In our previous post on How to Beat Fuel Surcharge, which gained quite a bit of attention, we provided a snapshot of Malaysia Airlines YQ fuel surcharges in May 2026.
We are now in Sep 2026, and in this post, we want to give you an update on the YQ situation, and share some tips on fuel surcharge.
Current Fuel Surcharges for MH
Here’s the latest YQ data as of Sep 2026:
| Tier | Route | Fuel Surcharge YQ From KUL (One-way) Sep 2026 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | Business | ||
| 1 | Domestic Flights Alor Setar, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Terengganu, Kuantan, Langkawi, Penang, Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Bintulu, Sandakan, Labuan, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau | RM500% (no change) | RM700% (no change) |
| 2 | ASEAN Kertajati, Phuket, Medan, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, Hanoi, Yangon, Singapore, Bangkok, Surabaya, Jakarta, Phnom Penh, Chiang Mai, Denpasar, Manila | RM1050% (no change) | RM1500% (no change) |
| 3 | South Asia Maldives, Thiruvananthapuram, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kathmandu, Mumbai, Dhaka, Colombo, New Delhi | RM1900% (no change) | RM2200% (no change) |
| 3 | North Asia (ex-Japan) and China Incheon, Taipei, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu | RM1900% (no change) | RM2200% (no change) |
| 4 | Europe London, Paris | RM2300% (no change) | RM2700% (no change) |
| 4 | Australia and New Zealand Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Auckland | RM2300% (no change) | RM2700% (no change) |
| 5 | Middle East Doha | RM446▼ 25.0% (−RM149) | RM851▲ 2.2% (+RM18) |
| 5 | Japan Osaka, Narita, Fukuoka | RM664▼ 27.4% vs Jul (−RM251) |
RM664▼ 27.4% vs Jul (−RM251) |
Japan YQ is down 27% from peak
Malaysia Airlines Fuel Surcharge (YQ): Kuala Lumpur – Japan, 2026 (Per Way)
Source: Malaysia Airlines booking data.
The YQ for Japan remains the highest among all MH destinations. It was RM726 per sector in May 2026, rose 26% to RM915 in July and August, and has now fallen 27% to RM664 in September.
This is not simply because Japan is a popular destination. Unlike most other MH routes, fuel surcharges to/from Japan follow a more structured mechanism, with the amount determined based on the two-month average Singapore kerosene price, subject to revision.
ANA and JAL also follow a similar framework. In fact, YQ prices for MH and JAL are the same (probably due to the their partnership) and ANA costs slightly higher at RM743.
| YQ Price | ||
| Economy | Business | |
 |
RM664 | RM664 |
 |
RM665 | RM665 |
 |
RM743 | RM743 |
YQ Prices per way ex-KUL, direct flight
YQ for Doha is up slightly
Outside Japan, the Middle East has the next-highest YQ. Economy YQ for Doha is reduced by 25% since May 2026 to RM446, while Business YQ has increased slightly by about 2% to RM851.
If you are flying Business to Doha, redemption on QRPC is clearly the better choice.
You get a much more premium product of Qsuite for 50,000 Avios and RM 719 YR, while avoiding 175,000 Enrich Points required for Enrich Saver + higher YQ of RM851.
YQ for other destinations remain unchanged
For destinations in Tier 1 to Tier 4, YQ remains unchanged since May. As we mentioned before, these prices are still reasonable given the current situation. If you need to redeem MH on Enrich, there’s just no way around this.
Seasoned mileschasers may wonder if it’s worth using American AAdvantage or Alaska Atmos to redeem MH flights, since both absorb YQ. Given the scarcity and value of AAdvantage and Atmos, however, you could be overpaying on the base redemption just to save on the YQ, so we recommend doing the math before proceeding.
Is it worth it to redeem an MH flight to Japan now?
Malaysia Airlines now charges YQ of RM664 per sector, down 27% from the peak YQ in July.
This makes redemption for Japan more palatable, especially with the discounted base fares during the current MATTA travel season, which ends on 14 September.
If you’re holding off on a redemption in hopes of lower YQ, we don’t recommend doing so. The next YQ revision will take effect on 1 November 2026, and there’s no telling which direction it will go. Even if YQ does fall, the redemption seat you want may already be gone by then.
But if you want to lock in the current YQ price, the tickets have to be issued by 30 October 2026, after which the new YQ revision in Nov will kick in.
What are the alternatives?
As mentioned in our previous post, using miles is a great way to beat fuel surcharges. And in this regard, Singapore Airlines and Scoot are the best choices for Malaysians, as neither of them imposes YQ.
Singapore Airlines Business Saver awards to Japan do exist, although availability is very limited.
Economy awards are much easier to find, and you can even get 15% off now during the KrisFlyer Global Redemption Sale that ends on 20 Sep 2026.
Another option is Peter’s favourite airline, EVA Air, which requires 25,000 EVA Infinity MileageLands miles for Business to Japan, plus RM244 in YR.
The catch is that it requires an overnight transit in Taipei, so you’ll need to factor in the cost of accommodation and the loss of time waiting for the transit, which can eat into your holiday time.
Alternatively, budget airline ZIPAIR now flies KUL–NRT, offering low fares with no YQ. You can get a full-flat Business Class seat for around RM2,500 one-way all in.
Conclusion
Malaysia Airlines has finally reduced its fuel surcharge for Japan, and YQ for most other destinations remains unchanged except Doha.
Jet fuel prices also remain elevated following the spike in April 2026, so there’s no telling which direction YQ will head next. If you want to lock in the current MH YQ for Japan, you’ll need to get the ticket issued by 30 October, before the November revision kicks in.
Singapore Airlines and Scoot remain the best choices for Malaysians looking to avoid YQ to Japan and to other destinations. If you don’t mind transiting in Changi, it is a smart way to get a better cabin product while also going easier on your wallet.
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