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
Jan 7, 2018, 8:55 pm
#1651
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
In that case you can use BA and not AS for your award. Different program has different rules. Dont understand your petpeeve on the phone booking fee.
For years AA charged the telephone booking fee on partners could not be booked online. God knows how few partners could be booked on AA website. Even after AA waived the phone booking fee as an official policy, its system continued to default to the phone booking fee box and the agent had to manually uncheck the box in order to waive the fee. That went on for 6 to 9 months before agents were familiar enough to handle it correctly. Before that policy was in place, insisting AA to waive phone booking fee was just to waste both the caller and the agents time.
I dont know how much you value your time but for most, $15 is such a trivial amount to pay even one's miles are hard-earned. Spent tine to escalate to the "highest" to get that $15 waived is kind of silly advice even in the name of "for the principle" Tying up agents time for that $15 principle does not seem to be considerate for the public good either. Finally when it comes to the "hard earned miles". well to be honest, these days many people's miles probably earned far easier than an MVP earns it via BIS... just sayin.
Actually, what you just wrote is open to some interpretation. British Airways has the same policy. But when we want to book AS metal with BA miles, BA waives their phone fee because it’s not available on their website.
Also I actually am not upset about it, I’m 75k and it doesn’t affect me. I just don’t think a ticketing fee is fair or should apply for an award someone worked hard for and can only book one way over the phone. Phone fees are on the books for one reason: to push passengers to do as much as possible for their needs on the website.
Anyway, I think we’ve gone down along this topic long enough so this is the last I’ll be commenting on this.
For years AA charged the telephone booking fee on partners could not be booked online. God knows how few partners could be booked on AA website. Even after AA waived the phone booking fee as an official policy, its system continued to default to the phone booking fee box and the agent had to manually uncheck the box in order to waive the fee. That went on for 6 to 9 months before agents were familiar enough to handle it correctly. Before that policy was in place, insisting AA to waive phone booking fee was just to waste both the caller and the agents time.
I dont know how much you value your time but for most, $15 is such a trivial amount to pay even one's miles are hard-earned. Spent tine to escalate to the "highest" to get that $15 waived is kind of silly advice even in the name of "for the principle" Tying up agents time for that $15 principle does not seem to be considerate for the public good either. Finally when it comes to the "hard earned miles". well to be honest, these days many people's miles probably earned far easier than an MVP earns it via BIS... just sayin.
Actually, what you just wrote is open to some interpretation. British Airways has the same policy. But when we want to book AS metal with BA miles, BA waives their phone fee because it’s not available on their website.
Also I actually am not upset about it, I’m 75k and it doesn’t affect me. I just don’t think a ticketing fee is fair or should apply for an award someone worked hard for and can only book one way over the phone. Phone fees are on the books for one reason: to push passengers to do as much as possible for their needs on the website.
Anyway, I think we’ve gone down along this topic long enough so this is the last I’ll be commenting on this.
Jan 7, 2018, 8:58 pm
#1652
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
That’s a calculated risk. I’ve flown full, but have also enjoyed the right side and having the extra bed. Maybe the best strategy is to monitor the load. I, for one, would NOT be happy on the right side in a full cabin.
My preference for 2A over 1A is simple: foot traffic. In 1A, you’ll be passed - twice - anytime 2A rings and asks for something. Trust me, when I’m in 2A I’m sure 1A gets annoyed as I keep the FAs quite busy 😉
Semi empty to empty cabin, the right side.
Since we dont know how the load would be until we board (we have experienced last min no show of another passenger, leaving us the only 2 in the whole cabin, we also have experienced an F4 turned into an F6 at boarding), I would try to be at the left side at all possible then decide where to sit once we board based on the load,
Jan 7, 2018, 9:02 pm
#1653
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
I’ve not found this to be true. When availability has suddenly shown on BA, AS has offered availability as quickly as it take a call to go through...albeit in different amounts. HKGJFK 3 F seats were released between 0200 and 0210 HKG time last Aug but Alaska could only see two. I’ve had several other examples. I’m not saying you haven’t seen a delay, just saying that I have not.
Jan 7, 2018, 9:05 pm
#1654
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
Semi full to full cabin, 2A.
Semi empty to empty cabin, the right side.
Since we dont know how the load would be until we board (we have experienced last min no show of another passenger, leaving us the only 2 in the whole cabin, we also have experienced an F4 turned into an F6 at boarding), I would try to be at the left side at all possible then decide where to sit once we board based on the load,
Semi empty to empty cabin, the right side.
