ooo.... those are one of the worst redemption options around...

Yes the only way for CX to reduce call center calls is to make available online booking for a whole suite of OW partners a la BA. To do that, they need to simplify their redemption chart (eg. simply halve the required miles if redeeming one way instead of currently one way consuming more than half the miles of a return). Maybe, even - eek! - have BA white label its current online redemption capability for CX.

JL has less frequency than CX to Japan exHKG and their avaiability can also be just as bad.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B142 Safari/8536.25)

Domestics.

With some exceptions isn't it easier and cheaper to take the train for Japanese domestic itineraries?

cheaper? CX awards (at least for the whole of japan with HKG as origin) cost the same with the connection. i'd need to pay for the HND taxes but that's all the extra i pay. i cant get the trains for 190yen can i:confused::confused::confused:

if you want to use the shinkansen to the west (from tokyo), isnt it cheaper to fly and get miles instead of getting the JR pass? (and especially the islands dont have connections as good from tokyo/osaka)

GO and despite entering MPC number, I still had to wait about 30 minutes (but admittedly at a busy time around 18:00) at -1888.

Tried Online Services -2200 and -1888 later again (does it actually make any difference, since the navigation menu is exactly the same?) and voice mail comes on after about 8 minutes. Can't even wait until an operator picks up.

And the MPC hotline -5500 was just simply busy for about an hour. Not even a chance to punch in the MPC number.

I actually try avoiding to call the CX hotlines at all (MPC can be still OK late nights and especially as GO or DM anyways with the own hotline). But it's very frustrating if you're forced to do that if "Manage Booking" is not working properly and returns the same errors on 4 different browser configurations on 2 computers on 10+ different attempts spread over 6+ hours, then there is no other choice.

Again 2747 5500 stoned by 10AM
But surprisingly, can get through to 2747 3838, and connect to a Canto operator in one instance.

If 2681 5000 would stop calling people like crazy, they will actually have more operators to handle incoming calls...

Cultural issues I think. Locals typically take vacation as a family and those destinations are easy to redeem 3 or 4 tix on same flights in Y(X). From the last seven days:

"Percy, how do I do T+360 outbound 7-day hold to Taipei on Easter Friday? Me hubbie and daughters." (I just fattened her account to 60,000 with Moneyback but I was thinking she'd do a HKG-LAX ticket for the summer)

"Percy, what do I do with 1,100AM about to expire?"
"Does the account in question have 2,000AM at least?" (thinking I'll do a simple redemption to Moneyback
"No 1,100AM is the balance. My mum and pop's accounts after redemptions to Taipei."

My recent 3 experience in calling 2747 5500:

Between 5-6pm, redial 29 times to get through
Between 12-1pm (two times), both can get through in just a single call.

12-1pm: me too
I think travel agents take a lunch break, haha.
I wonder whether travel agents call on behalf of customers and manage their miles tok (cool! Which TAs?)
Or whether MPO agents answer the line cxagents have been transferred to now (used to be 2747 1888) so MPOs have been able to get thru when they click off for lunch?

I think some "callers" are just holding the line for long and we call them "playing with the phone"

Crazy hold times for HK numbers. When trying to call the USA reservation number, 95% of the time I get a busy dial tone and can't even get access to the automated phone menu.

Asia Miles phones always busy?
 

Today 07:15-0745 no waiting at all w helpful agent Vincent. It took about 15 minutes & that's all.
I called because the "Issue Award Tkt" button on my MMB didn't work. Maybe they need my Passport info as Vincent asked for.