Oct 29, 2013, 8:34 pm
Last edit by: sxc
What is the difference between Asia Miles and The Marco Polo Club?
The Marco Polo Club is Cathay Pacific’s official loyalty programme. Asia Miles is an unaffiliated travel reward programme comprising of a variety of airline and hotel partners, as well as credit and charge card companies, car rental agencies, telecommunications companies and other non-air partners. Members of The Marco Polo Club are automatically enrolled as Asia Miles members. The Marco Polo Club gives you benefits for being loyal (eg lounge access, extra baggage), and Asia Miles is where you earn and burn miles and free flights.
What mileage will I earn for a particular flight and fare class?
Please refer to the Asia Miles website for the earning rates on Cathay Pacific and other Airline Partners.
Airline Partner Earning details
What are good credit cards to earn Asia Miles in HK?
See this thread: Best Credit Card Conversion Rates for Asia Miles (HK)
Does The Marco Polo Club status match?
MPC generally does not status match to another carrier's elite FFP just because you want one. You may write to the Club with details of your past flying pattern, and they will consider status matches on a case-by-case basis.
For more information , please read this thread: CX Status Match
I am moving to HK - should I consider changing to Asia Miles / Marco Polo Club?
Please see this thread for questions on moving to HK and your choice of loyalty program: Moving to HK master thread
What is the difference between Club Miles and Club Sectors?
Eligible earning fares will earn both Club Miles and Club Sectors. Club Miles is the number of miles flown on the particular flight (plus a 110%, 125%, or 150% surcharge if travel was in Premium Economy, Business or First Class respectively). Club Sectors are earned per sector flown on an eligible Cathay Pacific or oneworld flight. Passengers earn 1 Club Sector for every Economy Class sector, 1.1 for every Premium Economy sector, 1.25 for every Business Class sector and 1.5 for every First Class sector flown.
Tier qualification may be achieved by either Club Miles or Club Sectors but not both.
If you are flying an airline partner that is not a member of oneworld (eg Jet Airways), you will only earn Asia Miles and you will not earn Club Miles.
I do not have elite Marco Polo status but I will be flying over 120,000 miles in the next year. Does this mean I can leapfrog straight from no status to Diamond status?
No. The Marco Polo Club applies a stepped tier programme starting from Silver tier. This means that once you exceed the 30,000 miles (or 20 Club Sector) threshold, you are automatically granted Silver tier membership. At this time your mileage balance is reset to zero to reflect the fact that you are commencing a new membership year at Silver tier.
You then have another 12 months from the date of earning Silver tier to fly a further 60,000 miles to earn Gold, at which time you will again be reset to zero and your membership year reset to allow a further 12 months in which to earn Diamond tier. This means that you need to fly 30,000 + 60,000 +120,000 = 210,000 miles to jump straight from no status to Diamond tier (or the equivalent in Club sectors).
Note that your membership year runs from the day you attain a new tier until the end of that month plus 12 months. For example, if you earn Silver tier on 6 April 2009, your membership year will run from 6 April 2009 through to 30 April 2010.
Should you fail to advance to a higher tier, your membership year will be reset on the last day of the month in which you earned your current tier. Thus in the example above, if in the following membership year you earn 45,000 miles, you will be reset to zero at silver on 30 April 2011.
Huh? I still don't understand how qualification works.
cxfan1960 has kindly provided the following "flowchart for dummies":
(1) Join MPC - Start membership year -> go to (2)
(2) Green
* Minimum 30,000 Club Miles or 20 Club Sectors within membership year - qualify for Silver. Reset membership year -> go to (3), else;
* Renew Green at end of membership year for another membership year.
(3) Silver (oneworld Ruby)
* Minimum 60,000 Club Miles or 40 Club Sectors within membership year - qualify for gold. Reset membership year -> go to (4), else;
* Between 30,000 and 60,000 Club Miles or between 20 and 40 Club Sectors within membership year - renew Silver at end of membership year for another membership year, else;
* Back to Green at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (2).
(4) Gold (oneworld Sapphire)
* Minimum 120,000 Club Miles or 80 Club Sectors within membership year - qualify for Diamond. Reset membership year -> go to (5), else;
* Between 60,000 and 120,000 Club Miles, or between 40 and 80 Club Sectors within membership year - renew Gold at end of membership year for another membership year, else;
* Between 30,000 and 60,000 Club Miles, or between 20 and 40 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Silver at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (3), else;
* Less than 30,000 Club Miles, or less than 20 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Green at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (2).
