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 11, 2017, 5:09 pm
#346
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 794
I have booked in F jfk-yvr stopover. Yvr-hkg. Stop over. Hkg-xxx many times. One award. Have called in to make changes a few times too.
Mar 11, 2017, 8:25 pm
#347
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,395
I wouldn't say impossible; I flew saver transcon nonstop MIA-SEA in Y a couple of months ago (in this case, booked as an AA award, but I could have booked it as an AS award). SAN-BWI, SEA-BWI and even SEA-BOS has some spotty dates in Y. F is very scarce though.
Right now, there's more F availability on VX than AS. OP could instead of spending 70k on CX F, redo as as CX J to YVR (50k) + AS/VX Y/F to BOS for 75k, but that's a double connection. Not ideal.
(The fact that VX is a "partner" is sort of lame in this instance.
)
Right now, there's more F availability on VX than AS. OP could instead of spending 70k on CX F, redo as as CX J to YVR (50k) + AS/VX Y/F to BOS for 75k, but that's a double connection. Not ideal.
(The fact that VX is a "partner" is sort of lame in this instance.
)
Mar 11, 2017, 8:41 pm
#348
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SFO
Posts: 506
Hi all. I'm looking for CX F in January from MEL-HKG-SFO. What is the likelihood of me obtaining 2 seats? I've used BA's site and I see availability in J but never in F =[. Do they fly a 3 cabin on their MEL-HKG flight? Would I have more luck flying out of SYD?
Mar 11, 2017, 8:59 pm
#349
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,395
Do searches by segment separately, by the way. Not as MEL-SFO. That will tell you if there's F on the US segment.
2F is difficult far out these days... might have to do 1F 1J and wait until close in.
Mar 11, 2017, 9:13 pm
#350
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SFO
Posts: 506
There's zero chance of two F seats from Australia to HKG, since there's no CX F to Australia, on any route.
Do searches by segment separately, by the way. Not as MEL-SFO. That will tell you if there's F on the US segment.
2F is difficult far out these days... might have to do 1F 1J and wait until close in.
Do searches by segment separately, by the way. Not as MEL-SFO. That will tell you if there's F on the US segment.
2F is difficult far out these days... might have to do 1F 1J and wait until close in.
Mar 11, 2017, 9:38 pm
#351
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 12, 2017, 9:32 am
#353
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: SAN, LAX, SFO
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 120
There is no CX F service ex Australia period, so your 1st leg will be in J at best.
Mar 12, 2017, 4:21 pm
#354
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
I wouldn't say impossible; I flew saver transcon nonstop MIA-SEA in Y a couple of months ago (in this case, booked as an AA award, but I could have booked it as an AS award). SAN-BWI, SEA-BWI and even SEA-BOS has some spotty dates in Y. F is very scarce though.
Right now, there's more F availability on VX than AS. OP could instead of spending 70k on CX F, redo as as CX J to YVR (50k) + AS/VX Y/F to BOS for 75k, but that's a double connection. Not ideal.
(The fact that VX is a "partner" is sort of lame in this instance.)
Right now, there's more F availability on VX than AS. OP could instead of spending 70k on CX F, redo as as CX J to YVR (50k) + AS/VX Y/F to BOS for 75k, but that's a double connection. Not ideal.
(The fact that VX is a "partner" is sort of lame in this instance.
)I have never been able to find the AS F transcon between May and Oct. Granted I never look at the cold months for flights SEA-BOS. Never want to chance weather at both SEA and BOS in winter season. We would rather just use LAX and then pay the Transcon in other means whether as pay tickets or awards - done either one on each time we use AS miles for CX award. We are not those who try to put everything on a single award. We pick what is more convenient / reliable / comfortable.
Haven't ever seen MIA-SEA or FLL-SEA in F. FLL is more preferred. I never remember when AA / AS swap their SEA to MIA/FLL routes, like who flies to which airport, seems to change rather often between AA and AS. Though because one direction is red eye, we dont ever fly a coach in red eye.
For a Transcon in coach daytime flight, we actually feel a connection to break it up works better for us than sitting in coach for 5 hours. An hour or two to stretch our legs at airports like DFW or ORD work better for us.
Mar 12, 2017, 4:23 pm
#355
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Indeed - you found the Unicorn on the SEA-BOS in F that I have never seen - but of course I never try cold months. We avoid flying in / out East Coast between Nov and March. So no wonder I never see such availability. 
YVR-SEA in F is no big deal, given the frequency and the very short flight. It is the transcon that is NON EXISTENT in the months we need them - ditto for my friend lives in Delaware, that he concludes anything East of Mississippi it is nonexistent - because both our searching concentrates in the Warmer Months shall we say.
YVR-SEA in F is no big deal, given the frequency and the very short flight. It is the transcon that is NON EXISTENT in the months we need them - ditto for my friend lives in Delaware, that he concludes anything East of Mississippi it is nonexistent - because both our searching concentrates in the Warmer Months shall we say.
Mar 12, 2017, 5:18 pm
#356
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
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.
You obviously feel this info that someone else possesses is useful as well, otherwise you wouldn't be here. But you somehow feel "lingo" is F and Y, which isn't really that difficult if you just knew basic flying stuff. Which says to me you really didn't try to learn too much before just spouting off questions.
So, to cut to the chase, who owes you here? How much do they owe you?
Mar 12, 2017, 6:20 pm
#358
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,166
Does AS waive the phone booking fee for awards that cannot be booked online?
CX flights would be the prime example.
Thank you-!
CX flights would be the prime example.
Thank you-!
Mar 12, 2017, 6:45 pm
#359
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Posts: 2,851
I have a one way booked on CX- LAX to HKG, then one week later, HKG to JNB.
Am I able to change it to LAX to KUL , than one week later from HKG to JNB free of charge? My flight is not till July 2017.
Am I able to change it to LAX to KUL , than one week later from HKG to JNB free of charge? My flight is not till July 2017.
Mar 12, 2017, 6:54 pm
#360
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Sunny Seattle
Programs: AS MVPG 75K, HH Diamond
Posts: 539
No, for two reasons: it's not a stopover anymore if you change airports in the middle (HKG and KUL are certainly not coterminals!), and because CX mainline service to KUL ceases at the end of April. It'll still be served by Cathay Dragon, but despite the common ownership, that's not an AS award partner... an increasingly frequent complication for Southeast Asia award tickets.