Jun 28, 2017, 8:46 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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.

Quote:

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.

Routing Rules:

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

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Mar 16, 2018, 11:17 am

#1801

beckoa

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0ssos

No, BOS to HKG. Anyway, booked using AA miles.
Agent said Alaska cannot ticket from BOS?

BOS is a good choice to fly from, because not as many know about it versus JFK/ORD

I haven't heard of issues booking ex-BOS. Sounds like a HUCA opportunity.

Mar 16, 2018, 12:34 pm

#1802

soy

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: DUB-BOS

Programs: various

Posts: 3,689

How accurate is ITA for taxes and fees on CX awards via AS ?
I booked an award that is coming in about $40 over the ITA figures (after including the phone fee and excluding the fuel surcharges)

Will they recalculate/refund if I call them up to challenge the charges?
Flight is not until end of year

TIA

Mar 16, 2018, 12:35 pm

#1803

Happy

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: Florida

Posts: 29,755

Quote:

Originally Posted by flytoeat

YMMV. Definitely not true in my experience lately. I've been 75K since it began, and it makes no difference if I call the partner number or the 75K number. The past 8-10 times I've called on Cathay awards, I've gotten a rookie. Whether I ask for the international change desk, or say I need a Cathay award, the newbie stubbornly tries to figure it out before ultimately transferring the call. It's a complete waste of time.

A few days ago on the first call to book CX award I got a lovely young lady in SEA - when I said may be I should be transferred to the partner desk for the CX award. she cheerfully told me she was at "partner desk training". She was able to see all the availability exactly as how they showed on BA site. She even commended me for "looks like you know exactly what you are doing." I said, "hopefully that makes the whole process much easier for both the agent and the customer." The whole process was very smooth and reasonably fast - took about 15 min, mostly due to she wanted to repeat back the itinerary and passenger names to make sure. She even offered to send a different form of email so I would see the details, before the formal Confirmation email would arrive. The process was such a pleasant one I ended up asking her if there was any email address I could use as I would like to send in a complement on her excellent service. (Yes there is one).

Then 2 days later when I called to change date and flights on both legs of the itinerary, I got an agent at Boise. She was able to see the CX availability, did the switch, and then told me "You are all set." I suggestively reminded her, "so I should receive a re-ticket confirmation shortly after, right?" That took her by surprise! She then proceeded to tell me the PNR remained the same blah blah blah. I politely but firmly told her, the tickets definitely needed a reissue. So I was put on long hold, presumably she went to check on her help desk. To her credit, when she finally came back, the first thing she said was, "here is your new eticket number, " then gave me spousal unit's also. On AS My Trip now the itinerary has new ticket numbers showing. So now the process is completed.

I am not sure if the last agent is from VX or not but apparently she had no idea that on partner awards, any change would require reticketing. Thankfully she did not argue but went to find an answer, as good agent should.

Mar 16, 2018, 12:37 pm

#1804

Happy

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: Florida

Posts: 29,755

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWplatinum

Whatever the problem may be, make sure it is taken care of and that it’s showing up fine on both carriers sides. I had a CX award this morning in BKK and when I got to the ticket counter to check in, the agent said Alaska had cancelled my “bonus ticket” booking. I almost passed out, and I couldn’t believe it. He made a phone call to a supervisor and in the meantime I called MVP desk. As I was on hold he got a call back from his supervisor and said “everything is all good now, reservation was changed and not synced properly by Alaska.” So the last AS agent to do my CX ticket left some loose ends and did not fully confirm the ticket. Just make sure both the ticket is confirmed and “synced” properly in both airlines’ computers.

Did you get a new ticket number after your last change? If the ticket is reissued after change, there should not be out of sync. However if the AS agent forgot / did not know, a reticketing is needed, then yeah, it would become "old ticket is canceled, new ticket is not found." situation.

Mar 16, 2018, 2:22 pm

#1805

seawolf

Original Member

Join Date: May 1998

Location: NYC

Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 14,636

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy

Old ticket wouldn't be cancelled if new ticket was not issued. Old ticket flight coupon will remain OPEN status until new ticket issued at which point, the old ticket status goes to EXCHANGED status.

Because CX resolved it on their end without AS intervention, what likely happened was AS did issued new ticket but failed to associate flight segments with the new flight coupons. Because the flight segments are still associated with the old ticket coupon which have a status of EXCHANGED, system would not allow a check-in. CX supervisor most likely looked at the record, saw the new ticket number and tied the flight segments with the new ticket coupons (which AS should have done when new ticket issued) which would be OPEN status and thus allowing check-in.

