Months ago I offered my children FREE Biz Class tickets Melbourne to KUL return about a week before CNY and there were no takers. That time I could still redeem Biz tickets with KrisFlyer. Suddenly few days ago my youngest daughter said she wants to come back for CNY as she can take leave! Last minute damn hard to redeem Biz Class tickets!

Moreover, since CNY 2025 is in late January, many students will be heading back to Australia in early February to attend Primary and High School in Australia plus also universities! Therefore end January to middle of February is peak period KL/Singapore to Australia and the smart people would have booked their air tickets months ago.

But since I love all my children and my youngest wants to return to KL for CNY, of course I am very happy but give me headache only, haha.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

From my experience, I know Asia Miles there may be a chance to get a Biz Class ticket with Malaysia Airlines last minute. So I started my search with AsiaMiles. Below is an example of the results I got today while drafting this article (18th January 2025).

Asia Miles Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur Business Class Limited

For Malaysia Airlines, there is a Biz Class ticket on CNY Eve for 63K Asia Miles only but my youngest daughter wants to fly in earlier so this option is a no go but just to show you that we can get Biz Class ticket with Asia Miles last minute.

There is a Biz ticket on 26th January but with Sri Lanka Airlines but it is a long journey and it will transit in Colombo.

Asia Miles Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur Economy Class No Issues

There are still Economy Class ticket with Malaysia Airlines and we only need 27K Asia Miles.

Asia Miles Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne early February 2025

HOWEVER, there are no tickets to redeem with Asia Miles regardless Economy or Biz Class with any airlines from KUL to MEL in early February. Like I mentioned students are returning to Australia during this time and it will cost a bomb it one were to purchase air tickets (I will show you later with AirAsia).

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles

KrisFlyer Melbourne to KUL

KrisFlyer Biz Class MEL to KUL nothing the weekend before CNY but you can get Saver Option on CNY day!

However, for Economy not an issue if you willing to burn 55K KrisFlyer Miles for Advantage which is close to a Saver Biz Class.

KrisFlyer Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne

For Biz Class there are no tickets to redeem for KUL to MEL right after CNY!!!

For Economy Class, only starting from 3rd Feb there are tickets to redeem but my daughter needs to be back on 2nd Feb in Melbourne and therefore nothing for her case!

Malaysia Airlines Enrich Points

Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur before Chinese New Year

Look below, really ridiculous the number of Enrich Points required for Biz Class:

For Economy need 66,900 Enrich Points, that’s about close to what I can get with Enrich Saver if book months ahead!

In respect to Economy Class with Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific only need 27K Asia Miles!!!

Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne right after Chinese New Year

Below is for Economy KUL to MEL need 168,200 Enrich Points!!! I am not bothered to look for Business Class but if you want to know you will need 300K Enrich Points!

How about 1 way KUL to MEL ticket price? Below is what I got…. RM6.7K the weekend right after CNY!

AirAsia and Scoot Price the weekend after CNY

AirAsia one way KUL to MEL one way also close to RM4K and that is yet to include any check-in luggage and meals.

Scoot also about the same price about RM4K the weekend after CNY.

So I told my daughter that I can redeem for her Economy Class with Malaysia Airlines with Asia Miles and purchase AirAsia back to Melbourne on Economy,

Then my daughter told me that she can book JetStar return Melbourne/KL Business Class on the dates and time she wants (to maximize her stay in Malaysia) for less AUD2.7K which includes meal and check-in luggage. There are cheaper options but she wants to earn Qantas Points to be upgraded to Gold Status. For me Gold status not important as I fly Biz Class anyway unless I am going on tour then maybe Gold Status is good but like I said I love all my children and if my youngest daughter wants to experience having Qantas Gold Status fine because then only she will realised the status is not important if we are flying Biz Class.

The reason why she can get Gold Status is because last year she flew from Melbourne to Kenya with Emirates First Class using her Qantas Points and then Biz Class Kenya to JFK USA with British Airways also with her Qantas Points. Then from New York she flew to San Francisco on Economy but she bought a Biz Class ticker Los Angeles to Melbourne (because she ran out of air miles, haha)! Well, she is earning big bucks in Australia and it is her money so I have nothing to say, haha. She is not even 25 years old and she has experienced Emirates First Class with her her own Qantas Points and flew round the world!!! On the other hand, I have redeemed using my air miles for her to experience Singapore Airlines Suite Class London to Changi, Malaysia Airlines Biz Class KL/Europe return on A380 many years ago, Malaysia Airlines Biz Class KL/Melbourne, Thai Airways Biz Class KL to Copenhagen, British Airways Biz Class Singapore to Melbourne.

My wife said I spoiled all my children when they were young flying Biz Class and Singapore Airlines Suite Class here and there (all four of my children have experienced Singapore Airlines Suite Class besides Biz Class with Malaysia Airlines). Today my children are earning big bucks in Australia (compared to me when I was a salaryman earning Ringgit Malaysia more than a decade ago) plus they have their own credit cards to earn air miles to fly Biz Class or First Class for FREE like me. Seriously, a Biz Class Australia/KL return during off-peak is small money to them but for me because I earn Ringgit it is big money, haha.

Anyway, I did a simple calculation: AUD2.7K x 2.8 (conversion rate to RM) = RM7,560.00

So considering the fact that a one-way Economy ticket with AA Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne cost RM4K, I thought that the JetStar price of AUD2.7K for Biz class was reasonable. Of course JetStar Biz Class cannot compare to Malaysia Airlines or Singapore Airlines Biz Class seat but it is more comfortable than Economy that’s for sure.

Like I said, I am happy that my youngest daughter is coming back to KL for CNY to spend time with my wife and my parents; therefore I told her to use the credit card I Supped to her (she has her own Premier Australian Credit Cards including an AMEX to earn Qantas Points) to pay for the JetStar Biz Class return tickets where I will earn air miles too 🙂

Actually, I have more than enough air miles for myself, to be exact more than 700K air miles but nowadays I only fly to Australia since I have visited most places in Europe and if I go to South America I will go on tour and fly Economy as I am too kedekut to pay for Biz Class, haha.