lost_in_translation

CX is perfectly at liberty to do what they like with award availability, the approach lately seeming to be to try to maximize revenue on short haul flights but not on long haul (which is slightly odd, really). It has become very difficult to predict whether short haul routes will have seats released or not even on comparably empty flights whereas they still seem to be releasing all available F/J seats for redemption on long haul flights a few days before departure like clockwork.

I had no issue getting an LHR-HKG F redemption at the last minute a few weeks ago (literally every flight other than one that was sold out in F had availability for the three days around my departure date), but trying to get a HKG-BKK flight later in the week with Avios was a nightmare and I ended up having to take a sub-optimal late night flight on a short haul configuration in J, as that was all that became available.

toplayer

This situation has become a total joke short haul. Even a route as bland as MNL-HKG where CX has 6 dailies, everything from 4 April to 5 May has been completely blocked in all classes on all flights. However on 3 April or 6 May there is plenty. CX are just taking the "cut off the nose" approach to what they foresee as a problem. It may be easy to just impose a blanket block for certain sectors for an entire month, but in the long run it will cost them money. Avios itself has already lost a lot of value here in Hong Kong, from what I tell by the bank promotions.

CX could have solved the issue in so many different ways - increase cost of Avios, reduce availability, etc. This is just lazy.

Modo

Not disagreeing with you on the CX situation. But MNL is not a good example over this Easter period as it is very high demand.

As you said it seems they have blanket blocked out all classes on all days during periods of high demand. I noticed over the Christmas and New Year period 2018/19 nothing was available on MNL or BKK. Previous years we have picked up J seats for a short break over this period leaving late on Christmas Day and returning before New Year..

luckypierre

add a data point..tried to look at US-HKG for CX business awards using BA website (and Qantas) yesterday
About a dozen dates, including right at end of availability
Nothing.
BA website was generating AA flights where a domestic leg would be in first class and the transpacific in econ

wb1969

pbartp

Globalist

Same, SIN-HKG next month out on a Friday back on a Sunday.
Admittedly popular travel days but used to show loads of availability.
Nothing now.

Globalist

dchen2

I'm glad I only have 20k Avios left to spend. Looking at HKG-BKK and no availability close in or even 2 months out using avios. What's weird is using Cathay AsiaMiles, looks like nothing is available 30days out (except using married segments) but within 30 days, 90% of HKG-BKK flights are available for Cathay 25k standard biz awards.

It used to be with Avios would block close in awards within 5 days of departure. Now it looks like for HKG-BKK Avios is blocking CX awards at least a month out and since CX for this route isn't releasing any award space until 30 days out to their own Asia miles, Avios is unusable for this routing.

Time to stockpile Asia miles or just use ctrip to book discount biz tix or horror of horrors, suffer in Econ for 2.5 hours on a separate cheap paid ticket. Gotta be galling for folks that got the long haul Europe/USA-HKG Biz/F awards but can't connect intra asia at all.

etiene

Modo

We have dome well the last 12 months with Man -Hkg . But usually only appears within 2 weeks of flight. Yes it disappears at one week but calling BA will often get the seat (BA said on last call the one week block has gone but still booked without fee). Compared to BA through London the fees are massively lower so direct is a no brainer for us.

We also got J Hkg - Mnl over Easter. Again call to BA at 48 hours before flight. Prices on the route on all carriers were insane. It was almost cheaper to fly via Lon on PAL.

ChrisBub

KARFA

I don't think you will get any different answer calling then if you search on ba.com unfortunately.

crazyanglaisy

The lack of availability is mainly an issue on short haul intra-Asian flights from what I've seen. I've been looking repeatedly for months for Avios tickets between HKG-BKK and HKG-SIN for various dates this summer and later in the year and the cupboard is entirely bare. Finally had to resort to actually paying for my flights, for goodness sake

sxc

Modo

As above we got HKG - MNL in J over Easter 48 hours before flight by calling BA.

They insisted CX flights are now showing short term - but still waived fee. ( I should add the BA rep was as good as they get. Patient with multiple complex itineraries like mixed J and Y ex Man to Europe in the summer).

Advice is ----call.