Nov 19, 2014, 9:27 am
Last edit by: Prospero
Awards: All Cathay Pacific / CX (Including First and Business Class)
Questions, Availability, Discussion
NOTE: Multiple reports starting in June 2021 that CX is allowing only a 24 hour hold and could cancel reservations not being ticketed beyond 24 hours.
Please feel free to use this thread for questions regarding CX Economy, Premium Economy, First and Business Class award redemption using AAdvantage miles, as well as questions regarding award availability, routings and related issues. Please go to the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Forum to discuss or ask about meals, equipment, service, etc. on CX, as there is an existing wealth of information there - and this is the American Airlines AAdvantage Forum
.
AA Flight award chart for oneworld® and partner airlines
Other related threads that may be of interest:
FT Discrepancy between CX Award Search and AA availability: Discrepancy between QF and CX award search and AA availability
FT How , When to Select CX Seats on CX Award: How / when to select seat on a Cathay (CX) award / flight (consolidated)
FT Cathay Pacific Experience - Seats / Interline/ Baggage FAQs: Cathay Pacific Experience / Seats / Interline / Baggage FAQs
Also, for Rules about awards, see AA oneworld and Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (2015 on).
Expert Advice:
Only "MileSAAver" awards apply to oneworld and AA partners.
Premium Economy seats are not available with AAdvantage awards, may be soon as AA sells Premium Economy Feb 2017.
Be aware that what you see on the BA, JL, or QF sites may not be visible to the AA reservations folks. You may want to note the flight on which the F award seat is shown as "available" on those sites and if the AA agent doesn't see any availability suggest that the AA agent check that specific one again. If the AA agent still cannot see it, thank them, hang up, and call back a little later.
Sometimes CX will make flights available for award booking to CX frequent flyers, but not release the seats immediately for other oneworld frequent flyers. Usually though, the seats, if not taken by CX frequent flyers, are released after a while to other OW programs.
Although CX may release seats for award earlier, AA can book them no more than 331 days prior to departure. The awards that CX does release are available as early as 355 days prior to departure for CX and BA frequent fliers, and sometimes that means the awards you want w AA miles will be snatched up prior to the 331 day mark.
*** AA does not have a set schedule to load flights. They can load it anytime after midnight 331 days out. Most of the time it is within a couple to 12 hours of that. Other times, it can be a full day or a day and a half afterwards, especially on the weekends where there's most variability. Unlike JL award space, it is not a specific time of day.
4Keep in mind that when booking eastbound space to North America that it's one day later in HKG so that space usually becomes available 330 days in advance to North America; this is not always true, since CX has already loaded the availability a month prior to AA - it is just up to AA to load and release the seats on SABRE, so it typically ends up being 330 days out, but not necessarily.
Similarly... if you are trying to book westbound, US->HKG->Somewhere then AA may not be able to book the HKG->Somewhere segment 331 days in advance of the US->HKG flight, if it is still 332 days out in HKG. As it is the flights from US->HKG that are hardest to get, if you find a seat US->HKG at the 331 day mark when it is first available for booking through AA but cannot book the continuation, you can just put that US->HKG segment on hold with AA, then call back the next day when connecting flights will be loaded into the system to try to book the onward flight from HKG.
AA does not charge "YQ" surcharges [what they sometimes call "fuel surcharge"] on CX award segments (BA Avios does), thus the taxes and fees on your "free" ticket on CX or KA are almost always significantly less than for the same routing on BA.
There is a Hong Kong Departure Tax (HK) of $120 HKD (approx $15.50 USD) on every segment departing Hong Kong. Exemptions apply. If your ticket includes this tax and you qualify for an exemption, a refund can be applied for either in person at HKIA landside or via post to Civil Aviation Department. AA charges this tax for children under 12 years of age despite the exemption. In order to obtain a cash refund at HKIA, you will need passenger passport, passenger boarding pass, passenger ticket receipt showing the fare calculation line which will show the HK tax being charged. This receipt can be obtained at any AA counter worldwide including HKIA as well as Airport Express in-town check-in (AA check-in). As the AA counter at HKIA operates only during limited hours, Airport Express in-town check-in would be the the convenient option.
Not all CX flights offer First class; CX Business is markedly different on long haul and regionally configured aircraft.
