Malaysia Airlines, a member of the Malaysian Aviation Group and the country’s flag carrier, has announced a new partnership with international travel service provider, Trip.com, to integrate its MHupgrade programme on a third-party platform for the first time.

MHupgrade allows eligible economy class or business class passengers to place offers to upgrade to the next cabin class, including on the recently introduced A330neo aircraft. By introducing this feature on Trip.com, users who book flights with the carrier will be able to access those options with more ease and flexibility.

The collaboration is a strategic decision on behalf of the companies, aiming to provide Malaysia Airlines with a broader audience by accessing Trip.com’s global network while also giving its users more options for luxury travel.

According to Trip.com, there has been increasing demand for premium cabin flight bookings, as business class bookings on the platform experienced three-digit growth from 2023 to 2024.

In response to the partnership announcement, CT Ooi, associate vice president of Trip.com Group, said: “This collaboration aligns with our commitment to enhancing the travel experience by providing more options and greater convenience to our users and is also a testament to the trust that our partners such as Malaysia Airlines have in us to build innovative new products together.”

Dersenish Aresandiran, chief commercial officer of airlines for the Malaysia Aviation Group, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Trip.com to extend the reach of our MHupgrade service. This strategic partnership will enable us to offer our valued passengers an elevated travel experience with our signature Malaysian Hospitality while expanding our presence in the global market through a trusted partner in Trip.com.”