Why I spent $848 to renew my Oneworld Sapphire status for 9 months

It’s that time of year when you can decide buy elite status or pay to renew your status. But as you consider your options, it’s important to determine if the value of the benefits you receive with your elite status is enough to justify the cost.

I recently determined that extending my Oneworld Sapphire status for nine months was worth the $848 cost. Here’s a look at what went into that decision.

Malaysian state Enrich Gold

At the beginning of 2019, I flew 18 Malaysia Airlines flights in 16 days to achieve Malaysia Enrich Gold status (and thus Oneworld Sapphire status) in what I think will be just over two years. But as pandemic caused by corona virus suspending most travel in Asia for much of 2020 and 2021, Malaysia Airlines extended my Enrich Gold status many times.

It’s been almost four years since I achieved Enrich Gold status. And my status was finally set to expire in March 2023.

I credit my Oneworld flights arrive American ALAdvantage (where I have maintained Executive Platinum status since 2016), so I do not plan to qualify for Enrich Gold. But even though I maintain Oneworld Emerald Status through my AAdvantage status, I’m happy to have Oneworld Sapphire status from an international airline while flying within the US to use the Top lounge.

So when I saw an email from Enrich this November detailing three invite-only renewal challenges, I was intrigued.

Enrich Malaysia Innovation Challenge

I have been closely following the Malaysia Enrich program and its promotions during the coronavirus pandemic. There are some that look appealing but I can’t get the numbers to work.

But that changed in November. Enrich Malaysia sent me an email detailing three invite-only renewal challenges to keep Enrich Gold and Oneworld Sapphire until the end of 2023. I can earn 42 elite points (the reduced elite requirement Enrich announced near the end of 2021) or meet one of the following invite-only challenges:

• Fly eight business class flights or 16 economy class flights on Malaysia Airlines, MASwings, Firefly or Oneworld.
• Earn 80,000 Enrich Points from bank point conversion.
• Buy 50,000 Enrich Points through Enrich Online.

Each challenge considers activity from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.

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I spent some time checking to see if I could accumulate the required fields at a modest rate before the end of the year. But I couldn’t find any modestly priced options to fit my already packed travel schedule.

And Citi ThankYou removed Malaysia Enrich as a remittance partner in March 2022, making it impossible to convert major US remittance currencies to Enrich. So the transfer challenge is also a no-no for me.

It wasn’t until Enrich emailed a “final call” about renewal challenges in early December that I decided to calculate how much it would cost to buy 50,000 Enrich points. I found I could buy 1,000 to 50,000 points at 0.085 Malaysian Ringgit (1.9 cents) per point or 50,001 to 200,000 points at 0.075 Ringgit (1.7 cents) per point.

I can buy 50,000 points with 4,250 Ringgit ($960.45). However, it is strange that I can buy 50,001 points for 3,750.07 Ringgit ($847.47) because the cost per point decreases when buying more than 50,000 points.

I can pay $847.47 to get 50,001 points and maintain my Malaysia Enrich Gold status until the end of 2023. Honestly, this is less than I expected. So I reconsidered how much value I could get by redeeming 50,001 Enrich points.

Related: Where to credit paying flights in each alliance for as many points as possible

Enrich Base redemption was the thing I found most fascinating last year when I wrote about how I can redeem my Malaysia Airlines Enrich points. After all, flights start with just 2,100 points based on Enrich Base Award Table:

Travelers are allowed up to 7 kg (approximately 15 pounds) of hand baggage and up to 20 kg (approximately 44 pounds) of checked baggage on Enrich Base economy class tickets (better than the baggage allowance). which Enrich offers on its cheapest ticket the prize is priced). This allowance will be useful if I redeem my Enrich after my status expires.

In short, if I am going to redeem Malaysia Enrich points for flights, I will try to do so when I can book an Enrich Base ticket. And ideally I would try to place prizes worth 2,100 points. Since I love touring Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi, consider the value I can usually get when I book an Enrich Base ticket on this route.

You can usually book flights within Malaysia for a relatively low cost. So it’s not surprising that I can fly Malaysia Airlines on multiple days one way from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi for only 124 Ringgit ($28.02).

On most days I can also book one or more flights for just 2,100 points plus 29.82 Ringgit ($6.74).

If I booked an Enrich Base fare on this flight, I would get a conversion rate of about 1,013 cents per point. Based on this conversion rate, 50,001 points would make me about $503 worth.

Related: Like it or leave it: TPG senior writer Katie Genter plans for 2023

The Value of Oneworld Sapphire Perks

If I expect to receive about $503 worth of redeeming 50,001 Malaysian Enrich Points and it will cost me $847.47 to buy points, then I need to value the Malaysian Enrich Gold (and thus the) perks. Oneworld Sapphire) at $345 or more for nine months.

Oneworld Sapphire offers many useful perks, including:

• Use the business class lounge and check-in lines.
• Access to priority seats or reserve seats, according to the policy of the Oneworld airline operating the flight.
• Priority on the waiting list and when on standby, according to the policy of the airline Oneworld operating the flight.
• In-house preferred.
• Extra baggage allowance providing at least one checked bag on all Oneworld flights (details vary according to the baggage system used by your airline and whether you are flying domestically or internationally) .
• Priority baggage handling except when flying British Airways.

Since I already have Oneworld Emerald status through American Airlines Executive Platinum status, most of these benefits don’t add much value.

But the Malaysia Enrich Gold status offers me a particularly valuable benefit beyond my AAdvantage status and related Oneworld Emerald: access to American Airlines lounges within the United States. This includes not only Admiral’s Club lounges but also Flagship Lounges when I check out -at my Oneworld boarding pass agent and Malaysia Enrich number.

Based on US Flagship Lounge Usage Policy, I have access when “departing, arriving, or connecting to any flight of the day marketed and operated by American or oneworld® airlines (regardless of class).” And I can even bring a guest.

Honestly, I’ve been in love with America’s Top Lounges since I won the Malaysian Gold in 2019. I love the high quality food options in the varied buffet and wide selection of items. to drink. Additionally, I enjoy sitting by the large floor-to-ceiling windows at locations in Dallas and Los Angeles.

And although I can access the Admiral’s Club through Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®having this card will not grant me access to the Flagship Lounge.

To make a decision based on logic, I took a look at my upcoming trips through Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas (US hubs with Top Lounges). And I consider how often I have used my Malaysia Airlines status to visit American Airlines lounges over the past nine months.

In short, the math is more than a result assuming that I value each visit to the Flagship Lounge at $50 and each visit to the Admiral’s Club at $10. Even better, buying Malaysia Enrich points will help my husband meet his new phone minimum spending requirement. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Preferred Credit Card.

Related: Should you buy hotel or airline elite status?