ryandc99

All, I have moved the off topic discussion of using SPG points to book AS awards to its own thread which you can find here:

skimthetrees

I am seeing quite a bit of Cathay Business available (via Qantas and BA sites which should match AS availability) in October, midweek, via JFK (only one I checked). I think you are good to go. Just do not wait to long because the space will dwindle the more time goes by. Remember, CX space does not show on the AS website. You have to call AS to book CX.

ralph4878

I'm based in Bangkok...Cathay is always the go-to for me getting to and from North America when looking to use miles with Mileage Plan. Besides the number of miles required being competitive with (if not better than) other options in J or F, there tends to be more availability on CX than any other option. I use BA to search for availability, and whenever I see 2 or more seats available, I am able to get one when calling AS. Usually, I book far out and will often see 4 seats available. Newark is the only one that is tighter than this - but Boston, SFO, LAX, JFK, and ORD are usually showing 2+ seats. Connections to BKK out of HKG are usually ample.

Just a note: BKK (Suvarnabhumi) Airport is usually a clusterf*&! to arrive into - getting through immigration, in particular, can be awful if you do not fly J or F and thus have a FastTrack pass through immigration. When returning to BKK, I always try to upgrade or pay for business class, if only to avoid those lines, which can be as long as 2 hours. Make sure your inbound to BKK is in J!

YoungSoloTraveler

Or just get an APEC card.

drvannostren

Not to hijack anything but just cuz the last 2 posts were about immigration at BKK.

The first time I went there I arrived and just jumped in the first customs area.

This past time, I guess I arrived at a different part of the terminal, I went to what looked like the same customs area and I was told "no you have to go to the NEXT one". I'm on a Canadian passport. Is there 1 giant area for Thai passports and 1 for everyone else? It seemed like the area I ended up had the division for Thais/Foreigners, so I'm not sure why I was re-directed to another customs area. Both were open.

craigthemif

I hope you are going SPG --> Marriott for a couple of travel packages...

zerodegre

Correct. Renaissance for 14 days and 240,000 miles

sleuth

sleuth

drvannostren

I was not. Each section seems to have a fast track line. But maybe they had separated this whole area as fast track, I'm not sure. They seemed to be indiscriminately sending all us white folks to this other checkpoint. Next to the first checkpoint FWIW was right next to a visa on arrival purchase area, so who knows maybe the checkpoint was open only to THOSE people. I couldn't figure it out, I just went where I was told

flytoeat

Happy

OP, there is a gigantic thread in AS forum about CX award. Read the Wiki. You would have far better chance finding 2 J seats on CX for your dates. You can have a stopover at HKG on both directions, may even 1 stopover at HKG on one direction and then another stopover at an AS hub on another direction but this is not a guarantee as it is not officially allowed. Stopovers at HKG is allowed by the rules.

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

drvannostren

Haha, I'm not complaining, I just couldn't figure it out. There wasn't a sign that said like "ASEAN passports here Foreign passports ---->". They literally just kept pointing anyone who asked to this other area.