Dear oh dear. It appears that our national airline, Malaysia Airlines, is now back in the red! What a surprise! Malaysia Airlines has had a "stellar" year in 2024, so let’s take a look at why this could’ve been the case.
The Edge has recently released a special report on this here, so do check out their comprehensive article on this topic.
In the first three quarters of 2024, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, reported a net profit of RM500 million. However, a series of service disruptions forced the airline to reduce its network capacity by 18% in the fourth quarter, leading to a full-year loss.
These disruptions were primarily due to supply chain issues, including a shortage of parts and delays in aircraft deliveries, as well as workforce attrition, which resulted in flight delays and cancellations.
The capacity reduction led to the cancellation of approximately 6,300 flights, affecting about one million passengers. Despite these challenges, MAG remained cash flow positive, with a cash balance of RM3 billion as of February 3, 2025.
It’s pretty interesting how the airline failed to mention that its poor planning and execution of its flight schedule, which eventually caused multiple technical issues and several aircraft to be grounded, was in fact the main culprit for its service disruptions.
Refined Points wrote an extensive article here: Malaysia Airlines to Slash Routes Until December 2024 Amidst Spiraling Flight Chaos.
More Cost-Cutting Disguised as “Improvements”
Moving forward, let’s hope Malaysia Airlines learns from its past mistakes, although I’m not exactly optimistic about the near future of the airline.
Malaysia Airlines has recently renovated its Business Suites/Enrich Platinum check-in area, and recent first impressions were significantly negative. Honestly, based on what I’m seeing in pictures, it’s clearly a cost-cutting move, and nothing more by the airline, which isn’t very surprising given the history of how the management does things.
Refined Points will be flying Malaysia Airlines soon, so I'll be there in person to take a first glimpse of this new makeover.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Malaysia Airlines’ Golden Lounges are no longer catered by the Plaza Premium Group, which seems to support several online comments that the food at the Golden Lounges has significantly dropped in quality in late 2024.
Refined Points has confirmed through our sources that the Plaza Premium Group no longer caters for the Golden Lounges, marking another step backward from Malaysia Airlines.
Seriously, it’s as if the airline never learns from its past mistakes. I previously wrote about the sad state of the Malaysia Airlines Platinum Lounge here.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing Malaysia Airlines has mastered, it’s the art of disappointing its premium customers while pretending everything is just fine.
The new check-in area for Business Suites and Enrich Platinum members? A downgrade disguised as an “enhancement,” stripping away the exclusivity and privacy that premium passengers expect.
In my previous article here, I noted how the ground experience was pretty spectacular from the get-go, with the stellar Business Suites/Platinum check-in, followed by the BMW i7 chauffeur to the Satellite Terminal.
Why fix something that wasn't broken?
How exactly does this align with a so-called five-star airline experience? The only thing “exclusive” now is the confusion of passengers trying to figure out where to check in.
Then there’s the food and beverage debacle. The days of Malaysia Airlines being a Cellars in the Sky award-winner are long gone, as the airline has opted for cheaper alternatives with zero “wow” factor. And let’s not forget the return of Awana catering, bringing back the joyless experience of undercooked fake sausages and uninspired meals.
It’s clear that Malaysia Airlines is once again making cost-cutting decisions at the expense of its premium product. The airline’s PR spin may try to convince passengers otherwise, but those who actually fly with MH know better. The supposed “improvements” are anything but, and the airline’s declining service standards continue to push once-loyal customers toward competitors who genuinely understand what a premium experience should be.
At this rate, the only thing Malaysia Airlines seems to be excelling at is proving that no matter how much things change, the more they stay the same.
