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 22, 2017, 11:55 pm
#1426
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
When was this more reasonable policy in effect?
It certainly was not waived on our last AS redemption.
This was the charge details on our JNB-HKG//HKG-LAX-SEA-SLC ticket
Base Fare and Surcharges: $6.00
Taxes and Other Fees: $133.96
Ticketing Fee: $15.00
Partner Award Booking Fee: $12.50
Traveler total:
Total fare: USD $167.46
It certainly was not waived on our last AS redemption.
This was the charge details on our JNB-HKG//HKG-LAX-SEA-SLC ticket
Base Fare and Surcharges: $6.00
Taxes and Other Fees: $133.96
Ticketing Fee: $15.00
Partner Award Booking Fee: $12.50
Traveler total:
Total fare: USD $167.46
Nov 23, 2017, 3:23 pm
#1427
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
I dont think waiving phone fee due to one's elite status would equal to the phone fee would be waived because the flight cannot be booked online. How would you think?
Nov 23, 2017, 3:40 pm
#1428
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,840
Partner award booking fee is never waived, regardless of status.
I've always had top-level status, and have never been charged a phone fee when redeeming CX. I've helped MP members without status redeem CX awards. Upon request, the phone fee was waived.
I've always had top-level status, and have never been charged a phone fee when redeeming CX. I've helped MP members without status redeem CX awards. Upon request, the phone fee was waived.
Nov 23, 2017, 7:45 pm
#1429
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,003
Modify or upgrade an award after flying the first leg?
I just spent a half hour with international agent trying to upgrade an existing Cathay award from J to F. Caveat is that first CX leg is already flown. I'm now stopping over before flying my last leg, which is the one I'm trying to upgrade.
Agent was able to confirm the F seat and she tried with a supervisor to ticket it, but couldn't. I asked if they could just cancel and issue a new award, then manually credit me any miles. But this was rejected.
Anyone successfully modified or upgraded an award after flying the first leg?
Agent was able to confirm the F seat and she tried with a supervisor to ticket it, but couldn't. I asked if they could just cancel and issue a new award, then manually credit me any miles. But this was rejected.
Anyone successfully modified or upgraded an award after flying the first leg?
Nov 23, 2017, 10:35 pm
#1430
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
I just spent a half hour with international agent trying to upgrade an existing Cathay award from J to F. Caveat is that first CX leg is already flown. I'm now stopping over before flying my last leg, which is the one I'm trying to upgrade.
Agent was able to confirm the F seat and she tried with a supervisor to ticket it, but couldn't. I asked if they could just cancel and issue a new award, then manually credit me any miles. But this was rejected.
Anyone successfully modified or upgraded an award after flying the first leg?
Agent was able to confirm the F seat and she tried with a supervisor to ticket it, but couldn't. I asked if they could just cancel and issue a new award, then manually credit me any miles. But this was rejected.
Anyone successfully modified or upgraded an award after flying the first leg?
Nov 23, 2017, 10:41 pm
#1431
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,003
I surmise you were able to change because your Cathay "ticket" was still unflown. If anyone has changed their CX award after starting their CX flights, let us know any specific steps the AS agent took to make it possible.
Nov 24, 2017, 2:38 am
#1432
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
Jamie
Nov 24, 2017, 2:40 am
#1433
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: SEA, FLL, Martha’s Vineyard
Programs: AS MVPGold75K, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Pan Am million-miler
Posts: 2,019
If anybody wants to get their phone fees waived just mentioned my handle.
Nov 24, 2017, 8:52 am
#1435
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black
Posts: 3,393
Why does AS not waive partner booking fee for Gold/75K? Just too lucrative for them since the biggest draw to their FFP is the partner earnings / redemptions .. I guess
Nov 24, 2017, 8:28 pm
#1437
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
F6 A6 doesn't 'necessarily' mean award space available.
Nov 24, 2017, 8:32 pm
#1438
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: SEA, FLL, Martha’s Vineyard
Programs: AS MVPGold75K, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Pan Am million-miler
Posts: 2,019
Also many times they will only release one seat at a time. As an example sometimes when the J cabin is wide open, they’ll only give AS one award seat. Let’s say you wanted to book two seats. You should book that one seat, and if the cabin is wide open, usually they will release another seat either right after, or shortly after you book the one seat. This can apply to F too, but the cabin has to be very empty.
Also I’ve noticed about between two days and 12 hours before departure they will release a lot of seats if the plane is empty. I’ve even see them release two F seats to AS. Obviously you have to be very flexible for this. But this will sometimes lead me to calling AS 3x in a day to see if anything has opened up. Especially if I’m in F, and want F on a different flight that day. Patience, and persistence is the name of the game.
Nov 24, 2017, 8:38 pm
#1439
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,840
How far out is this flight?
Not every flight has award space.
How do you know there haven't been award seats already redeemed (In business, PE, or economy)?
If CX expects they can sell those seats, what makes you think there's any "blocking" going on?
Nov 24, 2017, 8:50 pm
#1440
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Yes, this is a real problem. For some reason it seems like they only release a limited amount of seats to AS at a time. If your flights are semi-close (2.5 weeks to 5 days to departure) availability will almost never line up with QF or BA’s tool, and AS is more limited. Very far out, maybe 6-12 months, the QF and BA tools are usually accurate for what AS sees.
Also many times they will only release one seat at a time. As an example sometimes when the J cabin is wide open, they’ll only give AS one award seat. Let’s say you wanted to book two seats. You should book that one seat, and if the cabin is wide open, usually they will release another seat either right after, or shortly after you book the one seat. This can apply to F too, but the cabin has to be very empty.
Also many times they will only release one seat at a time. As an example sometimes when the J cabin is wide open, they’ll only give AS one award seat. Let’s say you wanted to book two seats. You should book that one seat, and if the cabin is wide open, usually they will release another seat either right after, or shortly after you book the one seat. This can apply to F too, but the cabin has to be very empty.
Also I’ve noticed about between two days and 12 hours before departure they will release a lot of seats if the plane is empty. I’ve even see them release two F seats to AS. Obviously you have to be very flexible for this. But this will sometimes lead me to calling AS 3x in a day to see if anything has opened up. Especially if I’m in F, and want F on a different flight that day. Patience, and persistence is the name of the game.
James