Jun 28, 2017, 8:46 pm
Last edit by: eponymous_coward
Cathay Award Guide Using Alaska Airlines Miles
Note: Cathay flights cannot be booked using alaskaair.com. Mileage requirements in chart form available on alaskaair.com.
Routing Rules:
North American Gateway Cities:
Western
Vancouver
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Seattle (Spring 2019)
Eastern (Can not be used if traveling to west coast)
Boston
Chicago
New York (JFK & EWR)
Toronto
Washington
Award Chart Links*:
Asia
Australia
Europe
India/Middle East
North America
Anyone with 90 posts and 90 days can edit the wiki. Everyone else if you want something added to the wiki please comment in the thread.
Note: Cathay flights cannot be booked using alaskaair.com. Mileage requirements in chart form available on alaskaair.com.
Request your Partner Award reservation on Cathay Pacific by calling Alaska Airlines Reservations at 1-800-252-7522 (TTY: Dial 711 for Relay Services) 5:00 a.m. - Midnight (PT), daily.
- If it's not on the award chart, it's not allowed. For example EUROPE is To/From HKG only.
- Stopover are only allowed on any CX award for North America awards as destination or origin. For instance: intra-Asia awards do not get a stopover. It must be a North America->Somewhere or Somewhere->North America award to qualify for a stopover.
- The only awards that do not break at HKG are intra-Asia or North American ones. For instance, Australia-Europe/Middle East/Asia outside of HKG will be two awards (breaking at HKG). The AS award chart can be misleading about this and give you the impression you can fly an award like Australia/Europe-ICN, but the chart for these award types will show "Hong Kong".
- One stop-over allowed on one way award. You can build open jaw and other advanced routings by booking multiple one way awards. Please note change fee rule below.
- Allegedly stop-over only in Hong Kong, but some have posted success in other enroute cities such as YVR or SEA.
- As of 5 June 2018 changes/cancellations made to a booking will incur a $125 fee which is waived for MVPG/MVPG75K. Bookings made prior to 5 June will be allowed one complimentary change or cancellation for up to 60 days prior to date of travel.
- Awards can be booked 330 days in advance.
- Cathay and Alaska (or an Alaska flight operated by SkyWest/Horizon on behalf of Alaska) are the only airlines allowed on a Cathay award. No other partner airlines may be used on a single award (e.g. American, JAL, Emirates).
North American Gateway Cities:
Western
Vancouver
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Seattle (Spring 2019)
Eastern (Can not be used if traveling to west coast)
Boston
Chicago
New York (JFK & EWR)
Toronto
Washington
Award Chart Links*:
Asia
Australia
Europe
India/Middle East
North America
Anyone with 90 posts and 90 days can edit the wiki. Everyone else if you want something added to the wiki please comment in the thread.
Cathay Pacific (CX) Award Redemption, Booking and Availability 2017 and Later
Feb 1, 2017, 1:32 pm
#153
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 19
Is this routing allowed? BOS - HKG - ICN
I would like to fly to Seoul using Alaska Miles on CX. I know BOS-HKG-ICN is not the most direct route but it's still only a one stop route from Boston to Seoul.
I would like to fly to Seoul using Alaska Miles on CX. I know BOS-HKG-ICN is not the most direct route but it's still only a one stop route from Boston to Seoul.
Feb 1, 2017, 1:45 pm
#154
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
As long as HKG-ICN stays Cathay metal and not dragon air then yes you can. Its the most direct route on CX since you cant get anywhere on CX from north america without touching HKG
Feb 1, 2017, 1:56 pm
#155
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: The Internet
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan
Posts: 714
If you're booking a roundtrip itinerary, you'll likely find much better options on Korean or Delta. If you're going one-way, also look at JAL via Tokyo. Hong Kong is a really long detour. Also, Cathay has slipped in quality a lot, so if you're looking for a premium cabin you'd actually do better on JAL.
Feb 1, 2017, 3:03 pm
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
If you're booking a roundtrip itinerary, you'll likely find much better options on Korean or Delta. If you're going one-way, also look at JAL via Tokyo. Hong Kong is a really long detour. Also, Cathay has slipped in quality a lot, so if you're looking for a premium cabin you'd actually do better on JAL.
Feb 1, 2017, 8:29 pm
#157
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,376
If you're booking a roundtrip itinerary, you'll likely find much better options on Korean or Delta. If you're going one-way, also look at JAL via Tokyo. Hong Kong is a really long detour. Also, Cathay has slipped in quality a lot, so if you're looking for a premium cabin you'd actually do better on JAL.
