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
Oct 23, 2017, 7:36 pm
#1291
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Hi -
EWR/BOS/YYZ are tough to get award seats. Not impossible, but tough.
ORD is the easiest of the 1 fight/day departure cities.
If you are going from JFK, remember that CX 888/889 has the stop in YVR.
YVR has 2x/day, both flights tough to get, more often last-minute availability on the afternoon flight to HKG.
SFO easier than YVR, but tougher than LAX as noted in the earlier post.
Easiest LAX flight is usually the morning flight, but you have to leave the east coast the night before and stay in a LAX hotel to catch it.
EWR/BOS/YYZ are tough to get award seats. Not impossible, but tough.
ORD is the easiest of the 1 fight/day departure cities.
If you are going from JFK, remember that CX 888/889 has the stop in YVR.
YVR has 2x/day, both flights tough to get, more often last-minute availability on the afternoon flight to HKG.
SFO easier than YVR, but tougher than LAX as noted in the earlier post.
Easiest LAX flight is usually the morning flight, but you have to leave the east coast the night before and stay in a LAX hotel to catch it.
Oct 23, 2017, 9:44 pm
#1292
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,621
Hi -
Yes, CX has a morning flight from SFO 3x/week. You will still have to catch a flight from the east coast the night before and overnight in a SFO airport hotel.
Yes, CX has a morning flight from SFO 3x/week. You will still have to catch a flight from the east coast the night before and overnight in a SFO airport hotel.
Oct 23, 2017, 11:52 pm
#1293
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
James
Oct 24, 2017, 9:35 am
#1294
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: New York
Posts: 183
Secured an F and J seat on CX 841 (9am) on Sunday Nov 12 for wife and I for our honeymoon. Was hoping to upgrade the J to F as it got closer to the date, but it looks like F might be fully booked. Any way to confirm this or to see if any of them are award bookings? Not sure how well it would go over to be in different classes on our honeymoon flight...
Oct 24, 2017, 9:59 am
#1295
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2
Earliest you can book is T-331 days so you won't be able to book awards until June or July 2018 for travel in May or June 2019. Usually there is award space available when the award booking window opens and then tight until ~T-14 days for CX premium class. You will be flying into Southern Hemisphere late fall, winter so competition may be less for awards for your chosen dates while awards for the return to Northern Hemisphere summer, early fall may be more challenging. Don't forget you can do a stopover in HKG and also consider BOS. You best bet is to secure NA-HKG when the booking window opens and then add onward travel and returns as those booking windows open.
You can use Qantas' website to view availability a month at time and give Alaska the specific flights and times when you call in. CX cannot be booked online.
James
You can use Qantas' website to view availability a month at time and give Alaska the specific flights and times when you call in. CX cannot be booked online.
James
JFK has three daily flights. The others you mention have one. QED they will have the most award seats. You probably should also consider positioning to LAX or SFO as opposed to just East Coast cities as they also have multiple daily flights instead of one.
My understanding from the CX board is YYZ is one of the toughest gets in the system for premium cabin award availability, so be prepared to spend some cash for positioning flights.
My understanding from the CX board is YYZ is one of the toughest gets in the system for premium cabin award availability, so be prepared to spend some cash for positioning flights.
Hi -
EWR/BOS/YYZ are tough to get award seats. Not impossible, but tough.
ORD is the easiest of the 1 fight/day departure cities.
If you are going from JFK, remember that CX 888/889 has the stop in YVR.
YVR has 2x/day, both flights tough to get, more often last-minute availability on the afternoon flight to HKG.
SFO easier than YVR, but tougher than LAX as noted in the earlier post.
Easiest LAX flight is usually the morning flight, but you have to leave the east coast the night before and stay in a LAX hotel to catch it.
EWR/BOS/YYZ are tough to get award seats. Not impossible, but tough.
ORD is the easiest of the 1 fight/day departure cities.
If you are going from JFK, remember that CX 888/889 has the stop in YVR.
YVR has 2x/day, both flights tough to get, more often last-minute availability on the afternoon flight to HKG.
SFO easier than YVR, but tougher than LAX as noted in the earlier post.
Easiest LAX flight is usually the morning flight, but you have to leave the east coast the night before and stay in a LAX hotel to catch it.
I have been researching for reward flights from HKG to AKL and it looks to me that it is very hard to get premium seats for this flight since there is only 1 flight per day. I'm guessing my best chance would be a flight to SYD instead of AKL.
Oct 24, 2017, 10:10 am
#1296
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: AS 75K; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Hilton Gold
Posts: 52
Secured an F and J seat on CX 841 (9am) on Sunday Nov 12 for wife and I for our honeymoon. Was hoping to upgrade the J to F as it got closer to the date, but it looks like F might be fully booked. Any way to confirm this or to see if any of them are award bookings? Not sure how well it would go over to be in different classes on our honeymoon flight...
