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)
Feb 16, 2019, 7:48 pm
#871
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Next week, I am traveling JFK to YVR on Cathay Pacific with a companion. I am currently booked in First, and he is booked in Business on sAAver awards. For the past two months, I have been actively monitoring availability on BA to see if we can sit together, but nothing has opened up in First. Interestingly, every time I searched throughout the past month, Cathay flights within 4 days of departure would not appear (which does align with what I have read elsewhere on Flyertalk, namely that Cathay cracked down on some sort of award fraud). However, starting a week and a half ago, the award "blackout" period seems to expand to two full weeks. Searching on BA, calling into AA's US call center, and even calling AA's Australia/Hong Kong call centers yielded the same result--no one can view any award seats a full week out from departure. Does anyone have any further suggestions to access award space? The flight went from 7+ economy sAAver, 7+ business sAAver, and 0 first sAAver to no one at AA being able to even see the flight as an option. =[
Feb 18, 2019, 2:36 pm
#872
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: N/A
Programs: N/A
Posts: 823
I can tell you that I have been monitoring CX F award space pretty close for the past few weeks as I am super flexible on my departure and just wanted to find one F seat somewhere. Someone up-thread thought it was because of the Chinese New Year, but I will give my opinion that CX is blanket blocking all F partner awards right now. I have not checked their own program availability.
Many flights have plenty of F inventory leading right up to the day of departure and nothing is opening up for awards. While business award seats were and are opening when inventory is there, so in my opinion it has nothing to do with the holiday period and just that CX is not wanting to give away F seats to partners right now.
Many flights have plenty of F inventory leading right up to the day of departure and nothing is opening up for awards. While business award seats were and are opening when inventory is there, so in my opinion it has nothing to do with the holiday period and just that CX is not wanting to give away F seats to partners right now.
Feb 18, 2019, 3:10 pm
#873
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New York
Programs: Marriott Gold, AA, United, Delta, Alaska
Posts: 144
I can tell you that I have been monitoring CX F award space pretty close for the past few weeks as I am super flexible on my departure and just wanted to find one F seat somewhere. Someone up-thread thought it was because of the Chinese New Year, but I will give my opinion that CX is blanket blocking all F partner awards right now. I have not checked their own program availability.
Many flights have plenty of F inventory leading right up to the day of departure and nothing is opening up for awards. While business award seats were and are opening when inventory is there, so in my opinion it has nothing to do with the holiday period and just that CX is not wanting to give away F seats to partners right now.
Many flights have plenty of F inventory leading right up to the day of departure and nothing is opening up for awards. While business award seats were and are opening when inventory is there, so in my opinion it has nothing to do with the holiday period and just that CX is not wanting to give away F seats to partners right now.
Feb 18, 2019, 5:31 pm
#874
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Honors Diamond
Posts: 32
I can tell you that I have been monitoring CX F award space pretty close for the past few weeks as I am super flexible on my departure and just wanted to find one F seat somewhere. Someone up-thread thought it was because of the Chinese New Year, but I will give my opinion that CX is blanket blocking all F partner awards right now. I have not checked their own program availability.
Many flights have plenty of F inventory leading right up to the day of departure and nothing is opening up for awards. While business award seats were and are opening when inventory is there, so in my opinion it has nothing to do with the holiday period and just that CX is not wanting to give away F seats to partners right now.
Many flights have plenty of F inventory leading right up to the day of departure and nothing is opening up for awards. While business award seats were and are opening when inventory is there, so in my opinion it has nothing to do with the holiday period and just that CX is not wanting to give away F seats to partners right now.
Feb 18, 2019, 6:02 pm
#875
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Thank you for the advice from everyone upthread. I have made a Qantas account and continue to search for any awards that might open up. I have to say though, having followed award space daily for the JFK-YVR route for the past two months, there seems to be a new filter or blackout in effect. It appears that all space gets locked out at the eleven day mark. Twelve days out, CX 865 will have economy 7+ / business 7+ / first 1 or 2 and then right at eleven days out it 0's out across all classes and stays that way until departure. Strangely, I can call AA and book award seats on CX 865 JFK-YVR-HKG without issue, but they are unable to see seats only on the JFK-YVR leg. One helpful agent thought this was an error and tried to hold JFK-YVR-HKG drop the second segment, but her system wouldn't process it.
Yes, agents can no longer perform the drop segment trick - not only CX may not allow it, but also according to JonNYC a couple months ago, AA has warned its agents NOT to do this, and they would be reprimanded should they try it. He has posted in the AA forum to tell people not to try it because of the internal memo.
Now it looks like the system has changed to effectively block it.
Feb 18, 2019, 7:24 pm
#876
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,456
Strangely, I can call AA and book award seats on CX 865 JFK-YVR-HKG without issue, but they are unable to see seats only on the JFK-YVR leg. One helpful agent thought this was an error and tried to hold JFK-YVR-HKG drop the second segment, but her system wouldn't process it.
