jamienbaker

Having claimed close to 50 one-way CX awards between JFK and HKG, the majority in F, I've never snagged one more than 21 days out unless booking at the edge of the first window (so, 50 weeks in advance). I can't say impossible, but I will suggest unlikely.

Happy

As the AA predeval bookings are used up, now it is much easier to find the 1F on the HKG-LAX-HKG route - there are quite a few still available for Jul/Aug travel now the booking window has opened for well over 2 months or more. The seats are still there.
No idea on HKG-JFK because we prefer LAX so I do not follow the JFK availability.

jamienbaker

Very helpful. FWIW, I didn't mean to gloat, just merely stressing I've been doing this for a while. We are doing our 7th Bali trip next summer, though flying JL on the way over to Japan, to start. I do miss when 2 F were routinely released, though I believe around 2014 that went away. Maybe earlier. Fretting the return as I'm concerned CX will do away with close-in saver awards...pitting me for a showdown with the Mrs as to who flies back in F (in the event we can't get a second seat).

Happy

Same here. It used to be 2F very easy to find. Now we resort to either on different flights a few hours apart or one in F one in J. Husband does not drink, does not like caviar, with the only requirement being a flat bed, so naturally he is in J. Sometimes I dont even bother to try to grab the last min release if we are already on the road such as the recent trip LAX-HKG-JNB-HKG-LAX with stopover at HKG both ways. Leaving home for LAX a day before and it was F2, no award seat AS could see. We left with 3 empty seats in F. FA told me it was F2 up to 24 hours before departure and then it changed to F3. I told ISM Mr. was in 11A and I would check on him in flight periodically and discretely. She said no problem and insisted to give him a PJ.

On the way back F was full, 4 seats were staff of one company on business trip, 3 men and a woman. The guy in 2A stood by my 1A and chatted with the 1D incessantly before take off. Very annoying. I offered to switch seat but he turned it down. Had he continued doing that in flight I would complain to the FA but mercifully he ate and went to sleep. But this group still woke up early and make me and one other passenger in 1K woke up involuntarily. Husband on the other hand, had a nice and quiet time in his 11A. So not always peachy in F!

Coming up in Feb, we are on 882 and 884, a few hours apart HKG-LAX for our 1F respectively. If an extra F opens up on either flight, we could switch. If not, we go to LAX hotel separately.

PS
ORD seems to be very light load these days. Amazing availability. It used to be very hard so much so CX added a second daily flight but soon axed it. The load for whatever reason, just dropped a lot. I cannot figure out what is behind it - is it some mainland Chinese airlines also compete on the ORD route?

FT-hss

Thanks! If anyone comes across a 1F on Jan 6/7/8 out of LAX/SFO please PM me Other hubs are ok but would be difficult to connect from PHX. I have been looking daily but no luck.

iadisgreat

You can also link your booking to TripCase using the AA record locator - that will show you all eTickets along with the CX record locator in the Documents section of the linked trip.

cesco.g

Which sites are you using to look up availability - long/medium/short term?

aimzywynn

hi - i was wondering if someone could help me. i'm looking to redeem a tix from hkg to boston for christmas - i know a longshot. does anyone know if there is usually inventory right before christmas (close-in) and return after new year? is this a complete long shot or is it a possibility?

G-CIVC

Usually it gets hard starting like Dec 31 ish so its hard AFTER christmas, but during christmas it should be okay...

If you are redeeming J or F, the seat map is a good indication of how many seats taken. Normally if more than 30, then they won't release until very late. More than 45 probably not going to release.

jamienbaker

I like how you roll. In my case, my kids don't drink and they don't like caviar, so I don't fret about getting them up in F...though if I easily can, I do (more caviar for me!).

Generally, I book wife in F, self in J, kids in J, at the edge of the window. They, I upgrade one of the kids to F but I take their seat. I do this because I want an Emerald to be part of the J reservation so as to access row 11. In the event we are split cabins, my wife and I look in on the kids from time to time, though they love being left alone and just enjoying the experience.

So, hoping for that second F seat next August!

Jamie

ArthurSFO11

Thanks for the helpful tip!

Jamie, thanks also for confirming that it's not worth the time to keep checking back. As much as I've read plenty of times that awards are only available 50 weeks in advance or a couple of weeks before the flight, it's stressful to keep checking and getting no availability!!

jamienbaker

I run awardnexus between the typical availability windows. I've gotten some short haul awards that way and MAY have gotten a long haul F award at a random time. But that may have been ex-LHR. I don't remember. Good luck with your search, consider awardnexus.

Happy

Being lowly Golds, I have to call CX to get row 11 or 2A for that matter. On the recent flight I totally forgot to call after getting 1A back in Dec 2015. So I was "stuck" in 1A - I found 1A could be disturbed by the fasten seat bell light and the bathroom availability light when in bed position. I had to wear eye mask to go to sleep. Same lights would be blocked by 1A's seat back for the person in 2A.
This time once I booked the 2017 Sept trip I called to get 2A for us as well as to change 1A to 2A for the upcoming Feb trip, both are HKG-LAX on 4 flights. Luckily only needed to wait 10 min before an agent in Vancouver picked up the phone at around 10:30 am PST. I believe CX only has Vancouver call center now handles all calls in North America.

jamienbaker

I've never understood why 1A is coveted. In addition to your observations, it also means there's twice as much foot traffic as each time somebody in 2A wants something, 1A is passed. This makes 2A the best seat in the plane. True, FAs tend to favour the left aisle when passing between F and J, but that's still less foot traffic than having the cluster of four pax sharing the right aisle.

2A rocks.

Jamie

Mikecali02

About 14 days out what is the probability of releasing another F seat of they just released one at the 2 week mark?... we have 2 seats in Biz but don't really want to be separated.... trying to determine I should grab the F seat and hope or wait... (availability shown X1 on BA/QF sites)... many thx...