Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - HKG-JNB 3-class service

I searched the forum about HKG-JNG F service but the only threads I turned up were several years ago.

I assume CX still flies HKG-JNB with 3-class service during the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere because AS award chart still shows F award for the North America to Africa, or HKG to Africa on CX chart.

Can the CX flyers here please tell me what are the months CX still flies HKG-JNB with F class service? and the aircraft it uses? (I assume it is 747.)

Are the award release in the similar pattern as the US-HKG routes which tend to be very close to departure time?

Also if anyone has done this route, for pleasure, could you chime in what would be the optimal time to combine BOTH Kruger NP and CPT on one visit?

I know Kruger is better to visit in Winter for animal viewing, but that would be at odd for a visit to CPT, as well as flying CX F.

The very interesting part of using AS miles, is, it is 140K from North America to HKG, or to Africa (which only JNB is available). It is also 140K from HKG to Africa. Really crazy. AS also allows one stopover on its awards, so if the schedule works we could have HKG as our stopover either enroute to, or from JNB.

Your inputs on this topic is very much appreciated. The hoped-for trip would be late 2013/ early 2014, the Winter of Northern Hemisphere and the Summer of Southern Hemisphere.

I assume CX still flies HKG-JNB with 3-class service during the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere because AS award chart still shows F award for the North America to Africa, or HKG to Africa on CX chart.

Can the CX flyers here please tell me what are the months CX still flies HKG-JNB with F class service? and the aircraft it uses? (I assume it is 747.)


CX is planning to use 74A on this route during the summer of the southern hemisphere, so it has F. However, I would like to say that your assumption based on ASMP award chart is a pretty bad one. Also, I think your answer can be easily found if you go to CX's website and make some summy bookings.

CX is planning to use 74A on this route during the summer of the southern hemisphere, so it has F. However, I would like to say that your assumption based on ASMP award chart is a pretty bad one. Also, I think your answer can be easily found if you go to CX's website and make some summy bookings.

Why? In what regard / aspect that supports your statement of "a very bad one."?

If you are saying this is to imply that the number of miles required by AS program are not true, then I suggest you to check AS program's award charts under EACH region. AS award charts are arranged by region, then under each region, it is specifically listed by each partner, in case you are not familiar with such. Different partner has different mileage requirement for award even for the SAME region, for example. See for yourself before you make a statement that does not seem making any sense.

Unless of course, you have ACTUAL experiences in redeeming AS awards, and the actual miles required for the award differed from the PUBLISHED award charts on AS own site under its program rules. Then I would be all ears to hear your actual experiences. Until then, everything I read / heard, do not support your statement about "However, I would like to say that your assumption based on ASMP award chart is a pretty bad one." I also dont really understand what you mean.

Whatever Asia Miles want for such redemption, has no bearing on AS program.

This is no difference with the AAdvantage program can redeem a F r/t ticket on CX with only 135K AA miles, but the same ticket redeemed with Asia Miles would cost a whole lot more.

I am paying it with AS miles - therefore the "price" is what AS PUBLISHED on its own website - there is no assumption to make, the redemption cost is strictly based on AS FFP's PUBLISHED mileage requirements on each SPECIFIC region.

Whichever program's "currency" you used to redeem an award, THAT program's rules would govern your ticket, NOT the operating carrier's program. This is a universal rule across all program. Such as that if you use Asia Miles for your HKG-USA-HKG F award, you cannot pay the 135K "price" AAdvantage charges, you pay whatever Asia Miles charges.

It is such a simple concept and mechanism. I dont know why one needs to make an assumption - for these are PUBLISHED Charts and Rules of each program, no assumption is needed.

My questions really have nothing to do with the award cost, just as a casual mentioning about how AS program has some interesting options. Though your reply seems to indicate you have a misunderstanding on how award travel works.

Still, my post is much more about CX schedule and award release pattern on this particular route.

Nobody can answer the question about WHICH months are considered Summer season by CX? Also the questions about award release pattern?

Very few CX flyers posted here actually fly the HKG-JNB route, let alone on award?

I would have imagined the CX forum would know more than the US-based folks using various programs to redeem CX flights. May be this is a wrong assumption - over 100 views but only 1 response which is not even quite relevant to the questions asked. :confused:

Why? In what regard / aspect that supports your statement of "a very bad one."?