If you're looking for multiple seats in First on a particular flight but can find only some but not all that you're looking for, take what's available in F, then take the rest of the seats you want on J (if available) on the same flight, and check back periodically to see if an F seat has opened up for award. There is no additional charge (in money, although there will be in miles) to change to an award to a higher cabin of service (e.g., J to F, Y to F, Y to J) as long as the award keeps the same origin/destination airports.
Be aware your award must conform to some rules on a) MPM (Maximum Permitted Mileage - your award routing can not exceed 125% of the most direct routing available); a useful tool is Great Circle Mapper.
The Most Significant Carrier (transpacific usually, CX in most of these posts,) must offer a non-"constructed" fare between your origin and destination (you might find an unconstructed fare between DFW and SIN, but might not from Killeen to SIN).
If you can't pick your CX seats online, either due to them being blocked or you just want to call, you need to first get the CX PNR from AAdvantage at 1-800-882-8880. Then call CX at 1-800-233-2742. Some seats that are blocked on CX website are assignable via AA reservations. Close to departure AA can even assign 2A, 2K.
Note: if the Cathay Manage booking tool doesn't appear to recognize your CX PNR, you need to enter your first name AND middle name, separated by a space, in the "First Name" field.
AAward bookings containing CX flights that are put on hold will be restricted to only 24hrs, not the usual 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the patterns for west coast routes?
Because LAX has 4 daily flights to HKG, it tends to be the easiest option for blocks of 3 or more J award seats. SFO and YVR only have 2 daily flights and even if 5 award seats were initially released at 355 days prior to departure, some of those may be gone by the time the 331 day mark rolls around. If you need 4 or 5 J award seats on these west coast routes, either use Avios to book at 355 days or consider routing through LAX where there may still be availability at 331 days out.
Can I visit my companion in First Class if I'm in Business Class?
"Up-cabin visits" are not permitted per CX policy, though have been granted under special circumstances. But putting crew in the awkward position of being asked to violate policy is generally frowned upon. Down-cabin visits are permitted ex-USA. However, on flights to the USA, down-cabin visits are not permitted and this rule is vigorously enforced.
Posts made in 2017 may be read in ARCHIVE: 2017 AA Awards in Cathay Pacific / CX, KA...
Posts made in 2016 may be read in ARCHIVE: AA Awards on Cathay Pacific (2016).
Posts made in 2015 may be read in ARCHIVE: AA Awards on Cathay Pacific (2015).
Posts made in 2014 may be read in ARCHIVE: Awards: CX / Cathay Pacific / (inc. F and J) - 2014.
N.B. Older posts have been moved and archived to: Cathay Pacific / CX (inc. First and Business Class) award - ARCHIVED.
Questions, Availability, Discussion
NOTE: Multiple reports starting in June 2021 that CX is allowing only a 24 hour hold and could cancel reservations not being ticketed beyond 24 hours.
Please feel free to use this thread for questions regarding CX Economy, Premium Economy, First and Business Class award redemption using AAdvantage miles, as well as questions regarding award availability, routings and related issues. Please go to the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Forum to discuss or ask about meals, equipment, service, etc. on CX, as there is an existing wealth of information there - and this is the American Airlines AAdvantage Forum
.AA Flight award chart for oneworld® and partner airlines
Other related threads that may be of interest:
FT Discrepancy between CX Award Search and AA availability: Discrepancy between QF and CX award search and AA availability
FT How , When to Select CX Seats on CX Award: How / when to select seat on a Cathay (CX) award / flight (consolidated)
FT Cathay Pacific Experience - Seats / Interline/ Baggage FAQs: Cathay Pacific Experience / Seats / Interline / Baggage FAQs
Also, for Rules about awards, see AA oneworld and Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (2015 on).
Expert Advice:
Only "MileSAAver" awards apply to oneworld and AA partners.
Premium Economy seats are not available with AAdvantage awards, may be soon as AA sells Premium Economy Feb 2017.
Be aware that what you see on the BA, JL, or QF sites may not be visible to the AA reservations folks. You may want to note the flight on which the F award seat is shown as "available" on those sites and if the AA agent doesn't see any availability suggest that the AA agent check that specific one again. If the AA agent still cannot see it, thank them, hang up, and call back a little later.
Sometimes CX will make flights available for award booking to CX frequent flyers, but not release the seats immediately for other oneworld frequent flyers. Usually though, the seats, if not taken by CX frequent flyers, are released after a while to other OW programs.