(5) Diamond (oneworld Emerald)
* Minimum 120,000 Club Miles or 80 Club Sectors within membership year - renew Diamond at end of membership year for another membership year;
* Between 60,000 and 120,000 Club Miles, or between 40 and 80 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Gold at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (4),
* Between 30,000 and 60,000 Club Miles, or between 20 and 40 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Silver at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (3), else;
* Less than 30,000 Club Miles, or less than 20 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Green at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (2).
I am not going to earn enough miles to requalify at my current tier. Does Cathay do soft landings or will I be sent straight to the tier at which I have enough miles to qualify for?
There is no official soft landing policy. It is possible if you are a Diamond, to go straight back to Green if you fly less than 30,000 miles in a year. Sometimes soft landings are reported, but it is on a case-by-case basis.
I am going to be just shy of requalifying at a certain tier. Will Cathay let me have that tier anyway?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that if you are a couple of thousand miles short of retaining your current tier before your membership year expires, you will be requalified at that tier on expiry date. There doesn't appear to be a hard and fast rule regarding how much of a shortfall is allowed.
Alternatively, writing in to the Club to explain your circumstances may result in them extending your deadline for requalification.
I am a silver, and I am going to fly 59,000 miles in my current year. Will Cathay be lenient and bump me to Gold?
Based on experience, it appears that Cathay is not lenient for attaining a new tier. Consider making alternative plans to reach that additional 1,000 missing club miles before your membership year ends.
The Marco Polo Club is Cathay Pacific’s official loyalty programme. Asia Miles is an unaffiliated travel reward programme comprising of a variety of airline and hotel partners, as well as credit and charge card companies, car rental agencies, telecommunications companies and other non-air partners. Members of The Marco Polo Club are automatically enrolled as Asia Miles members. The Marco Polo Club gives you benefits for being loyal (eg lounge access, extra baggage), and Asia Miles is where you earn and burn miles and free flights.
What mileage will I earn for a particular flight and fare class?
Please refer to the Asia Miles website for the earning rates on Cathay Pacific and other Airline Partners.
Airline Partner Earning details
What are good credit cards to earn Asia Miles in HK?
See this thread: Best Credit Card Conversion Rates for Asia Miles (HK)
Does The Marco Polo Club status match?
MPC generally does not status match to another carrier's elite FFP just because you want one. You may write to the Club with details of your past flying pattern, and they will consider status matches on a case-by-case basis.
For more information , please read this thread: CX Status Match
I am moving to HK - should I consider changing to Asia Miles / Marco Polo Club?
Please see this thread for questions on moving to HK and your choice of loyalty program: Moving to HK master thread
What is the difference between Club Miles and Club Sectors?
Eligible earning fares will earn both Club Miles and Club Sectors. Club Miles is the number of miles flown on the particular flight (plus a 110%, 125%, or 150% surcharge if travel was in Premium Economy, Business or First Class respectively). Club Sectors are earned per sector flown on an eligible Cathay Pacific or oneworld flight. Passengers earn 1 Club Sector for every Economy Class sector, 1.1 for every Premium Economy sector, 1.25 for every Business Class sector and 1.5 for every First Class sector flown.
Tier qualification may be achieved by either Club Miles or Club Sectors but not both.
If you are flying an airline partner that is not a member of oneworld (eg Jet Airways), you will only earn Asia Miles and you will not earn Club Miles.
I do not have elite Marco Polo status but I will be flying over 120,000 miles in the next year. Does this mean I can leapfrog straight from no status to Diamond status?
No. The Marco Polo Club applies a stepped tier programme starting from Silver tier. This means that once you exceed the 30,000 miles (or 20 Club Sector) threshold, you are automatically granted Silver tier membership. At this time your mileage balance is reset to zero to reflect the fact that you are commencing a new membership year at Silver tier.
You then have another 12 months from the date of earning Silver tier to fly a further 60,000 miles to earn Gold, at which time you will again be reset to zero and your membership year reset to allow a further 12 months in which to earn Diamond tier. This means that you need to fly 30,000 + 60,000 +120,000 = 210,000 miles to jump straight from no status to Diamond tier (or the equivalent in Club sectors).
Note that your membership year runs from the day you attain a new tier until the end of that month plus 12 months. For example, if you earn Silver tier on 6 April 2009, your membership year will run from 6 April 2009 through to 30 April 2010.