I regularly have to add stuff like this to get to Asia on an AS award, because as mentioned, KE has bad availability out of SEA (boo), HU has stupid YQ adding a few hundred USD (booo), CX has bad availability out of YVR (booooo), neither CX nor JL serve SEA (booooooooooooo) which means SFO/LAX and 1500-2000 mile backtracks. In theory JL out of YVR is an easy get now, except they're using Shell Flat Neo out of YVR, which is why it's an easy get. I'll suffer through CX mediocre J catering and a SFO/LAX detour for an actual lie-flat and saving 10-15k AS miles, thank you very much. CX J is still arguably the best deal on AS's award chart (followed closely by CX F for 70k, then JL F for 70k).
Feb 2, 2017, 7:21 am
#158
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 19
If you're booking a roundtrip itinerary, you'll likely find much better options on Korean or Delta. If you're going one-way, also look at JAL via Tokyo. Hong Kong is a really long detour. Also, Cathay has slipped in quality a lot, so if you're looking for a premium cabin you'd actually do better on JAL.
I guess my desire isn't the shortest duration flight but the best experience. I could do JL through JFK on F but only the JFK - NRT leg.
Feb 2, 2017, 8:26 am
#159
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,531
You'd likely only have one leg on first using Cathay too. Other than one Haneda flight, I don't think there's any flight that's one immune from equipment swaps
Feb 2, 2017, 8:43 am
#160
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,376
I suppose if OP really, truly, wants the "best" experience he should shell out for EK F BOS-DXB-ICN, since he can fly F on all segments, including Emirates A380 Shower Class DXB-ICN.
(But that's a LOT of miles, though.)
Feb 2, 2017, 3:18 pm
#161
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,627
Got LAX-HKG-AKL in J for mid-December just now. Was holding LAX-SYD on AA in J but the difference between 60Kx2 and 80Kx2 plus having to buy trans-Tasman tickets or use UA miles tipped the scales to switch the flights.
Also booked AKL-HKG in J, waiting for HKG-SFO/LAX now...deferred the possibility of HKG-SFO in PE for now but might go back and add that tomorrow. Really want to switch my dates as well for the whole return trip and keeping my fingers crossed for QF eventually.
Seattle-based partner desk agent could see the exact same inventory #'s I saw on BA for all 3 flights. Tickets issued in 15 minutes on the phone. Great service. ^
Also booked AKL-HKG in J, waiting for HKG-SFO/LAX now...deferred the possibility of HKG-SFO in PE for now but might go back and add that tomorrow. Really want to switch my dates as well for the whole return trip and keeping my fingers crossed for QF eventually.
Seattle-based partner desk agent could see the exact same inventory #'s I saw on BA for all 3 flights. Tickets issued in 15 minutes on the phone. Great service. ^
Feb 3, 2017, 9:41 am
#162
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,895
"better" is an understatement. JL's NRT F lounge is terrible for a F lounge and looks like an average J lounge compared to CX F. Unless the destination was Japan, I would never choose JL F over CX F, and even then would still choose CX if time and routing allowed.
Feb 3, 2017, 2:57 pm
#163
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 259
Alaska cannot see Cathay Pacifice award seats?
Hi,
I'm trying to book an Alaska award flight from DPS to HKG (via Cathay). I checked BA site and was able to see several available seats (economy and business) on the dates I want. But the Alaska agent told me there is no seats available. any idea why?
What can I do to help the Alaska agent to find the seats for me?
Thanks!
I'm trying to book an Alaska award flight from DPS to HKG (via Cathay). I checked BA site and was able to see several available seats (economy and business) on the dates I want. But the Alaska agent told me there is no seats available. any idea why?
What can I do to help the Alaska agent to find the seats for me?
Thanks!
Feb 3, 2017, 3:04 pm
#164
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,793
Hi,
I'm trying to book an Alaska award flight from DPS to HKG (via Cathay). I checked BA site and was able to see several available seats (economy and business) on the dates I want. But the Alaska agent told me there is no seats available. any idea why?
What can I do to help the Alaska agent to find the seats for me?
Thanks!
I'm trying to book an Alaska award flight from DPS to HKG (via Cathay). I checked BA site and was able to see several available seats (economy and business) on the dates I want. But the Alaska agent told me there is no seats available. any idea why?
What can I do to help the Alaska agent to find the seats for me?
Thanks!
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...y-f-j-122.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...-miles-36.html
Feb 3, 2017, 3:19 pm
#165
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 259
But JAL site also shows 4 seats available on the date I want to book....
so if they are phantom seats, say if I book through BA or JAL, award will not be confirmed?
so if they are phantom seats, say if I book through BA or JAL, award will not be confirmed?
ba.com often displays phantom availability that is not bookable.
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...y-f-j-122.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...-miles-36.html
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...y-f-j-122.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...-miles-36.html