Although CX may release seats for award earlier, AA can book them no more than 331 days prior to departure. The awards that CX does release are available as early as 355 days prior to departure for CX and BA frequent fliers, and sometimes that means the awards you want w AA miles will be snatched up prior to the 331 day mark.
*** AA does not have a set schedule to load flights. They can load it anytime after midnight 331 days out. Most of the time it is within a couple to 12 hours of that. Other times, it can be a full day or a day and a half afterwards, especially on the weekends where there's most variability. Unlike JL award space, it is not a specific time of day.
4Keep in mind that when booking eastbound space to North America that it's one day later in HKG so that space usually becomes available 330 days in advance to North America; this is not always true, since CX has already loaded the availability a month prior to AA - it is just up to AA to load and release the seats on SABRE, so it typically ends up being 330 days out, but not necessarily.
Similarly... if you are trying to book westbound, US->HKG->Somewhere then AA may not be able to book the HKG->Somewhere segment 331 days in advance of the US->HKG flight, if it is still 332 days out in HKG. As it is the flights from US->HKG that are hardest to get, if you find a seat US->HKG at the 331 day mark when it is first available for booking through AA but cannot book the continuation, you can just put that US->HKG segment on hold with AA, then call back the next day when connecting flights will be loaded into the system to try to book the onward flight from HKG.
AA does not charge "YQ" surcharges [what they sometimes call "fuel surcharge"] on CX award segments (BA Avios does), thus the taxes and fees on your "free" ticket on CX or KA are almost always significantly less than for the same routing on BA.
There is a Hong Kong Departure Tax (HK) of $120 HKD (approx $15.50 USD) on every segment departing Hong Kong. Exemptions apply. If your ticket includes this tax and you qualify for an exemption, a refund can be applied for either in person at HKIA landside or via post to Civil Aviation Department. AA charges this tax for children under 12 years of age despite the exemption. In order to obtain a cash refund at HKIA, you will need passenger passport, passenger boarding pass, passenger ticket receipt showing the fare calculation line which will show the HK tax being charged. This receipt can be obtained at any AA counter worldwide including HKIA as well as Airport Express in-town check-in (AA check-in). As the AA counter at HKIA operates only during limited hours, Airport Express in-town check-in would be the the convenient option.
Not all CX flights offer First class; CX Business is markedly different on long haul and regionally configured aircraft.
If you're looking for multiple seats in First on a particular flight but can find only some but not all that you're looking for, take what's available in F, then take the rest of the seats you want on J (if available) on the same flight, and check back periodically to see if an F seat has opened up for award. There is no additional charge (in money, although there will be in miles) to change to an award to a higher cabin of service (e.g., J to F, Y to F, Y to J) as long as the award keeps the same origin/destination airports.
Be aware your award must conform to some rules on a) MPM (Maximum Permitted Mileage - your award routing can not exceed 125% of the most direct routing available); a useful tool is Great Circle Mapper.
The Most Significant Carrier (transpacific usually, CX in most of these posts,) must offer a non-"constructed" fare between your origin and destination (you might find an unconstructed fare between DFW and SIN, but might not from Killeen to SIN).
If you can't pick your CX seats online, either due to them being blocked or you just want to call, you need to first get the CX PNR from AAdvantage at 1-800-882-8880. Then call CX at 1-800-233-2742. Some seats that are blocked on CX website are assignable via AA reservations. Close to departure AA can even assign 2A, 2K.
Note: if the Cathay Manage booking tool doesn't appear to recognize your CX PNR, you need to enter your first name AND middle name, separated by a space, in the "First Name" field.
AAward bookings containing CX flights that are put on hold will be restricted to only 24hrs, not the usual 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the patterns for west coast routes?
Because LAX has 4 daily flights to HKG, it tends to be the easiest option for blocks of 3 or more J award seats. SFO and YVR only have 2 daily flights and even if 5 award seats were initially released at 355 days prior to departure, some of those may be gone by the time the 331 day mark rolls around. If you need 4 or 5 J award seats on these west coast routes, either use Avios to book at 355 days or consider routing through LAX where there may still be availability at 331 days out.
Can I visit my companion in First Class if I'm in Business Class?
"Up-cabin visits" are not permitted per CX policy, though have been granted under special circumstances. But putting crew in the awkward position of being asked to violate policy is generally frowned upon. Down-cabin visits are permitted ex-USA. However, on flights to the USA, down-cabin visits are not permitted and this rule is vigorously enforced.
