Hi Commuter...

First things first. Who did your friends' booking? If they did through a travel agency, that travel agency is responsible for clearing the waitlist. They usually have 'priority' waitlist that have more or less the same status as MPC members.

You may write to MPC but the problem is that MPC will not give them the same status waitlist as you because they are not family and you are also not travelling with them.

It is the peak season now. Most flights are full and CX normally clears waitlists up to 2 weeks' prior to departure only.