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
Jun 29, 2017, 2:41 pm
#766
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
jamie knows the game better than ANYONE here in AS or AA forum when it comes on getting CX Fs.
he is known to double-booked even triple-booked (BA anyone?) a CX flight in F and decide which one to take at the last moment depending on how the family is placing on those flights.
As an AA EXP, he can cancel the expensive AA F without charge. BA cancellation only lose the cash portion though there are CX YQ involved on the outbound, there is none involved on the inbound originating from HKG. Given jamie would have a chase car to JFK to make sure no traffic issue would get in the way of family vacation, less be assured the cost to cancel a BA booking is no big deal.
he will not be surprised on how many Fs would be released close in, including just a few hours before departure.
he is known to double-booked even triple-booked (BA anyone?) a CX flight in F and decide which one to take at the last moment depending on how the family is placing on those flights.
As an AA EXP, he can cancel the expensive AA F without charge. BA cancellation only lose the cash portion though there are CX YQ involved on the outbound, there is none involved on the inbound originating from HKG. Given jamie would have a chase car to JFK to make sure no traffic issue would get in the way of family vacation, less be assured the cost to cancel a BA booking is no big deal.
he will not be surprised on how many Fs would be released close in, including just a few hours before departure.
Jun 29, 2017, 2:47 pm
#768
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 49
I have a first class award booked on Cathay for July 8th out of LAX. Alaska didn't have a domestic leg to get to LAX at time of booking but looks like they now do. Can an Alaska flight be added to an existing booking?
Jun 29, 2017, 2:50 pm
#769
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
Yes. Without MVPG or 75K status it will cost you $125 plus taxes since you are changing your original ticket. Note that VX legs will not be able to be added (as VX is considered a partner award at this time).
Jun 29, 2017, 2:53 pm
#770
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 49
Does the first class need to show a certain mileage? I see both 25 and 60k options on Alaska.
Jun 29, 2017, 3:13 pm
#771
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
Jun 29, 2017, 3:34 pm
#772
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
How much is the position flight in $, since you would need to pay $125 to add the segment assuming you are not AS top elite?
Using a revenue ticket has its up and down - the up is, if you have time you could has a stopover before leaving on your TPAC flight, the down is, if you are connecting you need to account for the possible delay of the income flight.
Jun 29, 2017, 3:57 pm
#773
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 49
Only 25K would work.
How much is the position flight in $, since you would need to pay $125 to add the segment assuming you are not AS top elite?
Using a revenue ticket has its up and down - the up is, if you have time you could has a stopover before leaving on your TPAC flight, the down is, if you are connecting you need to account for the possible delay of the income flight.
How much is the position flight in $, since you would need to pay $125 to add the segment assuming you are not AS top elite?
Using a revenue ticket has its up and down - the up is, if you have time you could has a stopover before leaving on your TPAC flight, the down is, if you are connecting you need to account for the possible delay of the income flight.
Jun 29, 2017, 4:21 pm
#774
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
If your Alaska flights are on the same ticket, Alaska has an obligation to rebook you should you miss your Cathay flight due to an Alaska delay (or can switch you to another LAX flight out of SEA). Alaska can also interline your ticket to other carriers.
I don't see this as tremendously clearcut, though. Depends on how much tolerance for risk vs. convenience you have, how much luggage you have, and how much time you are baking in for separate tickets. Personally I find long backtracking itineraries (like DEN-SEA-LAX, where you've turned a two hour flight into something like a transcon between the flying and the connection) to get to a premium cabin award to be a pain. It would not take much to convince me that flying coach for two hours beats domestic first class for 5+, but I fly without checked luggage most of the time.
Jun 29, 2017, 5:33 pm
#775
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
This is terribly annoying. On every single oneworld search engine I can find a Cathay Pacific flight in first class that leaves at 4:35 PM to Los Angeles. However Alaska agents cannot see the seat, and can only see the flight at 9:25 AM. Why does this always happen?
Jun 29, 2017, 6:19 pm
#776
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
There is the down side - should you not arrive on time to catch the CX flight you would be SOL - there would be NO protection for you due to your incoming flight is totally independent from your flight on CX.
Jun 29, 2017, 6:26 pm
#777
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
If Southwest fails to deliver you on time to LAX for your CX flight, you are SOL as far as Alaska is concerned, since you will have missed your ticketed flight (you will also need to add time to check any luggage at LAX). Southwest cannot and will not book you on a different carrier.
