IWontRegretThis

Have booked so far FRA>HKG and HKG>HND in CX F, was pretty easy. Had to wait a few days to snag the HKG>HND. Now just to hope that JL002 HND>SFO opens a F seat and Ill be all set.

hiima

I booked 2 J hkg-lax a month out. It's a bit of a pain trying to book 2 F seats. If I book one and there are no more available seats, I'm leaving my companion in the middle of the bus, so I might have to just start with J seats, unless 2 F seats open up together.

friedablass

I would suggest that as soon as 1 F becomes available grab it, and then keep your fingers crossed that a second one will be released to awards as well for you to grab. Yes, it's nerve wracking to think that maybe you'll end up sitting separately but this is usually the only way you will both get into F. Lately, I very rarely see 2 F seats become available together, although others may have different experiences, but this is what I'm seeing on US routes.

Edit: Actually, I just checked BA for the kicks of it for JFK-HKG for tomorrow and there are TWO flights showing THREE F seats each. Unless it is showing phantom award availability this is something I personally haven't seen in the past - I've seen two here and there, one more often then that, but three?! So, if you are willing to wait this close, i.e. the night before you go, you may get lucky.

washeelers747

62.5k based on agent's remark, and it's under 24 hour connection. I am new to AA but IIRC, AA shouldn't charge separate award if it's under 24 hours?

AA still haven't ticket one CX J trip in Feb 2016, and CX F trip in March 2016, sigh.

dkerr

The issue is that Japan is Asia 1 and HK is Asia 2. Award routing rules say that you cannot transit a third region unless there is a specific exception. So travel from Asia 1 to North America is not permitted via Asia 2 (though travel from Asia 2 to North America via Asia 1 is permitted). Hence JohnNYC's comment that two awards will be required. That it is under 24 hours connection makes no difference.

DAK

JonNYC

As explained above, definitely 2 awards.

These are the allowable exceptions: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54131097@N07/14363216185/

So, you -could- connect in Tokyo on the way to/from HKG but you -cannot- connect in HKG on the way to/from Tokyo (from N.America) on a single award.

washeelers747

Ah thanks for award chart. Def overlook this one. Gotta take some time to get used to AA award chart which is wholly different than UA

Anyways, I'll remove Tokyo to HKG and figure out something later if AA charge me seperate ticket. However they haven't ticket mine for three days.. It's unusual.. I can call EXP agent tonight but thought liaison would able to finalize my tickets either today or yesterday? Thanks.

JIMCHI

Yes, you better call AA. This is taking unusually long to ticket.

nwflyboy

I'm still somewhat new to AA and just now trying to understand how CX awards work, so please be gentle…

I'm thinking about that Holy Grail of award flights: from USA to New Zealand - and in a nice quality business class seat, no less. Yeah, I know, getting to NZ is always, um, let's say "challenging". But a cursory look at CX's route map shows they fly there. And according to AA's OneWorld award chart, a flight from the contiguous US 48 states to the "South Pacific" region is 62,500 miles one way - which sounds pretty good.

So CX goes LAX-HKG - check. And CX also goes HKG-AKL - check. Well, that sounds like a nice way to spend about a day and a half.

I'm sure the fly in the ointment here (well, the first fly) is availability. I get it that CX award availability is constrained. I understand about the booking windows (space first released to others, then to AA after everyone else has had crack at it). From what I've read, it is not unheard of to find some J space on CX between LAX (and other US destinations) and HKG. Not necessarily easy, but not "fat chance" impossible. I got that.

I've seen no references to CX HKG-AKL. Maybe that's because it's impossible to snag - is it? Or maybe it's because it's just not allowed via the routing rules.

Is it possible to book USA (LAX, SFO, etc.) to AKL via HKG on CX as a single award? Thank you for helping to educate me.

JonNYC

HKG-AKL not all that hard (comparatively speaking) to get award business on CX.

However, it will be 2 AAdv awards each way to do so from N.America

nwflyboy

Hmmm. Intergesting.

So, am I figuring this correctly?

US-HKG (USA to Asia2): 55,000 each, one-way in business
HKG-AKL (Asia2 to South Pacific) 35,000 each, one-way in business
total for (say) LAX-HKG-AKL would be 90,000 pp ow (plus fees for both legs, of course). Just normal fees, no YQ charged for AA redemptions on CX.
180K per person round-trip…yeah, that's a lotta miles, but it's a long way to NZ, and CX would be a nice way to get there.

Am I figuring that about right? No other gotchas (other than availability)?

Thanks!

hiima

Pretty much.

ijgordon

Qantas via Australia would only be one award (I think they stopped LAX-AKL a while ago) but a lot more difficult to procure.

bmchris

Not in Economy. Business and First are fine if you have a lot of flexibility.

DaveInLA

If you have UA miles, Air NZ has LAX-AKL direct.