Married segment to control inventory. CX has been aggressively employing this tactic on many routes, not just to partners but to its own Asia Miles inventory as well.
Yes, agents can no longer perform the drop segment trick - not only CX may not allow it, but also according to JonNYC a couple months ago, AA has warned its agents NOT to do this, and they would be reprimanded should they try it. He has posted in the AA forum to tell people not to try it because of the internal memo.
Now it looks like the system has changed to effectively block it.
Yes, agents can no longer perform the drop segment trick - not only CX may not allow it, but also according to JonNYC a couple months ago, AA has warned its agents NOT to do this, and they would be reprimanded should they try it. He has posted in the AA forum to tell people not to try it because of the internal memo.
Now it looks like the system has changed to effectively block it.
Based on this alone, I would not come to the conclusion that AA's system is actively blocking agents from breaking married segment availability.
Feb 18, 2019, 9:16 pm
#877
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
Thank you for the advice from everyone upthread. I have made a Qantas account and continue to search for any awards that might open up. I have to say though, having followed award space daily for the JFK-YVR route for the past two months, there seems to be a new filter or blackout in effect. It appears that all space gets locked out at the eleven day mark. Twelve days out, CX 865 will have economy 7+ / business 7+ / first 1 or 2 and then right at eleven days out it 0's out across all classes and stays that way until departure. Strangely, I can call AA and book award seats on CX 865 JFK-YVR-HKG without issue, but they are unable to see seats only on the JFK-YVR leg. One helpful agent thought this was an error and tried to hold JFK-YVR-HKG drop the second segment, but her system wouldn't process it.
Feb 18, 2019, 9:17 pm
#878
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
It's not technically married segments at play in this specific case; we're talking more about journey-specific availability here. CX is willing to release awards on JFK-HKG (the stop in YVR is irrelevant practically speaking), but not on JFK-YVR (and maybe YVR-HKG as well). When your helpful agent tried to hold JFK-YVR-HKG, they were really only holding one JFK-HKG through segment, and as such, the system is not able to break it up and drop the second "segment". If the agent was in fact able to hold two separate segments, JFK-YVR and YVR-HKG, then s/he would have had no trouble holding only JFK-YVR.
Based on this alone, I would not come to the conclusion that AA's system is actively blocking agents from breaking married segment availability.
Based on this alone, I would not come to the conclusion that AA's system is actively blocking agents from breaking married segment availability.
Just go to JonNYC profile and search by his posts - you should be able to find the related posts.
Now keep that in mind the married segment primarily is the attachment of an additional segment before or after the TPAC long haul, but nobody talks about the JFK-YVR-HKG just for the JFK-YVR part.
I dont know exactly how to call this, but here is another example that is how QF control its inventory between LAX and SYD years ago when it still had the JFK-SYD route with a technical stop at LAX. It was a semi secret some of us know that we could find JFK-SYD via LAX, but could not find LAX-SYD. Back then sometimes it was possible to book SYD-JFK via LAX, and then "backtrack" with AA. That is N years ago. Though QF does not have right to fly JFK-LAX stand alone, so it would not be the same as the JFK-YVR CX 5th freedom right. Still, at that time, one could find availability using JFK but wouldn't with LAX.
Feb 19, 2019, 10:27 am
#879
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,456
You can search JonNYC's post a few months ago when people ticketed married segment tickets then asked the agent to drop the segment. Note the operative word is, the drop segment has to be done AFTER ticketing. It would not work when trying to drop segment at reservation stage as CX would not confirm it, just like what you have tried. However, JonNYC specifically said, dont do that because AA has warned the agents they are being monitored on the drop segment to break CX married segment booking (after ticketing).
Just go to JonNYC profile and search by his posts - you should be able to find the related posts.
Now keep that in mind the married segment primarily is the attachment of an additional segment before or after the TPAC long haul, but nobody talks about the JFK-YVR-HKG just for the JFK-YVR part.
I dont know exactly how to call this, but here is another example that is how QF control its inventory between LAX and SYD years ago when it still had the JFK-SYD route with a technical stop at LAX. It was a semi secret some of us know that we could find JFK-SYD via LAX, but could not find LAX-SYD. Back then sometimes it was possible to book SYD-JFK via LAX, and then "backtrack" with AA. That is N years ago. Though QF does not have right to fly JFK-LAX stand alone, so it would not be the same as the JFK-YVR CX 5th freedom right. Still, at that time, one could find availability using JFK but wouldn't with LAX.
Just go to JonNYC profile and search by his posts - you should be able to find the related posts.
Now keep that in mind the married segment primarily is the attachment of an additional segment before or after the TPAC long haul, but nobody talks about the JFK-YVR-HKG just for the JFK-YVR part.
