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
Mar 10, 2017, 2:49 pm
#331
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,535
Slim, I would say. Lots of wealthy student families flying back to Hong Kong and further on paid cash fares.
Mar 10, 2017, 3:08 pm
#332
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,395
Yes you misunderstood. What you described is exactly what I meant. I need to get to BOS, actually PVD is where I live, but I can use points for a separate award or just pay for this JFK to BOS flight since it's $50. This is if I were to go the CX route from YVZ to JFK. If I go YVZ-SEA-BOS then it would be AS combined with CX from SIN so the key now is to see if they would some how allow this YVZ stopover. Otherwise I will just use some Aero plane points from YVZ-BOS.
You may be able to get a stopover in YVR if you fly just AS on the YVR-SEA/PDX-BOS segments. F availability on AS transcons, however, is... not good. (Y is only so-so.) F availability on HKG-YVR is also pretty terrible (I regularly search for it and almost never find it- my CX flights are generally using SFO or LAX). I would not count on either getting HKG-YVR in F or SEA/PDX-BOS in F.
(PS: you mean Vancouver (YVR), not Deer Lake (YVZ), right?
Mar 10, 2017, 5:27 pm
#333
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 94
Yes Vancouver. I am not sure about the codes you are referring to. I found Business class class SIN-HKG and first class HKG-YVR. I also found First class on AS YVR-SEA-BOS.
You can't get a stopover in YVR if you want to fly CX onward from YVR. That won't be allowed.
You may be able to get a stopover in YVR if you fly just AS on the YVR-SEA/PDX-BOS segments. F availability on AS transcons, however, is... not good. (Y is only so-so.) F availability on HKG-YVR is also pretty terrible (I regularly search for it and almost never find it- my CX flights are generally using SFO or LAX). I would not count on either getting HKG-YVR in F or SEA/PDX-BOS in F.
(PS: you mean Vancouver (YVR), not Deer Lake (YVZ), right?
You may be able to get a stopover in YVR if you fly just AS on the YVR-SEA/PDX-BOS segments. F availability on AS transcons, however, is... not good. (Y is only so-so.) F availability on HKG-YVR is also pretty terrible (I regularly search for it and almost never find it- my CX flights are generally using SFO or LAX). I would not count on either getting HKG-YVR in F or SEA/PDX-BOS in F.
(PS: you mean Vancouver (YVR), not Deer Lake (YVZ), right?
Mar 10, 2017, 6:21 pm
#334
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,395
Mar 10, 2017, 9:23 pm
#335
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
My experiences have been, AS never releases Saver award availability whether in F or in Y on their Transcon routes. Actually as a friend said, anything East of Mississippi River he has seen NONE.
Or rather, you found a Saver on the YVR-SEA segment, but the SEA-BOS segment is not a Saver F... I really find it incredible if indeed there is an F Saver on the SEA-BOS route.
Besides I am confused about YVZ you keep using in your posts. Do you actually mean YVR? YVZ would not be in play here. YVZ is Deer Lake so why does it have anything to do with your proposed itineraries?
Seriously why would you insist to fly thru YVR instead of just the HKG-JFK direct flight (should be easier to get) and then just use a different mean to get you to PVD?
If your hung up on using YVR is you want to have a stop over there, then the only way is to use AS to fly the Transcon and I do not believe you have actually found a Saver on the SEA-BOS, let alone an F!
I think your description of what you are trying to do is awfully confusing to both me and eponymous_coward who is very well-versed on AS awards.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 10, 2017 at 9:33 pm
Mar 10, 2017, 9:42 pm
#336
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,855
Thanks for all the info here!
Set up a JAL account and managed to see inventory for CX between USA/HKG
Flying out of SFO/LAX seems really hard to find space although found one seat out of JFK.
Set up a JAL account and managed to see inventory for CX between USA/HKG
Flying out of SFO/LAX seems really hard to find space although found one seat out of JFK.
Mar 11, 2017, 10:43 am
#337
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 94
Apparently I am dislexic or have a bad memory. As I said, I mean Vancouver (YVR). I have to attend a wedding there which is why I have to fly through there. What do you mean a saver F? My understanding is it's 70000 AS points all in for first class, which means I can find first, business or economy. When I look for awards from for YVR-SEA-BOS I see 30000 or 60000 points is available. As I said I don't know anything about the codes, F and Y and all that lingo that you are talking about unfortunately.
Are you sure you have found a Saver award on the SEA-BOS AS segment?
My experiences have been, AS never releases Saver award availability whether in F or in Y on their Transcon routes. Actually as a friend said, anything East of Mississippi River he has seen NONE.
Or rather, you found a Saver on the YVR-SEA segment, but the SEA-BOS segment is not a Saver F... I really find it incredible if indeed there is an F Saver on the SEA-BOS route.
Besides I am confused about YVZ you keep using in your posts. Do you actually mean YVR? YVZ would not be in play here. YVZ is Deer Lake so why does it have anything to do with your proposed itineraries?
Seriously why would you insist to fly thru YVR instead of just the HKG-JFK direct flight (should be easier to get) and then just use a different mean to get you to PVD?
