Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Contradicting info on Upgrade of Membership level

Hello my fellow flyers, I need your wisdom.

I have just flown back from Vancouver to HK and qualified for my next tier level. I called up the MPC desk and asked if I could request my membership package to be sent to me (because I have connecting flights this month) as soon as the miles are credited and when they have confirmed my new status.

This lady who I spoke to told me a very shocking fact. She said because my qualifying period ends on January 31, 2002, I will not be upgraded to next tier until that day. This is ridiculous if this is true! According to her, I am "very close" to that date (humm... 1.5 months...) so I have to wait.

From the previous experience of commuter who was in the same situation, I thought the CX computer system will automatically upgrade you to your next tier once you have enough qualifying miles. But my conversation with the MPC agent implies I will not be able to enjoy the higher tier benefits until my qualifying period is over.

I do not know if she meant the physical "package" to arrive until January 31st, or if she meant my "status" will NOT be changed until Jan. 31st.

Can someone confirm this? I don't want to compromise because I have 5 other long haul flights planned in next 2 months. Thanks!

Ted

PS: I asked her to let me speak to her supervisor to confirm this, but she refused. Does anybody have a contact of good understanding agent in MPC desk?

I disagree. Once you have reached your qualifying level, you will be upgraded to next level immediately. BUt what CX lady might mean is that they will wait till your qualifying deadline to determine which level you will stay at... when your qualifying points zeroes down.

Call CX again, and ask to speak to a supervisor.

CX will only send you your package after your qualifying period and not before though.

Well, in my experience, moving up twice (Green-Silver and Silver-Gold), I was upgraded to the next level the day that the qualifying flights were recorded, and received my new package within a few weeks. I wrote CX once to ask about this, and if you are moving up a level, your miles are zeroed out, and your qualifying year changes to whenever it is that you move up a level. This is not the case if you re-qualify at the same level.

It sounds like the staff member is not clear about the rules (this is not unknown), so you should definitely talk to a supervisor and/or write an email to the Marco Polo Club. I think you're on solid ground here, so it's worth pursuing.