Oct 29, 2013, 4:27 am
Last edit by: ZZ100
Is it possible to buy a (cheap) upgrade on Cathay Pacific upon check-in?
The short answer is no.
Cathay, as a general rule, does not allow you to purchase last minute upgrades if there are empty seats in Y+, J or F. The only way to upgrade a ticket is to pay the fare difference between your current ticket, and an available fare class in the higher cabins. Note that if your current ticket has restrictions (cancellation fees, non-refundable) these still apply.
There are been stories of people who have been offered cheap upgrades by Cathay, but this is more an exception than a common occurrence.
If I upgrade my ticket using asia miles, do I still earn miles?
Yes, you will earn miles for the original fare class that you booked, not the upgraded cabin.
How do I get a free upgrade / operational upgrade (op-up)?
Cathay Pacific does not upgrade passengers just because there are empty seats in higher classes. Upgrades will only occur where there is overbooking in lower classes.
The order of upgrades when required is believed to be:
I am travelling on an award ticket. Will I still be considered for a free upgrade?
Yes - there are many stories of passengers on award tickets, or who upgraded a class using miles, getting (additional) upgrades.
What happens if the aircraft has 4 or 3 cabins, but is only selling Business and Economy seats?
It is likely if you have Marco Polo status, and to a lesser extent oneworld status, you may be able to sit in either First Class seats (if booked in J) or Premium Economy (if booked in Y) with service of the original cabin. There doesn't appear to be consistency yet as to how these semi-upgrades are allocated. Some people have been able to choose seats in the higher cabin during online check-in, or some will get them on request at check-in. However, there is no entitlement to these seats.
Will I get an upgrade on my Birthday, or for my membership anniversary, or for reaching xx number of lifetime club miles?
Please see this link for members' experience with these kinds of upgrades: Marco Polo Anniversary Upgrades
I want to use Asia Miles to upgrade a BA flight. How do I do this?
As of 22 June 2018, it is no longer possible to upgrade BA flights with Asia Miles.
How do I upgrade a CX flight using miles?
If you already have issued your original ticket:
If you have not made any booking yet, and you want to check availability:
If you don't receive a new e-ticket before departure, call up Marco Polo club to double check if the upgrade has been issued.
The short answer is no.
Cathay, as a general rule, does not allow you to purchase last minute upgrades if there are empty seats in Y+, J or F. The only way to upgrade a ticket is to pay the fare difference between your current ticket, and an available fare class in the higher cabins. Note that if your current ticket has restrictions (cancellation fees, non-refundable) these still apply.
There are been stories of people who have been offered cheap upgrades by Cathay, but this is more an exception than a common occurrence.
If I upgrade my ticket using asia miles, do I still earn miles?
Yes, you will earn miles for the original fare class that you booked, not the upgraded cabin.
How do I get a free upgrade / operational upgrade (op-up)?
Cathay Pacific does not upgrade passengers just because there are empty seats in higher classes. Upgrades will only occur where there is overbooking in lower classes.
The order of upgrades when required is believed to be:
- VIP (Heads of State, Government Bodies, or Canto Pop/Movie stars)
- CX Diamond Plus
- CX Diamond Invitation, Diamond
- CX Gold
- CX management staff on travel duty
- oneworld Emerald
- CX staff on duty nominees , other airline staff nominees, CX staff on personal travel
- oneworld Sapphire
- CX Silver
- oneworld Ruby
- CX Green
- Asia Miles
- Non status
I am travelling on an award ticket. Will I still be considered for a free upgrade?
Yes - there are many stories of passengers on award tickets, or who upgraded a class using miles, getting (additional) upgrades.
What happens if the aircraft has 4 or 3 cabins, but is only selling Business and Economy seats?
It is likely if you have Marco Polo status, and to a lesser extent oneworld status, you may be able to sit in either First Class seats (if booked in J) or Premium Economy (if booked in Y) with service of the original cabin. There doesn't appear to be consistency yet as to how these semi-upgrades are allocated. Some people have been able to choose seats in the higher cabin during online check-in, or some will get them on request at check-in. However, there is no entitlement to these seats.
Will I get an upgrade on my Birthday, or for my membership anniversary, or for reaching xx number of lifetime club miles?
