Cathay Pacific (CX) Award Redemption, Booking and Availability (2019-2022)
Aug 25, 2019, 9:52 am
#781
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
It amazes me how variable and overall poor AS agents are when booking CX flights...
Trying to book SFO-HKG-CGK which was wide open in biz showing on both QF and BA. Flight out of SFO was at 1am, which as we know doesn't natively show up, but only after a few minutes of prodding was the agent willing to check for a specific time. Of course it showed up and ticketed without issues.
Called back to add LAX-SFO to the beginning to the same reservation. First agent says it can't be done without a separate award. Second agent gives me pushback and contacts a supervisor. Then I'm connected to the 'partner desk' so it can be added without issue.
Seriously AS, it shouldn't be this hard...
Trying to book SFO-HKG-CGK which was wide open in biz showing on both QF and BA. Flight out of SFO was at 1am, which as we know doesn't natively show up, but only after a few minutes of prodding was the agent willing to check for a specific time. Of course it showed up and ticketed without issues.
Called back to add LAX-SFO to the beginning to the same reservation. First agent says it can't be done without a separate award. Second agent gives me pushback and contacts a supervisor. Then I'm connected to the 'partner desk' so it can be added without issue.
Seriously AS, it shouldn't be this hard...
Aug 25, 2019, 12:35 pm
#782
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,090
It amazes me how variable and overall poor AS agents are when booking CX flights...
Trying to book SFO-HKG-CGK which was wide open in biz showing on both QF and BA. Flight out of SFO was at 1am, which as we know doesn't natively show up, but only after a few minutes of prodding was the agent willing to check for a specific time. Of course it showed up and ticketed without issues.
Called back to add LAX-SFO to the beginning to the same reservation. First agent says it can't be done without a separate award. Second agent gives me pushback and contacts a supervisor. Then I'm connected to the 'partner desk' so it can be added without issue.
Seriously AS, it shouldn't be this hard...
Trying to book SFO-HKG-CGK which was wide open in biz showing on both QF and BA. Flight out of SFO was at 1am, which as we know doesn't natively show up, but only after a few minutes of prodding was the agent willing to check for a specific time. Of course it showed up and ticketed without issues.
Called back to add LAX-SFO to the beginning to the same reservation. First agent says it can't be done without a separate award. Second agent gives me pushback and contacts a supervisor. Then I'm connected to the 'partner desk' so it can be added without issue.
Seriously AS, it shouldn't be this hard...
The problem is with booking most International Airline partners at Alaska.There.is massive confusion frequently when speaking with their very nice reps
The rules are frequently quite different from the big global Alliance Partners and Alaska reps aren't aware that you can add Alaska flights to some Int partner flights
They also don't know which routes qualify on Int partners with any reasonable consistency.The training is awful when it comes time to booking Int partners
Added to the misery their IT is poor and I'm not sure I can sustain a long term relationship with Alaska as much as like the culture and the people and their domestic service
Alaska is in terrible denial about their IT issues and others have mentioned unless it gets in the media they continue to sweep it under the rug
But the worst is American Airlines IT.Their reps are far better trained on average but the amount of fake phantom availability for award seats is simply infuriating
Alaska is still Seattle's small time home grown carrier that refuses to grow up and look at itself as a larger and more sophisticated player with global reach and the ability to poach customers from other legacy carriers
Until they address the issues they will be second and third tier slackers
Having said all that they seem to be doing fairly well based on the last profit report so maybe they are happy with not making improvements
Aug 25, 2019, 4:34 pm
#783
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 112
So I have never booked a rewards flight; I was thinking of doing one next year down to South Africa. I have seen that you could do an ORD - HKD - JNB rewards ticket in past. With CX now flying out of SEA that flight should also be available correct?
I am not sure the best best way to search for CX availability is but could someone confirm for me that a SEA - HKG - JNB would in theory be possible provided you can find the availability.
I am not sure the best best way to search for CX availability is but could someone confirm for me that a SEA - HKG - JNB would in theory be possible provided you can find the availability.
Aug 25, 2019, 5:20 pm
#784
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska Airlines MVP Gold
Posts: 301
You're correct that SEA-HKG-JNB is priced as one award (62.5k J/70k F).
To search for CX availability use either the BA or QF websites. With BA you have to search each day/week at a time, and QF lets you search on a monthly basis.
However, their availability doesn't always match what AS sees.
To search for CX availability use either the BA or QF websites. With BA you have to search each day/week at a time, and QF lets you search on a monthly basis.
However, their availability doesn't always match what AS sees.
Last edited by ft543; Aug 25, 2019 at 6:08 pm
Aug 25, 2019, 5:39 pm
#785
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
James
Aug 26, 2019, 9:06 am
#786
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Phuket Thailand
Posts: 223
Does CX ever open up 2 F awards on same flight, I am looking for May 2020 and only see 1 F open on different dates, JFK, BOS or ORD
do they ever open up a second F if I book one now and hope for another?
Thanks
do they ever open up a second F if I book one now and hope for another?
Thanks
Aug 26, 2019, 9:08 am
#787
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 112
I saw somewhere that typcially they only do 1 at a time. The best bet was to book a business class for second person and as the time comes closer see if they open up a second.
Aug 26, 2019, 10:03 am
#788
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
conflipper gives good advice. In one case, the second seat opened up about 4 days in advance of travel. In the other, we ended up flying in separate cabins.
Aug 26, 2019, 11:08 am
#789
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
CAAC just turned Rupert Hogg into a Martyr...I think being the CEO, employees feel some sort of emnity towards him and the CX management specially after the cuts these past few years...but after last Friday you'd think people will be submitting his name to the Vatican to be made a saint.
Aug 26, 2019, 5:45 pm
#790
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,838
Just booked two seats in F from ORD in late February - a Mileage Plan unicorn.
Aug 26, 2019, 5:53 pm
#791
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 112
If I book a PE or Biz class because nothing else was available on the dates I wanted.But later a F opens up. Does it only cost the difference in miles and a phone call to upgrade? Or do I need to buy the whole ticket again with miles? I am just not sure how that works.
Aug 26, 2019, 6:20 pm
#792
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
If I book a PE or Biz class because nothing else was available on the dates I wanted.But later a F opens up. Does it only cost the difference in miles and a phone call to upgrade? Or do I need to buy the whole ticket again with miles? I am just not sure how that works.
If you do not have a change fee waiver, you would also be required to pay the $125 change fee if outside the 24 hour booking window. The exception would be to upgrade to a fare you have already paid for. For example, if you found F to HKG but there was only PE to Sydney, you could book that at 80K. If at a later time J opened up on the HKG-SYD leg, there would be no charge to upgrade that segment as it was already included in your redemption. There is no F on CX HKG-SYD.
James
Aug 28, 2019, 4:06 pm
#794
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: IAH
Posts: 418
First class lounge acccess for guest
I'm flying CX F on an AS award. To guest someone into the first class lounge in HKG can they be on any OneWorld carrier flight, CX flights only, or must it be the identical CX flight as mine? Thanks.
Aug 28, 2019, 10:44 pm
#795
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SJC / DPS
Programs: AS G75K, UA Silver
Posts: 1,757
But this page does outline that anyone is eligible.