Happy

True as one has to deplane and wait an hour or more in a very sterile waiting area with very bright fluorescent light. Did it once and never would do it again.

Happy

But in this case, it is essentially 2 awards - 2 one-ways booked on single ticket - and that may make the difference on how the miles can be pulled from different accounts and still on same PNR.

What if it is only a one-way booking, 2 travellers but need to pull from 2 accounts? That might be different than yours.

JonNYC

Yeah, that stop is BRUTAL. Plus they take all your bedding away, etc. I'll take in stride the stop on the JFK-YVR-HKG -if- needed (certainly do not prefer it,) at least you can stay on the plane. But I'd personally never do the HKG-YVR-JFK again, it's a week-ruiner IMO. I'd sooner hop off at YVR and go to Tofino for a few days or whatever.

tsz

+1 to that. The chaotic holding area is awful.

I've always been the only one that's making the stop—I get that paying travelers wouldn't want to make the stop.

From my experience award space on that route can be volatile though. From F5 to F0 in 2 days and then 2 award seats pop up, even ~180 days out.

ralphs

If it makes you feel any better, I'm trying to use AsiaMiles (CX currency) to book a segment on AA as part of a OneWorld itinerary and the availability sucks for my desired dates too. It's not just an AA->CX one-way problem!

sempervivum

Lately, and by lately I mean for the past 3-4 days, the CX inventory was loading to AA after 7AM EST. I managed to get 1J and 1F on a JFK-HKG by calling around then. And by the end of the day, most routes have no more spots.

Globehopper

Once upon a time one could roam around the terminal, or at least along that pier to take a stroll, see the artwork in the terminal. Now just a bleak waiting area with harsh lighting. And if you're in Y, you stand in a long queue to go through gateside security. Fortunately those in F go through security first.

Too bad CX doesn't fit out the gate to be more akin to an airline lounge (probably not justified with 1 flight per day) or roll in festive mobile drink and snack carts or ice cream/frozen yogurt carts and newspaper carts--though they do lay out some cello wrapped sandwiches and bottle water across portable tables (which is more than most US airlines would do).

dkerr

There is no need to separate into individual PNRs. This can be important if you are traveling in economy and one person is elite and other is not... Ability to reserve preferred seats, additional baggage allowance, etc. If in J or F then less important. If you are in economy and do wish to separate the PNRs then at a minimum assign your seats first!

DAK

gofarhaveacigar

All this talk of CX888 flight is making me nervous. We have J booked as a return flight for HAN-HKG-JFK-DCA (JFK-DCA flight not booked yet due to no sAAver availability, may end up having to drive). we decided on the HKG-YVR-JFK flight since it saved us getting a hotel in HKG and would get into JFK early enough that it would give us all day to get home and get settled in before going to work the following day (Thursday), but you guys are making that connection sound brutal.

Ayase

If I find a different flight available for my trip (same route, but different time only) next week, do I have to pay the 75 close-in ticket fee?

I already had to pay once when I get the original ticket, if that matters.

stephem

It's not that bad in my opinion, actually to me the short onward flight to JFK is the painful part! But you have CX J on hold, beggars cannot be choosers!

alien

Wow. Early 70's long weekends driving up to Long Beach from UVic are indelibly etched in my happy place.

TomCayman

Just now I secured the second of two F seats close in for my wife and I on a JFK-HKG (non stop) flight.

Sequence went like this:
-booked one way PE tickets (paid, through AA) some time ago
- 7 days out CX released two business class seats. Called and booked them
-4 days out I saw one F award seat when I woke up (after 6amEST)
-2.5 days out another F seat released.

Now, this one looked to be the most empty of the daily flights from JFK that day so we may have just got lucky. Still, happy to have leveraged all the frequent flier geekery for 67500 miles per seat.

Also did similar for Etihad on this same major trip. Making for both a special trip and one that will feel a lot more energetic with rest in comfort on the flights !

Some additional notes :
- When booking paid tickets first, paid $50 cancellation penalty on one way W (PE) fare, and will wait the usual lengthy period to get the credit voucher, then have to use airport ticket office for ticketing to use up the credits. Felt it was the way to go to ensure we had travel confirmed, as this is part of an 11 airport, 15 day itinerary
- I am AA EXPLT, so make a difference on award ticketing fees etc
- not quoting flight number right now, as still yet to travel

JonNYC

I can easily see why!

sempervivum

What CX flight number?