ARCHIVE: AA Awards on Cathay Pacific (2016)
Nov 11, 2016, 7:06 am
#2281
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
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...
And the answer to your question depends on what the cabin is currently booked to. So, what's it booked to?
Nov 11, 2016, 12:58 pm
#2282
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,237
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.
No idea on HKG-JFK because we prefer LAX so I do not follow the JFK availability.
I do have a nagging worry about finding last-minute availability to get us in the same cabin though...
Nov 11, 2016, 1:02 pm
#2283
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,237
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.
Nov 11, 2016, 2:38 pm
#2284
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
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
2A rocks.
Jamie
Nov 11, 2016, 2:44 pm
#2285
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
I'd add that there seems to be tons (relatively) of single F availability looking out in mid-2016, on most/all N.A. routes. When did the deval go into effect exactly? I assume this is more than 12 months past that, so it's all stuff that has to get booked at the higher rates. Finding *something* for two pax involved a little legwork, but I've come up with 1F/1J in one direction, and 2F on different flights the same day on the return. It wasn't all that difficult.
I do have a nagging worry about finding last-minute availability to get us in the same cabin though...
I do have a nagging worry about finding last-minute availability to get us in the same cabin though...
We are talking about 2F on the same flight - not 1F 1J on same flight - plenty or 1F 1F on 2 flights, not as plenty but not scarce either if flexible enough. I would challenge anyone who could find 2F on same flight. It is impossible now but possible in the not too distant past.
Nov 11, 2016, 2:46 pm
#2286
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Never have such luck on our 20+ TPAC in the past few years. The least occupancy we ever had was 3. Far more often than not, it was full cabin. May be our traveling time has something to do with it. No idea.
Nov 11, 2016, 3:32 pm
#2287
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
Nov 11, 2016, 4:56 pm
#2288
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,237
Deval was Mar 22 2016. So not quite runs out the course yet.
We are talking about 2F on the same flight - not 1F 1J on same flight - plenty or 1F 1F on 2 flights, not as plenty but not scarce either if flexible enough. I would challenge anyone who could find 2F on same flight. It is impossible now but possible in the not too distant past.
We are talking about 2F on the same flight - not 1F 1J on same flight - plenty or 1F 1F on 2 flights, not as plenty but not scarce either if flexible enough. I would challenge anyone who could find 2F on same flight. It is impossible now but possible in the not too distant past.
I don't disagree on 2F. We got it on LAX-HKG (and vv) for Aug '15 travel, booked about 8 months in advance, maybe someone had cancelled and we got lucky. (We had to split the JFK-LAX segments but ultimately managed to get those together). But yeah, nothing now for 2F, though I'm not looking 11 months out.
Nov 11, 2016, 4:59 pm
#2289
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,237
Agree, but hard to plan for. When it was just my family up front, we took 1A, 2A, 1K, 2K for eating, but had them make up 1G and 2G as beds for the grownups. It was pure luxury, as you might imagine. Plane landed in HKG completely devoid of caviar, ice cream, and Krug
Our last 2 trips were booked 4 and 5 (well it was 6 but one guy got kicked off by the captain for being a jerk...). On the 4/6 flight, they didn't offer to make the D seats up as beds, oh well, everything else was great!
Nov 11, 2016, 5:13 pm
#2290
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Well, I was explicitly responding to a post about how finding 1F seems quite a bit easier than in the past (and yes, I'm looking after 3/22/16), I even quoted it.
I don't disagree on 2F. We got it on LAX-HKG (and vv) for Aug '15 travel, booked about 8 months in advance, maybe someone had cancelled and we got lucky. (We had to split the JFK-LAX segments but ultimately managed to get those together). But yeah, nothing now for 2F, though I'm not looking 11 months out.
I don't disagree on 2F. We got it on LAX-HKG (and vv) for Aug '15 travel, booked about 8 months in advance, maybe someone had cancelled and we got lucky. (We had to split the JFK-LAX segments but ultimately managed to get those together). But yeah, nothing now for 2F, though I'm not looking 11 months out.
Nov 11, 2016, 5:56 pm
#2291
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I am curious how people are seeing availability at the 300+ day booking window for AA miles. I have a periodic search I run and it seems as if YVR-HKG (preferred route) still releases quite regularly five business awards at the initial booking window (as verified on BA award search). How are people finding availability after the approximately 30 days pass before we can book with AAdvantage miles? Even with the devaluation I would find these to be a decent value for getting all five of us over to Asia together.
Nov 11, 2016, 6:03 pm
#2292
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I currently have three of us booked on this flight in business on January 3. There is an outside chance that I will be purchasing cheap business class tickets Ex-Asia instead and using those.
I'll PM you if i do that, but i wont know for a month or so. And its not a given the awards will return to inventory.
I'll PM you if i do that, but i wont know for a month or so. And its not a given the awards will return to inventory.
I'm trying to book 2 seats on CX J HKG-ORD on January 2 or January 3. Does anyone have an idea of my chances of finding availability for those dates?
I realize that CX generally releases award availability at the last minute, but since the date is so close to New Year's I'm afraid the flights will be full. Has anyone managed to get CX J awards around New Year's in the past?
I realize that CX generally releases award availability at the last minute, but since the date is so close to New Year's I'm afraid the flights will be full. Has anyone managed to get CX J awards around New Year's in the past?
Nov 11, 2016, 6:23 pm
#2293
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
I'm trying to book 2 seats on CX J HKG-ORD on January 2 or January 3. Does anyone have an idea of my chances of finding availability for those dates?
I realize that CX generally releases award availability at the last minute, but since the date is so close to New Year's I'm afraid the flights will be full. Has anyone managed to get CX J awards around New Year's in the past?
I realize that CX generally releases award availability at the last minute, but since the date is so close to New Year's I'm afraid the flights will be full. Has anyone managed to get CX J awards around New Year's in the past?
A ton of my friends have been on the waitlist with CX with no avail at all.
Nov 11, 2016, 10:35 pm
#2294
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
I am curious how people are seeing availability at the 300+ day booking window for AA miles. I have a periodic search I run and it seems as if YVR-HKG (preferred route) still releases quite regularly five business awards at the initial booking window (as verified on BA award search). How are people finding availability after the approximately 30 days pass before we can book with AAdvantage miles? Even with the devaluation I would find these to be a decent value for getting all five of us over to Asia together.
LAX is the easiest out of all CX gateways, followed by JFK, and surprisingly, ORD. As we discussed here, right now you can find plenty of availability out of LAX only 9 to 10 months out - that is long pass the open window.
Have you looked at LAX availability? Sure you need to come down from YVR but that is not too hard to do. Trying to get 5 J seats out of YVR? Never see such inventory before. Not sure if the deval at 80K would deter redemption since UA costs the same on partner. Only AS has cheap chart but that might not last long.
Nov 12, 2016, 3:28 am
#2295
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I've gotten 5 seats out of YVR each year for last few years, so I'm looking at YVR specifically. I know about LAX inventory being better. But we dont really feel like flying SEA-LAX and then back up over SEA, YVR is much easier and shaves off a bunch of time.