Avios - Cathay seat selecton in economy
My experiences ties in with the other reports. CX's website isn't as good as BA's, but they are very helpful indeed on the telephone. After T-48, when their OLCI opens, there will often be better seats available by calling. And the lounge agents can also access any blocked seats too.
Incidentally, you may need to include bits of your middle name to access MMB before OLCI.