Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - dun join asia miles, unless you are/will be their tier members!

unreachable hotline (no matter day or night), waited for 30 mins and the line hanged up automatically. understand they have dedicated hotline to tier members, but does it make sense for a best-rated airline providing such service?! :td:

also expensive surcharge for award ticket. >50 bucks for a round trip award ticket to taipei from HKG (404 miles)! a round trip award ticket to NYC (8000 miles) by UA cost me 3x bucks only :td:

small seat :mad:, comparatively expensive air-fare :mad::mad:. shame on my local airline! :td:

any good redemption opportunities with CX?

for cx and ka award tickets, i would answer yes.

for oneworld partners award tickets, i would say no. if you redeem online, you need to fill in a redemption form and wait them to call you (3-4 days according to my experience, not much thou.). are they living in the stone age? use the internet asia miles!

or you call try calling their hotline. but as mentioned above, unreachable no matter day or night.

i was saying the hong kong hotline. i wish they do better in other countries.

Have you ever tried redeeming a ticket on QF or BA? See what their charges are. You'll think CX is much better. I will agree with you on the customer service hotline. They really need to improve on that department but the wait isn't too long being a Gold.

Have you ever tried redeeming a ticket on QF or BA? See what their charges are. You'll think CX is much better. I will agree with you on the customer service hotline. They really need to improve on that department but the wait isn't too long being a Gold.

hi, thanks for your comment first. i did say asia miles has good redemption opportunity on the award ticket of cx/ka. just very annoying when you redeem their partners award ticket.

thanks for emphasizing "Gold" members, i would like to point out it is quite difficult to earn miles by using cx metals (at least for me, a poor econ class lover).

I was known in here that I have a "thing" with or against CX.

But I will say somehow you don't see the whole picture (especially if you are a *G).

1. CX charges YQ/YR on their award tickets. And they are not the only airlines doing it. (Remember UA does not charge YQ/YR but it will require a "higher" redemption rate.)

2. CX, without doubt, has issues with phone (as they are all documented here). But are they the only airlines?

I will say rather you firing CX here, sending an email to CRD may be even more proper.

i've been earning at least half a million asiamiles. i've learnt to shop around if you think YQ is too high. and well, for the phoneline, it does suck, and having an elite phone line to call thru does help (slightly)

...

1. CX charges YQ/YR on their award tickets. And they are not the only airlines doing it. (Remember UA does not charge YQ/YR but it will require a "higher" redemption rate.)

Just happened to price out an award using AM, LAX-BKK return in F. Requires 220,000 AMs and $487 in fees/surcharges.

If using AVIOS it would require 240,000 and similar charges.

If using AAdvantage miles, it's 135,000 and around $75, give or take.

From memory (haven't checked in awhile), a UA Saver Award, is 140,000 miles with no YQ/YR fees. *A Standard is a whopping 320,000! Of course *A doesn't include CX but does include UA and, with very limited availability, ANA and Asiana. Again, this is from memory and I may have mixed this up a bit, but I think it's correct.

A big benefit of MP/AM is that CX makes more seats available for its FFers than it does for AA/BA.


2. CX, without doubt, has issues with phone (as they are all documented here). But are they the only airlines?

It seems to be getting a bit better here in the US. I was on hold with AM for "only" about 5-10 minutes. No elite status.

If using AAdvantage miles, it's 135,000 and around $75, give or take.


A big benefit of MP/AM is that CX makes more seats available for its FFers than it does for AA/BA.


It seems to be getting a bit better here in the US. I was on hold with AM for "only" about 5-10 minutes. No elite status.

AA miles, you get the best value, but try redeeming a CX ticket. It's not impossible, but it's so difficult to get a seat. I tried to get a ticket to BKK and no availability.

Like you said, there are definitely a lot more seats available for MPC/AM members. I booked an award ticket to BKK for next week and was able to get a seat straight away (this was done last week).

Yeah, the taxes are higher and you need more miles (as opposed to AA), to get the same ticket but having more seats available for its own members is a big plus.

I was known in here that I have a "thing" with or against CX.

But I will say somehow you don't see the whole picture (especially if you are a *G).

1. CX charges YQ/YR on their award tickets. And they are not the only airlines doing it. (Remember UA does not charge YQ/YR but it will require a "higher" redemption rate.)

2. CX, without doubt, has issues with phone (as they are all documented here). But are they the only airlines?

I will say rather you firing CX here, sending an email to CRD may be even more proper.

