Perhaps the system was supposed to flag you as a birthday upgrade recipient, and didn't do it's job? Unless someone really goes through the manifest looking for who's birthday it is today.

But the fact that you got an email and that the ISM said something means that this benefit is practically official! Good news for the future. I'm sure they won't make the same mistake twice.

I wish you didn't complain about this...cos the birthday treat is an unofficial benefit for MPC members (Asiamiles members don't always count)... and its always only for the member.. and not for accompanying passengers too.

By you bringing this matter up with the ISM just because YOU didn't get it and decided to make noise ... well, that could end all future OP-UP's for the rest of us!

Yes, CX is looking into the matter alright.... looking into whether they should end the practice of birthday upgrades...

This is why I don't appreciate people fighting for goodwill gestures that CX never promised, but do it for the purpose of goodwill. But when a corporation realizes that everybody whines for it and even complains when they didn't get it (just because someone else gets it), yes, they usually end all unofficial benefits and stick to what's published, thus ruining it for all of us....

Come on guys, only complain about published benefits not delivered, but never unpublished! (This reminds me months ago at check-in a lady was fighting for op-up just because she saw many before her got it, and she demanded the same treatment and the reason was she is a DM like all the other op-up pax so she should get it too! She made quite the scene...)

I urge you and others that really don't know the benefits reading the MPC manual before bringing up OP-UP issues. Cheers

Yes - it works!
 

Myself (DM) + Fiance (Silver) booked on an I-Class CMB-SFO Fare.

Not sure how overbooked the flights were.

(I spent the birthday doing CMB-BKK-HKG (CX700) then HKG-SFO on CX870, all on my birthday)

CX700 was the 2 class 773.

Landed in BKK to the sweet news of a seat change online. The scanner beeped red at HKG Gate 4 and BOTH of us got hand scribbled First class bps (1A and 1K).

Also got an op-up on the return leg CX873, but just for myself (and yes, the lady travelled in FC, while i slummed it out in J :) ).

Ohh and got a nice card at the end of the CMB-HKG flight, with short messages from a few of the crew members in their respective native languages.

No cake or Krug bottles to takeaway, but then, those dont really count!

Birthday comp
 

On my birthday recently, I had the opportunity to fly in 2 segments on Cathay. I was pleasantly surprised to get upgraded to J on one flight. On the second flight, I was very tired and slept most the flight. To my surprise, just before descending, I was awaken by 2 flight attendants with a birthday wish and a birthday card signed by the whole FA staff. I thought that was a very nice gesture.

I recently switched over from UA *A and am CX Gold at this time. My exp at Cathay so far is making me a loyal Cathay customer for a long time. I wonder if my birthday comp experience is common and if anyone else have other experience to share.

I flew on my birthday recently on KA, PEK-HKG...was in J already in a 2-class flight, so couldn't expect any upgrade anymore of course. but, I was thinking at least the ISM/SP would say happy birthday to me, or maybe a signed birthday card or something...but, in the end, even the usually very consistent inflight ISM/SP greeting (to DM/GO/etc) was missing...

reply by MPC
 

Sorry it took so long...
The end of story was that the MPC sent me an upgrade certificate and apologized... NOT for not upgrading me BUT for not letting ANYONE know that it was my birthday.

Cathay Boy and others... I mostly sleep on long-haul flights and I fly J so it's not the UG that mattered but the fact that CX would not bother informing the crew.

Honestly, I DO NOT want anyone singing happy birthday to me at 11km above sea level :-) It was a glitch, it happens, end of story.

Paradoxically the same day I was told by MPC about the upgrade certificate I flew back to HKG and... I got upgraded (flight full).

I think CX's real strength is the inflight crew. Just give them the info they need. They know how to make passengers feel "special" and it costs nothing to the airline.

Happy flying

CX upgraded me and my wife from J to F when we flew from HKG to CDG on my recent birthday. Fantastic and warmth service throughout the flight.

Not that I am expecting a birthday UG but rather curious if I can put in either AA EXP or CX GR, which one get better chance fir that, or simply a nice 'happy birthday' from cabin crew....

My instinct would say CX since this seems like a policy that they take care of their own. If any OW members birthday counts, CX is really throwing away a lot of upgrades here.

Also, I remember Guy said he tried it once SIN-HKG with AA numbers and was not given a upgrade. (Then again this is "Singa-ByTheBook-pore" so I'm not really that surprise.)

But then the basic GR membership won't get you anything either, I think you need to be at least silver for a chance of birthday upgrade.

Yes, once again (think the 4th b-day upgrade or so) and the 3rd "couple-upgrade" - meaning that if either my wife or I had birthday that they upgraded both of us on the same record locator.

The latest combination a few weeks ago was my wife had birthday as SL and I was GL at that time on HKG-PVG. Check-In agent said "Happy Birthday", but did not put the upgrade in clear relation to it this time, while others did that before (upgraded because of b-day). Flight was NOT full, so couldn't be a standard op-up. But we had combos like both on SL as well.

Really happy about those unpublished benefits! They know how to keep their customers.

I flew last week from DEL to BKK on my birthday in Y - I'm Silver - about to turn into Gold - flight was near empty - NO birthday upgrade ... No Happy Birthday, nothing ...

Dont think "benefit" is applicable to Silver's so much.... there are so many silvers it would mean so many upgrades, quite difficult. Also its unpublished so due to flight loadings or computer glitches or whatever, it is not gurantted to happen.