If you are saying this is to imply that the number of miles required by AS program are not true, then I suggest you to check AS program's award charts under EACH region. AS award charts are arranged by region, then under each region, it is specifically listed by each partner, in case you are not familiar with such. Different partner has different mileage requirement for award even for the SAME region, for example. See for yourself before you make a statement that does not seem making any sense.

Unless of course, you have ACTUAL experiences in redeeming AS awards, and the actual miles required for the award differed from the PUBLISHED award charts on AS own site under its program rules. Then I would be all ears to hear your actual experiences. Until then, everything I read / heard, do not support your statement about "However, I would like to say that your assumption based on ASMP award chart is a pretty bad one." I also dont really understand what you mean.

Whatever Asia Miles want for such redemption, has no bearing on AS program.

This is no difference with the AAdvantage program can redeem a F r/t ticket on CX with only 135K AA miles, but the same ticket redeemed with Asia Miles would cost a whole lot more.

I am paying it with AS miles - therefore the "price" is what AS PUBLISHED on its own website - there is no assumption to make, the redemption cost is strictly based on AS FFP's PUBLISHED mileage requirements on each SPECIFIC region.

Whichever program's "currency" you used to redeem an award, THAT program's rules would govern your ticket, NOT the operating carrier's program. This is a universal rule across all program. Such as that if you use Asia Miles for your HKG-USA-HKG F award, you cannot pay the 135K "price" AAdvantage charges, you pay whatever Asia Miles charges.

It is such a simple concept and mechanism. I dont know why one needs to make an assumption - for these are PUBLISHED Charts and Rules of each program, no assumption is needed.

My questions really have nothing to do with the award cost, just as a casual mentioning about how AS program has some interesting options. Though your reply seems to indicate you have a misunderstanding on how award travel works.

Still, my post is much more about CX schedule and award release pattern on this particular route.

Nobody can answer the question about WHICH months are considered Summer season by CX? Also the questions about award release pattern?

Very few CX flyers posted here actually fly the HKG-JNB route, let alone on award?

I would have imagined the CX forum would know more than the US-based folks using various programs to redeem CX flights. May be this is a wrong assumption - over 100 views but only 1 response which is not even quite relevant to the questions asked. :confused:

Don't know why you always give me such harsh responses when I try to help you. I guess I should learn the lesson and not do so in the future.

I know how ASMP's award chart works. You don't have to teach me as if I were a newbie who doesn't know how cross-airline redemption works. Have tried helping someone here to redeem CX FLTs from ASMP. What I tried to say is that your assumption regarding CX providing F service to Africa during the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere because such option is shown on ASMP's award chart. It could well be that ASMP's award chart simply leaves that as a theoretical option, and CX has no bearing on whether to fly F to JNB or not based on ASMP's award chart.

It is a standard to set the cut-offs of seasons in the last weekend on March and the last weekend of October, and so does CX. Again, you can make summy bookings yourself to find that out.

I indeed have never redeem on the JNB route so have no idea on what the award seat release pattern. However, if one should only answer your question only when one can answer every single point, I believe you will have troubles finding suitable FTers.

Someone just redeemed the 140K AS miles for the US-Africa F award on CX, just this past March.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18958865-post26.html

So I really dont have a clue what information this statement However, I would like to say that your assumption based on ASMP award chart is a pretty bad one. is based on.

There is no explanation on why it is a bad assumption, no sources to prove such statement, just a person's own assumption (no pun intended) without even checking what AS award chart is.

I would like to put a link of the post of an ACTUAL experience from AS forum here - so in the future if anyone does a search on this topic, this thread would have at least provide somewhat useful information instead of absolutely useless.

Don't know why you always give me such harsh responses when I try to help you. I guess I should learn the lesson and not do so in the future.

No, I dont give you a hard time. I dont even remember what you have tried to help me in the past because honestly I dont recall you have posted relevant info to my prior questions on this forum. May be you really try to help, but the way you do it, is kind of peculiar - because you dont seem to get to the point, or directly answer the questions asked. You cannot blame others for misunderstand you when you dont have a clear meaning in your post.


