Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - CX needs better Waitlist management for Awards

This doesn't apply to Diamonds who have unofficial benefits of confirming any awards.

But for lowly Silver and Gold, the arrangement for waitlist is frustrating. :(
Say, for example, I'm holding a confirmed biz award seat on a flight which is showing pretty FULL. However, I've been waitlisted and wishing to travel on an different flight, which shows WIDE OPEN (eg. Sunday vs Monday travel). Now, if only CX was clever enough :rolleyes: to clear my waitlist, I can give up my seat on a full flight, and CX can sell this :-: precious :-: seat to other customer wishing to pay full J fare. I can also travel in my preferred flight, which will benefits both parties. But this is not done, WHY? :confused:

Or, say another example. If one pax is holding a confirmed seat on the flight I'm waitlisted for, and I'm holding a confirmed seat on the flight HE is waitlisted for, why can't CX just simply swap our seats? Sounds simple in principle, and no loss incurred to CX. Only if they had a better waitlist management system in place, it would serve their customer better.

Just my 2cents...

Beacaue ASIAMILES/MARCO POLO CLUB is not run like a logical revenue generating corporation. It's rules/rules/rules.. and then 'Cannot'.

Even Diamond members have gone through similar frustrations when it comes to award travels not involving their own.. ie companion tickets!

Indeed. I have had quite a few hassles recently with companion tickets. It reallly isn't easy to spend AsiaMiles on CX currently. Unfortunately the result is that I am spending my hard earned AsiaMiles (and the corresponding revenue from AONE3 tickets) on BA flights HKG-LHR.

Two thoughts. what fakecd proposes is essentially a software/IT problem. I have long held the view that CX IT sucks. They came out end of the nineties as one of the first online airlines in Asia, and then stop developping. You cannot even book connecting flights on their website, book 3-leg segments, choose a flight individually rather than getting a preselected combination. Constant glitches in their online checkin software, failure to keep passenger information (my colleagues meal preference gets reset every time she takes a flight on China Eastern, which is every week :) ) etc. etc. Most of all, the so called oneworld alliance is falling behind as a whole in IT integration. Any *A carrier allows you to book other *A flights on their website (admittedly not at the best price). Finally, price management is non-existant on the CX website, the system simple comes up with full fares and a "discounted economy" which is not really discounted at all. Its a very basic, very bad system, unworthy of the year 2004 and a major international airline. Award management as fakecd pointed out is equally bad. No way to waitlist yourself on the web, phone agents have to way (or authority?) of managing waitlists, see cross-referenced information or past history, etc. I know something about Lufthansa's system and they are DECADES ahead with their software solution.

On the note of award availability at the current time: it doesn't suprise me. I just had 8 segments in Asia with EVERY SINGLE FLIGHT CHOCABLOCK. Loads are absolutely stunning. The JFK direct flight is booked solid. Other carriers too: I am desperately trying to book a revenue fare on EVA AIR to Vienna in August, NOT A CHANCE. I reckon its the post-SARS year effect. Everyone is spending last year's travel budget ;)

Or, say another example. If one pax is holding a confirmed seat on the flight I'm waitlisted for, and I'm holding a confirmed seat on the flight HE is waitlisted for, why can't CX just simply swap our seats? Sounds simple in principle, and no loss incurred to CX. Only if they had a better waitlist management system in place, it would serve their customer better.


I'm not sure I completely agree with the suggestion of just "swapping" seats. There could be other passengers waitlisted in the queue, and if confirmed passengers just end up swapping seats with each other, it's not really fair for those who are waiting down the line. If someone does not want a seat on a confirmed flight, he can give it up and then someone waitlisting can get confirmed; then, get waitlisted on the flight he does want, but should follow the waitlisted queue.

I'm not sure I completely agree with the suggestion of just "swapping" seats. There could be other passengers waitlisted in the queue, and if confirmed passengers just end up swapping seats with each other, it's not really fair for those who are waiting down the line. If someone does not want a seat on a confirmed flight, he can give it up and then someone waitlisting can get confirmed; then, get waitlisted on the flight he does want, but should follow the waitlisted queue.

I can understand your point. That sounds totally logical.

However, it doesn't quite work that one will "give up" a seat to waitlist for other flight. You would, and presumably many would agree that one person will hold on to his confirmed seat until the better alternative flight is cleared. The problem is, CX is too stingy to clear a seat, so no body in this game will be willing to give up a seat, until he can be confirmed on a preferred flight. If so, the situation is pretty much stagnated.

I just thought "swapping" would at least satisfy the 2 pax. The other people in queue will most not have their waitlist cleared anyways, so no loss incurred. just my thoughts..