Hi all. I'm not a frequent flyer, so I have no elite status with any airlines. I have however travelled on a fair share of airlines in Y, PE, J and F class. Both my wife and I work full time so we treasure whatever time we can get for our vacation (away from the kids). J and F class flights are nearly always redeemed with miles.

My 2015 travel year in review:

New Cities/Towns: Helsinki, Ivalo, Saariselkä village - Finland; Berlin, Prague, Kraków, Budapest, Vienna - Eastern Europe; Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, Granada, Ronda, Andalucian white villages, Seville - Spain

New Countries: Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Spain

New Airports: HEL, IVL, TXL, VIE, MAD, BCN, SVQ

New Airlines: Iberia, Vueling

New flight experience: BA's backward facing Club World seats - never again

Best flight experience: LHR-KUL MH A380 Business class (excellent service from the crew)

Shortest Flight: AK6461 SBW-KCH - 0h 40m

Longest Flight: BA034 KUL-LHR - 13h 40m

Similarly, I have no elite status as far as hotel chains go (just HHonors Gold from the MBB card). I like to try different types of hotels depending on the destination. Some memorable stays in 2015 include Kakslauttanen glass igloo, Saariselkä, Waldorf Astoria Berlin, Sofitel Vienna and Alfonso XIII, Seville.

Would love to discuss miles accumulation strategies and tactics with everyone, the nature of some may necessitate private messages. Hope to learn and share with everyone here!

Both my wife and I usually earn around the same as you but that's not including purchases made on behalf of our businesses, friends and relatives (who are supportive of my obsession with miles and points). Although there is a wealth of information on travel hacking online, few are directly relevant to us in Bolehland. That is what compelled me to share more on this forum. With 140k miles you can fly up to 20,000 miles in business class under AM oneworld Multi-Carrier award (AMOMC). If you want two seats, you can fly up to 4,000 miles at 70k miles each. Wait and earn more miles or just take a shorter trip. Either way, you are flying business class for peanuts! Enjoy it! Sometimes when I am short of miles, I will "purchase" miles by charging certain transactions with merchants and paying the 1.x% on their behalf. At our current exchange rate and based on my research on flyertalk, this is the cheapest way to "purchase" miles. Malaysia Boleh!

My aim was not to impress but to distinguish myself from true-blue elite status frequent flyers like yourself based on your recent posts in other threads. Hence the introduction here. A few years ago I was wasting away valuable treatpoints on stupid Parkson vouchers for crying out loud! Just amazed at the stupendous value by converting to business and first class tickets, especially F. Am here to learn and share, but my knowledge is limited to miles & points strategies mainly.

Sifu tishaban, I would be grateful if you can share strategies for J redemption for the whole family (I have four kids, like bro Gen-X but slightly younger lol). Also, any chance of me getting a US based CC while based here?

-del

This post has been edited by dctravels: Feb 4 2016, 10:24 PM

Thank you so much. Had a look and you're right, CX J and even F showing up to 4 seats for Dec 23rd. Being the A380 junkie that I am, was already eyeing BKK-AUH-CDG for the wife and I but if 2F +4J is possible, that would be the coolest way to bring the kids to Disneyland Paris, say 2017.

Thanks also for the info on US credit cards. Only interested to book Etihad Apartments to be honest and you've rightly pointed out the earning rates of MBB Amex Reserve/VI are hard to beat.

Most of the miles purchase transactions are legitimate monthly transactions with a few vendors. Just need to cover the merchant fees for the towkays to allow me to swipe with my credit card. I have a KL-based friend in interior design who racks up RM200-350k per month on behalf of his clients. He only flies in F.

I think MBB just wants money, regardless of whether it's from Sarawakians or otherwise

For reference:

KF/SQ:



AMOMC:



I have only redeemed MH using enrich portal online. No experience calling them for OMC redemptions. From the charts I don't see why we should bother.

This post has been edited by dctravels: Dec 23 2015, 04:10 PM

Yes, for 115k AM. Compare that to your standard 127,500 Enrich Miles redemption. Now just top up a bit to 155k you get to fly in F.

For AMOMC redemptions you gotta call up (and make sure you have a cup of coffee and some snacks ready as it will be a loooong call).

This post has been edited by dctravels: Dec 25 2015, 08:32 AM

It all depends. What is your intended destination(s)? What are your travel dates? How much flexibility do you have? Are you aiming for Suites, First Class, Business etc?

Redemption is very easy to do online and their call support is excellent, if the need arises. Transfer times for Maybank TPs to KF is fast and efficient, just call the number behind your card.

A Chinese billionaire will never have to pay for a plane ticket again, after he accrued a staggering number of air miles using his American Express card to buy a $170m painting.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/...ni-nude-on-amex

The above is true.

I know there is the waitlist feature but in my experience they don't clear real-time. Unless you have nothing better to do except call AM/MPC every day to check, chances are (if you're a Mr Nobody like me) your seats will be grabbed by elite status members of MPC /oneworld carriers.

So in terms of valuation of Asia Miles, I agree with sifu tishaban the figure is around USD0.015 but only for elite status members. For those with no status like me, I would value them even lower because like JC_jun said, redemption is very hard, near impossible for some routes. Enrich is different, availability for J class at least is mostly assured.

Residence or Apartments? I didn't know Residence was redeemable.

I will definitely think it's worth it, judging from the reviews and pictures online. Single-aisle cabin on a A380? The space must be incredible. Plus, you get to shower in the sky minus all the gaudy EK bling. I just wished I had ways to redeem it!

QR via BKK or SQ via SIN??

Mind sharing how to redeem EY F with Msian credit cards?

Thanks for the "spoon-feeding"

Just got off the phone with MBB rep. In short: has to be Amex Platinum Charge or Credit card. Treatpoints earned under Diamanté, Amex Reserve+VI combo not eligible for redemption for EY Guest Miles or EK Skywards Miles.

Back to square one for me as my Amex card just does not bring in that many miles. EY Apartments will remain a dream for me for some time yet.

Ta, you're a legend mate. I have seen the light!

Thanks to JC_jun for starting this thread and all who have been helpful with tips and comments.

Joy was short-lived: availability for AUH-LHR is there, but will cost nearly 120k miles one-way (with conversion loss). Apartments. Keen, but not THAT keen.

I plugged in end of Nov and got 88k miles one way. Multiplied that by 1.35.

Anyhow, I've carved out under AMOMC SIN-BKK-DOH-CDG, LHR-SIN. First class lounges at BKK and DOH via QR F. Concorde Room at LHR on return via BA F. Itching to try the new BA F on LHR-KUL so might swap SIN with KUL. All this for 155k miles. Now that will be comparable to your AA redemptions.

This post has been edited by dctravels: Jan 6 2016, 04:22 PM

Noted with thanks. Very tempted to splurge and try say LHR-AUH-BOM. Other destinations not quite on my radar (I've got a visit to the States later this year so JFK is out. Don't see me flying to SYD or MEL via AUH also for now).

I have no doubt that EY F is the current yardstick by which all other F products are measured (AF's La Première is another must-try). Makes SQ Suites and QR F (my initial redemption choices for 2016-17) seem a bit bleh. Sigh.