ARCHIVE: AA Awards on Cathay Pacific (2015)
Jan 2, 2015, 9:06 pm
#46
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: None any more
Posts: 11,017
Origin/Destination, I guess.
Jan 2, 2015, 9:08 pm
#47
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 2,272
Jan 2, 2015, 9:24 pm
#48
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 6,790
The answers to some of your questions may be found in the wiki at the top of the page.
As to #2, that is the preferred solution if you cannot book F. As is mentioned in a number of the posts, CX tends to release seats periodically, either because F seats are not being sold, or because someone who held that seat has changed flights (see comment to #3 below) and released the seat back into available inventory. Many folks have reported great success in capturing an F seat as close as the day of departure.
As to #3, the general rule is that there will be no change fee if the originating city and the destination city remain the same, even if the connections change or even if the dates change. If you have J and F comes open on another flight, you will normally not be charged a change fee to move to that fight (and the F seat), but you will be docked the additional miles for the upgrade (and sometimes any additional taxes).
I can't help you on the other questions, but perhaps someone else will chime in.
As to #2, that is the preferred solution if you cannot book F. As is mentioned in a number of the posts, CX tends to release seats periodically, either because F seats are not being sold, or because someone who held that seat has changed flights (see comment to #3 below) and released the seat back into available inventory. Many folks have reported great success in capturing an F seat as close as the day of departure.
As to #3, the general rule is that there will be no change fee if the originating city and the destination city remain the same, even if the connections change or even if the dates change. If you have J and F comes open on another flight, you will normally not be charged a change fee to move to that fight (and the F seat), but you will be docked the additional miles for the upgrade (and sometimes any additional taxes).
I can't help you on the other questions, but perhaps someone else will chime in.
Jan 2, 2015, 10:03 pm
#50
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12
O/D JFK-HKG availability in F is very limited. It's often better to a point beyond, like KUL or PEK, if you can possibly add another city to your trip. If you can find a o/w to HKG in F, and a return in Y, you may want to book it, because there's a good chance an F or J seat will open up close in. AA allows you to upgrade a booking with the same O and D if space opens up without a fee, so its a chance you may want to take.
My wife and I have a RT to BKK next month in F, departing JFK and. returning ORD I booked the outbound and return flights separately, looking for available flights using the BA website and then calling AA exactly 330 days out.
JFK is probably the most difficulty city to get F awards out of. You'll probably have better luck with ORD or BOS.
Jan 2, 2015, 10:39 pm
#51
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171
As this is regarding using AA miles to redeem, I am moving the thread to the AA forum.
cxfan1960
CX CoMod
cxfan1960
CX CoMod
Jan 2, 2015, 11:18 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,171
Just booked my pair of biz seats NYC-HKG-NYC for next T-giving...readily available right at 331 days as always ^
55K such a deal too (for now) vs. the 80K UA would charge for a partner, if you can even find availability.
55K such a deal too (for now) vs. the 80K UA would charge for a partner, if you can even find availability.
Jan 3, 2015, 8:45 am
#53
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
For a booking for anytime in 2015, I wouldn't worry about that at all. And, historically, the policy (ability to give extra miles to get to higher class of service on an award) has survived any increase in levels regardless
Jan 3, 2015, 10:38 am
#54
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: White Plains, NY
Posts: 114
Changed my return date for MNL-HKG-JFK J award in January. Agent had to put me in hold to check if she can do the change considering its MNL origin (see this thread). When she came back on the line, she said she could. I guess it's because the return is on the same record locator as the original outbound flight?
I thought I was safe from the MNL-origin (re)ticketing since I was able to easily change my original J travel date. But apparently since I was changing from J to F, I will have to do the MNL-origin ticketing processing at the local office. I'm still on hold with AA at the moment while they're getting me the info on the local office. I know there's a thread on this very issue
Jan 3, 2015, 11:45 am
#55
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 10
A dream come true (almost)
It's now a little less than a year from departure, and I've managed to snag r/t award tickets for two YVR-SYD on Cathay (YVR-HKG-SYD and the reverse). All legs but HKG-SYD are in business class.
