Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - seat assignments - confirmed or just "requests"

I'm flying CX NRT-HKG as part of a larger trip booked via AA. American gave me seat assignments for the CX metal flights. However, they suggested that my seats are not confirmed, but rather just a request. Anyone have experience with this? Is it likely they will be changed?

Also, what type of Y product and inflight service should I expect on NRT-HKG? Meals? IFE? Shell Olympus seats?

Also, what type of Y product and inflight service should I expect on NRT-HKG? Meals? IFE? Shell Olympus seats?

All the flights will give you a full meal service (this is standard on any CX flight), except that maybe some morning flights may be breakfast instead of lunch/dinner.

Aircraft depends. Most of the flights from NRT-HKG are not on aircraft with the shell Olympus Y seats. If you want to have this, you need to be on one of the flights operated by 747-400 aircraft (can you look this up on the CX website under schedules). Even this is not a guarantee as CX is prone to swap aircraft on shorter routes. If you have the new seats, IFE will be AVOD.

If you're on the older seats, then IFE may vary. However, I think that a PTV is guaranteed, though AVOD is not.

I'm flying CX NRT-HKG as part of a larger trip booked via AA. American gave me seat assignments for the CX metal flights. However, they suggested that my seats are not confirmed, but rather just a request. Anyone have experience with this? Is it likely they will be changed?

Also, what type of Y product and inflight service should I expect on NRT-HKG? Meals? IFE? Shell Olympus seats?

CX is quite a pain- unlikely most airlines- they wont give you a seat assignment if you redeemed a ticket through a non CX FFP.

stinks. had the same happen to me 3 times and have moved most of my AA redemptions to JAL as such.

I was told by CX that they don't assign seat at all until six months out regardless of whether you purchase the ticket or receive an award.

I have a question that works the other way around.. i have a CX trip to the US that includes 1 sector with AA, does anyone know if i can get a seat assignment via MPC? or who should i call?

I'm having the same issue with an upcoming flight on CX metal, booked through AA as a code-share. I got seat assignments through AA, but was told that they were only "requests." Following a suggestion from another thread, I got the CX record locator from AA, called CX directly and was able to get confirmed seat assignments through CX. So you may be able to get confirmed seats by doing this.

The only issue I have now is that the seats I have through CX are different from the ones I have through AA. (I.e. when I check my reservation on the CX site, I have certain seats confirmed, but on the AA site, the seats are different.) Any thoughts on what is likely to happen? I'm assuming that if I get my boarding passes through CX, I'll get their seat assignments, but I have no real idea.

AABOSSFO,

Is your flight within six months or further out?

Both last summer and this summer, I've booked trips on CX using AA miles. Each time, CX did reserve seats for us. However, I needed to call CX directly within six months of the flight. AA could not do it.

On our trip last year, we checked in at YVR, received our seat assignments as reserved and were able to move one of our party to the FC suites on a two class flight from HKG to DPS. (We gave the seat to my son as a treat.) When we went to actually board that flight, my wife and I, who were seated togther on the upper deck, found that our seats had been given away to a couple who had complained about being split up. It took nearly the entire boarding process to obtain two J seats anywhere near each other, and my wife and I were nearly the last to board the plane. We were flying on first class awards downgraded for the two class flight, and I was not happy about this treatment. My wife was livid. I have no idea why CX did this. Perhaps the complaining couple were MPC members. In any case, the incident, however annoying, was out of character with CX's otherwise excellent service.

wripro,

My flight is heading out in a month. Will be interested to see what happens.

Jody.

AABOSSFO,

That's why CX gave you assigned seats. My flight is more than six months out and I was told a seat request means nothing. If someone else calls before you six months to the day ahead of the flight and asks for your requested seat he will get it. I have the date marked on my calendar, needless to say!!

My flight is more than six months out and I was told a seat request means nothing. If someone else calls before you six months to the day ahead of the flight and asks for your requested seat he will get it. I have the date marked on my calendar, needless to say!!From my understanding, there is no such thing as a seat request on CX more than six months out. There's a difference between not being able to request a seat, and a request not meaning anything.

I booked my upcoming flights in November and January through a TA back in March. We are flying ADL/HKG/LAX - YVR/HKG/ADL. I emailed CX reservations and asked if I could request seats that far in advance and was advised that ASR could only be done 170 days before departure but if I advised them what seats I was after they would put a request in.

Anyway, as soon as I hit the 170 days, I got an email from CX confirming my ASR and a revised itinerary showing our seats as confirmed. I also checked "Manage My Booking" on the CX website after 170 days before my return flight and these also indicate my seat requests as confirmed.

CX104 33B Seats 32GHK
CX880 77A Seats 33ABC
CX839 34B Seats 32GHK
CX105 33B Seats 32GHK

I imagine I was dealing with CX in Sydney. Great Service.:)

from what i remember they put it in the system as a msg if its 170+ days, and usually honors it if there is no overlap
what if there is an overlap i relly do not know...

CX is quite a pain- unlikely most airlines- they wont give you a seat assignment if you redeemed a ticket through a non CX FFP.

stinks. had the same happen to me 3 times and have moved most of my AA redemptions to JAL as such.

Even if you are using AA miles, you are still on another airline, AA can request not confirm a seat. You need to call CX to confirm the seat. All you need is your record locator and be within the 180 day limit. I booked a trip from dfw to bkk in july for the FEB 2010 time frame. I had to wait until last week to confirm my seats with CX. The AA Platinum desk requested seats at the time of booking but it means nothing. Count the days and call CX, the 180 days is also the time from each flight, not the start of the trip.

