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Why constantly show false availability?

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Old Jun 22, 2010 | 11:13 pm
  #1  
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10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: BA Gold; *G
Posts: 80
Why constantly show false availability?

I am trying to book flights from MEX-HAN out 14/10 evening and returning 23/10. The whole thing is driving me insane.

Firstly the CX website says flights between Mexico City and Hanoi only operate on certain days of the week (of which 14/10 is not one of them). But flights between MEX-LAX; LAX-HKG and HKG-HAN operate everyday. You can get round that by saying you want to travel from MEX-HKG on 14/10 though and then 16/10 from HKG-HAN. That works well because I'd get a whole day in Hong Kong if I take the 1800 from HKG to HAN.

The search results for that though are in a horrible table with no indication of what might be cheapest and lots of duplicated codeshare flights. Some flights are shown as having a traffic restriction with no explanation of what that means. When you finally find a reasonable price and enter booking details it comes up as unavailable.

If you look on kayak it seems that there are some half decent fares. But when you try to book any of them they come back with no availability or at a much higher fare. This has happened to me before with LH but it is incredibly frustrating.

Any clue as to why this is all so complicated or what I can do? Thanks. I was very excited to be doing a CX trip for the first time.

I should add I am slumming it in whY!
eltibu is offline  
Old Jun 22, 2010 | 11:56 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: CX Silver, QFF Bronze, Mabuhay Miles
Posts: 571
Give CX a call - they will sort it out for you easily and get you the cheapest fares available. The booking engine is ok, but with some of the stranger stuff it will confuse itself (and us) or just give high prices.

I didn't know CX went to Mexico (code-share obviously).
The MEX-HKG-MEX fare is so cheap! US$1,016 all in.
I tried looked at the reverse - HKG-MEX-HKG and the price is about US$2,382!
Eek!! More than twice the price.

Good Luck.
Crocodile is offline  
Old Jun 24, 2010 | 4:11 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HKG, BOS
Programs: CX SL, AB Gold, AF/KL FB Silver, HU/HX Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,596
Originally Posted by Crocodile
The MEX-HKG-MEX fare is so cheap! US$1,016 all in.
I guess the MX codeshare brought down fares


Here's the office (GSA of CX) you should be calling:
Mexico City
Address: Ancho Mundo Wide Word Leibnitz 34-101, Col Nueva Anzures, 11590 Mexico, DF
Reservations 52(55) 5629-0303
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_...countryCode=MX

Besides LAX, you can also connect at SFO (http://airlineroute.net/2010/06/08/cxnmx-codeshare/)
toyotaboy95 is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2010 | 10:33 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: AA, UA
Posts: 210
LA & CX codeshares

Wow US$1016 IS cheap for MEX-HKG.

Has anyone purchased LA & CX codeshared tickets?

Would love to know how much it costs for something like:

LIM-SCL-AKL-HKG

Originally Posted by Crocodile
Give CX a call - they will sort it out for you easily and get you the cheapest fares available. The booking engine is ok, but with some of the stranger stuff it will confuse itself (and us) or just give high prices.

I didn't know CX went to Mexico (code-share obviously).
The MEX-HKG-MEX fare is so cheap! US$1,016 all in.
I tried looked at the reverse - HKG-MEX-HKG and the price is about US$2,382!
Eek!! More than twice the price.

Good Luck.
zilliontw is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2010 | 2:26 am
  #5  
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Originally Posted by zilliontw
Wow US$1016 IS cheap for MEX-HKG.

Has anyone purchased LA & CX codeshared tickets?

Would love to know how much it costs for something like:

LIM-SCL-AKL-HKG
For LA/CX codeshare, you need to go via USA to CX gateways. Not via NZ.
Guy Betsy is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2010 | 9:37 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Lima, Peru
Programs: LAN Commodore
Posts: 732
...and only via New York. When I checked J prices they were extremely high. Much cheaper going via Lax.
david_33 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2010 | 6:45 pm
  #7  
Original Poster
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: BA Gold; *G
Posts: 80
Thanks all. In the age of computers I forgot about phoning. They were supernice. You are lucky to have phone agents that answer the phone straight away, call you back to remind you that you need a visa and aren't essentially there just to tell you to look at the internet.

In the end though Ortbitz came up trumps and got me MEX-LAX-HKG-HAN-HKG-LAX-MEX for $1400 ai.

Looking forward to my first time on CX. If it is anything like the phones I am going to be a happy boy!
eltibu is offline  


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