Jun 28, 2017, 8:46 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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.

Quote:

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.

Routing Rules:

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

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Mar 4, 2018, 8:12 am

#1771

pacificboot

Join Date: Sep 2004

Location: HK

Programs: Cathay Silver, Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 664

I have booked a CX award from HKG-JFK, and wanted to add a tag on on AS for JFK-SEA (JFK is stopover for a few days). I called and the agent said that it is not possible to add the AS sector, after putting me on hold for 20 minutes asking for a supervisor for assistance. I thought that you can connect to AS domestic flight as a stopover on the same ticket? Should I call back again?

Mar 4, 2018, 10:48 am

#1772

CDKing

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: BOS/ORH

Programs: AS 75K

Posts: 18,323

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacificboot

You are correctly being denied due to backtracking. You can do JFK-West coast and connect to CX but west to east to connect to CX is not allowed. Getting someone who can somehow override it is like winning the lottery since they have the "old" system that is used to book CX and LA awards is locked down pretty tight.

Last edited by CDKing; Mar 4, 2018 at 10:59 am

Mar 4, 2018, 11:00 am

#1773

Mauibaby2008

Join Date: Jul 2012

Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black

Posts: 3,393

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacificboot

Alaska sees it as, your final destination is SEA. So why fly 2,500 miles out of your way to get to SEA ? you could stop at any point along the way , HKG LAX then onto SEA for example

Mar 4, 2018, 3:05 pm

#1774

wahoo09

Join Date: Jul 2017

Posts: 25

Upgrade restrictions?

I currently have a business class flight from HKG to ORD on Cathay Pacific using Alaska Miles. I've read that First class seats often open up within a week or two of the flight. I have the necessary miles to upgrade from Business to First, assuming a seat becomes available, but I wondered if there were any restrictions, specifically timing wise?

Mar 4, 2018, 3:10 pm

#1775

r3imagined

Join Date: Apr 2014

Posts: 11

Would the following price at only 30k AS at CX? TLV-HKG-stopover-HKG-JFK(or LAX)? I spoke with an agent and somehow she priced it at 50k....
My understanding is that TLV is counted in Asia region.
Thanks!

Edit: Oops realized it's Middle East region after all.

Last edited by r3imagined; Mar 4, 2018 at 3:21 pm Reason: Edit: Oops realized it's Middle East region after all.

Mar 5, 2018, 11:06 am

#1776

puls

Join Date: Jul 2012

Location: Portland

Programs: AS MVP Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Starbucks Gold

Posts: 391

Quote:

Originally Posted by wahoo09

About a month ago, AS announced a restriction on CX award ticketing within 72 hours of departure, effectively negating this strategy. Thankfully, they almost immediately backtracked on the change for long hauls, so you should be fine.

I did this exact thing two weeks ago, calling AS on Wednesday morning to upgrade a Friday afternoon departure from J to F after the seats were released 72 hours out.

Mar 7, 2018, 6:50 pm

#1777

ecgz88

Join Date: May 2009

Posts: 821

within 1-2 weeks ask Alaska upgrade from J to F they won't charge me $125 fee right?

for change tickets to different date beyond 60 days, will Alaska charge another telephone booking fees?

I booked J and give F to my wife, hopefully CX0888 will open another spot for F, and how do I check how many F left? expert flyer doesn't support CX

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by puls

Mar 7, 2018, 9:57 pm

#1778

seawolf

Original Member

Join Date: May 1998

Location: NYC

Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 14,639

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecgz88

A search on this thread reveals that unless you are qualify for a MP elite waiver, a change in award from J to F (even with no change in flight) less than 60 days to departure will result in $125/ticket change fee.

Mar 10, 2018, 4:54 am

#1779

66pookie99

Join Date: Aug 2017

Posts: 3

Hi

I'm quite new on FlyerTalk and also want to buy the Alaska Mileage rewards and want to redeem on CX Flight from HKG to America (SFO/ JFK)

May I know what's the website that I can check the available seat on J/ F Class on CX flight

I'm in Thailand if I want to make a reservation

Can I call to CX Agency in Thailand or I only have to call Alaska Airlines Reservations in USA only

Quote:

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.

Thank you so much

Mar 10, 2018, 8:46 am

#1780

eponymous_coward

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2007

Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot

Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite

Posts: 20,394

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66pookie99

Have you read the wiki post at the top of every page of the thread yet? That may help you.

Mar 10, 2018, 12:08 pm

#1781

66pookie99

Join Date: Aug 2017

Posts: 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by eponymous_coward

Have you read the wiki post at the top of every page of the thread yet? That may help you.

Thank you
i will try to read the wiki post of the thread.

Mar 12, 2018, 6:59 am

#1782

lowfareair

Join Date: Dec 2000

Location: Philadelphia

Posts: 2,508

I upgraded a CX award from J to F yesterday (traveling months from now) with AS miles. They couldn't get CX to confirm it while I was on the phone (agent sounded like it was normal), gave me an AS confirmation code, and said I would get an email once it processed. A couple hours later, I saw the CX confirmation code and on the CX site it comes up as confirmed and with a ticket number. However; I still haven't seen the miles deducted or get the standard booking email from AS.

Is it worth giving them a call or is this something that they'll get to eventually? I just don't want CX to cancel the ticket.

Mar 12, 2018, 8:13 am

#1783

flytoeat

Join Date: Jan 2001

Posts: 2,840

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66pookie99

Hi

I'm quite new on FlyerTalk and also want to buy the Alaska Mileage rewards and want to redeem on CX Flight from HKG to America (SFO/ JFK)

I'm in Thailand if I want to make a reservation

Can I call to CX Agency in Thailand or I only have to call Alaska Airlines Reservations in USA only

Beware that Alaska is scrutinizing transactions originating in Asia. It's possible you will not have immediate access to your purchased miles.

Mar 12, 2018, 10:07 am

#1784

Happy

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: Florida

Posts: 29,763

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowfareair

I upgraded a CX award from J to F yesterday (traveling months from now) with AS miles. They couldn't get CX to confirm it while I was on the phone (agent sounded like it was normal), gave me an AS confirmation code, and said I would get an email once it processed. A couple hours later, I saw the CX confirmation code and on the CX site it comes up as confirmed and with a ticket number. However; I still haven't seen the miles deducted or get the standard booking email from AS.

Is it worth giving them a call or is this something that they'll get to eventually? I just don't want CX to cancel the ticket.

It was Sunday yesterday. Even during the weekday sometimes it takes hours before AS confirmation email comes and I have occasions they never come. The key though, is whether your ticket has been reissued.

Is the ticket number a new one from your J award? If so, then the reticketing has been done. The process of the refare would be your old award miles redeposited and new miles being deducted - it is a full in and out, not just the difference.

The key is, do you see a NEW ticket number? You can also check that on Alaska site under My Trip / Purchased. See if the reservation has a new ticket number attached.

If the ticket number is the same one as the old award, then you should call AS ASAP to get the reticketing taking care of.

Mar 12, 2018, 10:17 am

#1785

CDKing

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: BOS/ORH

Programs: AS 75K

Posts: 18,323

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66pookie99

Can I call to CX Agency in Thailand or I only have to call Alaska Airlines Reservations in USA only

You call the airlines that you have the points with. Same answer for every airline program in the world.

jinglish likes this.