Mar 16, 2018, 2:54 pm

#1806

Flying for Fun

Join Date: Mar 2017

Location: British Columbia

Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold

Posts: 7,263

Quote:

Originally Posted by soy

Did you include the $12.50 per direction partner award booking fee?

James.

Mar 16, 2018, 3:05 pm

#1807

soy

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: DUB-BOS

Programs: various

Posts: 3,689

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying for Fun

Did you include the $12.50 per direction partner award booking fee?

James.

Yes, which actually makes it worse as I was going with $25 for the phone fee with my calculation

Mar 16, 2018, 3:11 pm

#1808

soy

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: DUB-BOS

Programs: various

Posts: 3,689

Update - found the offending item.
There is a overseas sales surcharge for tickets ex-CMB of $60, so AS pricing was correct

Mar 16, 2018, 5:33 pm

#1809

s0ssos

Join Date: Sep 2008

Posts: 7,875

Quote:

Originally Posted by beckoa

I haven't heard of issues booking ex-BOS. Sounds like a HUCA opportunity.

So the agent also said I couldn't stopover in HKG. Is there an issue with a duration of stopover in HKG? I've never tried for many months before, but presume it isn't an issue.

Mar 16, 2018, 6:07 pm

#1810

eponymous_coward

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2007

Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot

Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite

Posts: 20,386

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0ssos

So the agent also said I couldn't stopover in HKG. Is there an issue with a duration of stopover in HKG? I've never tried for many months before, but presume it isn't an issue.

Yeah, your agent is clearly not doing it according to Hoyle. I'm in the middle of a five month stopover in SEA (HKG-LAX-SEA-DCA). I'd have thanked the agent for their time and HUCA.

Mar 16, 2018, 6:28 pm

#1811

Flying for Fun

Join Date: Mar 2017

Location: British Columbia

Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold

Posts: 7,263

Quote:

Originally Posted by eponymous_coward

Yeah, your agent is clearly not doing it according to Hoyle. I'm in the middle of a five month stopover in SEA (HKG-LAX-SEA-DCA). I'd have thanked the agent for their time and HUCA.

Definitely! I just returned from Johannesburg on CX last month with a stopover in HKG. JNB-HKG//HKG-BOS in J x2 booked in October. At T-11 days an F seat opened up. Called Alaska and upgraded one to F for the HKG-BOS segment. (no F JNB-HKG) It took <5 minutes, 7500 additional miles and $3.85 in additional fees/taxes. So yes, a stopover is permitted and yes, BOS can be booked on awards.

James

Mar 16, 2018, 8:57 pm

#1812

CDKing

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: BOS/ORH

Programs: AS 75K

Posts: 18,323

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0ssos

So the agent also said I couldn't stopover in HKG. Is there an issue with a duration of stopover in HKG? I've never tried for many months before, but presume it isn't an issue.

That answers that, You got a bad agent. No rules stating you cant start trip on the east coast. I've booked 5 and flown 3.

Mar 16, 2018, 11:30 pm

#1813

Flying for Fun

Join Date: Mar 2017

Location: British Columbia

Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold

Posts: 7,263

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDKing

That answers that, You got a bad agent. No rules stating you cant start trip on the east coast. I've booked 5 and flown 3.

Correct! You just can't backtrack from west to east to go west again on an award. When I was booking there was no J space available for the dates I wanted to the west coast. BOS was available so I booked that. Less than 10 hours after landing in BOS we were back on AS in F to SEA then PHX. I used a companion certificate for the revenue ticket and two GGU's for immediate upgrades. The SEA-PHX was also in F on the same GGU's as the connection time was <4 hours. One the same companion certificate we flew PHX-SEA-YLW (home) 12 days later with a itinerary change and small upfare for immediate upgrade to F on the PHX -SEA segment saving 2 GGU's for future longer flights. Good value traveling BOS-SEA-PHX-SEA-YLW for $99.00 in F.

James

Mar 17, 2018, 6:35 am

#1814

NWplatinum

Join Date: Oct 2003

Location: Seattle

Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold

Posts: 3,215

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy

Bingo of what happened. Agent snagged a flight I had been looking at opening up space for a week. I was so giddy and then she said “ok you got it now, thanks” and we hung up. Then after about an hour after hanging up I thought “doesn’t it need to be reissued?” But figured she did it after hanging up with me. Now I know always ensure your tickets are reissued properly.

Mar 17, 2018, 11:11 am

#1815

NWplatinum

Join Date: Oct 2003

Location: Seattle

Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold

Posts: 3,215

Has anyone noticed a city where the agents seem to be more competent? I seem to have the best luck in Phoenix, but it’s probably just random.