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Cathay Pacific (CX) Award Redemption, Booking and Availability – 2017 and Later

Old Jun 28, 2017, 8:46 pm
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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.

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


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Cathay Pacific (CX) Award Redemption, Booking and Availability – 2017 and Later

Old May 26, 2018, 6:06 am
  #2176  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QR/AC Gold, VA Silver, IHG Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,581
Originally Posted by Flying for Fun
Why use BA? You have QF! See what you find and call AS to book. 😁 Good luck.
I have both BA and QF accounts. QF doesn't tell you the number of seats available when booking .....
kamchatsky is offline  
Old May 26, 2018, 6:15 am
  #2177  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
Originally Posted by kamchatsky
I have both BA and QF accounts. QF doesn't tell you the number of seats available when booking .....
Use both that’s what I did. AS agent was able to see 2 J when BA showed 4 available.
theOtherHolmes is offline  
Old May 26, 2018, 6:24 am
  #2178  
T2A
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska MVPG
Posts: 206
Originally Posted by kamchatsky
I have both BA and QF accounts. QF doesn't tell you the number of seats available when booking .....
Just change the number of travelers. If it shows availability you know at least that number are open.
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Old May 26, 2018, 11:27 am
  #2179  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Originally Posted by T2A
Just change the number of travelers. If it shows availability you know at least that number are open.
Precisely! ^ Much better than BA as you can see a month at a time as well as EK, AA & JL too.

Scanning some dates this fall I found a JL F HND-LAX. I went to AS website and it showed it too. BOOKED! I also found AA SAVER F LAX-HKG; went to the AA website and it was there too. BOOKED! Seems to be quite a few options for AA at least to Asia.

AS for CX, I have had 100% success in booking awards with AS when I provide the dates, times & Flight numbers I find with QF. I just booked MEL-HKG in September and 1F & 1J CX LAX-HKG//HKG-BNE with connecting F YLW-SEA-LAX in February. This works well with a mileage run I booked from SYD with a 10 day stopover in PPT for a Tahitian cruise on Oceania. Routing is SYD-AKL-PPT-IPC-SCL-MAD-LHR-SEZ-DXB-NRT. First 4 Y last 5 J. 32,183 EQM to AS. 51,708 RDM before elite bonus.

If the OP is looking for CX J × 4, very possible, might have to split between multiple daily flights to the same city. Of course if he wants to use Marriott Travel Packages he would need to redeem 1,080,000 Marriot Points for 4 Cat 1-5 hotel packages & 480,000 AS miles; just the amount needed for 4 J return. That is a lot of Marriott Points for most but perhaps the OP is awash with them having already redeemed for Avios and a Category 8 hotel stay in Japan last December.

James
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Last edited by Flying for Fun; May 26, 2018 at 11:59 am
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Old May 27, 2018, 12:02 am
  #2180  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
I was under the impression that CX has flights between HKG and PVG but a quick search showed they were all operated by KA. Seemed like with AS redemption on CX one would need other miles to go from HKG to PVG (or other mainland China destinations)?
yoyo is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 12:14 am
  #2181  
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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
Originally Posted by yoyo
I was under the impression that CX has flights between HKG and PVG but a quick search showed they were all operated by KA. Seemed like with AS redemption on CX one would need other miles to go from HKG to PVG (or other mainland China destinations)?
CX operates to PEK and PVG on their own metal, both 3 times daily.
G-CIVC is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 1:46 am
  #2182  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,397
Originally Posted by yoyo
I was under the impression that CX has flights between HKG and PVG but a quick search showed they were all operated by KA. Seemed like with AS redemption on CX one would need other miles to go from HKG to PVG (or other mainland China destinations)?
As mentioned CX flies 3 x daily. If you type 'schedule HKG-PVG' into google search it will show you the three flights.
LHR/MEL/Europe FF is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 1:54 am
  #2183  
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Posts: 14,397
Originally Posted by jamienbaker
Again, DPS to TPE on an LCC is not going to be nonstop, nor inexpensive. You seriously should take a <$120 flight to Singapore, and begin the CX award from there. It maximizes your time in DPS (if you take a pm departure) and maximizes your award value and time on Cathay.

Furthermore, if you're willing to fly BR TPEYYZ, then you are willing to get home at 10p. This would suggest you're OK with the CX flight that leaves HKG at 5p and gets home at 8:30p.

If you position to SIN the night before, you can actually take a 10:15p departure from Bali on JetStar for $65 USD. This compares to a 4:15p departure on Cathay. So all this talk about "I'll make my way to TPE on an LCC" is nonsense. The SIN option actually gives you MORE time in Bali than originating the CX award from there, plus I'm willing to bet the $65 flight to SIN is less than the hotel premium you'll have to pay in HKG versus SIN.