1. in my opinion, their redemption opportunity was getting much better after they merged with CO. so far, i dun have any difficulty to redeem ticket from UA and their partners, will fly to vancouver in july using just 65k miles for econ round trip (140k for first!). also i can see a lot of short haul award tickets available during summer. it is not like what you are saying at all. and you have to remember you can earn miles easily from UA.

2. again, i called UA hotline so many times, never waits more than 10 mins.

i know UA sucks in many aspects. but i am quite happy about their FFP.

thanks for your suggestion, will send something to their CRD also.

i've been earning at least half a million asiamiles. i've learnt to shop around if you think YQ is too high. and well, for the phoneline, it does suck, and having an elite phone line to call thru does help (slightly)

Agree, already did.

i m ok with the YQ actually, some other airlines also have. the main problem is the ways of redeeming their partners award tickets are annoying, call their unreachable hotline or wait them calling you. that's what the top-rated airline does?

Just happened to price out an award using AM, LAX-BKK return in F. Requires 220,000 AMs and $487 in fees/surcharges.

If using AVIOS it would require 240,000 and similar charges.

If using AAdvantage miles, it's 135,000 and around $75, give or take.

From memory (haven't checked in awhile), a UA Saver Award, is 140,000 miles with no YQ/YR fees. *A Standard is a whopping 320,000! Of course *A doesn't include CX but does include UA and, with very limited availability, ANA and Asiana. Again, this is from memory and I may have mixed this up a bit, but I think it's correct.

A big benefit of MP/AM is that CX makes more seats available for its FFers than it does for AA/BA.


It seems to be getting a bit better here in the US. I was on hold with AM for "only" about 5-10 minutes. No elite status.

their system changed after they merged with CO, they are now using preview CO system. i would say it is quite easy to redeem ticket from them now (except the long haul during the summer, need to do it a bit earlier).

good to know they have a better hotline in US. maybe i should try to call the US one tonight.

If you think the fuel surcharges on CX are outrageous (these are already regulated by the CAD as with all airlines to/from HKG), take a look at European FFPs, e.g. AF/KL Flying Blue or LH Miles&More. The only reason why most US airlines (UA, US and AA) do not assess fuel surcharge on their award tickets is because it's already included in revenue tickets (I believe something to do with the 'all-inclusive pricing' policy) - and they're pretty much the exception in the industry. Even DL assesses fuel surcharge and an 'International Origin Surcharge' on award tickets on many of its partners.

If you think the fuel surcharges on CX are outrageous (these are already regulated by the CAD as with all airlines to/from HKG), take a look at European FFPs, e.g. AF/KL Flying Blue or LH Miles&More. The only reason why most US airlines (UA, US and AA) do not assess fuel surcharge on their award tickets is because it's already included in revenue tickets (I believe something to do with the 'all-inclusive pricing' policy) - and they're pretty much the exception in the industry. Even DL assesses fuel surcharge and an 'International Origin Surcharge' on award tickets on many of its partners.

maybe you are right, but i have a different point of view here. i think the fuel surcharge things just depends on the airlines, not the locations.

as you are also a EB gold member, you may already know they dun have the the fuel surcharge. and yes, SAS EB is an euro FFP.

again, i need to say i am ok with the surcharge, at least i know how much i need to pay before i book it. what i hate most is the ways to redeem their partner award tickets, calling their unreachable hotline or waiting them to call you within 7 days.

Dont use cx then...

also expensive surcharge for award ticket. >50 bucks for a round trip award ticket to taipei from HKG (404 miles)! a round trip award ticket to NYC (13000 miles) by UA cost me 3x bucks only :td:

HKG-TPE is 501 miles and HKG-JFK is 8059 miles. Even if you used a different tool to look that up it should not have been that off.

maybe you are right, but i have a different point of view here. i think the fuel surcharge things just depends on the airlines, not the locations.

as you are also a EB gold member, you may already know they dun have the the fuel surcharge. and yes, SAS EB is an euro FFP.

again, i need to say i am ok with the surcharge, at least i know how much i need to pay before i book it. what i hate most is the ways to redeem their partner award tickets, calling their unreachable hotline or waiting them to call you within 7 days.

Wait until Jul 1 when YR is lowered then.
I can go to YVR and get tickets there...

HKG-TPE is 501 miles and HKG-JFK is 8059 miles. Even if you used a different tool to look that up it should not have been that off.

thanks for your correction.
was in kilometer, my fault.

thanks for your correction.
was in kilometer, my fault.

501mi still isn't quite 404km...

Just remember - a FFP is not designed for everyone.

You will need to evaluate before you choose.