Originally Posted by
dguruswamy
I wanted to add a data point. I was able to book an award on CX using a Mileage Plan award from CMB to IAD on CX in November. The awards to/from Sri Lanka price out as awards to India/Middle East and not to Asia. Still 67,500 miles one way in business for a flight half way around the world is very reasonable, and since the CX IAD flight does not offer first, I was fine with business class. Oh, and here's the interesting them BA.com showed one seat left in business, and I was able to book that seat. This is totally opposite my experience trying to use my Mileage Plan miles for an award to Singapore for last August. Sometimes, BA showed 5 seats available and I couldn't book an award. One hint, be sure to be transferred to the international partner desk, as the regular agents can't book awards. The other thing is be patient, it took over 45 minutes from start to finish as the agent I was working with had never booked a Cathay award and had to put me on hold multiple times as she asked for assistance from a supervisor. One final note, thanks to the forum I knew to ask to have the phone booking fee waived upon request.
I use to think this too and that the international desk was always the smartest. Not anymore. Now that the merger is underway, you’ll often many times get new VX agents who haven’t a clue what they’re doing. You mentioned you worked with someone and it was their first CX booking and it took 45 minutes? Definitely a new hire or an integrated VX agent. I’ve had veteran AS agents book CX awards in under 5 minutes. I always ask if they have a direct number I can just call them always exclusively at since they’re so good. I wish...
The best way to book cathay awards now is by calling the MVP line because you’ll get connected to someone who is a veteran Alaska agent who knows what they’re doing. And for whatever reason, now most MVP agents who are veterans can do the cathay awards for you. If you happen to get an agent who cannot (rare now I am finding) they just transfer you to the partner desk and usually it’s a transfer to someone who knows what they’re doing. When you directly call the partner desk these days first, it’s playing lotto.
PS. The earmarks of a new agent who doesn’t really know what they are doing is if the agent doesn’t say their name, where they are, ask who they’re speaking to, and if they don’t immediately thank you for being a Gold or 75k. (Usually in that order too)