Since we dont know how the load would be until we board (we have experienced last min no show of another passenger, leaving us the only 2 in the whole cabin, we also have experienced an F4 turned into an F6 at boarding), I would try to be at the left side at all possible then decide where to sit once we board based on the load,
Jan 8, 2018, 1:54 am
#1655
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 96
It is if there is no award saver F on that route (A class). Just looking at some random dates in the future there doesn't seem to be much award F on SFO-LAX even though there's TONS of saver Y at 5k miles.
Yeah, sure, I'll bet there will be plenty of takers for 30k per F redemption one way on a one hour flight.
Yeah, sure, I'll bet there will be plenty of takers for 30k per F redemption one way on a one hour flight.
Having said that, I do not mind one bit as 50k miles for HKG->SFO in J class + a free leg to LAX is already pretty good.
Jan 9, 2018, 7:42 pm
#1657
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: Air New Zealand Elite
Posts: 446
Could someone tell as I'm new to AS ;-
I saw availability on BA HKG-MAN-LHR on CX 0357 but when I rang AS the agent couldn't see that flight offered. Is that just how it works, not all CX flights are offered to AS that are showing on BA search?
Also an earlier AS agent told me I could fly HKG-YVR-JFK with stopover in YVR, flying CX for 50k miles in J and then the agent today said it would be 50k miles HKG-YVR and an additional 25k miles for YVR-JFK on CX metal so 75k miles all up.
What have others found? Many thanks in advance.
I saw availability on BA HKG-MAN-LHR on CX 0357 but when I rang AS the agent couldn't see that flight offered. Is that just how it works, not all CX flights are offered to AS that are showing on BA search?
Also an earlier AS agent told me I could fly HKG-YVR-JFK with stopover in YVR, flying CX for 50k miles in J and then the agent today said it would be 50k miles HKG-YVR and an additional 25k miles for YVR-JFK on CX metal so 75k miles all up.
What have others found? Many thanks in advance.
Jan 9, 2018, 8:03 pm
#1658
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
Could someone tell as I'm new to AS ;-
Also an earlier AS agent told me I could fly HKG-YVR-JFK with stopover in YVR, flying CX for 50k miles in J and then the agent today said it would be 50k miles HKG-YVR and an additional 25k miles for YVR-JFK on CX metal so 75k miles all up.
What have others found? Many thanks in advance.
Also an earlier AS agent told me I could fly HKG-YVR-JFK with stopover in YVR, flying CX for 50k miles in J and then the agent today said it would be 50k miles HKG-YVR and an additional 25k miles for YVR-JFK on CX metal so 75k miles all up.
What have others found? Many thanks in advance.
Jan 9, 2018, 8:26 pm
#1659
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: Air New Zealand Elite
Posts: 446
Thanks hightide. I thought I had heard correct the first time.
Jan 9, 2018, 9:25 pm
#1660
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,228
Jan 10, 2018, 12:38 am
#1661
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,395
Read the wiki. The rule is only HKG. Some people get different results by HUCA and luck of the draw for uninformed phone agents.
Jan 10, 2018, 1:22 am
#1662
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
Initially, I requested the YVR stopover on outbound routing CGK-HKG-YVR-SEA or PDX-LAX -- but it was considered illegal, so I settled with JFK-YVR-HKG-CGK
Jan 10, 2018, 6:29 am
#1663
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
I have changed the YVR-HKG flight (it was CX855, got cancelled and changed to CX859, so I requested to change it to CX889), and both the reps who issued and revised my itinerary obviously believed that YVR is a legit stopover
Initially, I requested the YVR stopover on outbound routing CGK-HKG-YVR-SEA or PDX-LAX -- but it was considered illegal, so I settled with JFK-YVR-HKG-CGK
Initially, I requested the YVR stopover on outbound routing CGK-HKG-YVR-SEA or PDX-LAX -- but it was considered illegal, so I settled with JFK-YVR-HKG-CGK
Jan 10, 2018, 4:44 pm
#1664
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: Air New Zealand Elite
Posts: 446
Thanks for your replies, I have a better idea of the system now.
Jan 10, 2018, 5:42 pm
#1665
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 40
Anybody have any idea why BA shows "2 available" in F 330 days out when you do an award search with 1 passenger, but as soon as you change your search to 2 passengers it shows "Not Available" for F? Does that mean they only really have 1 available?