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
Apr 23, 2017, 4:46 pm
#513
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: SEA
Posts: 36
I’ve read the wiki and am aware of the stated rules on award restrictions between regions on partner airlines. However, I found an anomaly when searching tickets online from Mexico to Asia. The award chart doesn’t show JAL as an option connecting from an AS flight originating in Mexico, but when I do an online search, it gives me options to connect with JAL onto Asia for the same amount of miles as flights originating in the US/Canada.
So, my question is, has anybody had success with this when trying to book a CX ticket connecting from an AS flight out of Mexico. I know it’s not on the award chart, but unlike JAL which isn’t supposed to be either you obviously can’t test a CX itinerary on the website to see if it may work as well.
I just wanted to through the question out there before calling and asking an agent.
So, my question is, has anybody had success with this when trying to book a CX ticket connecting from an AS flight out of Mexico. I know it’s not on the award chart, but unlike JAL which isn’t supposed to be either you obviously can’t test a CX itinerary on the website to see if it may work as well.
I just wanted to through the question out there before calling and asking an agent.
Apr 23, 2017, 6:13 pm
#514
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: YVR, KUL
Programs: AC, MH, BA, AF-KL
Posts: 2,904
It would also depend on the load of the lower cabins. If J and PY are full it's quite likely that they'll hold back on F award space in anticipation of op-ups.
Apr 23, 2017, 11:00 pm
#515
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 1,178
I need to book two seats in biz in May. I've been logging in on BA almost everyday and still can't find anything available for the dates I want. How far out do they normally release J seats?
Apr 24, 2017, 4:38 am
#516
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
There may be releases close in. ExpertFlyer is going to be your friend here.
Apr 24, 2017, 8:36 pm
#517
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 539
Keep checking every day. They release J seats usually 5-15 days before the flight.
Apr 24, 2017, 8:45 pm
#518
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,053
Has anyone had luck recently with last minute F availability? I'm hoping to snag an upgrade from J to F on a transpacific sector. When comparing BA to ExpertFlyer for CX flights in the next two weeks, I the only flight I found with F available on BA.com was showing F=6; I found nothing for F=5 or less. My flight is still showing F=5, and I'm hoping availability opens up. J is wide open (for revenue bookings).
DAK
Apr 24, 2017, 10:07 pm
#519
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
I've been having the same issue recently. Or maybe my previous reservations just happened to work with the flights allotted to AS. The AS rep said something about "different negotiated rates" airlines have with CX. QF, BA, JL searches pretty much line up the same for me. I don't know which system would most clearly mirror Alaska's.
I specifically transferred SPG over to AS to book these but was unfortunately unaware that AS reps are having issues seeing premium cabin award availability that are showing as available on all the above sights. I was aware that there are no holds (which you can do with AA but for a lot more miles) so I waited until the SPG transfers went through to call to book. It's very frustrating. The rep put me on hold when I asked her to please double check and after about half an hour the music just stopped and I had gotten disconnected....
.Edit: Called back and the second rep did it right! First, I was transferred to international desk, which I was not the first time around. Then that rep said she needed to check her manual how to do this and when she searched she actually saw BOTH of those First Class seats which I of course immediately booked while doing a little dance
. The process took almost half hour again but at least this time I walked away with 2 First Class seats 
.
Last edited by friedablass; Apr 24, 2017 at 10:27 pm Reason: Added results of second call
Apr 25, 2017, 4:39 am
#520
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
You can use JAL web site upto 4 days before flight and QF website upto about 24 hours before. I was able to book into F on CX845 (on a friday) within 48 hours three weeks ago, and into F on CX840 (on easter saturday) at 10 days before flight. A lot has to do with the loads which vary by day of the week. I used QF website as my guide.
DAK
DAK
Apr 25, 2017, 12:11 pm
#521
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 4
May i know from singapore to Europe via hk . Does it work ? Or it's only for hk to Europe but not ASIA to Europe
Apr 25, 2017, 1:46 pm
#522
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Apr 27, 2017, 3:20 pm
#523
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: AA: EXP / AS:MVP75k / Hilton: Gold / Marriott Gold
Posts: 31
I've read that some people have had success in booking a stopover in Bangkok or Singapore since CX offers non-stops to Singapore and Bangkok ie (HKG-BKK-SIN or BKK-SIN-HKG). Has anyone here successfully booked this?
EDIT: nvm I realized Intra-Asia is not allowed however, a non HKG (BKK or SIN) stopover can work as long as terminating or originating in NA.
EDIT: nvm I realized Intra-Asia is not allowed however, a non HKG (BKK or SIN) stopover can work as long as terminating or originating in NA.
Last edited by jelanizarathustra; Apr 27, 2017 at 6:40 pm
Apr 27, 2017, 8:30 pm
#524
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 539
I've read that some people have had success in booking a stopover in Bangkok or Singapore since CX offers non-stops to Singapore and Bangkok ie (HKG-BKK-SIN or BKK-SIN-HKG). Has anyone here successfully booked this?
EDIT: nvm I realized Intra-Asia is not allowed however, a non HKG (BKK or SIN) stopover can work as long as terminating or originating in NA.
EDIT: nvm I realized Intra-Asia is not allowed however, a non HKG (BKK or SIN) stopover can work as long as terminating or originating in NA.
Apr 28, 2017, 7:10 am
#525
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
I've read that some people have had success in booking a stopover in Bangkok or Singapore since CX offers non-stops to Singapore and Bangkok ie (HKG-BKK-SIN or BKK-SIN-HKG). Has anyone here successfully booked this?
EDIT: nvm I realized Intra-Asia is not allowed however, a non HKG (BKK or SIN) stopover can work as long as terminating or originating in NA.
EDIT: nvm I realized Intra-Asia is not allowed however, a non HKG (BKK or SIN) stopover can work as long as terminating or originating in NA.