Posts made in 2017 may be read in ARCHIVE: 2017 AA Awards in Cathay Pacific / CX, KA...
Posts made in 2016 may be read in ARCHIVE: AA Awards on Cathay Pacific (2016).
Posts made in 2015 may be read in ARCHIVE: AA Awards on Cathay Pacific (2015).
Posts made in 2014 may be read in ARCHIVE: Awards: CX / Cathay Pacific / (inc. F and J) - 2014.
N.B. Older posts have been moved and archived to: Cathay Pacific / CX (inc. First and Business Class) award - ARCHIVED.
AA Award: Cathay Pacific / CX availability, etc. (2018-2022 archive)
May 28, 2018, 10:05 pm
#376
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 620
Pricing?
I have a reservation on hold for JFK-LAX(AS Y)-HKG(CX F)-KUL(CX J). JFK-LAX is available as a Y Saver award. The agent tried to get it manually priced because it was showing as 122.5k and not 110k but she came back and said that it's pricing as 110k + 12.5k because I'm not flying the most direct route and that CX operates JFK-HKG-KUL. I don't remember this being the case before but I haven't redeemed CX from not JFK in a while. Should I HUCA or is this something new?
May 29, 2018, 6:07 am
#377
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,492
I have a reservation on hold for JFK-LAX(AS Y)-HKG(CX F)-KUL(CX J). JFK-LAX is available as a Y Saver award. The agent tried to get it manually priced because it was showing as 122.5k and not 110k but she came back and said that it's pricing as 110k + 12.5k because I'm not flying the most direct route and that CX operates JFK-HKG-KUL. I don't remember this being the case before but I haven't redeemed CX from not JFK in a while. Should I HUCA or is this something new?
May 29, 2018, 7:05 am
#378
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: dont care anymore
Posts: 112
Anyone else notice that CX appears to have taken the normal 5J seats on most NA routes that open at 355 using BA to search and went to 2J only since the notice of the devaluation of miles effective June 22. Just trying to see if I am going crazy or not or if others think the same thing. It would appear they have pulled reward flights perhaps to avoid a rush to redeem via their own program.
May 29, 2018, 9:30 am
#379
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,536
Yup. Going to be an issue trying to redeem 3 tickets for my family
May 29, 2018, 10:45 am
#380
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
May 29, 2018, 11:19 am
#382
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: dont care anymore
Posts: 112
I don’t think you understand what I am saying. The day before the notice of devaluation, I was looking at roughly 20 different days for a trip to change a current ticket booked in J to on a NA-HKG flight (and HKG-NA although less days). Every single one of those flights when from 5J to 2J the next day....POOF!
Are you suggesting that CX has taken 5 regular seats that people had access to with Avios/AA miles etc. and made only 2 per flight?
I personally think it was CX making sure there was no run on J on LH and then once they have devalued the miles, I HOPE they will put back the other J seats back into the inventory although it sounds to me like you might be suggesting that they have two levels of access and that the devaluation might screw partners on redemptions?
Either way I have gotten out of the points game and burned what I need for my flights just would prefer to change the month of travel. No big deal if not.
May 29, 2018, 1:39 pm
#383
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
I personally think it was CX making sure there was no run on J on LH and then once they have devalued the miles, I HOPE they will put back the other J seats back into the inventory although it sounds to me like you might be suggesting that they have two levels of access and that the devaluation might screw partners on redemptions?
It's the introduction of Choice and Tailored that's the kicker for us. We've been told this is CX's way to introduce dynamic pricing - not by Delta "this is the price" approach but by releasing differentiated availability into each bucket.
If current practices are extrapolated then Tailored and Choice will be avaiable from very early onwards and Standard only very last minute (or earlier during very low load periods).
Where does partners fit into all this? Well, partners currently rank below AM own standard, and anything available to partner is available to AM. Unless AM can negotiate differentiated reimbursement rates with partners, they're going to see even lower availability than before not-close-in as CX tries to flog them as Choice or Tailored. Maybe partners will still get a look-in, but it will be as close as if not closer than current close-in availability.
May 29, 2018, 2:27 pm
#384
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: dont care anymore
Posts: 112
Standard hasn't really devalued much. An East Coast R/T J goes from 145k to 175k AM, and First from 220 to 250k. I've seen worse devaluations.
