GlasgowCyclops

Hi All.
I'm going to book a flight from GLA-PVG via HKG or LON-HKG-PVG tomorrow for 29th or 30th June and back on Friday the 6th. Options are GLA out and EDI back or LON-PVG-LON. etc. BA are crazy prices and cathay look good. for WT+/PE. BA site says no avios upgrade availability.
So I'm looking at CX
I've seem many articles describing that you can upgrade with avios from your BA account (I have only 63.4K at present). But I've not seen any on how to do it with screenshots etc.

Any help or pointers would be really useful and I suppose helpful to others. If I need to check things I've got an expert flyer subscription if that helps.

Cheers
GC

KARFA

frdv

As far as I know you cannot use Avios to upgrade on Cathay, or any other OW airline for that matter; only works for BA flights. Using Avios for full redemption bookings, on the other hand, works on all OW airlines!

GlasgowCyclops

Okay thanks. However, there seems to be many articles that hint is is possible.

https://www.headforpoints.com/2018/0...emptions-asia/

says

Quote
Cathay Pacific is a fellow member of the oneworld alliance, alongside BA, so you can redeem your Avios for their flights.

end quote

KARFA

GlasgowCyclops

Thanks @KARFA

I think I may do a "Newbie" review to looking for flights. I've been on BA site just now looking for flights. I can not search for mixed class flights and I'm going round and round in circles with ie search showing availability in one direction (on an upgrade both ways search) but when I search for a one way upgrade it is not available.

I appreciate all the help. I may just book with Cathay straight again and look at upgrading my trip to PEK in 5 weeks time.

KARFA

Ok, to clarify things there are two different uses of avios you are talking about here:

Booking normal reward flights - so you can book reward flights on BA or other partners (AA/CX/MH etc.) and you can use avios to do this. You book through the ba reward search engine. You are normally better off booking two one ways rather than a return unless a) there is a 2-4-1 being used; or b) you are going to the US since exUS carrier surcharges are very high (in contrast exHKG carrier surcharges are zero so you may want to think about that if you want to book your return on CX). You can't upgrade reward flights with avios, however if higher cabin reward availability opens up later on you can change by paying the avios difference, change fee, and difference in taxes/fees/charges (usually none going from J to F). For reward bookings you earn no avios or TPs.

Booking cash fares and upgrading with avios - you can book cash fares and (subject to reward availability) can upgrade by one cabin by paying some avios and the difference in taxes/fees/charges. UuAs are only possible if it is a BA ticket and a BA flight from any selling classes apart from Q/O/G, or if it is an AA or IB flight booked through BA in selling classes J, C, D, W, Y, B – B class not available for upgrade on AA. As you can see UuA wouldn't be an option with CX flights. As with most cash long haul fares booking a return is usually far better value than booking two one ways. You earn avios and TPS based on the underlying cash fare and cabin not based on the upgraded cabin.

Hope that helps.