Should you fail to advance to a higher tier, your membership year will be reset on the last day of the month in which you earned your current tier. Thus in the example above, if in the following membership year you earn 45,000 miles, you will be reset to zero at silver on 30 April 2011.
Huh? I still don't understand how qualification works.
cxfan1960 has kindly provided the following "flowchart for dummies":
(1) Join MPC - Start membership year -> go to (2)
(2) Green
* Minimum 30,000 Club Miles or 20 Club Sectors within membership year - qualify for Silver. Reset membership year -> go to (3), else;
* Renew Green at end of membership year for another membership year.
(3) Silver (oneworld Ruby)
* Minimum 60,000 Club Miles or 40 Club Sectors within membership year - qualify for gold. Reset membership year -> go to (4), else;
* Between 30,000 and 60,000 Club Miles or between 20 and 40 Club Sectors within membership year - renew Silver at end of membership year for another membership year, else;
* Back to Green at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (2).
(4) Gold (oneworld Sapphire)
* Minimum 120,000 Club Miles or 80 Club Sectors within membership year - qualify for Diamond. Reset membership year -> go to (5), else;
* Between 60,000 and 120,000 Club Miles, or between 40 and 80 Club Sectors within membership year - renew Gold at end of membership year for another membership year, else;
* Between 30,000 and 60,000 Club Miles, or between 20 and 40 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Silver at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (3), else;
* Less than 30,000 Club Miles, or less than 20 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Green at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (2).
(5) Diamond (oneworld Emerald)
* Minimum 120,000 Club Miles or 80 Club Sectors within membership year - renew Diamond at end of membership year for another membership year;
* Between 60,000 and 120,000 Club Miles, or between 40 and 80 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Gold at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (4),
* Between 30,000 and 60,000 Club Miles, or between 20 and 40 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Silver at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (3), else;
* Less than 30,000 Club Miles, or less than 20 Club Sectors within membership year - back to Green at end of membership year for another membership year -> go to (2).
I am not going to earn enough miles to requalify at my current tier. Does Cathay do soft landings or will I be sent straight to the tier at which I have enough miles to qualify for?
There is no official soft landing policy. It is possible if you are a Diamond, to go straight back to Green if you fly less than 30,000 miles in a year. Sometimes soft landings are reported, but it is on a case-by-case basis.
I am going to be just shy of requalifying at a certain tier. Will Cathay let me have that tier anyway?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that if you are a couple of thousand miles short of retaining your current tier before your membership year expires, you will be requalified at that tier on expiry date. There doesn't appear to be a hard and fast rule regarding how much of a shortfall is allowed.
Alternatively, writing in to the Club to explain your circumstances may result in them extending your deadline for requalification.
I am a silver, and I am going to fly 59,000 miles in my current year. Will Cathay be lenient and bump me to Gold?
Based on experience, it appears that Cathay is not lenient for attaining a new tier. Consider making alternative plans to reach that additional 1,000 missing club miles before your membership year ends.
[pre 15 April 2016]Asia Miles and The Marco Polo Club - Membership and earn/burn FAQs
Oct 29, 2013, 8:16 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
[pre 15 April 2016]Asia Miles and The Marco Polo Club - Membership and earn/burn FAQs
This thread is to cover the FAQs relating to the loyalty programs of Cathay Pacific / Dragonair
Oct 31, 2013, 9:43 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: London
Programs: CX DM
Posts: 133
Hi sxc - another great addition. Could you please help add Premium Economy as 110% miles and 1.1 sectors too? Not sure how I can edit the post.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Nov 30, 2013, 2:09 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
Added link to credit card earning thread.
Dec 8, 2013, 9:01 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,932
So then how do you stop people from starting new threads?
Like : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...sia-miles.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...ance-time.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...g-problem.html
Dec 8, 2013, 4:10 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
So... people are supposed to be using this thread instead of starting their own?
So then how do you stop people from starting new threads?
Like : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...sia-miles.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...ance-time.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...g-problem.html
So then how do you stop people from starting new threads?
Like : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...sia-miles.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...ance-time.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...g-problem.html
sxc
Cathay Pacific Moderator
Jan 25, 2014, 12:47 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Beijing, Paris, Edinburgh
Programs: Marco Polo Diamond, Flying Blue Platinum for Life, GHA Black, IHG Platinum
Posts: 442
I have only been a MP member for a fairly short time and I have never used any of my miles so far. However, I now have enough for a round trip in F to the UK and I am looking at availability on-line, both a long way out and also nearer to now, but everything seems either full or n/a.
