There are P fares filed for SYD/NRT/ICN etc. Only MH has made changes to awarding miles to P class (IB has always awarded miles for P class). P now earns 175% on MH Enrich (along with C/D classes). F/A still earns 250%.