Chris Tan

Isn’t that the inherent downside to being an employee, particularly if you work on the other side of the country? How many workers have the unrestricted luxury of going on leave whenever they fancy? I suppose this is more politically palatable than pouring money into MH, but going by the comments I’m seeing online… people don’t seem to realise that it’s their tax money being spent one way or another.

The lack of foreign airline-branded lounges is really unfortunate. A bit surprised even SQ threw in the towel, especially now that they get a lot more *G-eligible pax after absorbing MI.

Loads are a bad way of determining the profitability of a route. A flight can be packed with bargain-basement fares to appear full, but might not be profitable. Or, it could’ve been profitable for all we know, but it didn’t pass the opportunity cost test. In other words, they could make more money in other markets.

Is it really that simple? There are plenty of countries with very high GDPs per capita that don’t have large homegrown FSCs. Ireland for example is one of the richest countries in the world (at least on paper) yet they don’t even have a true FSC. Turkey isn’t really any richer than Malaysia but their airline is massive. Why is that?

There are much older hard products flying around. Why is this particular version so prone to issues? IFE shouldn’t be a reason at all. It’s common for airlines to keep the same IFE system/resolution after retrofitting new seats. This refurb is nothing but a cost-cutting measure. Slimmer, lighter seats are sadly the trend.

Yes, and it's a similar story on other OW airlines. I highly doubt there's such thing as a "OW policy" on greeting elites... The only airline I've experienced that consistently greets OWEs is CX. JL/QF/QR - unlikely, but there may be subtle differences. BA only greets its own Golds, but some crew do give OWEs meal choice priority in J. As for AA, they can't give two hoots about who you are, except maybe if you're a CK

I believe there are (unwritten) policies in place for Platinums. The most consistent one I've experienced is meal choice priority in J. Beyond that, it really boils down to the mood of the crew. But I do make it a point not to expect anything extra, because it's a very slippery slope.

They do have a call centre in Malaysia. Not sure whether the Fiji one is still active, but the Platinum line definitely gets answered in Malaysia regardless of language. BoB you say? I thought they tried that a while ago. Or is that only for FY?

In an all-white livery, it looks a bit like a 757 from certain angles.

As a general rule, booking through OTAs (including the airasia super app nonsense) adds a whole layer of complexity. If you need to make any changes you're basically at the mercy of the OTA. They can quote whatever price they want and you'd be stuck. And if there are any or schedule changes, the shady ones will do everything they can to keep your money while pushing an undesirable alternative. Some will accept schedule changes on your behalf and not even give you a say. Not worth the risk to save a bit of money.

Gotta love The Star's stock image of MH. Hasn't changed in 15 years

Malaysia is so pro-ASEAN they're basically incentivizing connections through SIN/BKK Not sure what you're on about. APD out of LHR is basically the same as any other major airport in the UK.

People seem to forget about the departure levy, which ranges from RM8 to RM150 depending on destination and cabin. Basically analogous to the UK APD. But the way Malaysia goes about it is absurd. They charge based on the immediate destination outside Malaysia rather than the ticketed destination. This means someone flying KUL-SIN-SYD on SQ will pay less in Malaysian taxes than KUL-SYD on MH. If they're going to raise the PSC/levy, they should target the premium cabin flyers more. For starters, most people who fly J/F don't even pay for their own travel, and it's a lot more politically acceptable to tax the rich. Taking a one-size-fits-all approach like SIN is painful to those flying regionally on LCCs, where the taxes will be felt most. But then again, Singapore means business when it comes to things like that. Even Uncle Tony understands it. Those are landing fees. Quite different from PSC/departure taxes. The bulk of what many passengers pay is the UK APD which is levied on almost all UK departures, not just LHR.

As you mention, there's always another side to this never-ending argument about purchasing power in Malaysia. But this is, after all, an MH topic, so do you think it's justifiable for people to demand government intervention (read: subsidies) when airfares are perceived to be expensive? I'm all for cheap airfares, but then again, I'm probably in the minority in accepting a less-than-profitable MH. My point is, one way or another, Malaysians will be paying the price. It just seems rather unfair to expect MH to run like a for-profit business while offering cheap fares over festive periods. I can appreciate the spirit of having a financially independent national carrier as much as I like seeing my family over the holidays, but we can't have it both ways I don't agree with the point of MH not being a premium airline. Premium doesn't necessarily mean extravagant. Regardless of how you slice it, the big money still lies at the front of the cabin, and they'd be silly to alienate that market. Believe it or not, there are people who'd be willing to pay for a remotely tolerable flight. Trouble with MH's J (and "F") product these days is that it's not remotely competitive, and hasn't been for a while. Which commenters are you referring to? FYI - EK's product is for the most part pretty dismal, with the exception of F. Give it a try and you'll appreciate the power of style over substance. I personally don't think MH should be following EK's lead in doing things. 2-3-2 angled flat in J on the majority of your widebody fleet? No thank you.

You think we'll get a new hospital or school or MRT line if the government were to cut MH loose? Surely this isn't your first day in Malaysia... Malaysians are a funny bunch. They demand government intervention when airfares are high, but then oppose bailouts when MH inexplicably loses money. And they'd rather let MH go under to give AK a virtual monopoly 🤷‍♂️ The current J is objectively an upgrade from the slanted seats we had on the 772/333, but already out of fashion. If the 339s didn't come with direct aisle access, it would be a huge disappointment.