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
Jun 24, 2018, 3:38 pm
#2356
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
I would suggest people to follow this thread in CX forum.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...2018-a-18.html
Asia Miles definitely is not seeing a lot of availability per the posts in the above thread. What you see is the Choice and Tailored, not Standard. Standard awards availability has drastically reduced. Therefore even for Asia Miles members this is not good news. Of course that also means partner programs get even less allotment. Basically bad news all around for both native program and partner programs.
On top of that if you have mixed cabins on different directions you can no longer be able to book it as a round trip as originating from Hong Kong, so on your inbound, you will be charged the YQ and that is another bad news even for Asia Miles members.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...2018-a-18.html
Asia Miles definitely is not seeing a lot of availability per the posts in the above thread. What you see is the Choice and Tailored, not Standard. Standard awards availability has drastically reduced. Therefore even for Asia Miles members this is not good news. Of course that also means partner programs get even less allotment. Basically bad news all around for both native program and partner programs.
On top of that if you have mixed cabins on different directions you can no longer be able to book it as a round trip as originating from Hong Kong, so on your inbound, you will be charged the YQ and that is another bad news even for Asia Miles members.
Oh well, it's been a good ride. Best to all, and my sympathies to those that had been hoping to travel in the near-term.
Jamie
Jun 24, 2018, 5:00 pm
#2357
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
I think something has to come back. Maybe not as much as before but I do not think they can just eat all their unsold inventory without loosing even more than they are now. My feeling is that their new system is not fully operational and that there will eventually be some low level award space released to partners albeit perhaps much less than before.
If every airline kept all their space to themselves what would be the point of being in an alliance? I do not think their Oneworld partners would be happy if their plan is inventory hoarding although AS probably does not care.
If every airline kept all their space to themselves what would be the point of being in an alliance? I do not think their Oneworld partners would be happy if their plan is inventory hoarding although AS probably does not care.
Jun 24, 2018, 5:06 pm
#2358
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
I think something has to come back. Maybe not as much as before but I do not think they can just eat all their unsold inventory without loosing even more than they are now. My feeling is that their new system is not fully operational and that there will eventually be some low level award space released to partners albeit perhaps much less than before.
If every airline kept all their space to themselves what would be the point of being in an alliance? I do not think their Oneworld partners would be happy if their plan is inventory hoarding although AS probably does not care.
If every airline kept all their space to themselves what would be the point of being in an alliance? I do not think their Oneworld partners would be happy if their plan is inventory hoarding although AS probably does not care.
Jun 24, 2018, 5:11 pm
#2359
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
If it is not back in a month I would agree we are done. I am hoping for a week or two. I am not normally this optimistic but I was looking to book my first CX ride courtesy of AS miles soon and it is hard to give up on the dream.
Jun 24, 2018, 5:14 pm
#2360
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
Unfortunately Asia Miles members reporting “standard” bucket not available within 90 days of departure. That’s the bucket partners access.
PS - saw a JFKNRT on JL with 6 F awards available, so maybe that will be the consolation prize.
Jun 24, 2018, 5:39 pm
#2361
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: OWE
Posts: 131
I think something has to come back. Maybe not as much as before but I do not think they can just eat all their unsold inventory without loosing even more than they are now. My feeling is that their new system is not fully operational and that there will eventually be some low level award space released to partners albeit perhaps much less than before.
If every airline kept all their space to themselves what would be the point of being in an alliance? I do not think their Oneworld partners would be happy if their plan is inventory hoarding although AS probably does not care.
If every airline kept all their space to themselves what would be the point of being in an alliance? I do not think their Oneworld partners would be happy if their plan is inventory hoarding although AS probably does not care.
At this point, no long haul inventory is available at any level, in any cabin with any partners through the furthest end of the schedule in 2019. i hope this changes soon.
Jun 24, 2018, 5:42 pm
#2362
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: OWE
Posts: 131
i was able to score a "standard award" JFK-HKG for next week but under the AM program. I was waitlisted today and confirmed 4 hours later. the flight has 20 J seats left. so the inventory is there for AM members, just not partners
Jun 24, 2018, 5:49 pm
#2363
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
yes, that’s correct. I may start emphasizing SPG Amex again, since I can transfer to AM.
Jun 24, 2018, 11:22 pm
#2364
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
If it were available in advance this would definitely lessen sting of losing CX. How many days out was this? I have not seen more than 2F until fairly close to departure. I have experienced JL F and am a big fan.
Jun 25, 2018, 12:32 am
#2365
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: AS MVPG, HH Diamond
Posts: 2
It appears close-in F award seats are now available as Asia Miles “standard” awards. A search for HKGLAX for same-day departure yields multiple available seats at the standard level on a flight that is currently F4. This is good news since theoretically those awards should be made available to partners. However, calling into Alaska, they are unable to see the availability and are quoting a known IT issue integrating with Cathay Pacific. My hope is that close-in F/J awards are still possible with partner booking, and there are legitimate IT issues that will eventually be worked out, not that CX is actually blocking partner awards.
Jun 25, 2018, 5:03 am
#2366
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
July 6. You’re correct, 2F is the most one can secure in advance on JL. But their release of unsold seats is formulaic, down to the very minute. I’ve even had agents waiting on the phone, and asked they refresh their screens, so that I can book the awards within 30 seconds of their release. Good luck.
Jun 25, 2018, 5:07 am
#2367
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
i hope you're right, i am also in agreement that it doesn't help them if they hold all their inventory of award space and not release it to partners. likewise, partners like AA/BA will block CX/AM members from seeing their own award inventory. so for CX to block off its own inventory doesn't really do them good, having a reciprocal inventory with other airlines allows them to be opened to other people in different markets and get them to "try out" their product.
Respectfully, Jamie
Jun 25, 2018, 5:10 am
#2368
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
It appears close-in F award seats are now available as Asia Miles “standard” awards. A search for HKGLAX for same-day departure yields multiple available seats at the standard level on a flight that is currently F4. This is good news since theoretically those awards should be made available to partners. However, calling into Alaska, they are unable to see the availability and are quoting a known IT issue integrating with Cathay Pacific. My hope is that close-in F/J awards are still possible with partner booking, and there are legitimate IT issues that will eventually be worked out, not that CX is actually blocking partner awards.
End of an era.
Jun 25, 2018, 5:54 am
#2369
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 2,028
As of this morning (this wasn’t the case yesterday), Qantas is showing quite a bit of F-class space between HKG and BOS for close-in awards, through July 8th. While I haven’t tried to book with AS, QF, or BA, the award space is coming up and I have no real reason to believe it’s phantom.
Even if AS is saying its not bookable right now, it is a major development that the award space is now showing up to begin with, as just yesterday the Qantas calendar was completely zero-ed out, even for T-14 travel.
Jun 25, 2018, 6:20 am
#2370
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,535
Jamie, while I originally agreed with you, I’m not sure why you’re being so stubborn.
As of this morning (this wasn’t the case yesterday), Qantas is showing quite a bit of F-class space between HKG and BOS for close-in awards, through July 8th. While I haven’t tried to book with AS, QF, or BA, the award space is coming up and I have no real reason to believe it’s phantom.
Even if AS is saying its not bookable right now, it is a major development that the award space is now showing up to begin with, as just yesterday the Qantas calendar was completely zero-ed out, even for T-14 travel.
Jamie