I received an email from Malaysia Airlines last night announcing some update to their Enrich program. These changes, across points earning and status achievement, are set to come into effect on 1 January 2026.
If that strikes fear into your heart, I don’t think that the changes are so bad. In reality, they look to be some slight refinement and rebalancing in a few areas.
The Changes
Overall, the changes are a mixed bag, and there will be winners and losers. That said, the changes are not particularly large, but depending on how you fly on Malaysia Airlines, may need some consideration.
Status Earning
Enrich have made a couple of changes to the status earning area of the program. The first, and the area where there is a bit of bad news, is that status earning requirements are being increased That is, you will need to earn more tier points to achieve each level. Secondly, and this balances things a bit, is that you will earn more tier points on many flights. On short flights, there is generally no change, however, the longer and more premium your cabin is, the greater the increase.
Status Achievement
First, let’s get the bad news out of the way. The number of elite points you need to achieve and maintain status will be increasing from 1 January 2026. Overall, you will need to earn, depending on your status, between 14% and 17% more elite points. The following table sets out the new requirements.
| Elite Tier | 2026 Requirements (Elite Points) | 2027 Requirements (Elite Points) |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 30 | 35 |
| Gold | 60 | 70 |
| Platinum | 100 | 140 |
Elite Points
The increase in the requirements is not done in isolation. At the same time, the number of points you earn is either staying the same or increasing. This change tends to favour long-haul flights in premium cabines. Those flying short flights (such as domestic within Malaysia) will not see an increase.
The following table outlines the changes (changes are highlighted)
| Zone | Distance in Miles | Economy Class | Business Class | Business Suite | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | ||
| 1 | <500 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | 501-1,200 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | 1,201-2,200 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| 4 | 2,201-3,500 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 12 |
| 5 | 3,501-5,500 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 16 |
| 6 | 5,501-8,000 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 20 |
| 7 | >8,001 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 20 |
Enrich Points Earning
In addition to the above, Enrich are tweaking the Enrich Points earning tables. Under the change, Silver and above members will now receive more Enrich Points for each RM1 they spend
| Elite Tier | Current Earning Rates (per MYR) |
2026 Earning Rates (per MYR) |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Silver | 1.6 | 1.8 |
| Gold | 2 | 2.2 |
| Platinum | 2.2 | 2.5 |
Other Changes
While the above are probably the most significant changes, Enrich are making a few other changes. Some of the changes that affect earnings include
- Points + Cash bookings will be eligible to earn 1 elite point per flight.
- Seat upgrades on Malaysia Airlines will now earn elite points of the cabin flown. This is a bit of a change from the elite points being awarded on the original booked cabin
- Earn 1 elite point per 8,000 Enrich points that you earn on Enrich Hotels reservations.
In addition, there are some minor changes that affect elite entitlements
- Enrich Silver elites receive 10kg of additional baggage allowance and priority baggage handling. These improvements apply when flying on Malaysia Airlines services. On other oneworld services, the applicable oneworld benefits apply.
- Platinum Companion members will no longer be able to bring a guest into the lounge.
Final Words
I am always a bit fearful when an email about program changes turns up in my Inbox. However, in this case, it looks like a bit of a nip and tuck.
Even so, there are always winners and losers. In this case, it seems to be the folk on short flights that will lose out. On the other hand, those on longer flights, especially in the premium cabins, will earn more points for their flights.