Please see this link for members' experience with these kinds of upgrades: Marco Polo Anniversary Upgrades
I want to use Asia Miles to upgrade a BA flight. How do I do this?
As of 22 June 2018, it is no longer possible to upgrade BA flights with Asia Miles.
How do I upgrade a CX flight using miles?
If you already have issued your original ticket:
- Try upgrading using Manage My Booking on the website (not always successful)
- If self-service doesn't work, try calling Marco Polo hotline to check availability
- If there is availability, you will need to issue the upgrade immediately to secure it. They may give you a few days grace before isssuing the upgrade, but this is now rarely given.
- In a few days, or longer if they are busy, your miles will be deducted, and you will be emailed a new e-ticket with the upgrade class details on it, and your online booking for your original booking class will disappear.
If you have not made any booking yet, and you want to check availability:
- Call Marco Polo club to check for availability on the flights/dates you want, or check for normal redemption availability on the website.
- Book a revenue ticket in the class of service for which you will be paying. Do NOT do this via the website -- call a CX telephone sales number/travel agent.
- Put the booking on hold.
- Call the Marco Polo/Asia Miles Service Center. Have them book the upgrade and give you a deadline to have the ticket issued. (It's usually about 72 hours).
- Have telephone sales/travel agent issue your revenue ticket.
- Call Marco Polo/Asia Miles back. Give them the revenue ticket number against the PNR and ask them to issue your upgrade.
- In about two or three days, you'll get a new ticket with the upgrade showing.
If you don't receive a new e-ticket before departure, call up Marco Polo club to double check if the upgrade has been issued.
The Ultimate Upgrade Question thread
Nov 27, 2016, 2:23 am
#512
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
That can be one of the followings:
* The 1W might just be J being sold as W at the last few hours, in which case W was already oversold. They were op-upping W passengers before boarding.
* There might be Y->W instant upgrades that hadn't been processed, and they had to op-up W passengers to make room for such upgrades.
* Or perhaps others...
It is difficult to imagine CX op-upping passengers for no reason.
* The 1W might just be J being sold as W at the last few hours, in which case W was already oversold. They were op-upping W passengers before boarding.
* There might be Y->W instant upgrades that hadn't been processed, and they had to op-up W passengers to make room for such upgrades.
* Or perhaps others...
It is difficult to imagine CX op-upping passengers for no reason.
I think you're right, 1W should mean the actual PEY cabin's full, as there are few seats left in J cabin and CX surely wouldn't mind to sell some PEY cabin at full W fare and op-up some PEY pax to J
Nov 30, 2016, 7:19 pm
#513
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: CX GR, AA PLT
Posts: 5
Hi, I'm a newbie here.
Just booked my flights to vegas in PE, and got one leg upgraded to J due to the aircraft changed.
TPE-(I)-HKG-(E)-LAX-(H)-LAS
LAS-(H)-LAX-(E)-HKG-(H)-TPE
Could someone kindly help checking the loading of following flights please?
HKG-LAX CX884 3-JAN 17
LAX-HKG CX883 9-JAN 17
As a OWS, I know I shouldn't put too much hope in op-up....
but still like to know the possibility.
Much appreciated, thank you.
Just booked my flights to vegas in PE, and got one leg upgraded to J due to the aircraft changed.
TPE-(I)-HKG-(E)-LAX-(H)-LAS
LAS-(H)-LAX-(E)-HKG-(H)-TPE
Could someone kindly help checking the loading of following flights please?
HKG-LAX CX884 3-JAN 17
LAX-HKG CX883 9-JAN 17
As a OWS, I know I shouldn't put too much hope in op-up....
but still like to know the possibility.
Much appreciated, thank you.
Nov 30, 2016, 7:54 pm
#515
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: CX GR, AA PLT
Posts: 5
Thanks very much!
Ok, since CX884 has no F class and seems already overbooked. I'm curious how CX gonna do?
CX883, W2 means PE overbooked (maybe?), however J seats are still widely open.
Could someone kindly analysis the possibility of op-up?
Nov 30, 2016, 8:16 pm
#517
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
...but I'd say your chances are NIL on CX884. J class is not open for sale. Bad bad bad sign. You're basically praying a.) one or two J seats are open, and b.) there are no other status pax in PEY above, which is extremely unlikel, especially considering the op-up chart I post below. IME CX doesn't cutoff J sales unless J is packed.