If your Alaska flights are on the same ticket, Alaska has an obligation to rebook you should you miss your Cathay flight due to an Alaska delay (or can switch you to another LAX flight out of SEA). Alaska can also interline your ticket to other carriers.
I don't see this as tremendously clearcut, though. Depends on how much tolerance for risk vs. convenience you have, how much luggage you have, and how much time you are baking in for separate tickets. Personally I find long backtracking itineraries (like DEN-SEA-LAX, where you've turned a two hour flight into something like a transcon between the flying and the connection) to get to a premium cabin award to be a pain. It would not take much to convince me that flying coach for two hours beats domestic first class for 5+, but I fly without checked luggage most of the time.
If your Alaska flights are on the same ticket, Alaska has an obligation to rebook you should you miss your Cathay flight due to an Alaska delay (or can switch you to another LAX flight out of SEA). Alaska can also interline your ticket to other carriers.
I don't see this as tremendously clearcut, though. Depends on how much tolerance for risk vs. convenience you have, how much luggage you have, and how much time you are baking in for separate tickets. Personally I find long backtracking itineraries (like DEN-SEA-LAX, where you've turned a two hour flight into something like a transcon between the flying and the connection) to get to a premium cabin award to be a pain. It would not take much to convince me that flying coach for two hours beats domestic first class for 5+, but I fly without checked luggage most of the time.
On every AS award on CX we used positioning flight but we arrived at least a day early, overnight at LAX for the next day flight. Even when we are on an AA award we still prefer an overnight layover at LAX instead of trying to connect a long TPAC flight in premium cabin. We also do not have checked bags, always just the 20 to 20" roller.
We would much prefer to just have an independent positioning flight, overnight at LAX, versus trying to fly a convoluted route on AS with a FLL-SEA that never has F saaver, then SEA down to LAX to catch the CX flight - way too much inconvenient and a lot of discomfort than a straight shot MIA-LAX Transcon.
Jun 29, 2017, 6:39 pm
#778
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
I dont like connection on the same day for a long haul TPAC flight, let along on separate ticket.
On every AS award on CX we used positioning flight but we arrived at least a day early, overnight at LAX for the next day flight. Even when we are on an AA award we still prefer an overnight layover at LAX instead of trying to connect a long TPAC flight in premium cabin. We also do not have checked bags, always just the 20 to 20" roller.
We would much prefer to just have an independent positioning flight, overnight at LAX, versus trying to fly a convoluted route on AS with a FLL-SEA that never has F saaver, then SEA down to LAX to catch the CX flight - way too much inconvenient and a lot of discomfort than a straight shot MIA-LAX Transcon.
On every AS award on CX we used positioning flight but we arrived at least a day early, overnight at LAX for the next day flight. Even when we are on an AA award we still prefer an overnight layover at LAX instead of trying to connect a long TPAC flight in premium cabin. We also do not have checked bags, always just the 20 to 20" roller.
We would much prefer to just have an independent positioning flight, overnight at LAX, versus trying to fly a convoluted route on AS with a FLL-SEA that never has F saaver, then SEA down to LAX to catch the CX flight - way too much inconvenient and a lot of discomfort than a straight shot MIA-LAX Transcon.
Being that it is at the airport and they have more control, I think if you had a legitimate problem, or story, depending on the agent you got, they may be able to accodmate you, but I wouldn't count on it.
For example, Cathay has many flights between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. If you were to miss your originally scheduled flight, they wouldn't just put you on the next one a few hours later if there was plenty of room? Again, I suspect it would depend on the agent you got and how helpful and sympathetic they were. But yes I would not count on being entitled to anything.
Jun 29, 2017, 7:21 pm
#779
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,790
I was able to book SFO-HKG-BNE in J this evening to fly next May. There were only 2 seats on the HKG-BNE leg according to BA.com so I didn't want to wait. Of course I couldn't book the necessary AS positioning flights from DFW because there was no saver Y or F from DFW-SEA-SFO. But hey, at least I got the TPAC flights sorted...there's lots of time for AS seats to open up.
Jun 29, 2017, 7:34 pm
#780
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
I was able to book SFO-HKG-BNE in J this evening to fly next May. There were only 2 seats on the HKG-BNE leg according to BA.com so I didn't want to wait. Of course I couldn't book the necessary AS positioning flights from DFW because there was no saver Y or F from DFW-SEA-SFO. But hey, at least I got the TPAC flights sorted...there's lots of time for AS seats to open up.