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MAS to join oneworld on February 1, 2013

By David Flynn     Filed under: qantas, OneWorld, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airlines
  • published 29 Oct, 2012
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Malaysia Airlines will join the oneworld alliance on February 1st, 2013, opening up new opportunities for Qantas frequent flyers for flights to Kuala Lumpur and onwards to Europe and Asia.

MAS previousy expected to become a full operational member of oneworld in December, with a spokesperson for the airline telling Australian Business Traveller on October 12 that “Malaysia Airlines is on track to join oneworld by the turn of the year."

However, a statement issued by oneworld says "while (Malaysia Airlines') alliance implementation programme is on track for completion in the coming weeks, its addition to oneworld is being held until the beginning of 2013 to avoid the end-of-year holiday season and for other administrative reasons."

MAS signed up for oneworld in June 2011, with Qantas as its sponsor and a target of the second half of this year for full membership to kick in. That slipped to Q4, and even more recently into the early part of 2013.

Qantas frequent flyers set to benefit 

But everything's now ready for the Malaysian flag-carrier to formally take its seat at the oneworld table.

As part of that, Qantas travellers will be able to collect frequent flyer points and status credits on MAS flights from February 1st, burn them on bookings with Malaysia Airlines as well as book MAS travel as part of a Qantas itinerary.

Here's how Malaysia Airlines' Enrich reward scheme lines up against that of Qantas and other oneworld airlines:

  • MAS Enrich Platinum = Qantas Platinum = oneworld Emerald
  • MAS Enrich Gold = Qantas Gold = oneworld Sapphire
  • MAS Enrich Silver = Qantas Silver = oneworld Ruby
  • MAS Enrich Blue = Qantas Bronze = nothing in oneworld, sorry!

Qantas Platinums will also be able to enjoy the exclusive new Platinum Suite located within MAS' recently-upgraded flagship Golden Lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which also houses the First Class and Business Class lounges.

MAS spruiks this as a "private lounge within a lounge" with everything from its own dining room to a putting green (seriously!) plus a buggy service to whisk guests to the departure gate, so you'll have more time in the Platinum Suite for that last pastry or practice putt.

For more business traveller and frequent flyer news, follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter at @AusBT.

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About David Flynn

David Flynn is the editor of Australian Business Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

Follow @ausbt on Twitter

 

Email: david@ausbt.com.au

Twitter: @djsflynn

 

Have something to say? Post a comment now!

1 on 12/10/12 by sagidec

I hope they keep true to their word.

I have a booking with them in late Jan 2012 with no frequent flyer number attached and anticipating to attach my QFF with them. Hopefully double points / status with them as a promotional deal like they did for airBerlin.

2 on 12/10/12 by Trip88

There is no more Platinum lounge at KLIA. I fly through KUL frequently and the First Class/ex-Platinum lounge have now been combined.

Apparently, that was necessary because the Business Lounge renovations took up most of the space of the old First Class lounge. Sadly, that has all been replaced with extra seating and the lovely dinner tables and service have all but gone.

The entire First Class Lounge is now also called "Platinum Lounge" to make things sound better, even though in reality they have become worse for Enrich Plats.

1 on 12/10/12 by Al

Hi Trip88, are you sure about that? MAS had the lounges closed for renovations not long ago, maybe you visitied them during that time? Their web site has all of this information about the special Platinum Lounge online, surely that would not be the case if the lounge no longer existed?

1 on 12/10/12 by Trip88

Unfortunately, very sure. I have passed through KUL several times since all of the lounge renovations were completed. MH is typically very slow to update its website, but the old Platinum Lounge is well and truly gone and I will miss it heaps!

The space it used to occupy is now called "The Retreat" portion of the First Class Lounge with lots of extra seating squeezed in. The First Class Lounge has meanwhile been renamed "First Class Platinum Lounge" to give the impression that there is still a Platinum space.

In reality, whatever you want to call the space, it has been massively reduced in size. No competition with QF First Lounge in Sydney anymore and all at the expense of increasing the size of the Business Class lounge next door.

Oddly enough, MH has kept the huge smoking room inside the First Class Lounge instead of devoting that to something more useful or Platinum dedicated (sorry am a non-smoker).

3 on 12/10/12 by mitchimus

that is great news as it means earning and burning without having to endure Emirate's sardine can like 777 economy when travelling to Europe from Perth

4 on 15/10/12 by szeyen

As a Qantas Gold member, would I also attain the 50% extra baggage allowance as given to their MAS Enrich Gold members?

1 on 15/10/12 by TheRealBabushka

I hope not. Qantas does not seem to honour the status of frequent flyers of their OW partners.

Qantas would not tag check-in luggage with Priority tags for AA Platinum members flying economy on Qantas even as other OW partners (BA/CX/JL) do.

I don't see why MAS should extend this benefit to Qantas Frequent Flyers.

1 on 29/10/12 by KG

Why would you "hope not "just because Qantas does not offer the benefit? Wouldn't we all benefit from MH honouring this to OW elite members? As far as I know it is not an official published OW benefit, so the fact that BA/CX/JL do it is a nice gesture.

I would hope that QF changes its policy and that MH will honour pax with status flying economy, the privilege of priority tags.....

5 on 29/10/12 by Peter

Its also interesting to note that the oneworld media release says that MH-LA integration won't be completed until April 1st!

"Because of an upgrade to LAN's frequent flyer information technology system being implemented shortly after Malaysia Airlines joins oneworld."

Seems pretty vague... Could this be due to TAM, or something else? 

6 on 29/10/12 by TheRealBabushka

Does anyone know when the accrual tables for OW airline partners will be published? It's risky making forward economy class bookings now when it's unclear which booking classes allow for accruals.

1 on 29/10/12 by Peter

Well, if you're going on the basis of when Qantas published the rates/classes for airberlin, they published them around March 21st. So a day after they officially joined... or at least a day in terms of the time difference.

 

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