Oct 24, 2017, 10:53 am
#1297
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Secured an F and J seat on CX 841 (9am) on Sunday Nov 12 for wife and I for our honeymoon. Was hoping to upgrade the J to F as it got closer to the date, but it looks like F might be fully booked. Any way to confirm this or to see if any of them are award bookings? Not sure how well it would go over to be in different classes on our honeymoon flight...
My husband does not drink, does not eat Caviar and all his requirement is a flat bed. So whenever we flew in F and J, he would be in J. But he then gets ALL the brownie points from the FAs! Everyone thinks he is oh so nice to let me fly F.... And he plays along those lines.
The ISMs insisted to give him the F PJ and deserts. I was allowed to check on him sporadically, primarily meal time and bed time. Key is to have the Row 2 in F and the Row 11 in J.Enjoy your honeymoon.
Oct 24, 2017, 10:56 am
#1298
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Thank you for all the replies. I will definitely look at all West coast cities as well for availability.
I have been researching for reward flights from HKG to AKL and it looks to me that it is very hard to get premium seats for this flight since there is only 1 flight per day. I'm guessing my best chance would be a flight to SYD instead of AKL.
I have been researching for reward flights from HKG to AKL and it looks to me that it is very hard to get premium seats for this flight since there is only 1 flight per day. I'm guessing my best chance would be a flight to SYD instead of AKL.
Oct 24, 2017, 11:07 am
#1299
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA Plat, National EE, Marriott Plat, HH Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 401
Been monitoring inventory from HKG to the USA (any airport but prefer LAX). About how far in advance does CX release/dump F inventory to award space? Looks like they will release all but 2 seats when I look in conjunction with exper flyer?
Oct 24, 2017, 11:38 am
#1300
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's no hard and fast rule; it might be hours before.
Oct 24, 2017, 12:43 pm
#1301
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: New York
Posts: 183
Gives the drinker in the family the F seat. You would not be joining the Mile High Club on CX flights anyway as it has no double bed suite a la SQ!
My husband does not drink, does not eat Caviar and all his requirement is a flat bed. So whenever we flew in F and J, he would be in J. But he then gets ALL the brownie points from the FAs! Everyone thinks he is oh so nice to let me fly F.... And he plays along those lines. The ISMs insisted to give him the F PJ and deserts. I was allowed to check on him sporadically, primarily meal time and bed time. Key is to have the Row 2 in F and the Row 11 in J.
Enjoy your honeymoon.
My husband does not drink, does not eat Caviar and all his requirement is a flat bed. So whenever we flew in F and J, he would be in J. But he then gets ALL the brownie points from the FAs! Everyone thinks he is oh so nice to let me fly F.... And he plays along those lines.
The ISMs insisted to give him the F PJ and deserts. I was allowed to check on him sporadically, primarily meal time and bed time. Key is to have the Row 2 in F and the Row 11 in J.Enjoy your honeymoon.
Oct 24, 2017, 1:28 pm
#1302
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Oct 24, 2017, 4:54 pm
#1303
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
In fact, even visiting is normally NOT allowed. But if you are really nice in asking and it is a US to HKG flight, there is no rule to prevent such so it is up to the ISM discretion.
HKG to US flight actually is against the US security regulation FYI.
As eponymous_coward said, you decide which one of you to sit in F BEFORE you board the aircraft - that is the only time you can switch seat then you are booked into.
Oct 24, 2017, 5:45 pm
#1304
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
And that a traveling pair will only buy or redeem 1Y and 1C/F each time, so that each passenger gets lie-flat 50% of the long haul flight and both arrive rested.
I was already stopped mid-way in my tracks by a Y cabin FA (on the way back to C) when I went over to Y to pass something to my travel companions. This was while the plane had not yet even taken off (not on CX)
Oct 24, 2017, 5:57 pm
#1305
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
If this is allowed, imagine how chaotic the cabins will be when passengers begin to switch from Y->C, Y->F on a whim... And the passengers in C/F who dont do this will be majorly pissed off by all the commotion, esp revenue passengers
And that a traveling pair will only buy or redeem 1Y and 1C/F each time, so that each passenger gets lie-flat 50% of the long haul flight and both arrive rested.
I was already stopped mid-way in my tracks by a Y cabin FA (on the way back to C) when I went over to Y to pass something to my travel companions. This was while the plane had not yet even taken off (not on CX)
And that a traveling pair will only buy or redeem 1Y and 1C/F each time, so that each passenger gets lie-flat 50% of the long haul flight and both arrive rested.
I was already stopped mid-way in my tracks by a Y cabin FA (on the way back to C) when I went over to Y to pass something to my travel companions. This was while the plane had not yet even taken off (not on CX)