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
Aug 27, 2018, 5:24 pm
#2626
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Ocean Beach
Programs: Alaska MPVG75, AAdvantage PlatPro, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 535
Also, 1A and 1K are marked as preferred seats and CX will not normally assign them to non elite flyers so I was a bit surprised to be offered 1A as a non-elite flyer when calling to request seating recently. No other bookings in the cabin. I told the agent I wanted to assign a window seat and asked for 2A (since I know they will not normally put non status folks in 1A in advance) but the agent said, "you know 2A is a bassinet seat and you may have to move if it is needed later so how about I put you in 1A instead?" I said "sure" and she assigned me 1A.
Aug 28, 2018, 2:11 pm
#2627
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 76
I don't think 1A is limited either because I was able to select it online for my flight from HKG - LAX.
Aug 28, 2018, 3:45 pm
#2628
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 41
Prior to Cathay's system upgrade, the only seat I could ever select online was 2D. Now, all but the bassinet seats seem to be available. 2A can be assigned via phone, but occasionally you might get an agent who won't cooperate. One HUCA generally works just fine. I see little risk in taking 2A. The way I look at it, in the unlikely event an infant requires seat 2A, I don't want to be in 1A anyway. At that point, I'd much prefer the right aisle--unless there's an infant in 2K 
Aug 28, 2018, 5:52 pm
#2629
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
In my case CX would not allow me to assign any F window seat online. I had to call. This was within the last two months.
Aug 29, 2018, 7:30 am
#2630
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NY, NY
Posts: 695
Just as a quick data-point: I was able to easily book a JFK-HKG-SYD flight for mid-July next year in F/J, even though neither BA nor QF showed any availability on the HKG-SYD. (though AS as usual did not have all the flight options in F from JFK-HKG as displayed by QF)
Aug 29, 2018, 11:42 am
#2631
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 590
Prior to Cathay's system upgrade, the only seat I could ever select online was 2D. Now, all but the bassinet seats seem to be available. 2A can be assigned via phone, but occasionally you might get an agent who won't cooperate. One HUCA generally works just fine. I see little risk in taking 2A. The way I look at it, in the unlikely event an infant requires seat 2A, I don't want to be in 1A anyway. At that point, I'd much prefer the right aisle--unless there's an infant in 2K
Aug 30, 2018, 3:48 am
#2632
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: Air New Zealand Elite
Posts: 446
I am thinking that is why AS MP has put that 50% bonus offer to more people than they normally would have. MP is of little value to me without the CX premium awards as it is almost impossible to go AU/NZ-US with MP.
Aug 30, 2018, 4:22 am
#2633
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black
Posts: 3,393
I am concerned as well. I bought MP miles when there were lots of award availability from AU/NZ-HKG 11-12 months out and close in, say within 2 weeks of travel. I have not been able to find anything close in at all.
I am thinking that is why AS MP has put that 50% bonus offer to more people than they normally would have. MP is of little value to me without the CX premium awards as it is almost impossible to go AU/NZ-US with MP.
I am thinking that is why AS MP has put that 50% bonus offer to more people than they normally would have. MP is of little value to me without the CX premium awards as it is almost impossible to go AU/NZ-US with MP.
Aug 30, 2018, 6:21 am
#2634
Formerly richh1833
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SYD
Programs: QF P1, BA GGL, AS GMVP
Posts: 482
Is it possible to book a married segment (JFK-HKG-SYD) and drop JFK-HKG to keep the HKG-SYD segment? Is this frowned upon by AS Agents? CX is getting pretty frustrating..
Aug 30, 2018, 6:47 am
#2635
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 590
I'll be trying to book an award for Sep 2019 pretty soon. If I can't find space trying to book a year out, I'll be concerned certainly.
Aug 30, 2018, 6:53 am
#2636
Formerly richh1833
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SYD
Programs: QF P1, BA GGL, AS GMVP
Posts: 482
Aug 30, 2018, 6:58 am
#2637
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Aug 30, 2018, 7:07 am
#2639
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NY, NY
Posts: 695
AS is currently only booking as far out as July 27th, so you still have at least a month to go before you can start booking for September 2019