Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - cx op up question

does anyone know exactly when cx does its operational upgrades?

i have been very lucky with op ups from cx (i'm running at about 30%, biz to first). my situation is a bit odd as i am current exp with aa but am about to switch to qf's program and will be a qf and oneworld "nothing" for a few months until i accrue qf platinum.

i have a biz class syd-hkg at the end of the month enroute to mru to pick up a rtw ticket there and don't want to destroy my chances for an op upgrade by using my qf ff # but want to count the miles to my lowly qf account.

my idea (perhaps naive as i have never done this before) is that i would check in with my aa ff # (exp) and then change it to my (lowly) qf number at the gate right before i board.

do you think this would this work? if so, how should i time the ff # switch-a-roo?

The op-up priority has been changed with effect from 1 August 2007, and looks something like this:


CX Diamond Plus
CX Diamond, CX Invitation
CX Gold
CX staff
CX staff nominees, Non-CX staff
Oneworld Emerald
Oneworld Sapphire
CX Silver
Oneworld Ruby
CX Green
Asia Miles
Non status

As Oneworld Emerald, you're a fair bit down the list so don't put your hopes too high. Are you on 110 from SYD? This is the only flight that still has F class.

Yes I'm quite sure that your FFP no. can be changed anytime. :cool:

The op-up priority has been changed with effect from 1 August 2007, and looks something like this:


CX Diamond Plus
CX Diamond, CX Invitation
CX Gold
CX staff
CX staff nominees, Non-CX staff
Oneworld Emerald
Oneworld Sapphire
CX Silver
Oneworld Ruby
CX Green
Asia Miles
Non status

As Oneworld Emerald, you're a fair bit down the list so don't put your hopes too high. Are you on 110 from SYD? This is the only flight that still has F class.

Yes I'm quite sure that your FFP no. can be changed anytime. :cool:

My OP UP rate on CX used to be about 75%. Since this change it is 0%. My flight patterns have changed as a result. I'm flying AA through NRT way more often.

My OP UP rate on CX used to be about 75%. Since this change it is 0%. My flight patterns have changed as a result. I'm flying AA through NRT way more often.

Are you talking long-haul J->F op-up? The chance for that should be pretty good as CX overbooked long-haul (and even some short-haul and regional) J quite often in the last few months. (For Y->J op-up, the chance is not good lately even for a CX DM.)

Also, this change only happened 2.5 months ago. It is hard to draw a conclusion except with 10 or more long-haul sectors.

Actually I have always wondered why CX bothers to put DMP on the top of the op-up list. In order to become DMP, a flyer has to do a long-haul round trip every month on full F fares. There is no more op-up possible when already in F. Would the op-ups be for his/her traveling companions?

The op-up priority has been changed with effect from 1 August 2007, and looks something like this:


CX Diamond Plus
CX Diamond, CX Invitation
CX Gold
CX staff
CX staff nominees, Non-CX staff
Oneworld Emerald
Oneworld Sapphire
CX Silver
Oneworld Ruby
CX Green
Asia Miles
Non status

As Oneworld Emerald, you're a fair bit down the list so don't put your hopes too high. Are you on 110 from SYD? This is the only flight that still has F class.

Yes I'm quite sure that your FFP no. can be changed anytime. :cool:

wow. this is very useful info but i think that my chances of getting an op up are diddlee-squat now.
yes. i am on cx 110.

thanks for the great info.

Perhaps I was extremely lucky, but back in August I got a Y-> J op-up on HKG-LHR. I'm AA PLT and had purchased a Y fare ticket (does booking in a higher fare bucket help?). When I got to the gate the GA took my Y boarding pass away and fished through a separate stack of boarding passes, and gave me a new one. I was about to complain since I had called a while ahead to get an exit seat, but when I noticed the low row number I kept my mouth shut :p

I'm flying tomorrow LAX-HKG booked in J. Seatcounter is showing 3 F seats, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Even if I don't get it, I'll still have cause to celebrate. I'll finally make it to EXP when I return :cool:

Perhaps I was extremely lucky, but back in August I got a Y-> J op-up on HKG-LHR. I'm AA PLT and had purchased a Y fare ticket (does booking in a higher fare bucket help?). When I got to the gate the GA took my Y boarding pass away and fished through a separate stack of boarding passes, and gave me a new one. I was about to complain since I had called a while ahead to get an exit seat, but when I noticed the low row number I kept my mouth shut :p

