Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - PROMOTION: Bonus Asia Miles for Online Booking, is worth it???

Can any help me here? Cathay is running a promotion with 2,888 Bonus Asia Miles for the first ticket purchased through them online.

Question is...why would I book online when it is DOUBLE the price that I would get through an agent?

eg, Taipei - HK - KL return for TWD34,295 (approx 1,000 USD) Last week I flew this TWD17,000 (approx 500 USD). (note, I can also get this for TWD12,000 if I fly with no point eligability.)

Surely, 500 USD cash in the hand is better than 2,888 points!!! Is there a way to get cheaper tix online through Cathay? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks,

Matt

Can any help me here? Cathay is running a promotion with 2,888 Bonus Asia Miles for the first ticket purchased through them online.

Question is...why would I book online when it is DOUBLE the price that I would get through an agent?

eg, Taipei - HK - KL return for TWD34,295 (approx 1,000 USD) Last week I flew this TWD17,000 (approx 500 USD). (note, I can also get this for TWD12,000 if I fly with no point eligability.)

Surely, 500 USD cash in the hand is better than 2,888 points!!! Is there a way to get cheaper tix online through Cathay? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks,


Matt

Also if you can the bloody thing to work for Award bookings it will be a miracle!

I think the online facility is only good for Corp travellers who pay the Full fair or for this extra special deals. Otherwise I think TA is still the best option

CX offers some consolidated fares through its website for some markets. ie Singapore is one, or with full publihsed fares ie YVR-JFK v.v.

But other than that, only published fares are good through this.

Dear Matt

First of all WELCOME TO FLYERTALK. It is especially nice to see another Taipei-based face (well, read at least) on Flyertalk.

As to the subject of your inquiry, I have had hour-long conversation with CX's Taiwan top management old and new, and the story is this:

CX wanted to introduce the same fares it offers through travel agents on their website (in the section "Online Fares". Ex Hong Kong they have a lot, ex Taipei they only have Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. All other fares are normal and very high fares.)

So CX call all their TA and ask their opinions. Allegedly, all hell broke loose and the more influential TAs basically threatened to stop selling CX tickets. Now CX gets a LOT (repeat LOT) of business from Taiwan, and the populus, while living in a country with one of the highest broadband penetration rate in the world, still is not very savvy when it comes to booking flights on line.

Two major reasons why CX depends on TAs so much:
a) You may know that the vast majority of Taiwanese travel in groups and buy their tickets in groups.
b) As a Taiwan citizen it is very difficult to get visas for most countries. Some countries only accept visa applications made through a travel agent. To get a Schengen visa as an individual travel with ROC passport for example, you need to supply a bank statement, confirmed ticket, contact information, (invitation letter), and and and. If you travel in a tour group through a registered TA, you only need to provide a valid passport.

Facit: CX depends on TAs for most of their business, ergo: no competitive fares online. They were able to negotiate a few fares to places where Taiwanese travel a lot alone, namely: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong. That's why you see competitive fares for these places online.

Now the good news: the TA agreed that CX market cheap e-tickets (Y and J) for the exact price the TAs offer, via telephone. The only way they can advertise these tickets is through newsletters to MPC members. You can call CX in Taipei (02) 27152333 and buy e-tickets to most destinations for 500 to 1000 TWD more than you find them on ezfly.com, zuji.com.tw, startravel.com.tw etc.

As for your 2'888 bonus ... check the few online fares ... i book my trips to HKG there and got the bonus: http://www.cathaypacific.com/tw/booking/onlinefares/ or get a citibank card (25 twd = 1 asiamile) :cool:

(The 2888 bonus is just a payment for people to use a crappy booking system we should not support in the first place. It is user-unfriendly, badly implemented IT. Nobody is using it: I was told less than 300 bookings per month, CX knows they have a problem).

Now was that a welcome or what. :D

One clarification regarding the telephone booking: they only advertise certain fares, but I have been booking with CX directly for a year now: they match any fare you find on the TA online booking sites (which are all EXCELLENT ... Taiwan is the only country in Asia so far that has made online booking work).
While those e-tickets are marginally more expensive, they come without cancellation charges ... most fares offered by TAs carry such charges. An example I just booked: zuji and ezfly offer TPE-HKG-LHR rtn. TWD 25500 plus taxes in V class, no refund, must pay upon booking, changes to dates cost extra. The same V class booked as e-ticket with CX on the phone: TWD 26000. Reserve now, pay 10 days before you leave, no cancellation charges, can change dates without extra charge.

I concur with mhtaipei's story. The same went with BKK when CX first launched their website there many ions ago. There was a big invitation gala launching the then 'new' CX website and the booking capabilities. It was held at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok and it so happened I was staying there that time.. so being a frequent customer at CX, I just invited myself to the launch... and helped myself to the food and watching the entertainment. There were dances, people handing out buttons, etc.

The video presentation showed people in a documentary setting... saying that the website makes so much sense instead of calling their Thai travel agents as they 'never have the time to call you back'.. or 'they say flights are full and I can book online without problem..' etc etc.

I was standing next to the Ticketing supervisor/manager watching while watching this video... and I turned and said to her (she's a dear friend).. "Well, if ABACUS and AMADEUS does not have availability restrictions controlled by CX on bookings made from Thailand, these people will not have a problem." Ms W. smiled and said, yes, you know, and we know... but they don't know... Go and have the dessert now..!

So there.... by booking on the website, it displays a higher revenue ticket.. and not the travel agent specials that asians in asia are so familiar with.

Only from Singapore do most of the fares make sense.. ie to asian regions mostly. Fares to EU and US are still ridiculous high and almost twice of what you'd get if you go through a travel agency.

"Now the good news: the TA agreed that CX market cheap e-tickets (Y and J) for the exact price the TAs offer, via telephone. The only way they can advertise these tickets is through newsletters to MPC members. You can call CX in Taipei (02) 27152333 and buy e-tickets to most destinations for 500 to 1000 TWD more than you find them on ezfly.com, zuji.com.tw, startravel.com.tw etc. "

Thanks!

Cheers MHTaipei and Guy for your great info (and also for the welcome!.yes, been up here in Tw for nearly 3 years now and do a lot of CXing around Asia)....there is always much more in it than first meets the eye.
^
Have a great w/end.
TaipeiLivin

well i just broke corporate travel policy and booked online for a Y fare HKG - MNL and it was exactly the same price as our corporate travel agent.. but heck the hassle i'll get will be minimal, and i get the 2888 plus the citibank visa bonus. shan't be doing this for the JoBurg trip next month though...