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 31, 2018, 1:46 pm
#2221
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,384
No. One way. $12.50 one way, $25 round trip.
You should be able to change a return without losing an outbound or vice versa, yes.
You should be able to change a return without losing an outbound or vice versa, yes.
May 31, 2018, 5:25 pm
#2222
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,750
Is it $12.50 Partner fee for Round trip ?
Also, if I book a round trip from Canada/USA to HKG, can I change the date for the inbound without losing my outbound flight? The request will be post June 5th so one free change allowed.
Example- Booked the round trip prior to June 5th the following: LAX to HKG January 10th , 2019 and HKG to LAX January 21, 2019
Then October 2018 I just want to change the HKG to LAX to February 10th, will my LAX to HKG for January 10th still be intact?
Also, if I book a round trip from Canada/USA to HKG, can I change the date for the inbound without losing my outbound flight? The request will be post June 5th so one free change allowed.
Example- Booked the round trip prior to June 5th the following: LAX to HKG January 10th , 2019 and HKG to LAX January 21, 2019
Then October 2018 I just want to change the HKG to LAX to February 10th, will my LAX to HKG for January 10th still be intact?
Gives it to me I would ALWAYS book one ways if there is no advantage on a R/T booking (stopover being the most obvious). Why sweat the $12.50 additional? Just as you wonder how to get the $15 phone booking fee waived... Dont sweat the small charges over the big picture.
Jun 1, 2018, 1:10 am
#2223
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 141
Sometimes it can be an advantage to have it in one booking such as only paying one fee to make changes or cancel both outbound and inbound journeys.
I agree with you though and would be separately in most cases.
I agree with you though and would be separately in most cases.
Jun 1, 2018, 10:59 am
#2224
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,750
Note the alleged travel time frame is many months away, pretty speculative bookings the way I see it.
Bottom line, people should not make speculative bookings because of the 60 days rule. Enough abuse of such is probably part of the reasons AS takes it away and only preserve this for their top elites.
Jun 1, 2018, 1:38 pm
#2225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
I think it has more to do with AS missing the cash flow than issues with the abuse.
Jun 4, 2018, 8:21 am
#2226
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Posts: 2,851
I changed my itinerary to CX Biz from ICN to HKG to LAX- connecting time is 3 hours in HKG and the taxes is $71.20. It seems high. Is this correct?
Jun 4, 2018, 8:56 am
#2227
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,227
Change fee hits CX
The introduction of the change fee is going to be an expense for those booking on Cathay who aren't in a city served directly by CX.
Example: Friends booking 2 J tickets from Australia to Seattle. AS agent saw the same J space on possibilities for the first leg as QF/BA (but not the PE space) and only offered HKG-SFO, so not sure if she could see the HKG-LAX space. (There was 2J showing on both CX882 and CX892 on QF/BA.)
ADL-HKG-SFO booked fine. This was for Apr 29 next year, within the first 24 hours that it could be booked, so there was no AS award availability for SFO-SEA. Today, SFO-SEA is showing F award availability, so they'll be able to add it. In future, this reservation would cost a change fee. Basically unavoidable, because leaving the booking until the AS connection can be booked, odds are the CX availability will be gone.
(Of the 8 J seats that were showing available on Apr 29 HKG-LAX/SFO a day or so ago, there is only 1 left now, according to BA, and that's on CX880.)
Example: Friends booking 2 J tickets from Australia to Seattle. AS agent saw the same J space on possibilities for the first leg as QF/BA (but not the PE space) and only offered HKG-SFO, so not sure if she could see the HKG-LAX space. (There was 2J showing on both CX882 and CX892 on QF/BA.)
ADL-HKG-SFO booked fine. This was for Apr 29 next year, within the first 24 hours that it could be booked, so there was no AS award availability for SFO-SEA. Today, SFO-SEA is showing F award availability, so they'll be able to add it. In future, this reservation would cost a change fee. Basically unavoidable, because leaving the booking until the AS connection can be booked, odds are the CX availability will be gone.
(Of the 8 J seats that were showing available on Apr 29 HKG-LAX/SFO a day or so ago, there is only 1 left now, according to BA, and that's on CX880.)
Jun 4, 2018, 10:50 am
#2228
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
The introduction of the change fee is going to be an expense for those booking on Cathay who aren't in a city served directly by CX.
Example: Friends booking 2 J tickets from Australia to Seattle. AS agent saw the same J space on possibilities for the first leg as QF/BA (but not the PE space) and only offered HKG-SFO, so not sure if she could see the HKG-LAX space. (There was 2J showing on both CX882 and CX892 on QF/BA.)
ADL-HKG-SFO booked fine. This was for Apr 29 next year, within the first 24 hours that it could be booked, so there was no AS award availability for SFO-SEA. Today, SFO-SEA is showing F award availability, so they'll be able to add it. In future, this reservation would cost a change fee. Basically unavoidable, because leaving the booking until the AS connection can be booked, odds are the CX availability will be gone.