I'm flying tomorrow LAX-HKG booked in J. Seatcounter is showing 3 F seats, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Even if I don't get it, I'll still have cause to celebrate. I'll finally make it to EXP when I return :cool:

Don't complain when you are told "Mr. brenc3, we have a new seat for you". If you really want to say anything, just say "thank you" without even needing to look at the BP.;)

One time when I received a Y->J op-up, I did not even take a look until boarding. I got 86H^!! I wondered who was that "unlucky" fellow who got "bumped" from 86H by me:D.

Perhaps I was extremely lucky, but back in August I got a Y-> J op-up on HKG-LHR.
Which flight were you on? :)

One time when I received a Y->J op-up, I did not even take a look until boarding. I got 86H^!! I wondered who was that "unlucky" fellow who got "bumped" from 86H by me:D.

Row 86 are often occupied by Diamond members.
So, probably, one assigned in 86H was bumped to F class.:)

Last year, I had 86C seat assignment on flight HKG to LHR,
and was bumped to F.
I don't have a concrete idea about who occupied my 86C.
But,....

Row 86 are often occupied by Diamond members.
So, probably, one assigned in 86H was bumped to F class.:)

Last year, I had 86C seat assignment on flight HKG to LHR,
and was bumped to F.
I don't have a concrete idea about who occupied my 86C.
But,....
251 or 255? :D

Which flight were you on? :)

I was on CX 253, which I believe was pretty full (it was a Sunday, 8/26). I was traveling MEL-LHR via HKG.

Are you talking long-haul J->F op-up? The chance for that should be pretty good as CX overbooked long-haul (and even some short-haul and regional) J quite often in the last few months. (For Y->J op-up, the chance is not good lately even for a CX DM.)

Also, this change only happened 2.5 months ago. It is hard to draw a conclusion except with 10 or more long-haul sectors.

J to F. Used to get them a lot, now not at all. Switching to AA/JAL Asia connections. CXJ>AAJ but AAF>CXJ.

Row 86 are often occupied by Diamond members.
So, probably, one assigned in 86H was bumped to F class.:)

Last year, I had 86C seat assignment on flight HKG to LHR,
and was bumped to F.
I don't have a concrete idea about who occupied my 86C.
But,....

I did not take your seat - probably my twin did:D.

However, if the passenger bumped by me liked to keep his 86H seat, I would not mind being bumped again to his newly assigned seat:D.

Row 86 are often occupied by Diamond members.


That's not necessarily true. I'm CX Gold and Jul 1st I flew with my son (CX Silver) JFK-HKG on 889 and confirmed a mileage upgrade for the 2 of us 2 days before departure. I was able to confirm 86 H and K for both of us then. I do admit though, that I was surprised that the 2 seats were available.

i m not sure if this is true, but my CX frd told me that, if staff being upgraded to one class up, the original class meal may be served instead of the upgraded class..

i m not sure if this is true, but my CX frd told me that, if staff being upgraded to one class up, the original class meal may be served instead of the upgraded class..

I've had both situations when being upgraded from J to F - where you get a J meal and where you get an F meal. I think the difference has been that when there are passengers who have paid for F they serve everyone F food. But I have travelled when there have been no paid F passengers so they upgrade a lot of J passengers but only give them J food. But it's still a pleasant experience either way :)

I'm sad that CX has changed its upgrade priority, I enjoyed being upgraded :( :)

I've had both situations when being upgraded from J to F - where you get a J meal and where you get an F meal.
Were you on a flight where it was a 3-class plane sold as 2-class and they had to put some J pax in the F cabin?

I forget if this was asked already, but real quickly, does check-in time play a role in op-ups? As in, if I were the first CX gold to check in 48 hours before, I'd be ahead of other CX Golds in the op-up priority? I know some airlines do that, but I'm not sure about CX.

Were you on a flight where it was a 3-class plane sold as 2-class and they had to put some J pax in the F cabin?

I was travelling on 1 Jan so the three class plane was empty up front. But there was space for me in F when I boarded :)