International award travel on Alaska partner Cathay Pacific allows for one stopover in addition to the destination. In a recent attempt to book a roundtrip award, I'd already planned to take an outbound stopover at HKG on an FAI-SFO-HKG-BNE-HKG-SFO-FAI itinerary and was now booking my return on the HKG to SFO leg, arriving at 11:40am. I wanted to overnight at SFO and catch a 9:10am flight north to SEA the next morning. 21 1/2 hours in San Francisco. So far as I know from past experience, connections at international gateway cities allow up to 24 hours without being considered a stopover.

The agent quoted me the 12 hour baggage rule and said this could not be done. Baggage?! I don got no steenking baggage!!! I just want to connect within 24 hours at SFO. Neither the agent I spoke with or the rate desk seemed to know anything about the 24 hour gateway connection allowance.

Anyone here have any insight on this? Has the rule been changed?