(Of the 8 J seats that were showing available on Apr 29 HKG-LAX/SFO a day or so ago, there is only 1 left now, according to BA, and that's on CX880.)
Example: Friends booking 2 J tickets from Australia to Seattle. AS agent saw the same J space on possibilities for the first leg as QF/BA (but not the PE space) and only offered HKG-SFO, so not sure if she could see the HKG-LAX space. (There was 2J showing on both CX882 and CX892 on QF/BA.)
ADL-HKG-SFO booked fine. This was for Apr 29 next year, within the first 24 hours that it could be booked, so there was no AS award availability for SFO-SEA. Today, SFO-SEA is showing F award availability, so they'll be able to add it. In future, this reservation would cost a change fee. Basically unavoidable, because leaving the booking until the AS connection can be booked, odds are the CX availability will be gone.
(Of the 8 J seats that were showing available on Apr 29 HKG-LAX/SFO a day or so ago, there is only 1 left now, according to BA, and that's on CX880.)
Jun 4, 2018, 10:56 am
#2229
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,795
The introduction of the change fee is going to be an expense for those booking on Cathay who aren't in a city served directly by CX.
Example: Friends booking 2 J tickets from Australia to Seattle. AS agent saw the same J space on possibilities for the first leg as QF/BA (but not the PE space) and only offered HKG-SFO, so not sure if she could see the HKG-LAX space. (There was 2J showing on both CX882 and CX892 on QF/BA.)
ADL-HKG-SFO booked fine. This was for Apr 29 next year, within the first 24 hours that it could be booked, so there was no AS award availability for SFO-SEA. Today, SFO-SEA is showing F award availability, so they'll be able to add it. In future, this reservation would cost a change fee. Basically unavoidable, because leaving the booking until the AS connection can be booked, odds are the CX availability will be gone.
(Of the 8 J seats that were showing available on Apr 29 HKG-LAX/SFO a day or so ago, there is only 1 left now, according to BA, and that's on CX880.)
Example: Friends booking 2 J tickets from Australia to Seattle. AS agent saw the same J space on possibilities for the first leg as QF/BA (but not the PE space) and only offered HKG-SFO, so not sure if she could see the HKG-LAX space. (There was 2J showing on both CX882 and CX892 on QF/BA.)
ADL-HKG-SFO booked fine. This was for Apr 29 next year, within the first 24 hours that it could be booked, so there was no AS award availability for SFO-SEA. Today, SFO-SEA is showing F award availability, so they'll be able to add it. In future, this reservation would cost a change fee. Basically unavoidable, because leaving the booking until the AS connection can be booked, odds are the CX availability will be gone.
(Of the 8 J seats that were showing available on Apr 29 HKG-LAX/SFO a day or so ago, there is only 1 left now, according to BA, and that's on CX880.)
It's not just booking an AS connection that'll suck if you're not a Gold or 75K. Any HKG connections from westbound TRANSPAC flights are going to be the next day, so that'll require a subsequent call if you're booking at AS's schedule window opening. Same goes for booking a stopover in either direction.
If you guys are snapping up all seats made available at the 330 day border, I think there's a eminent business case for CX to raise AS reimbursement rates for premium awards.
Jun 4, 2018, 11:01 am
#2230
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,227
When there are 8 J seats available at 330 days and 1 J left at 329 days, surely the self-evident answer is "no"?
As for the business case for CX to raise AS reimbursement rates for premium awards, don't forget that we are just getting the scraps that CX, BA and QF frequent flyers haven't already taken.
As for the business case for CX to raise AS reimbursement rates for premium awards, don't forget that we are just getting the scraps that CX, BA and QF frequent flyers haven't already taken.
Jun 4, 2018, 11:10 am
#2231
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,795
Is this for some US prime date or some other reason why your result is unrepresentative of year-round demand?
Jun 4, 2018, 11:11 am
#2232
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,795
(Duplicate, please delete)
Jun 4, 2018, 11:23 am
#2233
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Ocean Beach
Programs: Alaska MPVG75, AAdvantage PlatPro, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 535
Jun 4, 2018, 11:27 am
#2234
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,795
If they're valuable but priced according to their market value then I don't expect to see snapping up (snapping up also happens with mistake fares).
Furthermore I believe Choice/Tailored is CX's attempt to market price more valuable awards to its own members.
Last edited by percysmith; Jun 4, 2018 at 11:39 am
Jun 4, 2018, 11:32 am
#2235
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,227
What I have noticed is that demand cycles between HKG and Aust are very different to that between HKG and the USA. So if you want to travel USA-Aust or v.v. and don't grab seats when they are available, there is a very much more significant risk of one end being available while the other isn't. (Sometimes you can get around that by having a stopover in HKG, though it is a pretty expensive place to waste a few days if you don't actually want to be there.)