Reply To: Is Malaysian Enrich status the solution?

[Jon]

Been Enrich Platinum for many years now, no problem at all accessing OWE benefits, lounges, First Wing at LHR, seat selection, etc.

If you treat Enrich purely as a way to get OneWorld status, you’ll probably have nothing to be disappointed by. But beyond that – meh. Keep in mind it’s no longer really a frequent flyer programme, and has instead become a “lifestyle” programme, with the emphasis very much on redeeming points for low-cost/low-value money-off vouchers at pretty much every high-street retailer under the sun, same as every other loyalty scheme in Malaysia, with almost nothing to differentiate them or even make them relevant to air travel.

They also seem to have made a conscious decision to (a) appeal primarily to occasional/infrequent price-sensitive economy leisure travellers, and (b) actively alienate frequent premium-cabin travellers.

Tier points earning, particularly on long haul, is very much skewed in favour of economy travel – eg LHR-KUL in economy earns 8 tier points each way, while business earns 10 despite typically costing around 4-5 times the price.

I think there have been about 5 no-notice / no communication re-valuations of Enrich points just in the last couple of years, and aside from the good-luck-trying-to-find-one Enrich Saver fares, flight redemptions are eye-wateringly stupid prices (eg LHR-KUL is regularly anywhere from 300,000 to 750,000 points in business class, one way). It has become a bit of a joke, and I would definitely treat any points you any earn as purely a nice-to-have bonus, rather than anything that should influence your purchasing behaviour. There can be some value to be had here and there, but it’s hit and miss and very inconsistent. And if you do save enough for a flight redemption, read the T&Cs (if you can find them) very carefully indeed – don’t assume they have the same flexibility of an Avios redemption.

Overall, I would say it’s a programme that has lost its way and desperately needs to be revamped. But perhaps it will find a new lease of life on the back of BA’s changes. Keep your expectations low and you won’t be disappointed 😉