Craig

AFAIK, Z is still used by CX and AA for F Class redemptions (MH's F awards is booked into P). IME, My MH flights booked in C and V are credited to AA within 1 week, if not faster.

No. FY is not a OW affiliate and thus will not earn any miles on any OW carriers other than MH. MH currently does not have any regional affiliates (like KA of CX or American Eagle of AA).

My bet will be NRT on the MH 88/89 run (which can fit in based on the current schedule - a little tight, definitely doable with 6 A380s serving LHR, CDG, HKG and NRT).

That's probably just a placeholder that hasn't been updated yet. MH hasn't even finished their updating W13/14 schedules yet.

The NTSB issued an apology because an intern "acted outside his scope...he erroneously confirmed the names". True - but don't KTVU at least read through these names and know that they are being punked? I am not saying it's a shortened given name - I am giving examples of how people will slip these names into the teleprompter for laughs. I didn't want to spell out "MIke Cunt, Mike Koch and Dick Hertz" - These are all valid given names and surnames. PS: There are shortened given/first names in East Asia (not so much with Chinese names since there are only few alphabets to begin with), but I know Thais and Malays have shortened names (e.g. Zulklifli can also be known as Zul and I probably can't pronounce the entire name for some Thais).

Actually, it's not someone is poking fun at the pilots, but rather the local news station. The station did not fact check their sources and reported it as news. Just like how people will say Michael Hunt, Michael Koch, Richard Hertz etc. with a shortened first name.

Disagree. Old TBIT was way worse. Never been to a first world country's airport with such awful bathrooms! AC, NZ (moving to TBIT in a few years time), KL, AF (non A-380 flights), AZ, CA, VS, VA, AM, AV, WS and certain QF flights comes to mind that use other terminals.

Not like Air Asia X, but more in line with other 380 operators. I believe MH is the only carrier with 1 full frame available 24/7. If they do a SYD/MEL (capacity permitting), it will be tight, but a NRT/ICN turn will allow plenty of groundtime at KUL as well.

Actually they can still squeeze in another East Asian destination with 6 A380s. Only 5 frames are needed for the LHR, CDG, HKG flights. They could easily do the KUL-ICN flight. Having that said, I am surprised that they'll use it for ICN instead of NRT. Seems like the new visa waiver policy for Malaysians will encourage more Malaysian tourists to Japan in addition to MH and JL's relationship.

A lot of these frequency increases seems to be utilizing their RON narrow body at KUL e.g. new "red-eye" to HKT and DPS (not many people want to fly KUL-DPS leaving KUL at 23:30 and arriving DPS at 02:30 or leaving DPS at 04:35 and arriving KUL at 07:30?!)

I would prefer Dakar over Dhaka

While it would be great for a sitting US president to visit Malaysia (trivia: the last sitting US President to visit Malaysia was Lyndon Johnson in 1966!), traffic is going to be a nightmare in and out of KL! LA almost always come to a standstill whenever Obama is in town. While many LA residents like and voted for Obama, Angelenos hate it when the president comes to town because of the traffic chaos it will create. This is pretty normal - most foreign leaders make a congratulatory call to a newly elected leader or an incumbent leader who successfully defended his/her seat after an election.

If BA were to return to KUL, I'd see them doing nonstop instead of a SIN stopover. With MH in OW, there is no way BA can compete with MH's twice daily A380 service with a daily one-stop service via SIN. Just my 2 cents -- OW premium fliers will fly MH simply because (hypothetically speaking, if BA were to resume flights to KUL via SIN): 1) It's nonstop 2) Offer 2 flights a day 3) Passengers earn miles/points as they'd do on a BA flight.

Didn't know May is a busy time to travel ex-KUL (for MH at least)! Flight looks really busy for MH the next few weeks for KUL-CDG while it's pretty empty for CDG-KUL. AF is OK on some days.

I don't believe any US airports separate their props and jets operations. You could have a props only operation due to airport restrictions (runway length, terminal facilities etc.), but to separate them because props cannot operate at a airport is bizarre. Most US carriers have a subsidiary or at least another company operating on their behalf their props operations and *mainly* used for flights under 2 hours. I understand if MAHB want SZB props only operations due to noise abatement etc. but to forbid props at KUL is strange. Maybe Malindo, Firefly etc. wants to operate props because they can only do so from SZB and they may generate more O&D traffic from there?

Nope. Not quite. Once MH receives all 6 380s, there is actually one spare aircraft! Only 5 frames are needed for 2x daily LHR and 1X daily HKG/CDG.

Yes definitely, but extra baggage allowance for *A are available to *G members (equivalent of a OW Sapphire, granted *A has one less tier than OW).

It is now, starting today! http://www.oneworld.com/news-information/oneworldnews/details/?objectID=53802 The fast track benefit is also another addition for OW Emerald members.

AA (or most airlines for that matter) doesn't allow redemption on code-share flights. Most award tickets are booked directly from the operating carrier itself. AA's EU-East Asia award requirements for one way travel are 32/52.5/70k miles (Y/C/F). No YQ on award other than BA/IB flights. Generous routing rules - up to 125% of the MPM (as long as it's a published fare). You could fly LHR-PEK-HKG-DPS-KUL and it's still way below the MPM although no stopover are allowed other than north American "gateway" cities. You have to define "last minute" - I have booked and ticketed same day travel using my AA/UA miles on LA and combination of *A before. Maybe like 6-7 hours prior to travel. If the agent sees the space, it's yours. Same goes for BA - I booked and ticketed day before travel, granted that was flying BA using Avios.

And I might have been on the second last 787 in the air today (the last one could be LAX-NRT) but I heard the news as soon as I landed (after a 2 hour mechanical delay).

I've been on it for an hour and moved maybe 20m before it was returned back to gate and canceled thereafter (it was already delayed 2 hours to begin with). I've been on UA and LAN's 787 and UA put the 787 to shame. Their mood lighting is ugly and instead of a grand archway passengers see when they walk in, it's a galley - enough said. The seats are 80s CO-style check fabric and it's the old BusinessFirst (the flat beds) in the C cabin. Nothing spectacular and the entire cabin was "darkened" prior to boarding (US carriers tend to do this all the time - lower the shades before boarding!). LAN on the other hand has warm mood lighting, modern interior and very inviting.

While I am not a huge fan of the new United (I am a huge fan of the old United - they bend over for their elites, especially 1Ks), I wouldn't consider them as one of the world's worst. One of the worst in a developed country, quite possibly. In the world...far from it. :-)

I am pretty sure he can't get to Zurich within an hour even on the nonstop ICE from FRA. It should take 3-4 hours.

It's not possible. It could be daily in one direction, but definitely can't do it in two directions. Finally a *A carrier that offers a route of of KUL without going through SIN/BKK!

True - but the problem is you can't earn any miles on IST-KUL sector (on almost all *A programs), making it less attractive to *A fliers.