MAS malaysia airlines amex enrich

[ben stiller]

Hi all,

I'm very new to joining airline frequent flyers and planning to make trips on Malaysia airlines. The Enrich program website says that I can convert Amex points to Enrich. Got a few questions:

I've just applied for a commonwealth bank platinum amex which gives me 3 pts for every dollar. How do I transfer these points to Enrich? Can I do it from the Commonwealth bank website or will I be able to log in to the Amex website. I know you can do it from the Westpac bank website but i dont have an account there. I dont know if there's a difference between the amex issued by american express or banks.

can i tranfer points earned by flying virgin domestic to enrich? how do i do this?

aplogies for the newbie questions....

 

[KLN]

with a direct Amex Rewards card it is 1/1. i know with Westpac Amex it is 1/2 point per dollar when you transfer so presuming thesame. correct me if i am wrong

 

[Mwenenzi]

Ben Welcome to the forum
With Malaysia airlines to join OneWorld, in the future you will be able to use Qantas points for Malaysia flights
For award flights you need to check what cash fees/surcharges apply and other like baggage fees etc

 

[zig]

Hi all,

I'm very new to joining airline frequent flyers and planning to make trips on Malaysia airlines. The Enrich program website says that I can convert Amex points to Enrich. Got a few questions:

I've just applied for a commonwealth bank platinum amex which gives me 3 pts for every dollar. How do I transfer these points to Enrich? Can I do it from the Commonwealth bank website or will I be able to log in to the Amex website.

Welcome to AFF.

Although you have an Amex card, it is a bank issued card, therefore your account is with CBA, not Amex. This means you need to transfer your points from CBA to Enrich. Details should be in the PDI that you received with the card, so just check that out.

 

[Jack_OC]

I dont know if there's a difference between the amex issued by american express or banks.

There are definitely differences. Most significant is the fact that if you have an American Express issued card, your points convert 1:1 into frequent flyer points, while AFAIK with all bank issued Amex cards, the points convert 2:1 - i.e. 1,000 reward points will get you only 500 frequent flyer points.

Having said that, it's quite likely that you will earn more reward points with a bank issued card. As you point out, with CBA you get 3 points per $ spent (on most purchases), so in effect you can get 1.5 frequent flyer points per $ spent. In contrast, for example with the American Express issued Platinum Edge card that I have, I get 3 points per $ spent in supermarkets, 2 per $ in petrol stations, but then only 1 per dollar on most other things and just 0.5 per dollar on some things, such as utilities and insurance.

In summary, this means the question of which is better is complicated and depends very much on what you spend most cash on. If most of your spend is in Woolies/Coles/IGA, then the American Express issued card is likely to be best, as it effectively earns twice as many FF points in those retailers as your CBA card. However, if you spend a lot of money elsewhere, the CBA card may be better. You really need to work out your average spend per month in different types of retailers, and then calculate which card will earn more.

You should also consider that not everywhere accepts Amex, and some places do but with a surcharge. So you will end up having to use a Mastercard/Visa for some purchases, and if you only have the CBA version, the points earn rate on that is quite low. So even if you conclude the CBA Amex is good, you might want to get yourself a different Mastercard/Visa to maximise points earning when you can't use the Amex (or when the surcharge means it's not worth it).

 

[dajop]

Ben Welcome to the forum
With Malaysia airlines to join OneWorld, in the future you will be able to use Qantas points for Malaysia flights
For award flights you need to check what cash fees/surcharges apply and other like baggage fees etc

If Qantas and Malaysia airlines award bookings remain unchanged upon MH entering oneworld, and if primary earning of points is through credit card - using QF points to redeem on MH would be ridiculous, unless you can earn QF points at twice the rate you can earn Enrich points. An example - just flew MEL-KUL on MH (in business class) using Enrich points (transferred from Amex) for 34,000 pts. Same journey would require 65,000 QFF pts on current tables.

 

[benbegg]

We have about 220,000 Platinum Amex Rewards Points and want to get 2 return flights to the UK in Aug. I have enrolled in the Enrich Program and know that I can transfer my points across and will end up with 220,000 Enrich Points. We are flying from Brisbane via KUL to LHR return on Aug 3 2013 and back on Aug 24th 2013. Any ideas on the number of points we will need (for 2 flights!) and also what the taxes/fees will be? As we have no Enrich Points at the moment and so the booking engine won't tell us this info. Also am I correct in saying that booking an MAS flight there is 15% less points required till the end of March 2013. Also do MAS still have the 'free' stopover in KUL if you transit overnight?

 

[k3nnis]

it's 68000 miles for a return in Y per person
and 102000 miles for a return in J per person

 

[benbegg]

thanks. So what are the taxes and fees payable? Cheers.

 

[k3nnis]

Sorry I don't know that one as I don't have enough enrich miles to check. But if you do a dummy paid ticket booking in Y or J it should give you an idea of taxes...

 

[benbegg]

Sorry I don't know that one as I don't have enough enrich miles to check. But if you do a dummy paid ticket booking in Y or J it should give you an idea of taxes...

So about $900!

 

[baldman]

can someone please let me know where I find an online calculator for MAS enrich redemptions? I'm trying to establish the amount of miles required to fly biz class mel-cdg and mel-jfk.

many thanks in advance,
frank

 

[k3nnis]

I don't think MH goes to JFK. I don't think there is a calculator. Just sign up to enrich and do dummy redemption bookings.

 

[xt_20]

MEL-JFK would now be MEL-KUL-LHR/CDG/FRA on MH, then LHR/CDG/FRA - JFK on AA (MH Codeshare).
Might be quicker to go QF MEL - LAX - JFK..

 

[benbegg]

MEL-JFK would now be MEL-KUL-LHR/CDG/FRA on MH, then LHR/CDG/FRA - JFK on AA (MH Codeshare).
Might be quicker to go QF MEL - LAX - JFK..

Can you use Enrich on QF flights though? If so do you know how many points required for a BNE -> LHR return flight as there is no way of working it out online.

 

[Curlytop]

Hi, I had a look at a similar flight just a few days ago from Perth to London (102,000 points - for the pointy end of the plane!) and around $870ish in taxes, I can't remember the exact amount but it was something around that amount.

 

[TON88]

Hi, I had a look at a similar flight just a few days ago from Perth to London (102,000 points - for the pointy end of the plane!) and around $870ish in taxes, I can't remember the exact amount but it was something around that amount.

Just redempted Perth to London. $1147.97 in tax and charges. 102000 points for round trip

 

[moa999]

Problem is Enrich's website is really horrible.

 

[baldman]

Amen to that. hopeless functionality and design...

 

[MH_fan]

High taxes but they are similar to SQ except the points redemption is great value!