I check almost daily (obsessively??) but so far am stuck with economy HKG-SYD. Adding a one-day stopover in HKG, I can get business class HKG-MEL on Cathay and then MEL-SYD on Qantas.
I'd rather go direct on Cathay HKG-SYD, but for the sake of flying business class could live with going through MEL on Qantas. Should I wait it out and hope to switch to Cathay business class HKG-SYD, or take the Cathay/Qantas business class seats now?
I'm booking with AA miles. AA's phone rep didn't charge a booking fee, by the way, and in fact never mentioned it. Thanks to all here for the wonderful help and advice.
I check almost daily (obsessively??) but so far am stuck with economy HKG-SYD. Adding a one-day stopover in HKG, I can get business class HKG-MEL on Cathay and then MEL-SYD on Qantas.
I'd rather go direct on Cathay HKG-SYD, but for the sake of flying business class could live with going through MEL on Qantas. Should I wait it out and hope to switch to Cathay business class HKG-SYD, or take the Cathay/Qantas business class seats now?
I'm booking with AA miles. AA's phone rep didn't charge a booking fee, by the way, and in fact never mentioned it. Thanks to all here for the wonderful help and advice.
Jan 3, 2015, 12:45 pm
#56
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NYC/PHL/HKG
Posts: 210
Congratulations! You're in for a treat.
CX almost always release unsold seats as award space close to departure (though I'm not familiar with the HKD-SYD route) and AA doesn't charge you $ to "upgrade" (just the miles) as long as the origin/destination stays the same. BUT...for your peace of mind, switching to QF might not be a bad idea.
*this is probably best asked in the AA forum
CX almost always release unsold seats as award space close to departure (though I'm not familiar with the HKD-SYD route) and AA doesn't charge you $ to "upgrade" (just the miles) as long as the origin/destination stays the same. BUT...for your peace of mind, switching to QF might not be a bad idea.
*this is probably best asked in the AA forum
Jan 3, 2015, 2:03 pm
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Planning in advance really helps, as do alternative routings. For example, if you are on an AA award ticket, you can fly JFK-LAX in AA's transcon F and then LAX-HKG in CX F. Of course...it's not like AA's transcon product releases tons of award space, but it's an option.
I'm not sure adding an extra city matters if it's an award ticket, since CX's US routes all go through HKG...? But rgdave is absolutely right, AA doesn't charge for an upgrade on an award ticket as long as it's the same O/D, so it doesn't hurt to ticket it now (spaces do really open up close to departure). Just keep in mind the EWR route doesn't have F.
I'm not sure adding an extra city matters if it's an award ticket, since CX's US routes all go through HKG...? But rgdave is absolutely right, AA doesn't charge for an upgrade on an award ticket as long as it's the same O/D, so it doesn't hurt to ticket it now (spaces do really open up close to departure). Just keep in mind the EWR route doesn't have F.
A little trick people figure out when searching for award seats, also can be a source of frustration from another angle.
Jan 3, 2015, 3:10 pm
#59
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NYC/PHL/HKG
Posts: 210
Married segment practice - this is to prevent all the awards being snatched up for JFK-HKG travelers leaving nothing for those need to go BEYOND HKG. A very common practice on virtually all airlines. QF for example, could have nothing available for LAX-SYD, but has availability for JFK-LAX-SYD when LAX-SYD is on the same flight.
A little trick people figure out when searching for award seats, also can be a source of frustration from another angle.
A little trick people figure out when searching for award seats, also can be a source of frustration from another angle.
Jan 3, 2015, 3:54 pm
#60
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Just personal preference and the ability to search on mobile. The JAL site is more accurate in looking up married segment availability and has no problems displaying ZRH/BOS, but I find it more finicky when entering airport codes, having to enter a dummy return date and not being able to see options say, on JL/MH/QF simultaneously.