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
May 21, 2018, 7:47 pm
#2131
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Platinum, HH Gold
Posts: 184
I saw 4 CX F seats available for JFK-HKG-BKK on BA's site. When I called AS, the agent could not see F availability for the whole routing, only JFK-HKG. I asked her to look at the segments separately and she was able to see HKG-BKK availability for the flight I wanted. She booked each separately and then married them into one reservation.
May 21, 2018, 8:58 pm
#2132
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,636
I saw 4 CX F seats available for JFK-HKG-BKK on BA's site. When I called AS, the agent could not see F availability for the whole routing, only JFK-HKG. I asked her to look at the segments separately and she was able to see HKG-BKK availability for the flight I wanted. She booked each separately and then married them into one reservation.
May 22, 2018, 12:17 am
#2133
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 345
It’s Middle East/India @62.5k, where else would it be? Look at a map... It’s WEST of India. Apparently bloggers don’t read maps, or they’re doing the “HUCA and find the weak link” trick the way they used to do with US to get cheaper awards. I don’t doubt that bloggers would argue that LGW is in Asia if they could get away with it...
May 22, 2018, 4:32 am
#2134
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Platinum, HH Gold
Posts: 184
.
May 22, 2018, 5:58 am
#2135
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
Clearly phantom. Grabbing a single award is gratifying though hardly newsworthy, but grabbing four far out would prove an epic development.
May 22, 2018, 7:15 am
#2136
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
May 22, 2018, 9:32 am
#2137
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
I wish people stop claiming that they saw 4F on BA. Try to change to 4 passengers and see if you still show 4F...
May 22, 2018, 10:17 am
#2139
Join Date: May 2018
Location: YYZ
Posts: 42
Which Intra Asia route would likely have the most routes / Availability to YYZ via HKG on CX? Ultimately I don't mind doing a Y class cash ticket from DPS to that location for more availability/route options back to YYZ on J class x2.
May 22, 2018, 10:28 am
#2140
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
The only case I can see where this might matter is from a SCHEDULING perspective. For example, if there was availability on the 1700~ departure HKGYYZ, you would need to position in HKG the day before given when DPSHKG operates. Alternatively, a DPSSIN paid ticket will be less expensive than DPSHKG. So in theory, you could position to SIN the night before, and then start your CX award there in the morning. Same with positioning in BKK.
But again, none of this impacts availability HKGYYZ.
EDIT - I know there have been sporadic reports of married segment logic at CX, but I've not found this to be the case myself. I remain of the view that the OP's question is irrelevant.
May 22, 2018, 10:32 am
#2141
Join Date: May 2018
Location: YYZ
Posts: 42
YYZHKG availability will not be impacted by intra-Asian award availability. So the question isn't relevant.
The only case I can see where this might matter is from a SCHEDULING perspective. For example, if there was availability on the 1535 departure HKGYYZ, you would need to position in HKG the day before given when DPSHKG operates. Alternatively, a DPSSIN paid ticket will be less expensive than DPSHKG. So in theory, you could position to SIN the night before, and then start your CX award there in the morning. Same with positioning in BKK.
But again, none of this impacts availability HKGYYZ.
The only case I can see where this might matter is from a SCHEDULING perspective. For example, if there was availability on the 1535 departure HKGYYZ, you would need to position in HKG the day before given when DPSHKG operates. Alternatively, a DPSSIN paid ticket will be less expensive than DPSHKG. So in theory, you could position to SIN the night before, and then start your CX award there in the morning. Same with positioning in BKK.
But again, none of this impacts availability HKGYYZ.
Understood - so best bet would just be to snag a HKG-YYZ J class x2 flight, and figure out a DPS-HKG flight later.
May 22, 2018, 10:40 am
#2142
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
However, if you're on a budget and the cost of adding the HKGDPS award at a later date doesn't appeal to you ($125, IIRC sans status), you could possibly lock down SINHKGYYZ right now, and buy a ticket DPSSIN (2 hr flight) for less than $125 on Air Asia. Regardless, you're going to need to position somewhere the night before, given when DPSHKG operates. SIN hotels are cheaper than HKG, based on my experience.
Point is, DPSSIN is a cheap ticket. DPSHKG usually isn't (flight is over 2x longer).
Jamie
May 22, 2018, 10:42 am
#2143
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
i would probably use SIN or CGK. CGK is an internal flight, SIN has multiple LCCs on the route (so LOTS of cheap options) and makes a nice stopover you could incorporate into your plans.
May 22, 2018, 10:44 am
#2144
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
Not necessarily. There may be more or cheaper LCC options closer to DPS, since HKG-DPS is close to USA/CA transcon length.
i would probably use SIN or CGK. CGK is an internal flight, SIN has multiple LCCs on the route (so LOTS of cheap options) and makes a nice stopover you could incorporate into your plans.
May 22, 2018, 11:07 am
#2145
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
What I would do:
1) Lock down SINHKGYYZ award, if available. Purchase $113 USD ticket HKGSIN on Air Asia. Take 0900 or 1325 departure to SIN. Explore, have crazy good dinner. Stay over.
2) If DPSHKG award becomes available, and assuming a preference for HKG, discard Air Asia ticket, eat cost of Alaska re-ticketing fee, fly to HKG on CX. Downside (in addition to forfeited cost) is DPSHKG gets in on the later side....makes it tough but not impossible for dinner. Take train to W Hotel. Enjoy one last energetic night.
So easy.
EDIT - ANOTHER PLUG FOR #1 - SINHKG possibly offers lay-flat seat in J, whereas DPSHKG is virtually guaranteed to be regional J.
1) Lock down SINHKGYYZ award, if available. Purchase $113 USD ticket HKGSIN on Air Asia. Take 0900 or 1325 departure to SIN. Explore, have crazy good dinner. Stay over.
2) If DPSHKG award becomes available, and assuming a preference for HKG, discard Air Asia ticket, eat cost of Alaska re-ticketing fee, fly to HKG on CX. Downside (in addition to forfeited cost) is DPSHKG gets in on the later side....makes it tough but not impossible for dinner. Take train to W Hotel. Enjoy one last energetic night.
So easy.
EDIT - ANOTHER PLUG FOR #1 - SINHKG possibly offers lay-flat seat in J, whereas DPSHKG is virtually guaranteed to be regional J.