As for CX883 a few weeks later, this is promising so far for upgrades. But you're still counting on "b" above, so I really wouldn't get your hopes too high up. Assume at least a few people ahead of you in the op-up order, that means CX has gotta oversell EY by probably 10+ or so for you to score that IMO. That said, this is totally possible....just not something to bank on at all. If I were making odds I'd pin you at a maybe 10-20% chance given current loading. Watch the J class loading, particularly I fare. If F stays open and I/D fares fill up, that means J is going away and they'll consider overselling J to op-up to F. That's also bad for you.
Now, traditionally, the order is:
CX DM
CX GO
OWE
CX staff
Then maybe CX SL or OWS, I can't remember which. If SL are ahead of you, then really you should just can the idea entirely.
Fyi, CX has recently switched to a CIV score, which you'll need to search about in other threads. The gist on here is that CX is more willing to upgrade folks they seem as high value over others, or to incentive some people, or whatnot. However,a CX employee or consultant and permitted to speak on FT about these matters and has commented on CIV: he has specifically and clearly said CIV is a tie-breaker among tiers only. So, a OWS like yourself should not be able to jump staff, OWE, etc. However, other posters have said practically this isn't followed. In my experience I have not seen it broken myself, particularly at LAX. Post CIV I've still had LAX staff spell out precisely for me how op-ups works, and it definitely has nothing to do with using CIV to switch around the order. The order above is precisely followed there as recently as 3 months ago.
Dec 3, 2016, 2:30 pm
#518
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: HKG, TXL
Programs: CX DM
Posts: 566
From CX secrets on Facebook:
"#6290
How to respond to GO pax ask me why EM pax upgraded before him??"
Some of the responses make me quite sad, as per the apparent lack of understanding of own vs other OW elite. One of them suggests to answer EM=DM.
Its as if i'd go flying AA asking for Complimentary Upgrades being a CX frequent flyer. They just wont even recognise you at all.
Unfortunately CX somehow likes OWE more than their own GO.
"#6290
How to respond to GO pax ask me why EM pax upgraded before him??"
Some of the responses make me quite sad, as per the apparent lack of understanding of own vs other OW elite. One of them suggests to answer EM=DM.
Its as if i'd go flying AA asking for Complimentary Upgrades being a CX frequent flyer. They just wont even recognise you at all.
Unfortunately CX somehow likes OWE more than their own GO.
Dec 4, 2016, 12:27 am
#519
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: HKG
Programs: CX DM, SPG Pt, Le Club Accor GO, Shangri-La GC Jade
Posts: 1,327
From CX secrets on Facebook:
"#6290
How to respond to GO pax ask me why EM pax upgraded before him??"
Some of the responses make me quite sad, as per the apparent lack of understanding of own vs other OW elite. One of them suggests to answer EM=DM.
Its as if i'd go flying AA asking for Complimentary Upgrades being a CX frequent flyer. They just wont even recognise you at all.
Unfortunately CX somehow likes OWE more than their own GO.
"#6290
How to respond to GO pax ask me why EM pax upgraded before him??"
Some of the responses make me quite sad, as per the apparent lack of understanding of own vs other OW elite. One of them suggests to answer EM=DM.
Its as if i'd go flying AA asking for Complimentary Upgrades being a CX frequent flyer. They just wont even recognise you at all.
Unfortunately CX somehow likes OWE more than their own GO.
Dec 4, 2016, 12:41 am
#520
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,799
Tell whatever lies it takes to make you move on and not assault them/escalate/block a flight from departure https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...l#post26683982
Dec 5, 2016, 7:31 pm
#521
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: CX GR, AA PLT
Posts: 5
Dec 6, 2016, 8:23 am
#522
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: JFK
Programs: DL DM; BAEC Gold; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 39
Flew CX845 on Saturday, and was told at check-in that OWE came before GO in terms of op-up priority. Not sure if it was a misinformed agent, but he did pull something up on his device to verify.
Dec 6, 2016, 3:56 pm
#523
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
Dec 6, 2016, 4:28 pm
#524
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: DAL
Posts: 3,398