Seriously, if SINHKG and HKGYYZ are both available, you need to lock that down. And you realize awards are one-way, right? You don't have to fly in both directions on the same airline.
KLM also flies DPS-SIN - departing DPS at 2040 arriving into SIN at 2315. Very cheap fares in both main cabin and business class. Main cabin fares often match the LCCs on the route, but with all the added benefits of a full service airline.
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LHR/MEL/Europe FF is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 7:49 am
  #2184  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF
As mentioned CX flies 3 x daily. If you type 'schedule HKG-PVG' into google search it will show you the three flights.
Originally Posted by G-CIVC
CX operates to PEK and PVG on their own metal, both 3 times daily.
Thank you both.
yoyo is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 9:11 am
  #2185  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Posts: 2,851
If I see an award ticket on BA (not phantom) and half hour, it is not available, can I assume that someone grabbed the seat. or does CX release seats than take it back?

Also, is 1 hour 15 minutes enough for connection time in HKG if both CX flights- USA to HKG, HKG to ICN

Thanks
metoo is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 10:06 am
  #2186  
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Join Date: Aug 2007
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Posts: 20,337
Originally Posted by metoo

Also, is 1 hour 15 minutes enough for connection time in HKG if both CX flights- USA to HKG, HKG to ICN

Thanks
HKG connection time is fairly extensively discussed on FT, especially in the CX forum:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...hong-kong.html

(This thread is a top hit in search engines)

If AS can book it, it’s a legal connection. HKG is pretty straightforward for connections. 75 minutes is fine. That being said if you have mobility issues or want tons of padding... I’d add it and spend time in the lounges.
eponymous_coward is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 11:02 am
  #2187  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,061
Can't find J award ex-LAX and the ex-SFO availability times don't suit me; hence, I'm considering PDX-YVR-HKG

If I fly on AS2536 arriving YVR 10:25am, layover of 15h, before my CX889 flight departs YVR at 2am the following day, do I need to collect my bags at YVR?
hightide is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 11:50 am
  #2188  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG100, Hyatt Globalist, MGM Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 636
Originally Posted by Flying for Fun
Precisely! ^ Much better than BA as you can see a month at a time as well as EK, AA & JL too.

Scanning some dates this fall I found a JL F HND-LAX. I went to AS website and it showed it too. BOOKED! I also found AA SAVER F LAX-HKG; went to the AA website and it was there too. BOOKED! Seems to be quite a few options for AA at least to Asia.

AS for CX, I have had 100% success in booking awards with AS when I provide the dates, times & Flight numbers I find with QF. I just booked MEL-HKG in September and 1F & 1J CX LAX-HKG//HKG-BNE with connecting F YLW-SEA-LAX in February. This works well with a mileage run I booked from SYD with a 10 day stopover in PPT for a Tahitian cruise on Oceania. Routing is SYD-AKL-PPT-IPC-SCL-MAD-LHR-SEZ-DXB-NRT. First 4 Y last 5 J. 32,183 EQM to AS. 51,708 RDM before elite bonus.

If the OP is looking for CX J × 4, very possible, might have to split between multiple daily flights to the same city. Of course if he wants to use Marriott Travel Packages he would need to redeem 1,080,000 Marriot Points for 4 Cat 1-5 hotel packages & 480,000 AS miles; just the amount needed for 4 J return. That is a lot of Marriott Points for most but perhaps the OP is awash with them having already redeemed for Avios and a Category 8 hotel stay in Japan last December.

James
Stunning! Thx for the help as always. How can I see the particulars of the ten stopper mileage run above that starts in SYD and ends in NRT? That is so awesome. Have a great trip.
tobikosan is offline  
Old May 27, 2018, 12:50 pm
  #2189  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,026
Originally Posted by tobikosan
Stunning! Thx for the help as always. How can I see the particulars of the ten stopper mileage run above that starts in SYD and ends in NRT? That is so awesome. Have a great trip.
it is in the mileage run forum under.... it is one of the longer thread starting from ak/syd to icn/nrt and read them carefully.
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Old May 28, 2018, 1:09 am
  #2190  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Originally Posted by tobikosan
Stunning! Thx for the help as always. How can I see the particulars of the ten stopper mileage run above that starts in SYD and ends in NRT? That is so awesome. Have a great trip.
While it also works from AKL or many points within Australia, the pricing is very similar to ICN-TYO, basically a RTW with one extra leg. I am doing one in September as well. Crosses four continents and both TPAC & TATL including one segment repeated twice on the same airline, once in Y and the other in J. Crazy!

James
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