Cathay Pacific (CX) Award Redemption, Booking and Availability (2019-2022)
Mar 25, 2019, 8:43 am
#391
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,378
My guess is you got lucky and an agent screwed up. That is not how it’s supposed to work.
Mar 25, 2019, 9:14 am
#392
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
What fare class did the agent book for you from DAL-SFO? N, W, or A?
Mar 25, 2019, 11:02 am
#393
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG100, Hyatt Globalist, MGM Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 636
Mar 26, 2019, 3:01 am
#394
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
QF F is notoriously difficult to book, CX F is the opposite.
Mar 26, 2019, 6:52 am
#395
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Canada
Programs: Alaska,AC,Avios,
Posts: 330
Thank you. I guess I'll go with CX . From Australia to East coast I will have 11 hours in J + 15+ in F as opposed to the only option available in QF F is 14 hours from MEL-LAX
Mar 26, 2019, 7:45 am
#396
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,378
FWIW, CX J gave me some of the worst airline food I’ve ever had. Just inedible, send it back, rubbery, tough pork cutlet. I find the catering in F to be fine, but not “add 11 hours of J flying” fine. The F lounges in HKG are nice but not that nice.
Mar 26, 2019, 8:09 am
#397
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,554
I've honestly never had a *great* airline meal. Or at least not a great main course - I've had some caviar, cheese, or dessert courses that were interesting and fun because I don't usually do those things at home.
So flying a day out of my way in hopes of great food is probably not something I'd do. No matter how good the food on whatever you think the best F carrier in the world is, any midsized American city has at least one restaurant with better food and a better winelist.
So flying a day out of my way in hopes of great food is probably not something I'd do. No matter how good the food on whatever you think the best F carrier in the world is, any midsized American city has at least one restaurant with better food and a better winelist.
Mar 26, 2019, 10:15 am
#398
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,378
Very true, especially given that at altitude you lose ability to taste using taste buds anyway.
However, my point is more that the whole package of travel in an F cabin isn’t worth massive “let’s fly out of the way because the caviar and wine is better and I can take a shower at 35,000 feet” for me, even if it is an upgrade in service to a better soft and hard product.
I would probably pick a good J cabin nonstop over F with massive detours. Now, if I am spending time at the detours...
However, my point is more that the whole package of travel in an F cabin isn’t worth massive “let’s fly out of the way because the caviar and wine is better and I can take a shower at 35,000 feet” for me, even if it is an upgrade in service to a better soft and hard product.
I would probably pick a good J cabin nonstop over F with massive detours. Now, if I am spending time at the detours...
Mar 26, 2019, 11:48 am
#399
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Canada
Programs: Alaska,AC,Avios,
Posts: 330
Unless you’re taking a Hong Kong stopover or you’re one of those “whee! Planes are awesome! I cannot possibly spend enough time on a plane!” people we have here in FT, I can’t imagine taking 2x as long to fly somewhere that turns a flight into more than two days of flying, unless it was CX F vs QF Y.
FWIW, CX J gave me some of the worst airline food I’ve ever had. Just inedible, send it back, rubbery, tough pork cutlet. I find the catering in F to be fine, but not “add 11 hours of J flying” fine. The F lounges in HKG are nice but not that nice.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:06 pm
#400
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: UA 1MM, AS MVPG, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 350
Are there any issues with having multiple CX bookings on different flights on the same day temporarily while I figure out what timing/connections work best for my plans? They wouldn't be on the same flight, but just looking at different times of departures and routings to find the best option for my schedule. Since space can disappear quickly, I wanted to hold some options while I figure things out. (MVPG so cancelling and re-depositing is not a concern, I don't think.)
Mar 26, 2019, 1:25 pm
#401
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SEA (previous locations: DTW, TLV, EWR, BOS)
Programs: AS: 75K; DL/NW: Plat; DL SC: Lifetime; Hyatt: Diamond; HH: Gold; SPG: Plat;
Posts: 3,383
Are there any issues with having multiple CX bookings on different flights on the same day temporarily while I figure out what timing/connections work best for my plans? They wouldn't be on the same flight, but just looking at different times of departures and routings to find the best option for my schedule. Since space can disappear quickly, I wanted to hold some options while I figure things out. (MVPG so cancelling and re-depositing is not a concern, I don't think.)
Mar 26, 2019, 1:51 pm
#402
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,554
Very true, especially given that at altitude you lose ability to taste using taste buds anyway.
However, my point is more that the whole package of travel in an F cabin isn’t worth massive “let’s fly out of the way because the caviar and wine is better and I can take a shower at 35,000 feet” for me, even if it is an upgrade in service to a better soft and hard product.
I would probably pick a good J cabin nonstop over F with massive detours. Now, if I am spending time at the detours...
However, my point is more that the whole package of travel in an F cabin isn’t worth massive “let’s fly out of the way because the caviar and wine is better and I can take a shower at 35,000 feet” for me, even if it is an upgrade in service to a better soft and hard product.
I would probably pick a good J cabin nonstop over F with massive detours. Now, if I am spending time at the detours...
Mar 26, 2019, 2:08 pm
#403
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,936
Good news data point. Just booked 4J seats on CX using my Alaska points to Australia at Christmas. The J availability matched exactly BA and Qantas websites. So if BA said 4 seats on CX available SEA - HKG, there were 4 bookable J seats using AS mileage plan miles.
Of course most dates zero availability but found enough for me. Hardest was finding the Hong Kong to Australia available legs.
Call me happy. For much of last year I was finding AS was 1-2 seats less then what was showing on BA.com, and when trying to book for the family that meant I couldn't use my AS miles.
So for now, looks like AS is able to book the same CX awards as othe points programs
Of course most dates zero availability but found enough for me. Hardest was finding the Hong Kong to Australia available legs.
Call me happy. For much of last year I was finding AS was 1-2 seats less then what was showing on BA.com, and when trying to book for the family that meant I couldn't use my AS miles.
So for now, looks like AS is able to book the same CX awards as othe points programs
Mar 26, 2019, 2:27 pm
#404
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I've honestly never had a *great* airline meal. Or at least not a great main course - I've had some caviar, cheese, or dessert courses that were interesting and fun because I don't usually do those things at home.
So flying a day out of my way in hopes of great food is probably not something I'd do. No matter how good the food on whatever you think the best F carrier in the world is, any midsized American city has at least one restaurant with better food and a better winelist.
So flying a day out of my way in hopes of great food is probably not something I'd do. No matter how good the food on whatever you think the best F carrier in the world is, any midsized American city has at least one restaurant with better food and a better winelist.