Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Mixed Carrier Mileage Upgrade Awards/Please can someone advise

I hope someone can help and advise me on possible options.

I travel each April to NYC for a conference from HKG, and usually add a tag on to San Juan for a few days holiday. Sadly the sponsors only pay for economy class and its a long flight so I use airmiles to upgrade myself.

Want to book in the next few days as availability is inevitably limited.

Now if I book via CX it is CX/AA so I cannot upgrade myself all the way using airmiles because mixed mileage upgrade awards are not allowed.

I can see 3 options:

1. Booking all the way as AA with AA codeshares on CX but does this limit my chances of using mileage for upgrade?

2. Just book as normal on CX with a higher chance of using the award miles but only as far as NYC.

3. There is also the S class option on AA via Narita, but not sure if I can upgrade on this and I do prefer CX.

My travel agent advises me price is similar for AA and CX.

Any and all advise most appreciated.

Nicc

You cannot book on AA codeshare and upgrade using asiamiles for the CX flights.

NYC to SJU is a short flight and honestly, Y is better than J because AA uses those horrible A300 aircrafts with no legroom in F.

Best option is to fly to NYC on CX with upgrade to Asiamiles.. or

Forget either.. and maybe buy a special ticket ex-TPE or ex-BKK to NYC on CX/AA (or on JL) all the way through in J. And buy side trip to SJU.

NYC to SJU is a short flight and honestly, Y is better than J because AA uses those horrible A300 aircrafts with no legroom in F.Er, it's nearly 4 hours, and what's more the 8am JFK-SJU flight (returning at 13:55) is served by a 767-300, which is far better in J (no F on this route).

Moreover, according to CX's website, there is one flight per day departing JFK 16:15 which carries a CX codeshare (CX7610 = AA647 [757]) and two returning (CX7623=AA648 [A300], CX7569=AA1732 [757]). Unfortunately not the 767 flights, but at least you ought to be able to book the codeshare and upgrade.

Thank you for the comments. Probably best I just upgrade for the sectors that count, the TransPac on CX.

For what it is worth the routing is quite flexible so am going out via San Francisco to SJU connecting MIA and back via New York for the conference.