Jun 28, 2017, 8:46 pm
Last edit by: eponymous_coward
Cathay Award Guide Using Alaska Airlines Miles
Note: Cathay flights cannot be booked using alaskaair.com. Mileage requirements in chart form available on alaskaair.com.
Routing Rules:
North American Gateway Cities:
Western
Vancouver
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Seattle (Spring 2019)
Eastern (Can not be used if traveling to west coast)
Boston
Chicago
New York (JFK & EWR)
Toronto
Washington
Award Chart Links*:
Asia
Australia
Europe
India/Middle East
North America
Anyone with 90 posts and 90 days can edit the wiki. Everyone else if you want something added to the wiki please comment in the thread.
Note: Cathay flights cannot be booked using alaskaair.com. Mileage requirements in chart form available on alaskaair.com.
Request your Partner Award reservation on Cathay Pacific by calling Alaska Airlines Reservations at 1-800-252-7522 (TTY: Dial 711 for Relay Services) 5:00 a.m. - Midnight (PT), daily.
- If it's not on the award chart, it's not allowed. For example EUROPE is To/From HKG only.
- Stopover are only allowed on any CX award for North America awards as destination or origin. For instance: intra-Asia awards do not get a stopover. It must be a North America->Somewhere or Somewhere->North America award to qualify for a stopover.
- The only awards that do not break at HKG are intra-Asia or North American ones. For instance, Australia-Europe/Middle East/Asia outside of HKG will be two awards (breaking at HKG). The AS award chart can be misleading about this and give you the impression you can fly an award like Australia/Europe-ICN, but the chart for these award types will show "Hong Kong".
- One stop-over allowed on one way award. You can build open jaw and other advanced routings by booking multiple one way awards. Please note change fee rule below.
- Allegedly stop-over only in Hong Kong, but some have posted success in other enroute cities such as YVR or SEA.
- As of 5 June 2018 changes/cancellations made to a booking will incur a $125 fee which is waived for MVPG/MVPG75K. Bookings made prior to 5 June will be allowed one complimentary change or cancellation for up to 60 days prior to date of travel.
- Awards can be booked 330 days in advance.
- Cathay and Alaska (or an Alaska flight operated by SkyWest/Horizon on behalf of Alaska) are the only airlines allowed on a Cathay award. No other partner airlines may be used on a single award (e.g. American, JAL, Emirates).
North American Gateway Cities:
Western
Vancouver
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Seattle (Spring 2019)
Eastern (Can not be used if traveling to west coast)
Boston
Chicago
New York (JFK & EWR)
Toronto
Washington
Award Chart Links*:
Asia
Australia
Europe
India/Middle East
North America
Anyone with 90 posts and 90 days can edit the wiki. Everyone else if you want something added to the wiki please comment in the thread.
Cathay Pacific (CX) Award Redemption, Booking and Availability – 2017 and Later
Jun 13, 2017, 8:17 pm
#721
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 2,272
Agreed. As one that pays for KVS, EF, and AN, I'm through with freeloaders that won't invest in their awards. I respect the budgets of others, but I'm sick of being taken advantage of. Prove to me you're willing to do battle for your reward, and I'll be your greatest ally. Until then, bugger off and by all means, relay on seatmaps!!!! So accurate!!
Ps - not at all directed at "reverted".
Ps - not at all directed at "reverted".
Jun 13, 2017, 8:25 pm
#723
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Is there a way to check how many seats are open on a CX flight on a given day? I want to fly Hong Kong to NYC in F (ideally leaving in the evening) on July 7, 2017. At the moment there are no award seats open for this flight. I know CX tends to open up awards again close in, but I'm just wondering how open these particular flights still are, because if there is a really strong chance of the seats opening up I will rework my schedule so I can take this flight and it would save me some hassle trying to cancel tickets at the last minute etc.
Jun 15, 2017, 7:18 am
#724
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: DC
Posts: 189
Does anyone have any experience modifying the return leg of the trip once the trip has already began? Can this even be done?
