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
#2761
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,392
#2763
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 8
The way I see it is that it's good indicator that should hold true most of the times but if you call in and they can't see it don't get mad
#2764
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 230
The partner desk still exists, at least for the agents' use. I called in recently about a CX award and the agent I got put me on hold to consult with their partner desk.
#2765
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 973
This may have been asked before - if so, I apologise. If I want to use AS miles to fly from Australia (MEL) to Vietnam (SGN) with CX. From reading the AS chart, this would be 2 separate awards - one from MEL to HKG (Australia to Asia), and another from HKG to SGN (Asia to Asia). Is this correct? Or, can it be one award - with no stopover in HKG? Many thanks in advance.
#2766
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
This may have been asked before - if so, I apologise. If I want to use AS miles to fly from Australia (MEL) to Vietnam (SGN) with CX. From reading the AS chart, this would be 2 separate awards - one from MEL to HKG (Australia to Asia), and another from HKG to SGN (Asia to Asia). Is this correct? Or, can it be one award - with no stopover in HKG? Many thanks in advance.
James
#2767
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,392
This may have been asked before - if so, I apologise. If I want to use AS miles to fly from Australia (MEL) to Vietnam (SGN) with CX. From reading the AS chart, this would be 2 separate awards - one from MEL to HKG (Australia to Asia), and another from HKG to SGN (Asia to Asia). Is this correct? Or, can it be one award - with no stopover in HKG? Many thanks in advance.
#2770
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: BA Gold, Hyatt Glob, MR Plat, HH Diamond, IHG Amb
Posts: 443
Just to confirm: AlaskaAir.com does not show CX award space, correct? I checked via Qantas and it showed award space on the CX flight I needed, but Alaska doesn't show it.
#2771
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,392
Note: Cathay flights cannot be booked using alaskaair.com. Mileage requirements in chart form available on alaskaair.com.
#2772
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 2,172
Is it the case that after 22 June 2018 it is a lot more difficult to redeem CX tickets using AS miles? It used to be that if CX had awards available, then save 1 or 2 seats, all would be available for QF and other OWE programs and also to AS. Not the case anymore. Correct? Eg, there are plenty of award seats available on CX for 30 HKG - LHR but not if you use AS miles. If one had been collecting AS miles for CX awards (esp F and J) it would be rather disappointing now. Right?
#2773
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Is it the case that after 22 June 2018 it is a lot more difficult to redeem CX tickets using AS miles? It used to be that if CX had awards available, then save 1 or 2 seats, all would be available for QF and other OWE programs and also to AS. Not the case anymore. Correct? Eg, there are plenty of award seats available on CX for 30 HKG - LHR but not if you use AS miles. If one had been collecting AS miles for CX awards (esp F and J) it would be rather disappointing now. Right?
Since June 22, even Asia Miles, CX's own currency, are hard to find seats on many routes.
And definitely NO for the availability on CX for HKG-LHR which is a hugely profitable route and award seats have not been abundant with any oneworld member's currency.
HKG-ZRH used to be easy but never HKG-LHR/CDG/MXP/FCO.
#2774
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: southUSA
Posts: 398
Fees
If there have been time changes with certain flights on an award will CX waive change fees if I want to cancel a sector and change dates/times?
#2775
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,392
My experience is they work with you, but I wouldn’t expect to get a bunch of routing rules violated. I also haven’t changed a CX award without being an elite. Maybe call and tell us your experiences?