Airlines + Aviation
Malaysian Airlines is offering return (round trip) Business Class tickets as low as Hong Kong to London Heathrow for HK$12,000 (US$1,547. ). There’s got to be a catch, right? I did my research, and this is what I found.
I’m always a little suspicious when I get an email (or see an advertisement) with an offer this attractive because I’ve been duped before.
Sometimes it’s a one-way rather than a return ticket. Usually there are extra charges for add-ons – like, would you like a seat to go with that ticket?
Are you checking luggage? What about carry-ons? Will you be thirsty (because we DO charge extra for water).
And there is the nefarious practice of adding “fuel surcharges”, which are – in reality – a cynical way of hiding the true price of your ticket.
Fuel surcharges are set by the airlines themselves, and often the higher advertised ticket price is actually cheaper than the advertised cheaper ticket price.
But you only realize this when you reach check-out because in many countries airlines are not required to include fuel surcharges in the advertised price of an airline ticket.
And what about landing and arrival fees? These things can also add up.
I picked random departure and return dates Hong Kong – London Heathrow – Hong Kong on Malaysia Airlines’ website.
There were three options on both dates, all with the same fare. All of them included changes of plane in Kuala Lumpur. I chose the itineraries with the shortest total duration.
This is that I came up with …
Hong Kong – London
- Departure: 7 September 2016, 14.45 (local time)
- Arrival: 8 September, 5.55 (local time)
- Total duration: 22 hours (including a 4 hour 50 minute stopover in Kuala Lumpur)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-800 (Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur); Airbus A380 (Kuala Lumpur – London)
- Price: HK$6,050 (one way)
London – Hong Kong
- Departure: 28 September 2016, 14.45 (local time)
- Arrival: 29 September 2016, 13.05 (local time)
- Total Duration: 18.10 hours (including a 1 hour 30 minute stopover in Kuala Lumpur.
- Aircraft: Airbus A380 (London – Kuala Lumpur); Boeing 787-800 (Kuala Lumpur – Hong Kong)
- Price: HK$6,000 (one way)
Total
- Airfare: HK$12,050
- Tax: HK$2,208
- Surcharge: HK$0.00
- Total Price: HK$14,258
Aircraft
Boeing 787-800s are used on the Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur segments in both directions. There are 16 recliner seats in Business Class with a pitch of 42 inches and a width of 21 inches. Seating is 2 + 2.
Airbus A380s are used on the Kuala Lumpur – London segments in both directions. There are 66 flat bed seats in Business Class with a pitch of 74/72 inches and a width of 22 inches. Seating is 2 + 2+ 2.
Other Sample Business Class Fares from Hong Kong
- Auckland, New Zealand – HK$12,980
- Denpasar, Bali – HK$3.800
- Kuala Lumpur -HK$2,900
- Melbourne, Australia – HK$10,000
- Mumbia, India – HK$6,000
- Sydney, Australia – HK$10,000
Terms + Conditions
All things considered, this sounds like an excellent deal.
- Flights must be booked by 15 August 2016.
- Travel must take place between 1 September and 20 December 2016.
- This fare applies only to flights booked in China, Hong Kong, or Macau.
- Passengers must stay at least two days and initiate their return flight within 30 days.
- Accompanied travel is not required.
- Passengers can check up to 30 kilos of luggage.
- Malaysian Airlines is offering similar promotions from other spots.
Disclaimer: while I’ve attempted to ensure accuracy, I assume no responsibility for the information contained in this blog post. Readers should verify information on the airline’s website.