Cathay Pacific (CX) Award Redemption, Booking and Availability (2019-2022)
Jan 25, 2019, 1:34 pm
#121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,392
We actually try and consolidate to a thread so they are NOT a dime a dozen. 
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alas...019-later.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alas...019-later.html
Jan 25, 2019, 1:50 pm
#122
Join Date: May 2017
Location: YEG, SFO, VCA, JR JY-13
Programs: hahaha
Posts: 922
Omg I'm so sorry everybody, for some reason my computer keeps using the mobile skin, and I still haven't figured out what forum I'm in...ever! I should get around to fixing that, but I'm sorry for assuming wrong. Cheers!
Jan 25, 2019, 2:01 pm
#123
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
Agree that availability for 3 seats will be challenging regardless of program (though I think some will still be better than the AS partner group). But the OP's point may be that higher AS earnings on TCON flights, relative to US3, are of little value if you can't redeem for any awards you want. In that case you might well switch to another carrier even if award availability isn't better, as long as it has better network, schedule, prices, partners, etc.
Jan 25, 2019, 3:25 pm
#124
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SAN
Programs: AS MVPG100K, UA Gold, IHG Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, National Exec
Posts: 320
Agree that availability for 3 seats will be challenging regardless of program (though I think some will still be better than the AS partner group). But the OP's point may be that higher AS earnings on TCON flights, relative to US3, are of little value if you can't redeem for any awards you want. In that case you might well switch to another carrier even if award availability isn't better, as long as it has better network, schedule, prices, partners, etc.
Obviously, OP should try whatever works for their situation and see if things are rosier with another carrier, but I'll take higher earnings on AS any day of the week because I am confident I can redeem the miles.
Last edited by wolfpacktrojan; Jan 25, 2019 at 3:26 pm Reason: spelling
Jan 25, 2019, 4:23 pm
#125
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I got our family of five in on the CX exVN fare and so needed awards for us to get over there the week before thanksgiving and then back around Jan 3-4 since we’re using these to go to Asia for both thanksgiving and christmas. As a resukt, ive been scouring for CX and JL availability both around Nov 21-22 from US-SGN and then from Asia to US around Jan 3-4, for 5 pax all in biz.
I initially found nothing, but over time CX opened up 4 biz seats on all 3 YVR-HKG flights one day and both YVR-HKG flight the next day. So we have bounced around from 3 on one plane and 2 on another to 4 on one plane and 1 on the other. Booked YVR-HKG and then maybe a week later the HKG-SGN seats opened, again only 3 or 4 per flight but better than nothing. Still hoping one more biz award opens on the other flight but not holding my breath. Funny thing is there is nobody else on any of these flights according to seat maps and they are all J9-I9
For Jan 3-4, ouch that seems to be slim pickings. Oddly, those dates weren’t bookable on Dec 31 when the error fare was live so its not that things are booked solid. I think CX is holding back on these. Good news is there are a couple of decent asia to US one way cash fares that we can use if need be. And we have AA miles we could use on India to US on either Qatar or Royal Jordanian if it came down to that. But I suspect the years past (we’ve been doing this for 8+ years on CX) of easy NEw Years returns on CX may not be a thing this year.
I initially found nothing, but over time CX opened up 4 biz seats on all 3 YVR-HKG flights one day and both YVR-HKG flight the next day. So we have bounced around from 3 on one plane and 2 on another to 4 on one plane and 1 on the other. Booked YVR-HKG and then maybe a week later the HKG-SGN seats opened, again only 3 or 4 per flight but better than nothing. Still hoping one more biz award opens on the other flight but not holding my breath. Funny thing is there is nobody else on any of these flights according to seat maps and they are all J9-I9
For Jan 3-4, ouch that seems to be slim pickings. Oddly, those dates weren’t bookable on Dec 31 when the error fare was live so its not that things are booked solid. I think CX is holding back on these. Good news is there are a couple of decent asia to US one way cash fares that we can use if need be. And we have AA miles we could use on India to US on either Qatar or Royal Jordanian if it came down to that. But I suspect the years past (we’ve been doing this for 8+ years on CX) of easy NEw Years returns on CX may not be a thing this year.
Jan 25, 2019, 7:19 pm
#126
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: IHG Platinum Elite, AS MVP Gold 75K, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 219
I think indeed that there is less availability in first, and that AS has pulled availability for first class seats post-error fare. I can’t find anything in first until January. Normally there are seats here and there, but now there is nothing.
Jan 25, 2019, 8:20 pm
#127
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
AS doesn't pull the availability. It's CX's availability.
Jan 26, 2019, 7:43 pm
#128
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG100, Hyatt Globalist, MGM Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 636
Is there a way to automatically track CX award availability or upgrade of award scenarios (like have PE looking for J or have J looking for F to open up}?
Jan 26, 2019, 9:02 pm
#129
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: IHG Platinum Elite, AS MVP Gold 75K, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 219
Jan 28, 2019, 1:10 am
#130
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 8
I can't find any intra-asia award availability at all. I'm looking ~300 days out (Enough time for CX to release to partners) but BA tool doesn't show anything. AS agent couldn't find anything either. I have my leg SFO-HGK secured but I was hoping for a second free leg in J to BKK (via AS stopover).
Anybody seeing any availability or knows what's going on?
Thanks,
Max
Anybody seeing any availability or knows what's going on?
Thanks,
Max
Jan 28, 2019, 2:59 am
#131
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
I can't find any intra-asia award availability at all. I'm looking ~300 days out (Enough time for CX to release to partners) but BA tool doesn't show anything. AS agent couldn't find anything either. I have my leg SFO-HGK secured but I was hoping for a second free leg in J to BKK (via AS stopover).
Anybody seeing any availability or knows what's going on?
Thanks,
Max
Anybody seeing any availability or knows what's going on?
Thanks,
Max
James
Jan 28, 2019, 9:50 am
#132
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Renton, WA
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan MVP
Posts: 58
Data point: This morning a bunch of seats (both J and PE) opened up for the SEA-HKG flight I needed in May. Still don't have my HKG-DPS flight available yet (from what I've been searching those are closed off until about 30 days out), but I'll take what I can get.
Being 6'3" the 13 hour flight is much more important to me than the 5 hour flight.
Being 6'3" the 13 hour flight is much more important to me than the 5 hour flight.
Jan 28, 2019, 11:25 am
#133
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 8
Thanks a lot for your response FlyingForFun
Jan 28, 2019, 1:27 pm
#134
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,392
Also, you're looking at 330 days out, not 300.
The problem is without elite status, you're looking at $125 to change the award. If you can get Y on the segment now you may be able to upgrade to J later. Also, worst case, it's not a terribly expensive ticket in Avios for J (or just as cash in Y).
Jan 28, 2019, 1:38 pm
#135
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 8
CX availability close to Christmas for BKK isn't always easy (protip: North Asia, Europe and Australia->Thailand::USA->Hawaii or Mexico, extremely popular as destinations during winter when lots of people have vacations).
Also, you're looking at 330 days out, not 300.
The problem is without elite status, you're looking at $125 to change the award. If you can get Y on the segment now you may be able to upgrade to J later. Also, worst case, it's not a terribly expensive ticket in Avios for J (or just as cash in Y).
Also, you're looking at 330 days out, not 300.
The problem is without elite status, you're looking at $125 to change the award. If you can get Y on the segment now you may be able to upgrade to J later. Also, worst case, it's not a terribly expensive ticket in Avios for J (or just as cash in Y).
Thanks again!