I have an unexpected problem with a CX award (asiamiles) ticket. It is 2 pax, JL flights. We need to cancel 1 pax ticket, keep the other one (obviously cannot cancel both and rebook, as the availability is long gone).

I was expecting that to be easy enough: call and ask them to cancel 1 of the 2 tickets, knowing that first they'll likely split the PNR.

Lo and behold my surprise when the CX res agent insisted that CX cannot split reservations. They were adamant that it simply cannot be done. (I don't believe it. They are using Amadeus, as many other airlines, including JL, do, and that is certainly a feature there. I could even try asking JL to split it on their end..) Wouldn't pass me on to a supervisor or manager, wouldn't call for help also. This person was adamant that it's so and that everyone else will tell me the same thing.

Is that really so? Is it the case that for AsiaMiles non-CX PNRs, CX for some reason can't split PNRs and can't cancel just one out of two pax tickets?

Anyhow, the res agent did provide me an alternative. They told me that the passenger who is not going should be simply a NO SHOW and then afterwards to request a refund of the miles and $ (less then 120 USD cancel & redeposit fee).

They couldn't direct me to anywhere in CX/AsiaMiles T&Cs, Travel/Ticket Rules, etc. where it says that in case of no show tickets are refundable... BUT, https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_...onditions.html under "Flight Awards Redemption - General Conditions" #19 does state that wholly unused tickets are refundable, if so requested by the ticket expiry date (which in this case is just 3 days after flight date). One can interpret this to mean that in case of no show, a wholly unused ticket will be refundable, if timely requested by the ticket validity date (that is at least 3 days past the flight date... I think, as I don't see a "NOT VALID AFTER <FLIGHT DATE>" restriction on the CX ticket, as I know some other airlines like to do).

My question here is two fold:
1. Is it true that CX really cannot split non-CX award tickets, in order to cancel & redeposit one (or some) passengers, not all?
2. Is it true that CX will refund no-show award tickets? Including where two tix (under one PNR), one is flown but the other is no show, the no show then becomes refundable after the flight departs (and until the ticket expiry date, i.e. 1 year from issue date)?

Any advice, and esp. first hand experience (any successful refunds of no-show CX award tix?), will be much appreciated.