From reading posts here, I see that timing the request for an award seat and anticipating the release of seats is a scientific exercise, which is also very time consuming (and stressful, it seems !) and I just wondered if there is any alternative to spending hours on-line looking for availability. Is the experience more user friendly if I call Marco Polo, or else go to the Asia Miles desk at HKIA?
In a previous existence, I was a frequent flyer with Air France and their system was completely different - there were a fixed number of award seats available in each class on every flight (I think that Platinum members also had preferential access) and you could book anytime you liked. If a seat was available then you booked it, end of story. The CX systems seems a much bigger headache, or am I missing something ?
Hope I am not asking a stupid question here, any input would be much appreciated !
From reading posts here, I see that timing the request for an award seat and anticipating the release of seats is a scientific exercise, which is also very time consuming (and stressful, it seems !) and I just wondered if there is any alternative to spending hours on-line looking for availability. Is the experience more user friendly if I call Marco Polo, or else go to the Asia Miles desk at HKIA?
In a previous existence, I was a frequent flyer with Air France and their system was completely different - there were a fixed number of award seats available in each class on every flight (I think that Platinum members also had preferential access) and you could book anytime you liked. If a seat was available then you booked it, end of story. The CX systems seems a much bigger headache, or am I missing something ?
Hope I am not asking a stupid question here, any input would be much appreciated !
Jan 25, 2014, 1:12 am
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,377
From reading posts here, I see that timing the request for an award seat and anticipating the release of seats is a scientific exercise, which is also very time consuming (and stressful, it seems !) and I just wondered if there is any alternative to spending hours on-line looking for availability. Is the experience more user friendly if I call Marco Polo, or else go to the Asia Miles desk at HKIA?
In a previous existence, I was a frequent flyer with Air France and their system was completely different - there were a fixed number of award seats available in each class on every flight (I think that Platinum members also had preferential access) and you could book anytime you liked. If a seat was available then you booked it, end of story. The CX systems seems a much bigger headache, or am I missing something ?
Jan 25, 2014, 1:29 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Beijing, Paris, Edinburgh
Programs: Marco Polo Diamond, Flying Blue Platinum for Life, GHA Black, IHG Platinum
Posts: 442
CanucksHKG - thanks for the advice, I will sign up to the KVS site and play around with it to see how it works.
Regarding your comment about award availability, maybe I have therefore just been unlucky, because every single combination of dates that I have tried come up with nothing ! And waitlisting doesn't appeal to me because of the inherent uncertainty.
Thanks again for your help.
Regarding your comment about award availability, maybe I have therefore just been unlucky, because every single combination of dates that I have tried come up with nothing ! And waitlisting doesn't appeal to me because of the inherent uncertainty.
Thanks again for your help.
Jan 25, 2014, 2:54 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
CanucksHKG - thanks for the advice, I will sign up to the KVS site and play around with it to see how it works.
Regarding your comment about award availability, maybe I have therefore just been unlucky, because every single combination of dates that I have tried come up with nothing ! And waitlisting doesn't appeal to me because of the inherent uncertainty.
Thanks again for your help.
Regarding your comment about award availability, maybe I have therefore just been unlucky, because every single combination of dates that I have tried come up with nothing ! And waitlisting doesn't appeal to me because of the inherent uncertainty.
Thanks again for your help.
Jan 25, 2014, 3:11 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Beijing, Paris, Edinburgh
Programs: Marco Polo Diamond, Flying Blue Platinum for Life, GHA Black, IHG Platinum
Posts: 442
I don't think what canuckshkg is describing is the same thing as what you are saying. I think you describe Air France as always releasing a certain number of seats on every flight? CX is much more fluid than that in my experience. There are times of the year when no awards seats are initially released (Christmas, Chinese New Year for example) and they will only be released closer to departure when they can see if sales are low.
Jan 27, 2014, 2:14 am
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,377
I don't know about you...but I have much better chance scoring high peak tickets 1 year out, as oppose to closer to departure date. They are rare, but they do get released.
Feb 26, 2014, 12:54 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 80
Status change
Today I noticed that my status has changed from Green to Silver. I had been green level for the past 18th month.My only flight activity in 2013 was 4 short hauls in J and 4 J segments in January. My status from green to green was extended first week of Feb. Does anyone have a similar experience ? On another note, I credited 85k Asia miles through my CC in the past 12 months..
Thanks for any insight
Thanks for any insight