If your hung up on using YVR is you want to have a stop over there, then the only way is to use AS to fly the Transcon and I do not believe you have actually found a Saver on the SEA-BOS, let alone an F!
I think your description of what you are trying to do is awfully confusing to both me and eponymous_coward who is very well-versed on AS awards.
My experiences have been, AS never releases Saver award availability whether in F or in Y on their Transcon routes. Actually as a friend said, anything East of Mississippi River he has seen NONE.
Or rather, you found a Saver on the YVR-SEA segment, but the SEA-BOS segment is not a Saver F... I really find it incredible if indeed there is an F Saver on the SEA-BOS route.
Besides I am confused about YVZ you keep using in your posts. Do you actually mean YVR? YVZ would not be in play here. YVZ is Deer Lake so why does it have anything to do with your proposed itineraries?
Seriously why would you insist to fly thru YVR instead of just the HKG-JFK direct flight (should be easier to get) and then just use a different mean to get you to PVD?
If your hung up on using YVR is you want to have a stop over there, then the only way is to use AS to fly the Transcon and I do not believe you have actually found a Saver on the SEA-BOS, let alone an F!
I think your description of what you are trying to do is awfully confusing to both me and eponymous_coward who is very well-versed on AS awards.
Mar 11, 2017, 10:48 am
#338
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,395
Apparently I am dislexic or have a bad memory. As I said, I mean Vancouver (YVR). I have to attend a wedding there which is why I have to fly through there. What do you mean a saver F? My understanding is it's 70000 AS points all in for first class, which means I can find first, business or economy. When I look for awards from for YVR-SEA-BOS I see 30000 or 60000 points is available. As I said I don't know anything about the codes, F and Y and all that lingo that you are talking about unfortunately.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Mar 11, 2017 at 10:53 am
Mar 11, 2017, 10:50 am
#339
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Sunny Seattle
Programs: AS MVPG 75K, HH Diamond
Posts: 539
If you were willing to fly economy for the SEA-BOS segment, look for 12,500 mile search results; these can also be added to any CX reward. Any 30k results are refundable economy, and again would require a second reward.
Mar 11, 2017, 12:03 pm
#340
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 94
Alright thanks for the help. It looks like Air Canada is the way to go for that segment then.
Mar 11, 2017, 2:14 pm
#341
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Apparently I am dislexic or have a bad memory. As I said, I mean Vancouver (YVR). I have to attend a wedding there which is why I have to fly through there. What do you mean a saver F? My understanding is it's 70000 AS points all in for first class, which means I can find first, business or economy. When I look for awards from for YVR-SEA-BOS I see 30000 or 60000 points is available. As I said I don't know anything about the codes, F and Y and all that lingo that you are talking about unfortunately.
Before you try to use a program, wouldn't it be better to understand the program rules first?
As a heads up, all FFPs would only let you redeem Saver award on partner award.
Sigh.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 11, 2017 at 2:20 pm
Mar 11, 2017, 2:19 pm
#342
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Alaska requires saver (12.5k for Y/coach/economy 25k for F/first) inventory for partner awards. What you are seeing is anytime (30k Y, 60k F). You will not be able to book a single award if you are only seeing 30k/60k for coach/first on your YVR-SEA-BOS segments. It will be two awards (partner award plus anytime award). This is what I was referring to when I said that transcon F for a CX award is not easy to find.
OP should really understand how to redeem awards because the concept that got totally confused, is almost an UNIVERSAL concept in virtually all FFPs.
1) Only Saver can be used for partner award.
2) Cannot mix Saver with Anytime on a single award.
3) As a result if one wants to claim both a Saver and an Anytime award, it would be TWO awards.
What a waste of time.
Mar 11, 2017, 2:57 pm
#343
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Seattle
Posts: 339
I recently booked a couple CX awards which included stopovers in SEA and YVR and transcon F on both AS and CX (YVR-JFK). Transcon saver F on AS can be difficult to find out of SEA but sometimes find better Saver F availability pdx-bos, sjc-ewr, san-bos
Mar 11, 2017, 4:30 pm
#345
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 94
If I took the time to learn all this mumbo jumbo then it would mean I need to be flying a lot. I have never flown AS and may never fly it again. I take a couple trips a year. I rather spend time doing something that provides greater benefit for my limited amount of time. I am a professional stock trader. I spend my time engrossed in the markets. To each his own.
I understand you have 22000 posts and therefore must have a lot of time on your hands and probably spend every minute of your free time answering posts on this forum. You obviously feel that knowing all this info is beneficial to you and I appreciate you taking the time to help, but to be honest this is the same sort of smarmy type of responses that you get on most forums where somebody asks someone else more experienced for some advice.
I understand you have 22000 posts and therefore must have a lot of time on your hands and probably spend every minute of your free time answering posts on this forum. You obviously feel that knowing all this info is beneficial to you and I appreciate you taking the time to help, but to be honest this is the same sort of smarmy type of responses that you get on most forums where somebody asks someone else more experienced for some advice.
Last edited by dr0832; Mar 11, 2017 at 4:55 pm