I know how ASMP's award chart works. You don't have to teach me as if I were a newbie who doesn't know how cross-airline redemption works. Have tried helping someone here to redeem CX FLTs from ASMP. What I tried to say is that your assumption regarding CX providing F service to Africa during the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere because such option is shown on ASMP's award chart. It could well be that ASMP's award chart simply leaves that as a theoretical option, and CX has no bearing on whether to fly F to JNB or not based on ASMP's award chart.


This is quite absurd - you could say, high season availability may be hard to get - but to say this is a theoretical option, and CX has no bearing on the award chart is simply absurd. The chart is SPECIFICALLY related to CX. Using other airlines would be a totally different chart. FYI, AF and BA both can be used to fly North America to Africa, using AS miles - they have their own charts. Excuse my English skill, I would not understand your statement of CX having no bearing on ASMP award chart when it is the specific chart for CX redemption.

And for your own reference, this is an ACTUAL experience for redeeming AS miles to fly CX F USA-HKG-JNB, as recent as this past March.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18958865-post26.html

So I guess, after all, CX does have bearing because they did fly CX F on all their long haul legs, as recently as March 2012, using their AS miles, and the poster gushed about the redemption, naturally.

Furthermore, please note that the poster pdxasflyer, has claimed 4 F awards using AS miles, traveled in March. So this is definitely contrary to what you claimed - "It could well be that ASMP's award chart simply leaves that as a theoretical option, and CX has no bearing on whether to fly F to JNB or not based on ASMP's award chart." Not only AS award chart is a reality, not a theoretical option, but instead of just 1 or 2, 4! awards are claimed using the exact AS award chart. And that is actual experience, not an assumption, my friend.

There is a fundamental difference between saying that, the award seat availability is hard to come by during high season, versus the way you say about it is a bad assumption to make based on AS award chart.

My take? unless CX flies its plane in full occupancy, chances are, the HKG-JNB route would be just like any other CX long haul routes between US and HKG, that the F availability springs up starting 2 weeks before departure. We have seen this again and again.

The only development would change this pattern would be a worldwide pick up of the economy. Else, we will continue to see such phenomena.

That is the reason why I would hope for some CX flyers who actually have redeemed awards on the HKG-JNB route to give some inputs on the award seats release pattern - so I can get a gauge on what to expect - should I try to book as early as possible right after the award seat released in the usual 3xx days time frame, or could I gamble for last minute release? or like the USA-HKG, there are yet some random releases during the 6 to 3 months before departure time frame?

Those are the specific questions I asked, and no input / answer has ever come forth.

THAT, would be the valuable information I am hoping to get - not a statement like yours - which by itself is pure guess and is pretty much useless. (You helped, but equal to no help, sorry.)


It is a standard to set the cut-offs of seasons in the last weekend on March and the last weekend of October, and so does CX. Again, you can make summy bookings yourself to find that out.

Now, the seasonal period would be the one piece of useful information. Yes, I know I can make dummy booking on CX website to find out. However, a quick question on route/schedule issue, in other airlines forum, such as AA, AS, UA, or BA, often can get very quick answers plus helpful tips on what to look for / look out. I made the wrong assumption that CX forum would be just like that. Apparently it is not.

May be HKG-JNB simply is not a commonly flown route among the regular posters on CX forum. Happens.


I indeed have never redeem on the JNB route so have no idea on what the award seat release pattern. However, if one should only answer your question only when one can answer every single point, I believe you will have troubles finding suitable FTers.

You are too sensitive. I dont expect you or anyone can answer all the questions asked. Heck, so far, no one has answered anything, except you. And you only answered the relevant questions on your 2nd post. Your 1st post has not really addressed any of my questions, at least not directly.

Now I will be back to AS forum to unearth folks who have redeemed this award and have them give me some pointers.

No, I dont give you a hard time. I dont even remember what you have tried to help me in the past because honestly I dont recall you have posted relevant info to my prior questions on this forum. May be you really try to help, but the way you do it, is kind of peculiar - because you dont seem to get to the point, or directly answer the questions asked. You cannot blame others for misunderstand you when you dont have a clear meaning in your post.


I think it is fair to claim that I am now one of the main FTers here (CX forum) that answers questions and I have received many thanks. For some reason so far you are the only person who thinks I am doing a insatisfactory job. There is always room for me to improve, and I agree with that, but maybe, more importantly, you need to think about how come no one else answers your question (IMHO probably related to your manner, although I agree the fact that JNB is an not a mostly talked-about route also matters), and how come even the only person who tries to help you got so agitated by you (too high a standard?), while he does not face the same issue when helping others.


