Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Seat Guarantee how-to

Hi everyone. I did a search but couldn't come up with something very definitive. I am thinking of using my gold card seat-guarantee for the first time for a trip to HKG mid-November, but just realized that I really don't know how. The flight I want to get on is 841 (the new nonstop JFK-HKG - which online shows H fares) on Nov 16th when it inaugurates its first flight. I remember seeing online the US website that L fares were offered for purchase online up to Sept 30th, but obviously I cannot purchase that fare now since online it no longer exists. But since seat guarantee allows me to book into L class if it exists on that flight, I should be able to make a reservation. I called up CX Reservations and they said they couldn't help with that b/c it was an online offer and directed me to call up MPC. Can MPC make a new reservation for me based on an online offer? Since it was an online offer, I doubt my usual TA can even help. Any ideas on what to do?

Try different ways:
* Online reservation (removed) - refer to post #5 below.
* My normal way is to ask my TA on the lowest YBHKMLV fare available from them, regardless of whether seats are available. If your TA does not know how to do seat guarantee, then:
- Book or waitlist the flight on any economy fare (even Y) with your TA.
- Call MPC to change to the lowest YBHKMLV fare available from your TA. Do not change the date or flight number - otherwise your TA cannot do anything.
- Call your TA to ticket.

I am not sure if L fare exists from your TA after summer. The chance is that the lowest fare you can obtain is M. It is not always true that L fare is always less expensive than M fare. The L fare in summer is much more expensive than the M fare now.

Also remember than seat guarantee is not just useful for ticketing. If there is no restriction on your fare, you can use seat guarantee to change your itinerary even when you are traveling - you just need to do that at least 72 hours ahead.

I don't think that seat guarantee allows you to book lower classes if the fare doesn't exist anymore. For example, CX will withdraw lower fare class sales like they have in your case. If they are not offering L fares, then you won't be able to use your seat guarantee to get it.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

The way I normally do a seat guarantee is to ring CX reservations directly, or ring the eservice center, and they can do the booking and seat release for me on the phone.

I don't think that seat guarantee allows you to book lower classes if the fare doesn't exist anymore. For example, CX will withdraw lower fare class sales like they have in your case. If they are not offering L fares, then you won't be able to use your seat guarantee to get it.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, the fare has to be available first for the reservation scheme. I found fare online that was not available through CX reservation before. There are also other considerations as these fares are restrictive. (For this particular case, it did not matter in the end. I booked through my TA on a less restrictive fare.)

Hi guys

I want to use short-lived Gold previledge of seat gurantee for one last time before i get kicked down the ladder. I'm planning travel over Xmas and some flights for Europe to HKG are already filling up. I have a wife whom I wish to travel with (no status holder apart from being Asiamiles member), and question is, does my seat-gurantee extend to my travel companion, provided it's on same PNR?

I've searched history of this thred, and on this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=694448&highlight=seat+guarantee) I saw a story where family of 4 were given priority clearance (not exactly gurantee though) for M-class fare.

so, I think technically, this previlidge doesn't extend to travel companion, but what's the experiences amongst others? I want to make the booking fairly soon (therefore it's not like flight will be tight-packed yet, if that draws any sympathy from the yield management)

It doesn't, and in my experience the only thing that counts is the status (if any) of your wife. With none then you're reliant on the goodwill of an agent to give her waitlist some priority, and in my experience, as a Diamond that was forthcoming reasonably often. Now as a Gold I've given up even bothering to ask - the answer was always no.

Seat Guarantee is only for the MPO member however if you have other peopl on the same PNR (ie, travelling with you) They will extend Priority WL to them. The level of priority extended depends on your status.

I experienced this when I was GO and DM

However when your MPO status is downgraded don't know whether CUPID will pick this up and remove the WL?

just call CX office where you live they are usually downright helpful

As mentioned by others, seat guarantee is for the GO/DM members only. In january 2007, we suddenly decided to go back to HK for CNY. I booked my family (four altogether) through my TA, but had to waitlist. I told my TA not to invoke the seat guarantee clause, but instead put all of us on priority waitlisting. (Note that even priority waitlisting does not get extended to travelling companions, but as we were in the same PNR, they would be considered anyway.) It took us about two days to get the waitlist cleared. I think that a good TA/consolidator also helps.

thanks guys. i guess I will try the usual MPC tactic of calling back to another agent, if i get a 'no' with first one. and if it still fails, I will just put her on WL to see how it goes.

thanks guys. i guess I will try the usual MPC tactic of calling back to another agent, if i get a 'no' with first one. and if it still fails, I will just put her on WL to see how it goes.

I hope you get that settled before you lose your GO status.

status update:

as opposed cxfan1960's experiece, I tried by having 2 seperate PNRs (me confirmed on V-class, wife waitlisted on M class). This is because the notorious LON-agent insisted that they will get CX-HK to clear her waitlist, making it absolutely clear both are travelling together. Well after a week as usual :rolleyes: her waitlist is showing no change, ticket deadline is tommorrow but no signs of them contacting me.

so I am planning to do something more sneaky. QUESTION please: can I make a reservation in same PNR for 2 pax (me and my wife waitlisted say on K), and after both are confirmed, am I able to remove myself from this PNR and still retain the confirmed reservation or her in K-subclass?

I ask, because apparently all waitlist for K-below are closed. So, I can use cxfan1960's strategy of having a Gold member WAITLISTED in SAME PNR, which will likely get CX HK to release the seat for both of us. Once confirmed, I make ASR for her, then, I want to bloody remove myself from this PNR (essentially leaving a K-booking for her), and then I do a seat-gurantee for myself for V-class, and do a ASR for myself next to her. This leaves 2PNR, confirmed, with ASR for both. I will do absolutely everything to minimize revenue to CX.

Is this possible?

status update:

as opposed cxfan1960's experiece, I tried by having 2 seperate PNRs (me confirmed on V-class, wife waitlisted on M class). This is because the notorious LON-agent insisted that they will get CX-HK to clear her waitlist, making it absolutely clear both are travelling together. Well after a week as usual :rolleyes: her waitlist is showing no change, ticket deadline is tommorrow but no signs of them contacting me.

so I am planning to do something more sneaky. QUESTION please: can I make a reservation in same PNR for 2 pax (me and my wife waitlisted say on K), and after both are confirmed, am I able to remove myself from this PNR and still retain the confirmed reservation or her in K-subclass?

I ask, because apparently all waitlist for K-below are closed. So, I can use cxfan1960's strategy of having a Gold member WAITLISTED in SAME PNR, which will likely get CX HK to release the seat for both of us. Once confirmed, I make ASR for her, then, I want to bloody remove myself from this PNR (essentially leaving a K-booking for her), and then I do a seat-gurantee for myself for V-class, and do a ASR for myself next to her. This leaves 2PNR, confirmed, with ASR for both. I will do absolutely everything to minimize revenue to CX.

Is this possible?

Yes, you can do that, but just don't do that too often. I am not sure if that will have any effect on your future waitlist priority.

The problem is that with so many DMs and GOs flying that route, it may still be tight getting a waitlist cleared early. I do sincerely hope you can get that.