To join MPC?
 

Is it worthwhile to join the MPC, I won't be accruing enough miles on my next trip with them to get out of green.
And will be claiming the miles against Alaska Air program.

YVR-HKG-HAN
SIN-HKG-YVR

The only real benefit I see is that you get priority boarding, does this actually occur? Is this worth the $50? Are there any unlisted benefits to MPC green?

I already have a priority pass so I'm not worried about trying to get into lounges.

thanks.

As a MPC Green you would also get to check in at the "Marco Polo Club" counters (NOT the "Business Class" counters). However, that being said, at most airports those two counters are combined. Priority boarding for Greens has been allowed on all my recent flights.

At YVR you can use the MPC lines which are the same as the Business Class lines. Priority boarding for GR is hit-and-miss, although I don't usually stick around that long. GR won't get you into any lounges anyways so if it will just be the one set of flights I wouldn't bother wasting 50$ for GR.

In my personal opinion, if you cannot accrue enough to be at least MPC GO, then MPC is not worth it (MPC Silver is really nothing special), stick with a North American airlines' FFP which have ridiculous mileage redemption rules.

As soon as my job not require me to travel that much (say only 30K miles a year), I am switching to AA FFP in a sec.

MPC SL is worth it when you travel in Y as you get J benefits, and especially helpful when you are a student.

Other than lounge access (which is very nice as a SL) most SLs would be better served by crediting to AA, especially you book the AA codeshares or a high enough fare class on CX flights to earn miles. I don't actually want to fly on AA but it was very tempting to switch to AA last year when I didn't fly CX for several months.

The biggest benefit of MPC SL is the lounge access in HKG alone..



Even for me who has a credit card that gives me unlimited access at least one lounge in almost all major airports in the world except for Australia (and it is not even a priority pass)..I still regard the several lounges of CX in HKG as among best, so having an SL card just for the CX lounge in HKG gives me value on top of (or in spite of) already having unlimited free access to 4 other lounges in HKG. As of now, since I'm silver, I'm skipping the 4 other HKG lounges as I have access the CX lounges.

I actually become a MPC member because one of my former credit card's benefits is free membership to the MPC. If not been for that, I would not have paid $50 to join MPC just for the prority check in and boarding. Coz at that time, I have no intention of becoming silver.. my SL status is due to unplanned business travels in the previous year and CX offering the cheaper fare vs either Delta or Korean air at those times.

To OP, my opinion is it depends on what you want to achieve.

To be honest, being based in NA, choosing CX MPC/AM is not a wise move (as the ways you can earn miles are extremely limited).

Beside, AA gives better benefit than MPC (like AA award ticket has no CX YR, for now).

+1.

In the case of *A, *G is required for these benefits.

Not exactly true. Since oneworld does not has a uniform guideline on lounge, basically each time a SL travel with CX, the SL will be entitled to use the lounge, regardless CX-operated or contract (For instance, BA in SFO and LX in ORD). In other word, SL's eligibility is based on metal, not location.

He meant that HKG lounge access by itself made CX SL worth it. And you cannot access a BA or AA lounge as an SL, the MPC website is very clear that SL only gets lounge access at a CX lounge when flying CX/KA.

I don't know about that. When I was a student, being first in line or having luxury lounge was the least of my concerns. The real benefit is to accumulate miles fastest, ability to redeem the miles cheapest. Both are weak points of MPC. Like I said MPC is great if you are their premium member. As casual traveler I would suggest an american ftp.

What I meant is in HKG, as CX's main hub, CX has 4 lounges with different themes.. so you can do lounge hopping. If you crave for sandwiches and fruit shakes, then go to the Cabin.. if its noodle ba and long bar, then go to either the Wing or Pier...

I disagree on the 2nd point, coz in some case, you can access a designated one world airline lounge as an SL if the airport has no CX lounge.

for example, in HND, tokyo, there is no CX lounge. So business class CX passengers and MPC silver and up have access to JAL's Sakura lounge instead. Same with BA in SFO and LX in ORD.

Hm interesting, must be another one of those things CX conveniently leaves out on their website and membership material. I've only been downgraded to SL for a year and I mainly fly CX to TPE, SIN and YVR so I don't usually have to worry about not getting lounge access.

So to recap my initial question, I'm claiming for AS miles on CX as that's the program that I am invested in the most. But from a position of taking CX in YVR-HKG-HAN & then again SIN-HKG-YVR, are these airports where priority check in and boarding are useful.

I remember our flight on MX recently when the line at check in was horrific and late opening, thus leaving us no time to enjoy the lounge after check in and security.

Also we are flying out on CX 889 at 3am and wonder if priority boarding will net any advantage since it's coming from JFK, other than a better shot at overhead space.

thanks for the great discussion, and we plan already to hit up the West Lounge in HKG w/ priority pass.

I'd say it's worth it, priority boarding is nice, and the small check in lines are great too, sometimes if the check in attendant is in a good mood even green tier may be givein lounge passes.

They didn't leave anything out. SL is entitled to lounge access and if you are at an airport with no CX lounge then you are entitled to use whatever lounge CX partners with at the particular airport. That means at JFK you use BA lounge, at ORD you use the Swiss lounge, etc.

However, as SL you are not high enough in the Oneworld tier to lounge hop other OW lounges and you are restricted to what CX offers you. Only MPC GO and DM have hopping rights (and even then, OW lounges have the right to reject you due to 'capacity control')

It will be useful only if:

1. You will receive pre-flight service (like drinks...) :D

2. You have carry-on only and you really need overhead space.

3. If you want to SHOW OFF how important you are :D (To be honest, I did it once when I flew AC YVR-HKG as a *G. Then all other people jumped from the Economy line and got kicked away by GA.

Otherwise, I don't see boarding the first will have the difference boarding the last (Remember this is no WN that you do have seat assignment).

Overhead space can be precious on a packed 777 or 747 in Y. Remember that GR is not the first group to board (it is not like *G) so there will already be plenty of bags in the overheads. Even getting there a little bit ahead of the rest of the peons can get you compartment space above or at least near your seat. Worth $50 for just one roundtrip? Depends on individual priorities.

As of about 4-5 years ago, GR members can board with other MPC members, although some gate agents at outports may not be aware of that.

At ORD they only board Silver and up ahead of time, prompting some arguments from GR members claiming they can board early at HKG, but ORD staff would not budge.

Still possible at HKG, and it always is "Marco Polo members only" which includes GR, except for certain exceptions (ORD as someone said).

It's there, for example, in Haneda:

JAL Sakura Lounge & JAL First Class Lounge (Haneda)

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_...e?cityCode=TYO

in New York

British Airways Terraces Lounge Business Class (Airside) and British Airways First Class Lounge (Airside)

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_...e?cityCode=NYC

I think you got yourself confused. SLs flying in Y can only access lounges when departing on a CX / KA FLT, but since not every airport has a CX / KA lounge, the member can use whichever lounge CX provides for the J PAX, be it operated by a third-party or not.

Perhaps that's the rule I was thinking of. I'm having a real hard time kicking my *A dependency so it's seriously delaying getting back to GO! I might end up qualifying on sectors...