Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Requesting Seat Assignment

I recently booked business award tickets on CX using AA miles and followed up to call CX and request seat assignments. The CX rep told me they can't reserve seats till 6 months prior to depature. Is this true?

To add, I'll be flying a A330-300 from SYD to HKG then a 747-400 from HKG to LAX. The HKG-LAX 747-400 appears to have the new seats, but the A330 from SYD-HKG seems to have the regional business seats. Can anyone recommend seats for both flights? I was thinking upstairs on the 747. I'd appreciate your advice, and what I need to do to book/request seat assignments in advance. Thank you.

Flight itinerary:
Nov. 29 SYD-HKG Flt. CX110; Aircraft: A330-300(333)
Dec. 1 HKG-LAX Flt. CX882; Aircraft: 747-400

SYD/HKG 333 is not regional business class seat, but old business class, non-flat bed seat instead. Not bed though, and some people would prefer that one, especially couple. HOWEVER, CX did use 330 2-class configuration REGIONAL BUSINESS CLASS (just like what they use on PER) some days in December last year, due to operational issues.

I also just bagged award seats on CX Vancouver-Hong Kong-Phuket (Dragonair) for Nov. 20 in business class, economy on Dragonair even though it's a business award. I'd like to know if I can only get a seat assignment 180 days out and if the Vancouver-Hong Kong is a 747. I also wonder why the Hong Kong-Phuket segment is in economy at 10 months out? I doubt all the business class award seats are already gone.

Susie

I recently booked business award tickets on CX using AA miles and followed up to call CX and request seat assignments. The CX rep told me they can't reserve seats till 6 months prior to depature. Is this true?
Yes.

To add, I'll be flying a A330-300 from SYD to HKG then a 747-400 from HKG to LAX. The HKG-LAX 747-400 appears to have the new seats, but the A330 from SYD-HKG seems to have the regional business seats. Can anyone recommend seats for both flights? I was thinking upstairs on the 747. I'd appreciate your advice, and what I need to do to book/request seat assignments in advance. Thank you.

Flight itinerary:
Nov. 29 SYD-HKG Flt. CX110; Aircraft: A330-300(333)
Dec. 1 HKG-LAX Flt. CX882; Aircraft: 747-400
Do you prefer aisle or window? That makes a huge difference.

Do you prefer aisle or window? That makes a huge difference.

Referring to our trip, there are two of us traveling. I think on the flight from SYD-HKG, the seats are in pairs of 2, which I guess is one aisle and one window, and we would not want center seats. So for this flight, I guess we get one of each, window and aisle. But for the 747 on the HKG-LAX, although we want to hopefully sit together, I would prefer we each has a window seat next to each other. Thanks.

SYD/HKG 333 is not regional business class seat, but old business class, non-flat bed seat instead. Not bed though, and some people would prefer that one, especially couple. HOWEVER, CX did use 330 2-class configuration REGIONAL BUSINESS CLASS (just like what they use on PER) some days in December last year, due to operational issues.

We're scheduled for the 8:35 AM flight on the 29 November from SYD-HKG. To be honest, I don't know what the seats are. From the seating chart off of ExpertFlyer, it does not appear to be the new business seats, so I assume they were the business regional seats. I believe it's the 3 seat aircraft. The seats are 2 x 2 x 2. Is there a link to photos or description of what seats these would be?

Also, can you describe the "old business class seat." I am a little confused on what this would be. What is the "non-flat bed seat" that you're referring too? Is it better/worse than the regional business class seat? Are they the ones that kind of look like you're in a pod? Thanks.

We're scheduled for the 8:35 AM flight on the 29 November from SYD-HKG. To be honest, I don't know what the seats are. From the seating chart off of ExpertFlyer, it does not appear to be the new business seats, so I assume they were the business regional seats. I believe it's the 3 seat aircraft. The seats are 2 x 2 x 2. Is there a link to photos or description of what seats these would be?


Don't worry, you are 99.9% certain you will have a 3 class A330-300 ('333' in CX's booking system) which will have the current long-haul business class seat (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_HK/whatonboard/businessclass). On the rare occassion, you might get an aircraft that is fitted with the regional business class seat (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_HK/whatonboard/regionalbusinessclass) or the brand new flat bed seat (http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_HK/whatonboard/newbusinessclass). However since your flights are still some 10 months away, I won't be surprised if CX changes the operating equipment between now and then.


Also, can you describe the "old business class seat." I am a little confused on what this would be. What is the "non-flat bed seat" that you're referring too? Is it better/worse than the regional business class seat? Are they the ones that kind of look like you're in a pod? Thanks.

I believer many CX FTers refer to current long haul business seat (see the link above) as the "old business class seat" and the new flat bed seat as the "new business class seat".

Believe me, the "old business class seat" is miles better than the crappy regional business class seat. The "old business class seat" is a lie-flat seat with a 60" pitch which can be turned into 75" (1.90m) 'bed'. Like you said, it looks like you are sitting in a pod.

This (http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6145834) is how the current long-haul business class seats look in the upper deck of a B744.


Hope this helps!

I also wonder why the Hong Kong-Phuket segment is in economy at 10 months out? I doubt all the business class award seats are already gone.

the Phuket route is often scheduled with a "32P" aircraft which has only 8 business class seats...and given the price isn't really that high (USD 700 roundtrip?) and many people are willing to pay, I guess they probably can sell them quite easily and so don't want to release too many award seats...