This is quite absurd - you could say, high season availability may be hard to get - but to say this is a theoretical option, and CX has no bearing on the award chart is simply absurd. The chart is SPECIFICALLY related to CX. Using other airlines would be a totally different chart. FYI, AF and BA both can be used to fly North America to Africa, using AS miles - they have their own charts. Excuse my English skill, I would not understand your statement of CX having no bearing on ASMP award chart when it is the specific chart for CX redemption.

And for your own reference, this is an ACTUAL experience for redeeming AS miles to fly CX F USA-HKG-JNB, as recent as this past March.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18958865-post26.html

So I guess, after all, CX does have bearing because they did fly CX F on all their long haul legs, as recently as March 2012, using their AS miles, and the poster gushed about the redemption, naturally.

Furthermore, please note that the poster pdxasflyer, has claimed 4 F awards using AS miles, traveled in March. So this is definitely contrary to what you claimed - "It could well be that ASMP's award chart simply leaves that as a theoretical option, and CX has no bearing on whether to fly F to JNB or not based on ASMP's award chart." Not only AS award chart is a reality, not a theoretical option, but instead of just 1 or 2, 4! awards are claimed using the exact AS award chart. And that is actual experience, not an assumption, my friend.

There is a fundamental difference between saying that, the award seat availability is hard to come by during high season, versus the way you say about it is a bad assumption to make based on AS award chart.

My take? unless CX flies its plane in full occupancy, chances are, the HKG-JNB route would be just like any other CX long haul routes between US and HKG, that the F availability springs up starting 2 weeks before departure. We have seen this again and again.

The only development would change this pattern would be a worldwide pick up of the economy. Else, we will continue to see such phenomena.

That is the reason why I would hope for some CX flyers who actually have redeemed awards on the HKG-JNB route to give some inputs on the award seats release pattern - so I can get a gauge on what to expect - should I try to book as early as possible right after the award seat released in the usual 3xx days time frame, or could I gamble for last minute release? or like the USA-HKG, there are yet some random releases during the 6 to 3 months before departure time frame?

Those are the specific questions I asked, and no input / answer has ever come forth.

THAT, would be the valuable information I am hoping to get - not a statement like yours - which by itself is pure guess and is pretty much useless. (You helped, but equal to no help, sorry.)


First, please reflect on what you have said in your first post, "I assume CX still flies HKG-JNB with 3-class service during the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere because AS award chart still shows F award for the North America to Africa, or HKG to Africa on CX chart." You believe that CX flies to JNB with F during a specific season because you see F to Africa being mentioned in ASMP's CX award chart. Am I wrong to say that this is a bad assumption? Am I wrong to say that CX has no bearing (just taking your word, actually, from your second post) to serve F to JNB in a specific season of your choice because ASMP's CX award leaves F redemption to JNB as an option? No need to tell me someone got an award to JNB or even how many seats someone got. I have checked the aircraft used for JNB in the season you indicated when I replied to you the first time, so I already know that F is served in that season to JNB, have I not? I am talking about you making inferences from ASMP's CX award chart, not from other pieces of information. Why did I use the word "theoretical"? CX could well have once served JNB with F, and leaves that as a possible option in the future (so ASMP's CX award chart has such option), but that does not mean CX necessarily serves F now or anytime in the future up to the point schedule is loaded. I'm simply letting you know that the way your assumption was made is a pretty bad way. I'm not saying you made a incorrect assumption, as your assumption happens to be correct, which is indicated in my first reply.

You are too sensitive. I dont expect you or anyone can answer all the questions asked. Heck, so far, no one has answered anything, except you. And you only answered the relevant questions on your 2nd post. Your 1st post has not really addressed any of my questions, at least not directly.


You are too impolite. I don't expect you to appreciate me. Heck, so far, none of your paragraphs doesn't show hostility. And you only approve answers that fit in your particular narrow spectrum. My first post has addressed your question regarding the aircraft used (74A), even if you do not approve the other parts.

This is to facilitate future search so others who need info would be able to find some useful data points instead of speculation.

