Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Online Check-In....Good/Bad for Upgrade?

Does using online check-in the day before flying have any effect on the chances of an upgrade - or does it really make no difference?

Anectodal evidences suggest that is does not hurt and in fact it could help. Furthermore, you can check your "checked-in" flight approximately 4 hours prior to departure online to check if you have been lucky. No upgrades takes place unless flight is fully booked, and it is absolutely neccessary.

What makes difference is your status, not "how early/late" you checkin, unlike some third world carriers (eg. a bankrupted airlines from arrogant country ring a bell? :rolleyes: )

I agree with fakecd on this. No hard evidence, but I have had op-ups confirmed at the time of online check-in the day before on a couple of occasions in the last year.

I have to agree that online check-in does help with operational upgrades, especially if you are holding a tier status with either Marco Polo Club or other oneworld FFP.

Yes, you can check thru the internet if you have been upgraded prior to arriving at the airport. Just login to your MPO account and click on Online Checkin. I have been upgraded frequently and I love the CX Online Check-in facility - simply one of the best.

From my experiences, no. I have seen an operationally upgraded seat online was downgraded to the original class once, though.

I don't have enough evidence for statistical rejection or acceptance, but I've been op-upgraded both using online check in and airport check-in. Since I can't OLCI using my AA/Emerald status, I can't specify if my airport check-in op-upgrade has been influenced by my status, but I gather it has. However, I've even been upgraded using OLCI when flying MPC Green, so I cannot make any confident predictions one way or the other.

In other words, I don't know!

I have a flight booked out of NRT tomorrow on CX and it looks like CX has already picked me for an operational. This is the very first time that I got selected for an operational a day earlier.

July 16 is projected to log the largest number of depatures btw at NRT this summer (for all airlines). The second peak is sometime in mid-August. I forgot the exact date.

CX once op-upgraded me and then brought me back to the original class by the check-in time. So I will not be surprised if I get a seat in the original class tomorrow, though.

I have op. upgrade two times this years. April 13, HKG-SFO, online check-in 48 hours before departure, got op upgrade at the gate. May 13, SFO-HKG, counter agent told me the flight is overbooked, asking to fly next day and will compensate me $400, i accepted the offer and being told that they will give me cash 60 minutes before departure time, by 12:30, counter agent told me they dont' need my seat, they hand me the business class boarding pass and ask me to walk to the gate immediately. Online check-in 48 hours prior departure time, dunno if this upgrade due to online check-in or willing to accept their offer. :confused:

I have a flight booked out of NRT tomorrow on CX and it looks like CX has already picked me for an operational. This is the very first time that I got selected for an operational a day earlier.


Hi, Chiangi,
I have a flight the day after tomorrow, 17th July from NRT.
Fortunately / Unfortunately, I have a reservation of confirmed upgrade with Asiamiles.
Currently, CRS says Y0B0... about that flight.

Return flight from HKG is also very tight on 19th. CRS says J0...Y0....
I have an upgraded reservation with Asiamiles on that flight.
I was able to book these upgrades at the beginning of July.
All 5 flights from HKG to NRT on 19th are almost fully booked.
CX504 F1J0Y0
CX450 F4J9Y0
CX520 J0Y0
CX500 J0Y0
CX508 J0Y0

"I have a flight booked out of NRT tomorrow on CX and it looks like CX has already picked me for an operational"

How do you know your got upgraded? Do they show you a J/F Class boarding pass online already?

I mostly checkin online with CX. And I always seem to be selected for OpUps. But at the airport or the gate.

How do you know your got upgraded? Do they show you a J/F Class boarding pass online already?


Maybe so.
Some FTers in this Forum experieced that J/F class boarding passes were shown at the online checkin one day before departure date.

my dear japanese comrades Chiangi and Wasabi san.

I just flew NRT-HKG (18 Jul) on CX505. The flight has been showing Y0B0 for a long time, but on the actual flight, it was not overbooked. No upgrade was done to anyone (I observed the gates to see if anyone was getting a new boarding pass, but none). The flight was pretty packed. almost 99%, with an empty seat next to me in Y. ^ I figured CX just "closed off" CX505 as its popular final departure, and wanted to spread the loads to earlier flights. I did not observe any crowd of tours.

2 Observation:
1) as others have come to understand, if flight is NOT overbooked, NO upgrade done, even if you hold BN001.
2) I had 35kg luggage. The agent let me go without any excess charge. :D



On the other note about online-checkin. Yes, you can check if you have been upgraded or not approx 4 hours prior to departure. My brother flew KIX-YVR today, and he was picked. Flight was showing Y4B4H4... on 34C... shows how poorly sold J class is, compared to overbooked Y

We all strain our ears to hear that "BEEP" when the agent slides in our boarding pass to the BP reader.

But sometimes, it just does not happen.

I have actually seen an INVITATION Diamond card holder ending up sitting in the back (and I mean waaaay back) of the plane just because of a few empty seats in coach.

I always wonder if that 'upgrade only if flight is full' is really true. I don't see a system behind it. Last week I got op/up J to F on an empty plane. :p (Unfortunately only TPE HKG :( )