It's the introduction of Choice and Tailored that's the kicker for us. We've been told this is CX's way to introduce dynamic pricing - not by Delta "this is the price" approach but by releasing differentiated availability into each bucket.
If current practices are extrapolated then Tailored and Choice will be avaiable from very early onwards and Standard only very last minute (or earlier during very low load periods).
Where does partners fit into all this? Well, partners currently rank below AM own standard, and anything available to partner is available to AM. Unless AM can negotiate differentiated reimbursement rates with partners, they're going to see even lower availability than before not-close-in as CX tries to flog them as Choice or Tailored. Maybe partners will still get a look-in, but it will be as close as if not closer than current close-in availability.
Do you even see any 5J now post notice last week? If they basically allow only 2 call them cheap rates to partners except at the last minute, I think then truly I will be out of the points game and will redeem what I have left since unless I want a divorce, having 2 and 1 F is not going to fly.
May 29, 2018, 4:04 pm
#385
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,239
I'm guessing it's a published fare issue, however you should be ok to fly via LAX to Asia from NYC (most of CX's one way fares from NYC-KUL look to be MPM based). Have you tried substituting an AA flight from NYC-LAX instead of the AS one? That could be the culprit causing it to price separately.
You can certainly do JFK-LAX-HKG on AA/CX or AA/AA on one award in F for 110k, even though it's not the most direct routing.
I figure they priced it as JFK-LAX (12.5k Y award) + LAX-HKG-KUL (110k F award) because that costs less than doing JFK-LAX-HKG (110k F, with invol downgrade on first segment) + HKG-KUL (22.5k J award).
May 29, 2018, 4:51 pm
#386
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 620
Sounds to me also like it must be a published fare issue, and perhaps because CX's fares don't allow AS segments?
You can certainly do JFK-LAX-HKG on AA/CX or AA/AA on one award in F for 110k, even though it's not the most direct routing.
I figure they priced it as JFK-LAX (12.5k Y award) + LAX-HKG-KUL (110k F award) because that costs less than doing JFK-LAX-HKG (110k F, with invol downgrade on first segment) + HKG-KUL (22.5k J award).
You can certainly do JFK-LAX-HKG on AA/CX or AA/AA on one award in F for 110k, even though it's not the most direct routing.
I figure they priced it as JFK-LAX (12.5k Y award) + LAX-HKG-KUL (110k F award) because that costs less than doing JFK-LAX-HKG (110k F, with invol downgrade on first segment) + HKG-KUL (22.5k J award).
May 29, 2018, 4:55 pm
#387
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
Hmm... so currently what does an AM person see at 355 or 360 out for say JFK to HKG or HKG to JFK when normally at least we with AA or avios would see 5J (if they were left) at 333 or 355 out.
Do you even see any 5J now post notice last week? If they basically allow only 2 call them cheap rates to partners except at the last minute, I think then truly I will be out of the points game and will redeem what I have left since unless I want a divorce, having 2 and 1 F is not going to fly.
Do you even see any 5J now post notice last week? If they basically allow only 2 call them cheap rates to partners except at the last minute, I think then truly I will be out of the points game and will redeem what I have left since unless I want a divorce, having 2 and 1 F is not going to fly.
May 29, 2018, 6:30 pm
#388
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: So Cal
Posts: 937
Hmm... so currently what does an AM person see at 355 or 360 out for say JFK to HKG or HKG to JFK when normally at least we with AA or avios would see 5J (if they were left) at 333 or 355 out.
Do you even see any 5J now post notice last week? If they basically allow only 2 call them cheap rates to partners except at the last minute, I think then truly I will be out of the points game and will redeem what I have left since unless I want a divorce, having 2 and 1 F is not going to fly.
Do you even see any 5J now post notice last week? If they basically allow only 2 call them cheap rates to partners except at the last minute, I think then truly I will be out of the points game and will redeem what I have left since unless I want a divorce, having 2 and 1 F is not going to fly.
May 30, 2018, 12:50 am
#389
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Do you even see any 5J now post notice last week? If they basically allow only 2 call them cheap rates to partners except at the last minute, I think then truly I will be out of the points game and will redeem what I have left since unless I want a divorce, having 2 and 1 F is not going to fly.
May 30, 2018, 3:22 am
#390
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,541
Correct. 1F/2J has been determined to be the new normal, both directions, USAHKG, post revaluation. What we haven’t been able to assess yet is how close-in award release will work post revaluation. Will be able to gather data in a few weeks.