So now we are in Sept and I think I may check on the availability of this possible trip - the usual North America to HKG portion and then the HKG-JNB portion...

SURPRISE SURPRISE! The HKG-JNB portion has 1 to 2 F seats almost every day - from now till Nov on days I casually looked at simply using BA's 7 days after button to pull up the dates have availability.

The North America to HKG as usual, TONs of availability out from SFO in next 10 days but NOTHING once you go after that period in Sept and early Oct from pretty much all gateways. I haven't bothered to look further into Nov for EACH gateway - just too much work to do.

However this casual check indicates that HKG-JNB is a piece of cake. Nothing difficult at all. Now it is the North America to HKG would have to be either long lead time or very short lead time as we have known all along.

So contrary to some perception, using AS miles for the North America - HKG - JNB is entirely doable - especially if you dont plan on doing Safari which requires a lot more planning than just visiting - such as CPT. Heck, just the total of 4 long haul Fs, a visit to CPT and Namibia, and a stopover at HKG is totally worth it even if to do so at the drop of a hat. We may need to make a position flight separately or suffer AS coach to get to SFO or LAX as I am sure last minute F availability for the FLL-SEA flight would be a pipe dream - but the CX Fs are there for grabbing. Really am surprised on the availability of HKG-JNB. It seems CX releases 2 award seats on this route on every flight but many days have no taker.

I am flying HKG-JHB Sep 23rd in J which is scheduled on the 77W - can't seem to find what version it is for the 77W? The return is on the 74A - currently waitlisted for the upgrade from J to F. Anyone who can check what the availability on that flight is?

I am flying HKG-JHB Sep 23rd in J which is scheduled on the 77W - can't seem to find what version it is for the 77W? The return is on the 74A - currently waitlisted for the upgrade from J to F. Anyone who can check what the availability on that flight is?

it will be using 77G(no First class, with new business, new Y+ and new Y)

it will be using 77G(no First class, with new business, new Y+ and new Y)

That's the bird that usually flies HKG-YVR on CX838.
Which is why I try to get the 77W on 888.

I am flying HKG-JHB Sep 23rd in J which is scheduled on the 77W - can't seem to find what version it is for the 77W? The return is on the 74A - currently waitlisted for the upgrade from J to F. Anyone who can check what the availability on that flight is?

it will be using 77G(no First class, with new business, new Y+ and new Y)

Does the HKG-JNB service not have the 74A on a daily service even during the high season? That might be the reason why during my casual search on BA site, that there are days skipped without F seats while other days have 2 Fs most of the time and occasionally 1 F - the no show dates might be due to the 77G aircraft!

One thing I hate CX is its frequent swaps of the aircraft. It would really sucks that you are originally booked F but then the aircraft changed to a 2-class on your travel date and you are downgraded.

The return is on the 74A - currently waitlisted for the upgrade from J to F. Anyone who can check what the availability on that flight is?

Not if you tell us the date.

Return will be on 29th of Sep, tks

Return will be on 29th of Sep, tks


129SEPJNBHKG¤CX«

29SEP SAT JNB/Z¥2 HKG/¥6
CX RESPONSE ** DIRECT CONNECT PARTICIPANT **
13CX 748 F3 A2 J9 C0 D0 I0 JNBHKG 1230 0725¥1 744 0
Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9


3 seats left in F, so probably no good chance until several days before departure.

deleted

Looking at mid/end June to beg July 2013 - looks like CX is flying 7x weekly using alternate 74A and 77W with F ... nice and interesting as I thought it will be a reduced scheduled and no F during northern hemisphere summer ...

Looking at mid/end June to beg July 2013 - looks like CX is flying 7x weekly using alternate 74A and 77W with F ... nice and interesting as I thought it will be a reduced scheduled and no F during northern hemisphere summer ...

Try getting 77W F.
It's better than 74A IMO.
(For Y trips I will actually try for 74A as it has no Y+ and as such if I get opuped I will get J)

Looking at mid/end June to beg July 2013 - looks like CX is flying 7x weekly using alternate 74A and 77W with F ... nice and interesting as I thought it will be a reduced scheduled and no F during northern hemisphere summer ...

Make sure those 77W are not 77G which don't have F, which they used this summer on JNB route.

According to CX website and KVS ... it is 77W on Sun, Wed and Fri, rest 744 ... All have F.