ac_lkmai

Dear all,

I would like to seek for your advice on CX MPC tier upgrade.
Currently I need 8500 miles more to be upgraded to silver.
My membership year ends on 31 March 2010

I have the following flights booked:
HK/LDN biz on 22-Feb (around 7500 miles could be earned)
LDN/HK biz on 26-Feb (7500 miles)
HK/SG econ on 10-Mar (around 1500 miles could be earned)
SG/HK econ on 12-Mar (1500 miles)

I am very happy to have a chance to become silver, while I thought it would be great if I can keep more miles after becoming silver so that I have a higher chance for renewal. Therefore, I would like to see whether there is a chance to claim the LDN/HK biz and SG/HK econ mileage after I made silver by the HK/LDN and HK/SG econ trips.....

Does this work if I use "missing mileage claim" function? My company uses a travel agent to help booking tickets. How can I make sure the mileage is "missed intentionally" and then "claimed back later".......anything that the travel agent should do? by not putting me as a frequent flyer during flight booking and E-ticket issuance?

Thanks.

KL

QRC3288

So this is basically a "how do I maximize my MPC miles" post, which I might add is because the system itself is oddly quite inefficient (in my opinion, the fact that you can lose a whole bunch of miles with the reset is an unnecessary random element....they could at least credit the excess miles to the roll-over year). However, that aside

It is indeed feasible. A little extreme in my mind, but indeed feasible.

Here's what to do:

A.) Put your MPC # on ONE, but not both, of your LHR legs. If you do it on the outbound flight make sure you take your # off on the return leg, since it might go into the system.
B.) Do the same as above for your short-haul flight: put your CX# on one, but probably not the other (depends on timing of when you get SL, you might be able to put it on the return if you already get SL).
C.) Earn SL status on the back of your roughly 9,000 miles credited.
D.) Claim missing miles for the other two flights, earning you an additional 9,000 miles toward SL status next year.

The fact that someone could lose 20% of their SL-qualifying miles shows that this system needs a revamp. Why? In the OP's case here, if he did it the way any average Joe would, he would only have 3,000 miles to start his new SL year compared to 9,000 if he does what I propose above, a 6,000 miles difference
.
Average Joe case (put CX# on all flights) using the OP as example:
Flight 1: Go 7,500 miles. 1,000 miles to go for SL.
Flight 2: Go 7,500 miles. EARN SL. Waste 6,500 miles.
Flight 3: Go 1,500 miles. 28,500 miles to go for SL next year.
Flight 4: Go 1,500 miles. 27,000 miles to go for SL next year.

As opposed to what he can do by removing his CX#:
Flight 1: Go 7,500 miles. 1,000 miles to go for SL.
Flight 2: (Claim 7,500 miles later). Still 1,000 miles to go for SL.
Flight 3: Go 1,500 miles. EARN SL. Waste 500 miles.
Flight 4: Go 1,500 miles. 28,500 miles to go for SL next year.
Follow up: Claim 7,500 miles. 21,000 miles to go for SL next year.

!!%?!%!%
6,000 miles difference, aka 20% of his next year SL status! I hadn't done the math before, but that's not exactly an efficient system in my mind.

justinlau88

How would you "remove" your MPC number from the system? If I remove it then can i still check in online?
another question, is it possible to remove my MPC number AFTER I check in and get my boarding pass and lounge pass? I ask because if i am flying chort haul, and in economy, then i might still want a lounge pass (or can i just flash my GO card at the lounge and they let me in)?
thanks!

QRC3288

1.) You "remove" your # by not putting it on in the first place, or when you check-in as the agent to take it off. They might look at you funny, but just tell them to proceed as you instruct anyway.

2.) I have no experience removing it AFTER (Aka, check-in at the airport express but then remove at the airport, or remove it airside), although I recall some people here pondering that before. Maybe they can elaborate. To save the hassle though, I might recommend just flashing you GO card (it will work, they'll look at your BP but the CX# won't be entered) or skipping the lounge altogether - it's just a lounge.

ernestnywang

I had a lot of trouble removing FFP# after checking-in on CX flts before (2008). Don't know if things had changed, but basically the system only allows you to substitute another FFP#, not removing it after having checked-in. If you don't care about losing your op-up priority, remove your FFP# before checking-in. You can still do OLCI as long as it's a CX- or KA-issued E-tkt.

QRC3288

You can get them to punch in nonsense Just say a rival #, like BA with a made-up # after

CXDM

be careful, on my last flight i was in J and when i did online check in I removed the number, so when i got to the Check in desk, they said the number was removed, and i told them that this was intentional as i wanted to claim the miles on my AA card later.

She did stress that she was unable to give me the F lounge and could only give me J lounge, which i was fine with. I took the BP and there was no milege number on the BP.

3 days later i checked my account online and the miles were credited, despite me removing it both at check in and re-instating it at the Check in Desk.......so what you make presume that you have removed it......3 days later is shows up and there's nothing you can do about it !

ernestnywang

I think that had also happened to my mom once, after putting in 0000000000 in the FFP number (since it's impossible to remove).

JRK

I can confirm that is still the case. Fly PVG HKG two days ago and asked the lounge staff (left it in on check in hoping to get op-up, which worked) to override my MPC No (which they confirmed they did). This a.m. I log onto my profile and the miles have still posted!

Luckily this was only a short flight. For the next DONE3 before the end of my membership year, I will have the TA delete my MPC no from the booking completely. The first few segments are on 2 class aircraft anyway. Will than add it back half way through the trip, after miles have reset. Hope this will work better.

As an aside, I do not believe the miles would actually be "lost". I have asked MPC to look up my excess miles close to the end of a membership year before when I know the "wasted" miles from the last year would bring me over the threshold - and they have indeed rolled over my status.

Cheers
JRK

fsklee

I never asked lounge staff to remove MPC number, so I do not know how well that works. However, I suspect that contract lounge agents may not have the authority to change that.

Grichka

By "the average Joe" you mean the "guy who is not trying to cheat the system"?