Malaysia Airlines offers Qantas frequent flyers a first class upgrade

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by David Flynn | October 10, 2018

Malaysia Airlines will continue flying its Airbus A350 between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur through to March 30 2019, with top-tier Qantas Platinum frequent flyers and their Oneworld Emerald equivalents booked in business class being offered a free upgrade to a first class suite on the nine-hour flight.

The A350 – which is rostered onto the daily Sydney-KL flight MH122/MH123 – contains a small first class cabin of four suites...

... which are a modified version of the Vantage XL seat chosen by Qantas for its Business Suite, but with several design enhancements including additional space and sliding privacy doors.

However, as Malaysia Airlines doesn't sell first class between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, the suites are being treated as part of the A350's business class cabin.

A spokesman for Malaysia Airlines tells Australian Business Traveller than Qantas Platinum and Platinum One-grade frequent flyers, as well as the airline's own Enrich Platinum members and other Oneworld Emerald cardholders, "will be able to pre-select seating in the four first class suites which are being sold as business class."

Meals and service will be the same as in business class, of course, but you'll be able to fly with a little more privacy in a better-appointed seat.

AusBT review: Malaysia Airlines A350 business class and Malaysia Airlines A350 first class

Malaysia Airlines is also making a play to win frequent flyers over to its own Enrich loyalty scheme with a flash promotion offering triple points and triple status credits.

The 3X Everything covers a triple serve of Enrich Miles, Elite Miles and Elite Sectors to not only turbocharge your Enrich balance but to rocket your way up the status ladder.

For example, even a return business class trip between Kuala Lumpur and London will see you pocket Enrich Gold status, which is equivalent to Qantas Gold and Oneworld Sapphire for benefits such as access to international business class lounges, priority checkin and a higher luggage allowance.

(If you're headed for Kuala Lumpur, it's also worth checking out our reviews of Malaysia Airlines' flagship business class and first class lounges.)