Airline miles can help you save a ton on your vacation, if you’re savvy about how you use them
If there’s anything we love more than travel, it’s getting rewarded to do so. One of the best ways is by using airline miles, or loyalty points that you accumulate from booking flights through an airline or on your everyday credit card purchases, which you can then redeem for goods and services. For instance, Enrich, the frequent flyer loyalty programme for Malaysia Airlines, has an array of lifestyle partners ranging from restaurants to hotels where you can earn and spend your miles. This means you can still rack up and redeem plenty of miles, even when you’re not flying.
We’ve outlined seven ways on how you can make the most of your Enrich Miles and enjoy savings across your travel journey.
1. Pick your destination, book your flights
The beauty about living in Malaysia is that there are plenty of hidden gems to explore right here at home. Love the outdoors? Brave the lush ancient rainforests of Perak’s Belum-Temenggor. More of a beach bum or a culture enthusiast? Dive into the crystal-clear turquoise waters of Terengganu’s idyllic islands, or marvel at the street art in the hipster enclave of George Town, Penang.
To get the most bang for your buck, convert your credit card points to Enrich Miles when booking your flight. Tip: To quickly accumulate those miles, stay loyal to the same airline – or airline alliance – when you travel. Enrich members, for instance, can earn just as many miles when flying with any airline under the oneworld alliance.
2. Look out for seasonal travel perks
Airlines often roll out seasonal travel deals. Enrich has recently introduced Enrich Base, its fixed miles redemption campaign that lets book your flights at a fixed number of Enrich Miles, regardless of when you travel. Flights start from 2,500 miles – simply choose your destination, redeem your miles and book your seat! To stay up to date on the latest deals, check out Malaysia Airlines’ Facebook or Instagram pages.
3. Choose hotels that offer miles rewards
To stretch your dollar even further, book your digs in hotels that offer miles rewards. There are over 400,000 properties worldwide to choose from on enrichhotels.com, ranging from stylish boutique hotels to luxury resorts. Choose how you want to get rewarded. Members can earn or redeem miles for every night’s stay at international hotel chains on this hotel booking platform.
A new partnership between Enrich and Trip.com means that members can also earn three times Enrich Miles per US$1 spent when they purchase their stay on the hotel booking platform. Accommodation options are aplenty – with over 1.4 million properties across 200 hundred countries.
4. Plan your activities in advance
Are you a wing-it type of traveller or a meticulous planner? As it turns out, booking your activities in advance has its rewards. If you’re travelling around Malaysia, use Loka Local to purchase your tours and earn miles while doing so. This homegrown travel marketplace has everything from heritage walks and craft classes to adventure tours and cooking workshops, all hosted by passionate locals.
5. Packing tips
Purchase all your vacation essentials from Enrich’s various shopping and lifestyle partners to score even more miles before you travel. You can also shop Malaysia Airlines’ in-flight duty-free store Temptations from home. Take your pick from travel accessories like neck pillows, luxury fragrances and more. Look out for Enrich’s exclusive offers on Temptations.
Read more: The 8 apps you’ll need when we’re all travelling again
6. Enjoy lounge access and other travel perks
On the day of your travel, avoid that last-minute airport rush by making sure to arrive three hours before your flight. Good news: members can redeem Miles for lounge access. Frequent flyers can also upgrade to an Elite membership the more Elite miles they accumulate; this lets you enjoy perks like priority services and lounge access that will make your pre-flight experience that much more leisurely and enjoyable.
7. Earn miles even when you’re not flying
Even when you’re not in the air, earn and redeem miles whenever you dine and shop in Malaysia. Most local banks offer credit cards which allow you to convert your points to airline miles. Enrich also has various lifestyle partners, ranging from hotels to fine-dining restaurants, like mod-Asian restaurant Open House in KL, where members can earn miles when dining in; or even while fuelling up at any of Petron’s petrol stations nationwide. You can also earn and swap points for miles (and vice versa) while shopping with Sunway’s and Binfinite’s wide array of partners including Sunway Malls, Sunway Theme Parks, 7-11, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Tealive and more.
Not an Enrich member? Sign up here and earn 500 Enrich Miles for your first flight on Malaysia Airlines.