I also assume it would be one change fee if you changed both legs (before the trip begins)?
Thank you.
I also assume it would be one change fee if you changed both legs (before the trip begins)?
Thank you.
Jun 15, 2017, 8:15 am
#725
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,837
Officially, people have been told it's not allowed. In reality, some of us have been successful changing a return leg while on layover. Possibly there's more accommodation for better customers, i.e. 75K told yes, mileage buyer who has never flown AS told no.
Jun 15, 2017, 3:05 pm
#726
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: DC
Posts: 189
Not what I wanted to hear but thank you for the input. Hopefully I snag the dates I want before the trip then...
Jun 19, 2017, 8:37 am
#727
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist, Marriot LT Titanium, UA 2.4MM, HH Gold, AS MVPG
Posts: 3,400
Just a data point. I followed the wiki comment that suggested that changes to award availability were often made on Monday 9:30AM Hong Kong time. I had some doubt about this, but indeed between 35 and 36 minutes after the hour first class seats dumped in for multiple days for the 14 day-out period.
So so excited about this!!!
Jun 19, 2017, 1:39 pm
#728
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Alaska 75K
Posts: 91
If you ever decide to get the Premium membership, I have found it useful in looking at flight loads. I have a HKG-LAX flight 1 in F and 1 in J. It's been F5 A5 on EF for awhile now and I have an alert set up for when F or A drops <5. Granted, EF won't alert you of an award seat opening, but it's still nice being in the know.
Seems like EF is a no brainer if you really want to be in the game, like jamienbaker said.
Thanks all.
Jun 19, 2017, 1:45 pm
#729
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Alaska 75K
Posts: 91
I book outbound and return legs separately. That's one way to ensure you can change after you've left. Granted, I'm 75K so the change fee and other charges are very generous to me or anyone I'm booking for out of my mileage account.
Jun 19, 2017, 2:33 pm
#730
Join Date: May 2008
Location: SAN
Programs: AS GOLD
Posts: 403
I have been using JL to search availability. Found seats but AS agent cannot see it. Asked to search section by section. Still yield no result.
Been HUACA for the last 3 days. lol...
Looking for SIN-HKG-LAX Feb 25th All in Frist class.
Been HUACA for the last 3 days. lol...
Looking for SIN-HKG-LAX Feb 25th All in Frist class.
Jun 19, 2017, 3:23 pm
#731
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist, Marriot LT Titanium, UA 2.4MM, HH Gold, AS MVPG
Posts: 3,400
BA.com does show 1 seat for HKG-LAX on two different flights for that date. I know you asked them to look section by section, did you try calling and asking to just book HKG-LAX, then if successful add SIN-HKG? Also I think I remember somebody saying that sometimes when other partners show 1 then AS shows 0, only if other partners who >1 will AS see the space. Good luck!!
Jun 19, 2017, 3:48 pm
#732
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,640
also ask them to do a long sell...
most agents reluctant to do this, might have to huaca a few times.
most agents reluctant to do this, might have to huaca a few times.
Jun 19, 2017, 9:32 pm
#733
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Alaska 75K
Posts: 91
Regarding the flight alert on EF, if you're looking for Business, do you have to set it on < # for J, C, D, and I? They all appear to be Biz class. Or is an alert on < # of J seats good enough to see that something has changed an award has possibly opened up?
Jun 20, 2017, 5:17 am
#734
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
HKG-JNB showed 1 J award to OW partners, I was still able to snag it through AS, against the '1 less' phenomenon. (Part of an ORD-HKG-JNB F award). Downside being unable to waive the $15 booking fee even after HUACA twice and requesting supervisor clarification.
Jun 20, 2017, 12:52 pm
#735
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
Hence no surprise AS would not waive the phone booking fee even CX is not bookable online.
HKG-US routes are where the "1 less" notion comes from. CX may have different treatments on different routes. I imagine the HKG-US routes have much higher demand than HKG-JNB route.