gilcresr

Thanks - I'll definitely check out JL and see if it matches what BA is showing me.

geniza151

BA is showing you availability on the first segment but applying it to all - so when it says 4 seats from BKK to BOS, it really means 4 seats from BKK-HKG and at least 1 seat from HKG-BOS.

You need to check each individual segments.

gilcresr

That makes sense in theory, but CX doesn't fly a 3-cabin plane from BKK to HKG (at least that I'm aware of).

The search results on BA.com of BKK to BOS turn up 4 first class seats available and 0 Business class seats available, yet there is no first class on the A333.

Nevertheless, I agree that searching individual segments seems to give the most reliable results (that AA agents can see)

flyaxa

Searching BA.com HKG-BKK in November I see at least one flight a day (11/8, 11/9, 11/10 for example) with First, Business and Prem Economy. Perhaps the 77H? I only know as I've been looking at these over the past week.

Gunner14

They absolutely do.

percysmith

Well if F that will be a 4 class plane...I think for your dates (11/8-10) you're looking at the CX751 or CX701?

But so many equipment swaps happen on HKG-BKK it's virtually more than less likely you'll lose your F seat - I had three of four bookings equipment swapped for next month's Chinese New Year hols.

flyaxa

I think the advantage of booking the BKK-HKG segment in F now is to preserve the 67.5K redemption rate if no F is currently available HKG-ORD.

Book BKK-HKG in F, take a voluntary downgrade to J on the HKG-BKK segment for 67.5K now and then if F on the HKG-ORD opens closer in (post March devaluation) you should be able to uprgrade without cost. I wouldn't mind if the BKK-HKG flight had an equipment change which eliminated F, if I could get the trans-Pac flight in F for 67.5K.

Now there is a possibility of an equipment change and nothing on HKG-ORD opens in F, in which case you're J all the way and "lose" the 12.5K gamble. However, the consolation prize is you should still get F Lounge access, I believe.

I wanted to do this on a BOS-HKG-HAN trip but there is no F to HAN.

jamienbaker

Exactly how I did it (travel is in May), and AA assures me if F opens on my JFKHKG there will be no additional mileage collection. They even put notes in my PNR.

Nonetheless, I'm skeptical and tend to plan for the worst, so I ticketed an October itinerary where F was available, meaning I can merely change the date of travel if Plan A somehow fails. I'll leave it up to you if this strategy appeals to you.

stephem

I've been thinking about this too, my concern is that I need to get at a minimum seats in J on the dates we want to actually travel, and with 5 of us, I don't have the million plus miles needed to book both a set in J and a set in F to "flip" out to the date when F gradually opens.

I am currently in the process of figuring out whether to do:
(1) JL on SFO-HND (where I can get 2 F out of the gate and often see as many as 4 F in the days approaching departure) and then routing through HKG to get a CX leg in F for the other 3 bookings that would have J for TransPac or
(2) book CX (1 or 2 TPacs in F, rest in J) and do the BKK trick

Our final destination is SGN, so whether it is SFO-HND-HKG-SGN or SFO/LAX-HKG-BKK-SGN I have to put in an extra intra Asia segment to pull this off. Also possible we could settle for SFO-HND (and getting as many of those into F as possible) and just bite the bullet and do NRT-SGN in the angle flat seats JL has in the 788 on that route. One way or the other, I have to decide, the booking window will open soon...

jamienbaker

Tough call, I'd probably lean towards #2 given the success I've had with last minute CX bookings. Plus, SFOHND is too short of a ride, imo. Either way, will be curious to see what you work out. Best, Jamie

britishcanuck

There is another way to do it. I want to go to Hanoi, preferably something like DFW-LAX-HKG-HAN with LAX-HKG on CX F. I booked DFW-NRT-HKG-HAN with DFW-NRT being on AA F. Switched to DFW-ORD-HKG-HAN with ORD-HKG in CX J and said I wanted to voluntarily downgrade. Kept the F saver ticket.

ahchiu

I know that one of the strategies in booking Cathay using AA miles is to first book J, and then to look for F to open up in the days approaching, and upgrade with a few more AA miles.

Can the same strategy apply to booking Cathay using Avios? Book J, and if F opens up in the days leading up to departure, pay with Avios to upgrade?

Yeah, I know, who would use Avios to book CX F? I am trying to also bring along an infant, and BA seems to have one of the more infant-friendly policies.

jamienbaker

I've done it. But be careful, one of the times I did it BA dropped by onward segment to DPS and it was virtually impossible to get it back.

G-CIVC

Yes you can. You can't do it online - you have to call BA. There is also a 55 USD change fee every time you change it.

linglingfool

I will be booking a couple F seats SGN-NRT-ORD for January 2017, so I've been doing a bit of research, and from what I can tell, JL recently switched the equipment on SGN-NRT from angle-flat to lie-flat.