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
Nov 7, 2017, 8:36 am
#1381
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Nov 8, 2017, 1:26 pm
#1382
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 17
When should i start looking for that second F seat? Is there a strategy (time of day to call, call daily?, asking at counter when you check in?). Any point on checking months in advance?
Nov 8, 2017, 1:58 pm
#1383
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Asking at counter is of no help because CX would need a reissued ticket from AS to reflect the change. Remember, you are flying CX on an AS issued ticket. CX is getting paid by AS. How CX would get paid, is to fly you on the flight EXACTLY as it is ticketed.
In theory one could get an award ticket reissued to reflect the last minute change, up to 2 hours of departure but I would NOT count on that happening with AS. With AA issued award, yes, it can be done. AA in generally is very familiar with reticketing CX award seats. With AS issued award? Good luck even if your change is 7 days before departure. There are DPs people lost their original bookings while trying to be cute to optimize their routing or cabin because AS agents messed up. We only read the bitterly complains but never read about any resolution. So you get the picture.
Nov 8, 2017, 2:20 pm
#1384
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,536
Thanks...I didn't know that! 
Just assumed that long-haul CX was three-cabin across the board.
I'm coming from MCI, so I was only looking SFO to get a nonstop AS flight as part of the same award. But if it was likelier to get 2 F out of LAX, I'd happily throw in the positioning flight on Southwest or whatever to get to it.
Just assumed that long-haul CX was three-cabin across the board.I'm coming from MCI, so I was only looking SFO to get a nonstop AS flight as part of the same award. But if it was likelier to get 2 F out of LAX, I'd happily throw in the positioning flight on Southwest or whatever to get to it.
Nov 8, 2017, 2:38 pm
#1385
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,575
$125 fee for MVP.
Its only waived if you paid the F price but one of the legs was only available in lower cabin (mixed cabin). If you paid the J price, you have to pay $125 to change to F award.
I'll give you an example. I'm on a QF award. J from JFK-LAX and Y+ LAX-BNE. Since I already paid the J award price, once J opens up on LAX-BNE, no change fee (pretending i'm not gold).
Its only waived if you paid the F price but one of the legs was only available in lower cabin (mixed cabin). If you paid the J price, you have to pay $125 to change to F award.
I'll give you an example. I'm on a QF award. J from JFK-LAX and Y+ LAX-BNE. Since I already paid the J award price, once J opens up on LAX-BNE, no change fee (pretending i'm not gold).
I might just snag 2 J and enjoy J since that seems to be fairly easy to find.
No chance I'll hit MVP Gold. I'm going to end this year right on 25-26k EQM on AS..
Nov 8, 2017, 9:27 pm
#1386
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,621
Hi -
Just 3 JFK-PDX trips to make Gold then ...
Just 3 JFK-PDX trips to make Gold then ...
Nov 9, 2017, 1:16 pm
#1387
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Beaufort, SC
Programs: Delta, Alaska Air, & BA
Posts: 535
I just changed my 11/17 F to 11/13! Great agent at AS.
Nov 10, 2017, 8:36 am
#1388
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 262
Nov 10, 2017, 4:30 pm
#1390
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Nov 12, 2017, 9:13 pm
#1391
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
Nov 14, 2017, 7:35 am
#1392
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75k, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 132
If you read this thread, even the recent pages you would know that CX does not release additional Fs until fairly close in departure time, depending on how full the F cabin, how full the J / Premium Econ / Econ cabins on your flight. There fore there is NO POINT to check months in advance, until 7 days out or even closer.
Asking at counter is of no help because CX would need a reissued ticket from AS to reflect the change. Remember, you are flying CX on an AS issued ticket. CX is getting paid by AS. How CX would get paid, is to fly you on the flight EXACTLY as it is ticketed.
In theory one could get an award ticket reissued to reflect the last minute change, up to 2 hours of departure but I would NOT count on that happening with AS. With AA issued award, yes, it can be done. AA in generally is very familiar with reticketing CX award seats. With AS issued award? Good luck even if your change is 7 days before departure. There are DPs people lost their original bookings while trying to be cute to optimize their routing or cabin because AS agents messed up. We only read the bitterly complains but never read about any resolution. So you get the picture.
Asking at counter is of no help because CX would need a reissued ticket from AS to reflect the change. Remember, you are flying CX on an AS issued ticket. CX is getting paid by AS. How CX would get paid, is to fly you on the flight EXACTLY as it is ticketed.
In theory one could get an award ticket reissued to reflect the last minute change, up to 2 hours of departure but I would NOT count on that happening with AS. With AA issued award, yes, it can be done. AA in generally is very familiar with reticketing CX award seats. With AS issued award? Good luck even if your change is 7 days before departure. There are DPs people lost their original bookings while trying to be cute to optimize their routing or cabin because AS agents messed up. We only read the bitterly complains but never read about any resolution. So you get the picture.
It seems like ticketing US-HKG first, then add a HKG-Tokyo segment a few days later would be straight forward (no repricing needed). What are the odds for AS agent mess it up on my return flight if I ticket Tokyo-HKG first (at intra-asia pricing, or could I ask them to price me at Asia-US pricing even I only have intraasia segment at the time?), then add HKG-US later?
Nov 14, 2017, 8:05 am
#1393
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,575
Nov 14, 2017, 11:12 am
#1394
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
I'm planing to fly from US(LAX/JFK)-HKG(stopover)-HND/NRT late Oct 2018, most likely one F one J and reticket to two F later. To ensure I can get the flight I wanted, I'm thinking about ticketing one segment at a time exactly 330days prior, given that all travel would be done within 365days from ticket issue date.
It seems like ticketing US-HKG first, then add a HKG-Tokyo segment a few days later would be straight forward (no repricing needed). What are the odds for AS agent mess it up on my return flight if I ticket Tokyo-HKG first (at intra-asia pricing, or could I ask them to price me at Asia-US pricing even I only have intraasia segment at the time?), then add HKG-US later?
It seems like ticketing US-HKG first, then add a HKG-Tokyo segment a few days later would be straight forward (no repricing needed). What are the odds for AS agent mess it up on my return flight if I ticket Tokyo-HKG first (at intra-asia pricing, or could I ask them to price me at Asia-US pricing even I only have intraasia segment at the time?), then add HKG-US later?
Nov 14, 2017, 1:23 pm
#1395
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,621
Hi -
Just one data point. I was once flying AS PDX-YVR connecting to CX YVR-HKG-KUL. Booked in PE.
As I boarded the 1st flight to YVR, CX opened up J seats for redemption. I got on my cell phone, told the AS rep I wanted to upgrade my CX flights to J. Then I had to hang up as the plane was taking off.
Long story short, I had a J board pass printed for me in the CX lounge in YVR.
Can't get much closer than that ....
Just one data point. I was once flying AS PDX-YVR connecting to CX YVR-HKG-KUL. Booked in PE.
As I boarded the 1st flight to YVR, CX opened up J seats for redemption. I got on my cell phone, told the AS rep I wanted to upgrade my CX flights to J. Then I had to hang up as the plane was taking off.
Long story short, I had a J board pass printed for me in the CX lounge in YVR.
Can't get much closer than that ....