CX DM Business Class Redemption (U Class)
 

Previously, for Diamond MPO members, CX was very flexible with converting revenue business class seats as U class redemption (with the exception of HKG-JFK flights because they were able to sell these at very last moment - understandable).

However, I was hoping they would do this for my upcoming LAX flight but was told they cannot confirm a U class seat.

Whilst I understand that this is an "unpublished benefit" for DM members, but why all of a sudden change and why are the customer service executive staff acting all blur.

First, they removed the upgrade functionality on their website, then the call centre is getting jammed with calls because of the new system implementation and members unable to get their seats as a result of inability to get through the call centre.

Whilst I like CX and vote them as one of the best, there are times where I do get frustrated and the above is one example where it really pisses me off when they act all blur and impose new set of rules as and when they feel like doing so.

I have hundreds of thousands of miles that I need to burn and I usually burn them with upgrades when they points come for expiration - otherwise, I am a revenue Business Class traveller on longhaul flights.

What's the point in having all these miles when it becomes very difficult to burn them at your convenience.

i had a similar case now going to LHR, but in all honestly the flight was already critical when i was trying and even though KVS was showing J4, C3, D1 which normally MPO would put u on hold and try to switch a revenue for redemption seat for you, the flight was very critical and therefore i didnt get the seat because it was eventually over-booked.

These days the flights are going full in Business class and that does definately lower the chances for us to easily get out redemtion seats, even for DM members....

These days I always check KVS and then call MPO based on what i see is more available and easier even if it means me flying +/- a flight if not my 1st choice in order to use the miles....

In the past, if there was a revenue seat available, then they would convert it to a redemption seat regardless whether the flight was critical or not.

Can someone from CX viewing these posts comment!

But it is still a non-published benefit just like op-up. You aren't entitled to it and they can change their practice without notice. Still remember how CX replied when people complained about the AMEX DM will lower their chances of op-up? ;)

I think OP might be onto something here...just got off with CX and in most cases have been able to get a redemption U seat for flights a few weeks away without any issue (maximum if the flight i want isnt available, theres always an option +/- a day or 2 to get a seat confirmed.

However today when i tried to book a seat 2 months away, the lady wouldnt put me on hold to check with FC and even said that the instruction they have is not to send message like this anymore as its an un-published benifit (which we are all aware of). Anyhow dispite my attempts she was insistant that there was nothing they could do and that the seat couldnt be confirmed be it 2 months, 3 months or anytime in the near future (pretty much felt like i was a silver or green card member at this point) and rather then venting out, decided to just end the call as i was obviously getting no-where....

Any other DM's experienced something similar recently when trying to redeem miles.......?

Tried to do a J - F mileage upgrade. Nothing available. Asked to waitlist. She told me it was too close to flight to do so. Didn;t fight it, but sounded odd to me, based on (many) past experiences.

based on recent calls to MPO hotline, I think they have increased staffing quickly, and service quality has suffered as a result of more inexepreicned reps (my guess). I had a long go around with various MPO reps about adding a stopover in HK on the return leg of SGN-HKG-LHR-HKG-SGN . I knew I could do it with just paying the airport tax. They kept telling me I couldn't, and that tix had to be reissued, etc. I eventually gave up, and decided to just do it. Only checked in for LHR-HKG, and then a few days after I did that leg and needed to go back to SGN, i called up to reschedule the HKG-SGN with no trouble.

It's getting quite frustrating though. The DM service through the MPO line was one of the best things about flying w/ CX. Really made things easy. Not now.

It happened to me before. There seemed to have seats available when I requested, but I could not get it.

I suppose if they expect to be able to sell the last seat, they will probably not release it.

Do you know the London your flight you want? If it is near full I've also had difficulty getting it released. No problem is not too full.

To 380Flyer, please do not use the word 'blur'. You know what it means, I know what it means but anyone else outside Singapore or who do not understand Singlish would have no idea what you're talking about!

http://www.singlishdictionary.com/singlish_B.htm

Ha you got me interested to find out what does it mean. Here's the definition for those who don't know about the definition

http://sotongs.tripod.com/singlish.html

Ok. Now that we got that sorted... we don't want to go OT now, do we ? :cool:

Just been speaking to an MPC agent to redeem a ticket for my wife and I for Easter holiday. Yes it is a busy period and I am happy to redeem J class but my return flight has only 1 U-class seat left. So I politely asked the agent to seek authorization from his supervisor to get a clearance and then the agent told me from 22 March onwards, they can no longer ask to release seats on a full flight even for a DM! He apologized and say it is a change of internal policies.....He even told me that my return flight has more than 20 J seats left but still he cannot confirm the ticket for me.:td:

So..mystery solved my fellow DMs....burning miles is now way harder for us........

That's terrible! One of my major reasons to put miles towards CX is because of this. :td::td::td:

This policy, combined with the policy at the end of 2010 to have both legs confirmed before you burn the miles, puts a real dent in the value of DM. Unseen on the airplane but probably the most significant devaluation since I joined 5 years ago.

One of the great things about DM was it made personal travel a lot cheaper and convenient. Basically, it was CX's way of giving you a discount on a few flights every year. I could buy a H or D ticket, for example, and use miles (often on flights that were quite full, with very short notice) to ensure I flew J or F instead of having to pay for them as usual. Seats were usually released and it was extremely easy to know what you were going to get (aka, before the 2010 change you could guarantee J class on the flight you wanted, because of the DM Y class guarantee. You first confirmed or waitlisted the award, and then you made the booking in H or K. So you could basically make your J booking, without any hassles or confirmation issues, while making use of all those miles you accumulated. It was a nice way of saving some $). This felt like a genuine perk in exchange for how many miles I had booked on CX over the years (usually well over the 120k mileage threshold annually, in Y short haul and J and F longhaul), so now I feel like I'm just going to end up with a lot more miles in the account since it's going to be harder to burn them. I guess it just got incrementally more attractive to book your miles to AA.

I probably still won't switch over, because the op-ups are great when they come through. And the new lounge is likely quite good if the new J Wing is anything to go off. But this is indeed a bummer.