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)
Aug 10, 2019, 3:45 am
#1096
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 52
Close! Looking at 7/6 from BKK-HKG-LAX for two J seats. My calculations put today as the first day I can book with AA, but AwardNexus isn't showing anything.
If I book JL, is there a change fee to switch to CX if it opens up at a later date?
Appreciate all the help!
If I book JL, is there a change fee to switch to CX if it opens up at a later date?
Appreciate all the help!
Aug 13, 2019, 5:22 pm
#1097
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
Anyone have any recent data points on redeeming miles for JFK-YVR in any class? Qantas seems to show lots of award availability using the next week as a reference.
Aug 13, 2019, 5:35 pm
#1099
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
Aug 14, 2019, 7:41 am
#1100
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
Still, I would lock down whatever you can ASAP. Good luck. EDIT - only looked for J, as wouldn’t do the trip otherwise. So can’t comment on other cabins.
Jamie
Last edited by jamienbaker; Aug 14, 2019 at 9:00 am
Aug 21, 2019, 9:11 am
#1101
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 86
CX issues
Cathay just rebooked our J award booking in late October and put us on the flight leaving a whole day earlier. We have a connection in HKG, and now have a 24h+ layover because they didn’t rebook the connection.
PSA check your emails, check your itineraries. AA did not send me any notification about this change, but Cathay did, and I see the updated timing on the AA site.
With the HK conflict going on, my concern now is that this is not going to be the last change from CX.
PSA check your emails, check your itineraries. AA did not send me any notification about this change, but Cathay did, and I see the updated timing on the AA site.
With the HK conflict going on, my concern now is that this is not going to be the last change from CX.
Aug 21, 2019, 11:59 am
#1102
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Cathay just rebooked our J award booking in late October and put us on the flight leaving a whole day earlier. We have a connection in HKG, and now have a 24h+ layover because they didn’t rebook the connection.
PSA check your emails, check your itineraries. AA did not send me any notification about this change, but Cathay did, and I see the updated timing on the AA site.
With the HK conflict going on, my concern now is that this is not going to be the last change from CX.
PSA check your emails, check your itineraries. AA did not send me any notification about this change, but Cathay did, and I see the updated timing on the AA site.
With the HK conflict going on, my concern now is that this is not going to be the last change from CX.
Aug 21, 2019, 12:26 pm
#1104
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
...and just booked CX F JFKHKGDPS as my backup to SQ in the event I don’t clear the WL to F. But need a strategy for the CX845 (0145) departure, which I’ve not done before. Sure I’ll be stuffed from Flagship Dining if I end up taking this flight.
Aug 21, 2019, 12:31 pm
#1105
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,701
Call and have them change ur connection. Or tell them u need to leave on the original date and let aa work with cx to fix.
Cathay just rebooked our J award booking in late October and put us on the flight leaving a whole day earlier. We have a connection in HKG, and now have a 24h+ layover because they didn’t rebook the connection.
PSA check your emails, check your itineraries. AA did not send me any notification about this change, but Cathay did, and I see the updated timing on the AA site.
With the HK conflict going on, my concern now is that this is not going to be the last change from CX.
PSA check your emails, check your itineraries. AA did not send me any notification about this change, but Cathay did, and I see the updated timing on the AA site.
With the HK conflict going on, my concern now is that this is not going to be the last change from CX.
Aug 21, 2019, 1:43 pm
#1106
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Aug 21, 2019, 3:13 pm
#1107
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 57
CX845
and had a really good dinner etc. etc.... I find the 845 time just odd because you struggle to stay awake till 2 am and spend too much time in a lounge if you want eat in the dining room. On such long flights I like to be awake the first 30%, sleep the next 50% and then be awake for the last 20%...and CX 845 is meant for business folks that need to just sleep
Aug 21, 2019, 3:47 pm
#1108
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
Might be worth checking how you paid for your fees. Good luck - Jamie
Aug 21, 2019, 3:50 pm
#1109
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
If fees were paid by CSR, then it covers delays. I was reimbursed $800 (party of two) for a Swiss award that resulted in an unplanned overnight at ZRH (plus EU261 comp of $1,400), and $650 (party of two) for an American award where snow forced an overnight in ORD. Perhaps CX’s recent upsets fall under some sort of force majeure, but CSR absolutely covers delays longer than six hours, even on awards (as long as fees paid for).
Might be worth checking how you paid for your fees. Good luck - Jamie
I did pay with CSR!
Dang $236 plus for a J TPAC award fees on AA.
Aug 21, 2019, 3:55 pm
#1110
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,536
I just did CX 845 F for the first time last month and it's my least preferred direct flight. Here's my experience and you can judge what could work for you. AA Flagship Dining closes at 11 pm (last order is at 10:45 pm). The flight is at 1:30 am - yikes! You have another 2 hours to kill in the lounge. The best thing about Flagship Dining was Krug. The food is very mediocre (maybe I should have just ordered the burger in hindsight) and what I mean is just badly made/flavors/taste - they need a proper chef. It's better to have great meal in the city/home and just get to the airport at midnight. On the flight, I basically went to sleep after take off as I could barely stay awake. I got up after 7 hours and had some caviar and champagne for breakfast but you are awake at an odd time and soon you will be landing at 5 am and feel you need to sleep again to adjust to the timezone in Asia. I don't know how to explain but the timing didn't work for me. I fly for holidays and like to enjoy the flight too and I basically slept most of the flight. My return flight - 840 - was excellent. It was the last flight to take off before the airport shut down and I had almost 2 bottles of Krug and had a really good dinner etc. etc.... I find the 845 time just odd because you struggle to stay awake till 2 am and spend too much time in a lounge if you want eat in the dining room. On such long flights I like to be awake the first 30%, sleep the next 50% and then be awake for the last 20%...and CX 845 is meant for business folks that need to just sleep
and had a really good dinner etc. etc.... I find the 845 time just odd because you struggle to stay awake till 2 am and spend too much time in a lounge if you want eat in the dining room. On such long flights I like to be awake the first 30%, sleep the next 50% and then be awake for the last 20%...and CX 845 is meant for business folks that need to just sleep Considering I’m flying solo and the goal is minimal elapsed time to DPS, do you think I should leave the night before on 865 at 2145 and endure the YVR stop? Solves for the Flagship Dining issue (I’ll finish work in Manhattan around 1800, so I’m free to do whatever). I suppose I could imbibe heavily at Flagship, sleep to YVR, then still enjoy 11-ish hours of good service. Arrives 0645 and DPS departs 1000...so still time to nap in HKG (though would rather power through and sleep on HKGDPS since product is mediocre).
Appreciate your input - Jamie