Also, what type of Y product and inflight service should I expect on NRT-HKG? Meals? IFE? Shell Olympus seats?
Refer your confirmed flight to this (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11220583-post4.html).

Even if you are using AA miles, you are still on another airline, AA can request not confirm a seat. You need to call CX to confirm the seat. All you need is your record locator and be within the 180 day limit. I booked a trip from dfw to bkk in july for the FEB 2010 time frame. I had to wait until last week to confirm my seats with CX. The AA Platinum desk requested seats at the time of booking but it means nothing. Count the days and call CX, the 180 days is also the time from each flight, not the start of the trip.
I just had a quite bad experience. that's what I thought, I am using AA miles for an award on KA and thought KA/MPO as the operating airline should be the best one to call to confirm a seat assignment.

I called MPO last night and the agent insisted that there's nothing they can do here in KA/MPO because it's a ticket issued by AA, and so I can only ask AA to send the request to KA, while there's nothing MPO can do at all because the systems are set up in a way that they cannot do anything to the AA bookings. he actually tried to be helpful and even called AA on my behalf to teach them how to send the requests. He told me it takes overnight to have the seat confirmed, and he knows clearly I need a bassinet seat and he said he told AA to send the request accordingly already. but, guess what, this morning when the seats got confirmed by KA it's just some random seats and not bassinet. I then called MPO again and this time another agent just did the seat assignment for me real time in one minute. the agent last night wasted me 30 minutes !! he seemed to be helpful (calling AA on my behalf), but from my experience just now with another agent, the one last night just seems to be incompetent ??

I just had a quite bad experience. that's what I thought, I am using AA miles for an award on KA and thought KA/MPO as the operating airline should be the best one to call to confirm a seat assignment.

I called MPO last night and the agent insisted that there's nothing they can do here in KA/MPO because it's a ticket issued by AA, and so I can only ask AA to send the request to KA, while there's nothing MPO can do at all because the systems are set up in a way that they cannot do anything to the AA bookings. he actually tried to be helpful and even called AA on my behalf to teach them how to send the requests. He told me it takes overnight to have the seat confirmed, and he knows clearly I need a bassinet seat and he said he told AA to send the request accordingly already. but, guess what, this morning when the seats got confirmed by KA it's just some random seats and not bassinet. I then called MPO again and this time another agent just did the seat assignment for me real time in one minute. the agent last night wasted me 30 minutes !! he seemed to be helpful (calling AA on my behalf), but from my experience just now with another agent, the one last night just seems to be incompetent ??

Maybe not incompetent but simply one has more experience dealing with "extraordinary" situations and the other do not. It happens all the time in the customer service field. This is why when first you don't succeed you keep try it instead of giving up. Unless of course there's a strict rule against a particular request and then there's nothing anybody can do. But usually with gray areas like this it is really up to the expertise, experience and willingness of the agent serving you.

well, if he's not experienced enough, then he shouldn't sound like he is...he made it sound like he's soooo sure of the system limitations that when I kept on questioning about it, he just kept on confirming it again and again and didn't go ask someone more experienced.

he actually said, for tickets issued by AA on CX, CX cannot do anything, only AA can make requests. while for tickets issued by CX on AA, CX AGAIN cannot do anything, not even request, only AA can make the seat arrangement in those cases too - and he indeed made it sound so authoritative that even a somewhat experienced FTer like myself believed in what he said...

To be fair, making a request for a seat assignment and changing an existing seat assignment are two different activities. It is conceivable that CX can't do the former, but can do the latter.

ah ok, I never thought about it this way, making a first assignment vs. changing an existing one, didn't know there could be a difference in their authority between the two scenarios.

but at least so far both of the agents didn't explain it to me this way. e.g. I asked the first agent last night whether AA could request a specific set of bassinet seats (e.g. I want 15AC instead of 10AC), and he said no, it sounds like it would be somewhat a lucky draw what I would get. then I asked him what if what's assigned eventually isn't my first choice - he said then I just need to ask AA to request again, he didn't say MPO can change it after the first assignment - I never got an answer from him how this 2nd request from AA could be different, just sounds like I need to do it repeatedly and see if I get what I want from the lucky draw. then the second agent today said she didn't understand either why the agent last night couldn't do anything but just wasted me 30 mins, and she promised to get back to me on this after she understands it more from that agent. let's see what the final official answer is.

CX is quite a pain- unlikely most airlines- they wont give you a seat assignment if you redeemed a ticket through a non CX FFP.

stinks. had the same happen to me 3 times and have moved most of my AA redemptions to JAL as such.

when i booked JL and BA using CX miles i dont get seat assigned either...

Just called CX HKG number and requested seat assignment for my CX flights on AA award booking. Quite helpful lady and within 3 minutes the seats (all Ks for bizclass) are all done. There are two legs with KA which the lady said can only request, but they are also confirmed immediately.

when i booked JL and BA using CX miles i dont get seat assigned either...

If you are a Null Flying Economy you will not with these airlines. With BA as a Null you cant even get Business seats confirmed without a fee.

Simply have AA give you the CX locator number for your reservation, then use that to call CX and make your request directly with them.

I had my seats assigned yesterday (they're occupied on ExpertFlyer). I booked a Business Class award on CX with Advantage miles. I first called the CX US reservation hotline (I got a sex hotline, the phone #'s are similar) but they were closed. So I called the Hong Kong reservation # and they asked for my ticket number (the AA record locator didn't make sense) and they assigned me the seats I wanted in less than a minute.