Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - D/J/C Upgrades on CX-AA Member question

I am an AAdvantage member and live in the US. So I do not want to give up pacific travel miles on my AA status. Is there any agent or other means of scoring upgrades on CX with Revenue Business Class? I know you can upgrade with Asian Miles but am not and do not see long term value of joining for just two trips a year.

Any help is appreciated. I know upgrades are out there from agencies or others and just looking to find out how I might obtain them.

Also aare there any current AAdvantage bonus for CX?

I don't know what you mean by means of "scoring upgrades with agents". Either you pay with $$$, miles, or with op-up.

For $$$ - They are cheap I-class fares ex-TPE to the United States. Also, last-minute cash upgrade at the airport are also cheaper than buying full fare Business Class.

Miles - You can always use your AAdvantage for a roundtrip air ticket redeemption.

Op-Up - Depends on your elite status with AAdvantage and oneWorld.

But other than the conventional way, I don't know what do you mean or how you can "score" upgrades from "agencies and others". Do you mean connections?

Pacificboot,

THank you for your attemt to answer my post. To clarify,I mean "scoring upgrades with agents" some travel agents offer upgrade certificates from Business to First on rev tickets.

You metioned you can buy cheap I-class fares ex-TPE to the United States. Do all travel agency offer this or is there a link to CX site to look and book?

Can you tell me more about last-minute cash upgrades at the airport and how you request them? Are they good Business Class to First Classs?

Do AA AAvantage mebers ever get offerd Op-Up - as PLT or higher?

...

Do AA AAvantage mebers ever get offerd Op-Up - as PLT or higher?

Only when the flight is oversold. Not simply because when there are seats available and never when the flight is not full and you ask for one.

Is it possible to buy a CX ticket, give Asiamiles number, use Asiamiles to upgrade, and then change FFP to AAdvantage at checkin?

Yes, it is totally possible.

TiteG4,

I (and others here) have often done what you propose. There is no problem at all using AsiaMiles to upgrade a flight but assigning the miles for the underlying revenue ticket to AAdvantage.

Thank you everyone. I love CX! I love FT! Even after after a few months as an FTer, I still keep learning new things everyday. ^ :)

You proposed an obvious scam.

What in the world are you talking about?

Is it possible to buy a CX ticket, give Asiamiles number, use Asiamiles to upgrade, and then change FFP to AAdvantage at checkin?

To clarify, yes it is. But you first have to remember a few things ....

The upgrade inventory that CX uses is the same as free award inventory. And only CX's system can recognise that is an upgrade and will award the miles of the purchased ticket to ASIAMILES/MPC. It will NOT do the same for any other FF plan.

So, then you would have to prepare copies of tickets bought, miles deducted from your Asiamiles account as proof, and prepare yourself for a long and tedious fight with AAdvantage arguing that your ticket is actually a purchased ticket and not a free one!

prepare yourself for a long and tedious fight with AAdvantage arguing that your ticket is actually a purchased ticket and not a free one!

GB

I had an interesting "fight" with AA recently over a CX flight. I had an email from CX saying that the fare class I was in would earn AA miles. AA said I was not. AA and CX kept passing the buck from one to the other. In the end everything was resolved by I still don't know who "decides" these kind of things. AA said that CX "buys" the miles from AA so it was up to them but CX had never heard of such a thing. In a situation like this who is in "control". Thanks for any insight you may have. From other posts I've read you seem to have a lot of knowledge about such things! Thanks.

Thank you to everyone who has so far offered comments on my question. It seems like it may be possible but is very complicated to achieve my goal and may come with great frustration.

Based on comments here and elsewhere as a AA member upgrading even a rev ticket is very difficult at best. Luck sounds like my best chance.

Can anyone offer more info on buying cheap I-class fares ex-TPE to the United States as I make this trip at least twice a year and could find this helpful.

I understand that there are last-minute cash upgrades at the airport? Any information on who and best way to ask for this option? Is it good from Business to First?

To clarify, yes it is. But you first have to remember a few things ....

The upgrade inventory that CX uses is the same as free award inventory. And only CX's system can recognise that is an upgrade and will award the miles of the purchased ticket to ASIAMILES/MPC. It will NOT do the same for any other FF plan.

So, then you would have to prepare copies of tickets bought, miles deducted from your Asiamiles account as proof, and prepare yourself for a long and tedious fight with AAdvantage arguing that your ticket is actually a purchased ticket and not a free one!

Ar! I don't know what you talk about, lah. I've bought revenue tickets, booked the miles to my AA account, and used my own Asiamiles to upgrade to the next class of service. All I did was put myself down as a member of my redemption group, where the FF# attached was my AA number. As long as the BP has my AA number, I've never had any trouble having the miles post to my AA account. I've done this probably a dozen times, never an issue.

Ar! I don't know what you talk about, lah. I've bought revenue tickets, booked the miles to my AA account, and used my own Asiamiles to upgrade to the next class of service. All I did was put myself down as a member of my redemption group, where the FF# attached was my AA number. As long as the BP has my AA number, I've never had any trouble having the miles post to my AA account. I've done this probably a dozen times, never an issue.
Mighty clever! :)

Thank you to everyone who has so far offered comments on my question. It seems like it may be possible but is very complicated to achieve my goal and may come with great frustration.

Based on comments here and elsewhere as a AA member upgrading even a rev ticket is very difficult at best. Luck sounds like my best chance.

Can anyone offer more info on buying cheap I-class fares ex-TPE to the United States as I make this trip at least twice a year and could find this helpful.

I understand that there are last-minute cash upgrades at the airport? Any information on who and best way to ask for this option? Is it good from Business to First?

Threads on I-fares
http://www.cathaytalk.com/showthread.php?t=1730&page=1&pp=15

Last minute cash upgrade
http://www.cathaytalk.com/showthread.php?t=1512&highlight=minute+upgrade
http://www.cathaytalk.com/showthread.php?t=980&highlight=paid+upgrade

Ar! I don't know what you talk about, lah. I've bought revenue tickets, booked the miles to my AA account, and used my own Asiamiles to upgrade to the next class of service. All I did was put myself down as a member of my redemption group, where the FF# attached was my AA number. As long as the BP has my AA number, I've never had any trouble having the miles post to my AA account. I've done this probably a dozen times, never an issue.

If I knew what I am talking about, then I wouldn't have given personal experiences I have encountered, would I?

I'm not saying that it cannot happen.. but just be prepared for a long and tedious argument with AAdvantage over miles. That's all.

No need to be snippy about things, LAH!

If I knew what I am talking about, then I wouldn't have given personal experiences I have encountered, would I?

I'm not saying that it cannot happen.. but just be prepared for a long and tedious argument with AAdvantage over miles. That's all.

No need to be snippy about things, LAH!

Maybe they are out to get you. I've had many an argument with CX, some I've won, and some I lost, but I've never had to call either AA or CX to make sure my miles to AA on a revenue ticket post properly, while having used AM to upgrade to a higher class of service.