Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Will Seat Go to Waitlisted Passenger? Or Go Empty? Or Simply For Upgrade?

I have this interesting Q:

Am looking for two award First Class Seats between HKG and Lax next month. Am told award inventory out although Sabre etc shows a lot of revenue seats left in F.

Now, supposing I get award tickets issued for other dates when CX still has seats and waitlist for dates that I really want. Then suppose that come the date I am interested in rolls around and there are still two seats available in F, will we be allowed to board (assuming we call CX at least the day in advance and show up at the airport), or will CX just let seats go empty or let other passengers get upgraded from Business Class?

Has anyone been in this kind of situation?

You should have no problem as long as there are seats availble, assuming you are using Asiamiles.

It is a different story with AA miles. Officially no standby allowed on AA awards, but I have heard that CX could be flexible sometimes.

I just noticed that you could waitlist for dates that you really want, then you should have no problem as only Asiamile members could waitlist.

Next month is Chinese New Year. Depending on the date of your travel, the flight could be very very busy. If so, even if the F-class is available, if Biz and Y are fully overbooked, I'd say CX will rather leave F-seats empty to allow for Op-Upgrades.

Also, if it's Chinese New Year, I wouldn't be surprised if there are lots of last minute passenger. So I think CX will rather keep their seats for revenue pax.

But I dont' think those 2 seats will ever go empty during the peak January season.

I actually asked Marco Polo and their reply was -

Even if there were plenty of reveue seats available in F (when allotment for award F gone), passenger waitlisted for F award will NOT get on flight if the lower classes are oversold since they will require the seat for op-ups!

In other words, instead of allowing person paying miles to fly on F award ticket, they will give seat to lower class revenue passengers since after all they are getting revenue, although a very measly sum.

In other words, packing order is any revenue ticket is better than award F in this scenario!

[This message has been edited by IncyWincy (edited Dec 22, 2003).]

I guess the inventory bucket for last-minute sale is probably Y or J. So I would think those last-minute buyers would give CX hefty profit margins, barring Diamond or Gold members.

you would need to get the AA award ticket re-issued for the date you want to travel. you will not be allowed to stand by; however, additional award inventory may be released closer to the flight departure.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by IncyWincy:
I actually asked Marco Polo and their reply was -
</font>

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by IncyWincy:

Even if there were plenty of reveue seats available in F (when allotment for award F gone), passenger waitlisted for F award will NOT get on flight if the lower classes are oversold since they will require the seat for op-ups!
</font>

$ are $

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by IncyWincy:

In other words, instead of allowing person paying miles to fly on F award ticket, they will give seat to lower class revenue passengers since after all they are getting revenue, although a very measly sum.
</font>

Not so measly since the upgrade would be J – F and Y to J – reward your high rev PAX is always my rule


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by IncyWincy:

In other words, packing order is any revenue ticket is better than award F in this scenario!
</font>

No kidding - $ always counts first – it is after all a business, not a hobby

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B Watson:


No kidding - $ always counts first – it is after all a business, not a hobby</font>


Surely, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of business, especially when the airlines invest so much in cultivating brand loytalty etc. The award passengers are not flying for free, they are flying on the basis of hard-earned miles, painstakingly accumulated out of not only loyalty, but a great deal of money spent on flying revenue classes (or subscribing to magazines or whatever!).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by IncyWincy:

Surely, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of business, especially when the airlines invest so much in cultivating brand loytalty etc. The award passengers are not flying for free, they are flying on the basis of hard-earned miles, painstakingly accumulated out of not only loyalty, but a great deal of money spent on flying revenue classes (or subscribing to magazines or whatever!). </font>

I suspect you might be referring to an award ticket issued by anyone other than CX's Asiamiles.

As for the above can only waitlist and thus space is cleared according to loyalty and status, then yes, CX will award the few who do deserve to be given the award seat for having accrued enough flight miles when flying on CX flights and not through creditcard purchases.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by IncyWincy:

Surely, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of business, especially when the airlines invest so much in cultivating brand loytalty etc. The award passengers are not flying for free, they are flying on the basis of hard-earned miles, painstakingly accumulated out of not only loyalty, but a great deal of money spent on flying revenue classes (or subscribing to magazines or whatever!). </font>


There are basically two different lines of communication here

The first is "selling" a seat to someone paying with $ rather than miles - how can you possibly argue that they should take someone for miles and pump paying pax??

I will not touch this other recurring theme that people paying with mileage are just as valuable as those paying with $ - personally one of the reasons I enjoy flying SQ is that they almost never do op upgrades, rarely give mileage tickets and do not allow staff to fly in F - I allows me to get more of what I paid for.

Hear! Hear!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B Watson:
... personally one of the reasons I enjoy flying SQ is that they almost never do op upgrades, rarely give mileage tickets and do not allow staff to fly in F - I allows me to get more of what I paid for.</font>

Agreed on the "almost never do op upgrades". But SQ mileage (redemption) tickets are quite common & correct me if I am wrong, but staffs above certain level (and even their family members) are actually allowed to travel in F.

StarG

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by StarG:
Agreed on the "almost never do op upgrades". But SQ mileage (redemption) tickets are quite common & correct me if I am wrong, but staffs above certain level (and even their family members) are actually allowed to travel in F.

StarG</font>

Senior management staff that were hired prior to a certain year (I think 1986) are allowed to travel in F but not in leiu of a fare paying customer. But one thing for sure with SQ is that they do not allow travel agent Agents' Discounts and similarly other airlines' ID tickets to even purchase in Business or First Class. "Special" permission is required!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by StarG:
Agreed on the "almost never do op upgrades". But SQ mileage (redemption) tickets are quite common & correct me if I am wrong, but staffs above certain level (and even their family members) are actually allowed to travel in F.

StarG</font>

I have never tried, but I have been told that SQ F seats on mileage a VERY few and far between - and getting two on a long haul are basically impossible.


Re the staff, as GB points out it is limited to a small cadre - unlike the UA/AA world where a baggage handler and his 6 children and swarm the F cabin.


[This message has been edited by B Watson (edited Dec 26, 2003).]