Malaysia Airlines - Ticket refund and compensation in case of flight delays and cancellations

Malaysia Airline System (MAS), commonly known as Malaysia Airlines the country’s national airline and a member of the Oneworld alliance. It is one of the most reliable airlines, suffering fewer delays and cancellations than most. The airline flew its first commercial flights in 1947 as Malaya Airways although the company we know today came about in 1972, shortly after Singapore’s independence, when the airline was split to form MAS and Singapore Airlines. The distinctive company logo is a ‘wau balan’ or moon kite. The main base for operations is Kuala Lumpur International Airport, with a hub at Kota Kinabalu, serving mainly Asian destinations, but with a few routes to North America, Europe, and Oceania. Malaysia Airlines has had a perilous financial history, often running at a loss. In January 2014 the company announced that it was cancelling all of its flights to Los Angeles in a bid to cut costs. It blamed overcapacity, increasing competition, and mounting fuel costs that had made the route economically unviable. However, this was reversed in July the same year when a codeshare with American Airlines provided 260 connections to and from Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK). The airline’s goal is to promote travel between Malaysia and the United States of America and increase tourist travel to its home country. Trans-Atlantic flights from London, Paris, and Frankfurt now also connect with American Airlines at New York (JFK), Dallas (DFW), Miami (MIA), and Chicago (ORD).

Flight record for delays

With an average flight delay of a mere 13 minutes, Malaysia Airways has a record that puts it in the top 5% of airlines for reliability, although there are still a significant number of excessively late and delayed arrivals. Over the two months between 15/06/14 and 15/08/14, for their 20 busiest routes, 80% arrived on time, 9% were late, 3% very late and 5% were excessively late, with 1% canceled (www.flightstats.com). Although the majority of flights are on time, a significant number may be open to claims for compensation due to the length of the delay. In 2014 Malaysian Airways made headlines around the World as it suffered two major aircraft losses, along with all the passengers and crew onboard. The first was the mysterious flight MH370, which vanished on a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on the 8th of March, and the second a few weeks later when MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in a case of mistaken identity. The surrounding publicity has hit ticket sales for the airline, particularly in China.

Chinese airspace difficulties cause cancellations and delays

Regular flights through Chinese territory mean that Malaysia Airlines aircraft have to deal with one of the most tightly controlled airspaces in the world, which can sometimes lead to delays and cancellations. Military operations sometimes result in huge areas becoming no-fly zones for civil aircraft, with Chinese military powers taking precedence over passenger rights. The official stance is that ‘congestion’ in the flight space causes problems, but this is widely recognized as meaning military maneuvers.

Youngest fleet and other benefits

As of August 2014, Malaysian Airlines has 151 aircraft, made up of Airbus A380s, A333s, and B777s which it uses for long-distance routes, B737-800s for shorter, internal flights, and ATR72-600s which are the new series turbo-props. Having recently retired their B737-400s, this makes their fleet one of the youngest in operation, which will have an average age of 4.35 years at the end of 2014. Malaysia Airlines has a bonus scheme known as Enrich, which it shares with other Oneworld airlines. New members start at the Blue entry level and can progress through further levels such as Silver, Gold, and Platinum as they gain additional points. These different tiers give access to additional privileges, benefits, and preferential treatment.

At Flightright, we assist Malaysia Airlines passengers who have been subjected to a delay or flight cancellation to enforce their rights. Getting compensated is quick and simple. To get started, use our free online calculator to check your eligibility for a Malaysia Airlines flight delay compensation. For flight cancellations due to economic reasons, we see good chances to have a compensation claim, especially if you were informed by Malaysia Airlines not more than 14 days before your flight.

More in-depth information regarding the EU-regulation and your passenger rights.

Under what conditions is your flight delay with Malaysia Airlines eligible for compensation?

The 2004 EU261 regulation clearly defines a flight delay as when an airline or its replacement arrives at your destination more than 3 hours later than expected. In this circumstance, you need to check to know if you might be entitled to compensation.