I dont know exactly how to call this, but here is another example that is how QF control its inventory between LAX and SYD years ago when it still had the JFK-SYD route with a technical stop at LAX. It was a semi secret some of us know that we could find JFK-SYD via LAX, but could not find LAX-SYD. Back then sometimes it was possible to book SYD-JFK via LAX, and then "backtrack" with AA. That is N years ago. Though QF does not have right to fly JFK-LAX stand alone, so it would not be the same as the JFK-YVR CX 5th freedom right. Still, at that time, one could find availability using JFK but wouldn't with LAX.
Feb 20, 2019, 4:45 pm
#880
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Honors Diamond
Posts: 32
Very interesting indeed, you nailed it. The thread "CX-865 flight availability when only going to YVR" in the Cathay forum suggests that there is an annual or monthly quota/cap on tickets sold on this particular fifth freedom route (JFK-YVR). In fact, it appears that Cathay is selling no tickets--award or even paid full-fare(!)--through the end of February. This explains why the award availability suddenly went to zero, despite the seat map showing a half-empty plane. This is definitely something to consider when booking this route, especially since I intended to take advantage of the award re-deposit EP benefit to tailor the dates of my trip close to departure. Luckily this time around, my original travel dates will work. But be prepared for little to no last minute flexibility on changing your departure/return if you book onto Cathay 865.
Feb 22, 2019, 3:06 pm
#881
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
In general, how is CX saver award availability for redemption with AA miles on premium cabins?
Would be looking for awards between SFO and HKG and beyond, like SIN.
I just did a quick search on Qantas and it shows CX awards on the outbound on CX for a couple of weeks out, SFO-HKG on CX893.
But curiously for the return, the Qantas website doesn't even show any J column at all. All it shows is Y, Premium Y and F. The outbound shows columns for those 3 and J.
Would be looking for awards between SFO and HKG and beyond, like SIN.
I just did a quick search on Qantas and it shows CX awards on the outbound on CX for a couple of weeks out, SFO-HKG on CX893.
But curiously for the return, the Qantas website doesn't even show any J column at all. All it shows is Y, Premium Y and F. The outbound shows columns for those 3 and J.
Feb 23, 2019, 10:53 am
#882
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Lately I have had problems getting US-HKG-xxx ticketed when i am positive there is space (BA shows it for starters, but in one case i confirmed by calling AS where i also have miles). On this most recent call, the AA agent said she had to “call the helpdesk”. When i asked what they did, she said they “put the second segment in and it showed availability.” Not sure what this means, but i had done HUCA several times and nobody at AA was seeing availability for the hkg-xxx segment, alone of combined with the ex-US segment.
On this latest call i also ascertained that the hkg-xxx segment was not available alone and so my suspicion is that the agents are not putting the two
segments together and looking for availability (which is there when segments are married). Instead, they are grabbing US-hkg and then separately looking for hkg-xxx. Who knows but I’m happy to report that I have landed several tickets by asking the initial agent to keep looking (and then sitting on hold while they make a call).
Also, for all the concern about availability challenges due to the NYE sale, I have found lots of business class seats available and even opening way below the normal 330ish day range where AA can book. Maybe those are redeposits, but whatever, it’s great to have 4 biz seats pop up for next Nov out of my home airport!
On this latest call i also ascertained that the hkg-xxx segment was not available alone and so my suspicion is that the agents are not putting the two
segments together and looking for availability (which is there when segments are married). Instead, they are grabbing US-hkg and then separately looking for hkg-xxx. Who knows but I’m happy to report that I have landed several tickets by asking the initial agent to keep looking (and then sitting on hold while they make a call).
Also, for all the concern about availability challenges due to the NYE sale, I have found lots of business class seats available and even opening way below the normal 330ish day range where AA can book. Maybe those are redeposits, but whatever, it’s great to have 4 biz seats pop up for next Nov out of my home airport!
Last edited by stephem; Feb 23, 2019 at 10:59 am
Feb 23, 2019, 5:11 pm
#883
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Can you do US-HKG and stopover in HKG for a few days then onward to SIN before returning on one award?
Or vice versa, go US-HKG-SIN and then stopover in HKG during the return?
Or vice versa, go US-HKG-SIN and then stopover in HKG during the return?
Feb 23, 2019, 6:41 pm
#884
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
AA has done away the international stopover for probably 7 or 8 years by now, replaced it with an "Gateway" stopover but that too, has gone the Dodo way probably 5 years by now.
The only North America programs that still let you do such, would be AS and Aeroplan which of course you cannot redeem CX but you can redeem BR and SQ, though dont expect you can find premium seat on SQ for the longhaul routes.
Feb 24, 2019, 11:29 pm
#885
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 155
I have been trying for two weeks now trying to book First from HKG to US Cities. Still nothing is open even on flights which Expert Flyer shows F4. Chinese New Year travel should be over by now right? Business awards are open the day before. Nothing in First.