Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Mileage Run to Obtain MPC Gold (Is It Worth It?)

I've been asked to post this question on behalf of a close friend in hopes that fellow Flyertalkers can give a valued opinion.

My friend, based in HKG, currently works for a company which requires him to do the occasional long-haul travel, plus a few trips to China, each year. He is currently able to achieve MPC Silver status without any problems. The company he works for is now grooming him for a higher position which will, in two years time, require him to do more travelling. It will be 3-4 long-haul trips to Europe and/or North America each year, plus numerous trips into China. With that amount of traveling in the future, he estimates that he should be able to obtain MPC Gold, based on qualifying via miles (not sectors). His company has limited travel budget, so all travel whether long- or short-haul will be in Y.

My friend has now has an interesting thought about whether he should go on a mileage run to get MPC Gold one year early. He has found a V-class fare on Dragonair from HKG-Fuzhou (HKD 960+taxes = HKD 1,374 total). Minimum stay is ZERO days, meaning my friend could take the early-morning flight from HKG, and then return on the early-evening flight (Dragonair flies twice per day). Validity of the fair is from 04July - 27Oct. He says that he will need another 12-14 sectors to get from MPC Silver to MPC Gold during this membership year, so that means a maximum of seven round trips. HKD 1,374 x 7 = HKD 9,618. So, it would "cost" him this amount to get from Silver to Gold.

He would like an opinion whether it is worth it for him to spend this money to get MPC Gold one year early, and enjoy any additional benefits. I've told him to go for it, but he questions whether MPC Gold will be that much of a benefit if he only does one (maybe two) more long-haul in the next year, and the other trips will be on Dragonair to China.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

For the money I'd say it is worth it - just one long-haul op-up is a good return. But for me the issue would be the time: if it is sevn full days to get there then that for me isn't worth it.

Wouldn't it be quicker and cheaper for him/her to do a MR on a long haul trip to somewhere like Australia or Europe? Not to mention a lot more interesting than going to Fuzhou 7 times!

Who knows, he might even get upgraded on that flight to CDG as a SL! :)

For the money I'd say it is worth it - just one long-haul op-up is a good return. But for me the issue would be the time: if it is sevn full days to get there then that for me isn't worth it.


I concur.

The difference between Silver and Gold is not worth giving up seven days.

Wouldn't it be quicker and cheaper for him/her to do a MR on a long haul trip to somewhere like Australia or Europe? Not to mention a lot more interesting than going to Fuzhou 7 times!

Who knows, he might even get upgraded on that flight to CDG as a SL! :)

I don't think he can achieve MPC Gold with a long-haul trip (i.e. via mileage qualification). I think he can only get it via sectors.

In my opinion. the main benefit of Gold is seat guarantee:
* It does not worth paying 10K (adding the cost to/from airport) out of his own pocket to benefit from seat guarantee for his employer.
* He can get op-ups as SL anyway although priority is lower.

I agree there is no real benefit unless he needs the seat guarantee, if all the travel is for his employer then I would not spend my own money to go for gold. Maybe he can convince his employer that the seat guarantee is worth it and pay for his travel...but I doubt they would see it as cost effective

I will also say it is not worth it. I don't know about European routes, but to NA he will never get an op-up as a gold.

In fact, I can't really see any difference in being gold than when I was silver.

I will also say it is not worth it. I don't know about European routes, but to NA he will never get an op-up as a gold.

In fact, I can't really see any difference in being gold than when I was silver.

For NA, I do not even get op-up as a diamond these days!!! I suppose the only route with an op-up chance is LAX.

I am traveling to SFO in a few days. From EF, Y is sold out and J is not. I'll see what my chance is. That also depends on how many are doing instant upgrades.

I will also say it is not worth it. I don't know about European routes, but to NA he will never get an op-up as a gold.


Weird...I became gold this year and have been op-upped to J twice HKG-LAX out of 4 times.

Weird...I became gold this year and have been op-upped to J twice HKG-LAX out of 4 times.

Yes, this route seems to be the only route that has a higher Y-to-J ratio, so Y is filled up before J.

Most Y-J op-ups, if any, for the NA routes are eastbound. Are yours eastbound or westbound?

In my opinion. the main benefit of Gold is seat guarantee:
* It does not worth paying 10K (adding the cost to/from airport) out of his own pocket to benefit from seat guarantee for his employer.
* He can get op-ups as SL anyway although priority is lower.

Yes, I've been quite lucky getting them on Silver, though never out of SYD. A nice surprise was that CX OP-UPped me to LAX in J as a present for having been in the MPC for 5 years which was a very nice surprise.

For NA, I do not even get op-up as a diamond these days!!! I suppose the only route with an op-up chance is LAX.

I am traveling to SFO in a few days. From EF, Y is sold out and J is not. I'll see what my chance is. That also depends on how many are doing instant upgrades.

Yeah I actually just returned a few hours ago from a trip to Asia that involved a lot of flying on CX. From JFK to MNL, then to BOM, then back to HKG, finally to JFK (on 888/89). I never saw an op-up even on the intra-Asia routes and I am Gold. To be fair though, on the BOM flights both ways J was packed solid and my son was on my itinerary, though he is Silver. Not sure about the MNL flight. However, one thing I did notice, is that as Gold I found it much easier to redeem my miles. In fact I was able to do an instant upgrade to J on 888 all the way to JFK at check-in rather than standing by for no-shows after check-in closed, which is what I've done previously as Silver and pretty much all the time I tried for upgrades on 830.

not worth it....unless you can really make benefit of the seat guarantee feature for upgrade (eg flexible travel, on routes with many flights a day, eg shanghai, tpe)

for those who are hoping for 1 long-haul upgrade.
1) what is the odds for a gold? (remember it is not for diamond). eg if he has 1/10 odd, does he fly 10 long haul sectors?
-- also remember Y-J op-up happens mostly in tourist peak seasons, eg summer, easter, chinese new year.
2) remember upgrade is for a sector, for the full round trip
3) also remember the reason to upgrade is to avoid the cattle seats in Y. no J seat is better than your big couch/bed at home. to suffer 14 sectors of hkg-xmn cattle totally defeat the purpose of upgrade.

For NA, I do not even get op-up as a diamond these days!!! I suppose the only route with an op-up chance is LAX.

I am traveling to SFO in a few days. From EF, Y is sold out and J is not. I'll see what my chance is. That also depends on how many are doing instant upgrades.

I got an op-up when I arrived at the lounge the last flight. When I board, I saw quite a few boarding passes at the gate. I suppose there are quite a few op-ups, perhaps also some from J to F. I believe even some GO/SL members may get op-ups.

*sigh*

3 years as MPC, about half of that as silver, and only one op-up on a three hour flight (ironically that was as MPC Green!).

I fly plenty of shorthaul these days but not enough to get gold. Lounge and priority baggage perks aren't really enough to keep me loyal to CX anymore.

*sigh*

3 years as MPC, about half of that as silver, and only one op-up on a three hour flight (ironically that was as MPC Green!).

I fly plenty of shorthaul these days but not enough to get gold. Lounge and priority baggage perks aren't really enough to keep me loyal to CX anymore.

How about business counter check-in at CX outposts (well, it may not make any difference at HKIA)?