Note: the amount of compensation is dependent on the distance of the flight – not on the amount you paid for your ticket. Additionally, the flight must either take off or land in the European Union. In the case where it is landing in the European Union, the airline must also have its headquarters in the EU.

A Malaysia Airlines passenger is entitled to compensation in the event of the following:

• Flight delay: If your Malaysia Airlines flight arrives at your destination more than 3 hours later than expected.
• Flight Cancellation: if you were not informed of the cancellation or informed less than 14 days before departure.
• Overbooking: If you had suffered a denied boarding due to overbooking of your flight.
• Missed connecting flight: If you missed a connecting flight due to a delay in one of the legs, and you arrived at your destination more than 3 hours later than expected.

Don’t take any excuses!

• Meal vouchers or accommodation (in the case of an overnight delay) do not suffice for compensation.
• All flight packages are covered by this regulation, and only the person on the passenger register who has suffered the delay, irrespective of who paid the ticket, will receive compensation for the inconvenience suffered.

• Your claims are valid up to 6 years in the past.
• Only extraordinary circumstances such as union strikes or bad weather relieve the airline of this responsibility.

Here is an overview of which compensation you’ll be entitled to, based on the circumstances of your delay:

• Short distance flight delays – Below 1500km – Passengers are due €250 compensation from Malaysia Airlines.
• Medium distance flight delays – Between 1500km and 3500km – Passengers are due €400 compensation from Malaysia Airlines.
• Long distance flight delays – Over 3500km – Passengers are due €600 compensation from Malaysia Airlines.

Delay, cancellation, overbooking or missed connection flight? You are entitled to:

How to claim compensation from Malaysia Airlines

The first thing to do is confirm that you are eligible for Malaysia Airlines flight delay compensation. This is often not a simple process when done on your own: getting access to flight databases, comparing your situation with other similar cases, checking whether your case applies under European Regulation No. 261/2004, etc. are some of the tasks that need to be done carefully to determine if you are eligible for a Malaysia Airlines compensation. In fact, for an individual without the legal expertise or the required technology, this can prove quite complicated.

But we have made it all easy with Flightright. In simple steps, you can determine your eligibility for Malaysia Airlines’ delay compensation. Simply enter your flight details into our free compensation calculator, establish that you’re entitled to a claim against Malaysia Airlines, and then leave the rest to us. It will only take a few minutes for us to verify the eligibility of your claim and initiate action to ensure that you get compensated. Our service is free, as we only get a percentage of what we can extract as a claim. By choosing us, you are opting to join the more than 11 million satisfied customers who have used our service. We are a dependable partner, and we have been successful at asserting air passenger rights for over 12 years.

Get Started!

Malaysia Airlines Additional services at the airport

If your Malaysia Airlines flight departure is delayed for more than normal, you immediately have the right to basic benefits and services. These rights vary depending on the distance of your flight. Below, you’ll find an overview of what you’re eligible for:

• Short distance: from 2 hours waiting time – free drinks, free food, and 2 telephone calls, emails, or faxes
• Medium distance: from 3 hours waiting time – free drinks, free food, and 2 telephone calls, emails, or faxes
• Long-haul: from 4 hours waiting time – free drinks, free food, and 2 telephone calls, emails, or faxes

Delays of more than 5 hours

In this instance, you can, regardless of the distance, withdraw from your flight. Malaysia Airlines is obliged to either reimburse you or offer you alternative transportation to your destination.

Departure delayed until the next day

You’re eligible for a stay in a hotel, including transport to and from the airport. Contact Malaysia Airlines customer service directly and ask that confirmation of your hotel room and transfers be provided in writing.

Your flight didn’t take off yet?

You can simply enter your flight details for your future flight, and we will let you know whether you’re eligible for compensation. Enter your flight here:

Recent flight delays and cancellations with Malaysia Airlines

Click to view all recent flight delays and cancellation data for Malaysia Airlines. The table below gives you an inside view of how much information we have at our disposal.

Had flight problems with Malaysia Airlines?

Flightright takes care of your rights in the event of flight delays, cancellations, and overbooking and is committed to ensuring that you receive your compensation from the airline.