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 4, 2017, 11:47 am
#1246
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,538
Oct 4, 2017, 3:09 pm
#1247
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,456
^ Nice to flesh-out a tad one of the great contributors to this thread.
Oct 4, 2017, 8:39 pm
#1248
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 76
Any updates on when VX can be combined with CX on an award? Last update in the wiki was from July, and I would love to snag an EWR-SFO-HKG award for December
Oct 4, 2017, 8:43 pm
#1249
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 76
Alternatively if VX is still not an option is routing EWR-PDX-SFO-HKG with the first two flights on AK metal a possibility, or is that considered too roundabout a route?
Yes I'm aware there are many NYC-HKG direct flights that would be much faster and more pleasant, as per usual when things don't make sense like this it's because a girl is involved
Yes I'm aware there are many NYC-HKG direct flights that would be much faster and more pleasant, as per usual when things don't make sense like this it's because a girl is involved
Oct 4, 2017, 8:44 pm
#1250
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
EDIT: Aha. I know something like PDX-EWR-SFO wouldn't be allowed because it's backtracking, but I don't imagine they'd have a problem with you booking EWR-PDX-SFO-HKG.
Oct 4, 2017, 11:03 pm
#1251
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,916
Oh Alaska! Just booked ORD-HKG in Z (two seats available on BA and AS could see them), stopover, then HKG-SIN in U. On a day when BA shows 2 or more U seats on 6 flights, Alaska can see ... drumroll ... none! A day later, when BA shows 2+ seats on 4 flights, Alaska can see availability on every one of the 4 flights. 
Oct 5, 2017, 7:35 am
#1252
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: 718
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Diamond
Posts: 967
Oh Alaska! Just booked ORD-HKG in Z (two seats available on BA and AS could see them), stopover, then HKG-SIN in U. On a day when BA shows 2 or more U seats on 6 flights, Alaska can see ... drumroll ... none! A day later, when BA shows 2+ seats on 4 flights, Alaska can see availability on every one of the 4 flights.
Oct 5, 2017, 9:56 am
#1253
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Oct 5, 2017, 12:58 pm
#1254
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NY, NY
Posts: 695
Booked CX from JFK-YVR for late May in F, 35K miles + $18.10. Will be my first time trying CX F. I tried searching on BA, but the site has been borked for me the whole day, so I searched on QF, and AS had no problem seeing the same availability when I gave them the exact date & flight details.
Oct 6, 2017, 12:27 am
#1255
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: DFW
Programs: Hilton-Diamond SPG-Platinum Hyatt-Platinum United-Gold Alaska-MVP Gold Southwest-A List Preferred
Posts: 8
CX in J for 4- I think I hit the lotto
I've been watching for CX availability in J for 4 people to open around my daughters holiday schedule. I've been told that if there are cancellations, it'll repopulate in availability. I check every couple of days and nothing. I checked today on BA & Qantas. BA was showing nothing, Qantas was showing 4 on one day in March. I called AS reservations and it took a while, but the lady found what I found and was able to book it JFK-HKG(nonstop).
Oct 7, 2017, 1:42 pm
#1256
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
Oct 8, 2017, 6:07 am
#1257
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Hong Kong, Jakarta
Posts: 219
Please kindly help...
is it possible to book the following route from HKG to see the aurora and then off to southeast coast?
HKG-LAX/SFO->PDX->ANC->FAI (Stopover) -> SEA -> ATL/FLL???
is it possible to book the following route from HKG to see the aurora and then off to southeast coast?
HKG-LAX/SFO->PDX->ANC->FAI (Stopover) -> SEA -> ATL/FLL???
Oct 8, 2017, 7:39 am
#1258
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: YYZ, HKG, MFM
Programs: AC35K, AS MVP, WS Gold, ITA EP, Marriott Plat, Hyatt-Explorist, IHG Diamond
Posts: 2,019
Base on my experience, you can only do a stopover at a hub (except AA). That means you can do HKG-LAX/SFO-ANC(stopover)-SEA-ATL/FLL, but not at FAI.
Oct 8, 2017, 7:49 am
#1259
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Oct 8, 2017, 8:22 am
#1260
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,538
Datapoint -
Two J HKGDPS awards popped up on BA overnight for Aug travel. AS could see them so I grabbed them. Subsequently refunded the 2 Y awards I had made with Avios when AS couldn’t see those (miles returned, cash not since taxes were below he $55 BA threshold. I care more about the 25K UR points I transferred, but it was still good insurance).
Anyhow, I recall reading anecdotal reports that AS has particular trouble book Y on this route, but J inventory typically syncs with BA (I know have the family of four booked, all with AS).
Has anyone else experienced anything similar?
Two J HKGDPS awards popped up on BA overnight for Aug travel. AS could see them so I grabbed them. Subsequently refunded the 2 Y awards I had made with Avios when AS couldn’t see those (miles returned, cash not since taxes were below he $55 BA threshold. I care more about the 25K UR points I transferred, but it was still good insurance).
Anyhow, I recall reading anecdotal reports that AS has particular trouble book Y on this route, but J inventory typically syncs with BA (I know have the family of four booked, all with AS).
Has anyone else experienced anything similar?