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 3, 2017, 2:29 pm

#286

SilverChris

Join Date: Apr 2012

Location: YVR, KUL

Programs: AC, MH, BA, AF-KL

Posts: 2,904

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy

HKG-JNB route is ONE flight per day. It also has a very healthy load hence once the 2 J seats are released, they are snatched up very quickly.

I have never seen additional releases in my experiences flying this route 3 times.

We have another JNB-HKG booked for end of August this year - ticketed in Nov 2016. I have NOT seen any additional J release ever since ticketing.

Yes, the route is popular, but CX does release seats closer to departure, depending on the load. I saw 2 seats released for HKG-JNB at T-14 and 5 on JNB-HKG at T-7 during my 2016 trip.

Availability for the return segment opened up just before I boarded HKG-JNB, so I turned out being the last one to board after calling AS

Mar 3, 2017, 2:50 pm

#287

gnomey

Join Date: Jun 2016

Posts: 2,257

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverChris

Thanks and good to know you could switch when you see seats opening up - but curious to know, what did you do as back-up? I presume there is always a Plan B

If my memory doesnt fail, AS charge $125 for change < 60 days before trip, right? And sounds like you can still change even though you already began the first segment of award trip.

Mar 3, 2017, 4:54 pm

#288

Join Date: Nov 1999

Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium

Programs: UA 1K MM

Posts: 6,484

Hope you all can help a non-frequent-AS flier with a simple CX-related award redemption question.

If I search on the JAL website for J award availability US-HKG on CX, and see seats available, they may not necessarily be available through AS, is that correct? But if I see *no* availability on the JAL website, then definitely that is not available through AS, is that correct?

Do you happen to know if the same holds for AA inventory visibility on CX awards?

Thanks!

Mar 3, 2017, 5:01 pm

#289

gpeso8

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: CGK/LAX

Programs: KF,JMB, OZ, SPG,AA,UA,AS

Posts: 1,163

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnomey

And sounds like you can still change even though you already began the first segment of award trip.

I experienced issues doing this last year, so beware.

Mar 3, 2017, 5:17 pm

#290

jamienbaker

Join Date: Jul 2004

Posts: 4,541

Quote:

Originally Posted by TA

Not that simple. I've claimed CX awards via AA, AS and BA that didn't appear on any web search (BA/JL/QF). Your scenario is more likely than not (so, don't spend tons of time pursuing awards that do NOT show on web searches) but not necessarily.

Good luck - Jamie

Mar 3, 2017, 6:43 pm

#291

gnomey

Join Date: Jun 2016

Posts: 2,257

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpeso8

I experienced issues doing this last year, so beware.

Yeah I figured it could be problematic, that's why curious how did OP do

Mar 3, 2017, 7:39 pm

#292

Happy

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: Florida

Posts: 29,763

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpeso8

I experienced issues doing this last year, so beware.

Could you give us more information on what issues you experienced?

Mar 3, 2017, 8:12 pm

#293

stompey5

Join Date: Apr 2012

Location: Raleigh, NC

Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Plat

Posts: 198

Can someone tell me when usually CSRs can see T-330 flights on CX? 8AM PST when the line opens or otherwise?

Mar 3, 2017, 8:18 pm

#294

gpeso8

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: CGK/LAX

Programs: KF,JMB, OZ, SPG,AA,UA,AS

Posts: 1,163

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy

Could you give us more information on what issues you experienced?

Sure. I was flying SUB-HKG-LAX all in J, with a multi-day stopover in HKG. During my stopover in HKG I attempted to move my ticket two days forward inasmuch as I was needed back in LA urgently.

Found availability via JL/BA a flight with award space in F and J. At first, I requested to upgrade the HKG-LAX segment and was told once travel started that I could not change the ticket from J to F.

I then asked to be reticket in J on the flight I wanted. The agent informed me that once I started the trip I couldn't make any changes. I didn't HUACA so no clue if it was a bad agent.

I ended up throwing away the AS award and my employer purchased a revenue J ticket back to LA for me instead.

Last edited by gpeso8; Mar 3, 2017 at 8:23 pm

Mar 4, 2017, 8:17 pm

#295

CDKing

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: BOS/ORH

Programs: AS 75K

Posts: 18,323

Quote:

Originally Posted by stompey5

Can someone tell me when usually CSRs can see T-330 flights on CX? 8AM PST when the line opens or otherwise?

I believe its midnight in SABRE server time which i believe is in Texas.

Mar 5, 2017, 3:50 pm

#296

azepine00

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: LAX

Posts: 10,912

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDKing

I believe its midnight in SABRE server time which i believe is in Texas.

Midnight PST ime recently

Mar 5, 2017, 8:35 pm

#297

PV_Premier

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2012

Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.

Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion

Posts: 20,648

interesting behavior from BA when searching for an award seat

SFO-LAX-HKG searched on BA shows 2 F seats with AA/CX metal on the segments on separate sequential dates

searching only LAX-HKG returns no inventory on first date, or just 1 F seat on the second date

is BA showing a "mixed cabin" award?

Mar 5, 2017, 9:15 pm

#298

azepine00

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: LAX

Posts: 10,912

This is a well known glitch in ba search engine (check cx thread on aa forum).. to get accurate info search individual segments

Mar 5, 2017, 11:12 pm

#299

Merlinrnr

Join Date: Feb 2015

Posts: 539

Quote:

Originally Posted by PV_Premier

You cant trust BA's search engine for multi leg tickets. You have to search leg by leg. And then cross compare with JL's site as well. Although I have had instances where BA and JL show CX F availability but AS agents still can't see it. Tried HUCA several times and no luck.

Mar 6, 2017, 8:35 am

#300

CDKing

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: BOS/ORH

Programs: AS 75K

Posts: 18,323

Quote:

Originally Posted by azepine00

Midnight PST ime recently

Maybe thats just a CX thing since its different booking system than other partners. I know on the website I've had QF flights bookable an hour earlier on AS site vs AA site.