Apologies for the length - it's a long story - but please bear with me. I hope someone can offer some advice. Thanks in anticipation.

My wife and I both have a reasonably large number of Asia MIles that are due to expire in a couple of months' time. We had tried to book flights several times via Asia Miles - both on the website and by phone - but there was nothing available for any of the dates we wanted.

Out of the blue, on June 14th, I received a phone call from a lady at Cathay Pacific telling me that I had miles about to expire and that I could use them to book flights. I explained that we had tried to book flights but had not been able to find anything suitable. She said that she could have a look to see if she could find something.

I was after flights from LHR to HKG in F. She found two flights out and one back. I chose one of the outbound flights but explained that I would need to check with my wife if the flights were ok with her and asked if the lady could hold the flights. for me. She said she could hold them until 17:00 on Monday, June 18th. I was sent an email confirming the itinerary and booking reference.

I checked my Marco Polo Club account and the flights appeared under Manage My Booking, with a note that I needed to confirm the booking by 17:00 HK time on Monday June 18th..

After confirming the flights were fine, I called the Marco Polo Club on Sunday, June 17th to pay the taxes. The lady I spoke to confirmed to me the amount of tax due and took my credit card details.

I thought no more about it until a few days later when I happened to be on the Cathay Pacific site and logged on to my account. To my surprise there were no flights showing. I called the MPC immediately and was told that the flights had been cancelled as I'd not confirmed them in time. I asked how this could have happened and why the lady I spoke to hadn't mentioned this when I rang to pay the taxes, nor why she had subsequently taken my credit card details, but she couldn't explain it.

I was told the only thing I could do was to rebook them which I did. The only problem was that the outbound flight was no longer available and so it had to be on request. The return flight was still available. I asked to speak to a supervisor but was told none was available, but if I called back an hour later she would have time to speak to one. I called back as requested, but again there was no supervisor. I was, however, asked for my own and my wife's passport details and credit card details again.

I have emailed the MPC to ask what had happened and to ask them if they would consider reinstating my flights but have not had the courtesy of a reply almost two weeks on.

I have since rung the MPC again and spoke to a very helpful lady who was able to tell me that there was a mix-up between the booking system and the ticketing system and that in fact the flights were both cancelled automatically on June 14th, the day of my original call from Cathay. However, this still does not explain why the flights were showing in Manage My Booking, nor why the agent I spoke to when trying to pay could obviously see them too.

Has anyone experienced a similar problem and if so how was it resolved?

Thanks for your time.

First, the last agent you mentioned was not telling you the truth (or you misunderstood her). If the booking is cancelled it would not show on MMB.

I actually had a similar case before, except I corrected it immediately before the booking was gone. What happened was that the agent who took your CC info on June 17th forgot to remove the TKTL (Ticket Time Limit) in the PNR, resulting in auto-cancellation. The PNR is, however, still retrievable, and the history would show that you have given the CC info and which agent received (from) it.

What I would do is to demand MPO to reinstead the confirmed booking for you. CX has internal procedures regarding how to reinstead a booking cancelled by mistake, and you fall into that category. If they say no supervisor can answer your call, ask them to call back and ask them how long you need to wait for the call back. Ask the supervisor to look at PNR history and the phone call recording. Be firm (unless the F cabin is actually fully booked, in which case you might need to give them a bit flexibility).

It never ceases to amaze me how FT members have better knowledge than CX MPC agents!

Thanks for the information, ernestnywang. It now appears to have been resolved. This morning I received a text message on my phone and also an email informing me that the outbound flight is confirmed again. I've contacted the MPC to pay the taxes and now await ticketing.

Thanks once again.

Its so true...i have had a number of conversations with MPO agents telling me no to something only to find out that this is a published benifit that i am allowed after they check again......

Such a pitty the program is falling down so drastically......

Glad to hear it worked out for you. I never ceased to be amazed at how ridiculous it can be dealing with CX.

not to mention the micky mouse booking system CX operates which any travel agent will tell you is a total nightmare to work with

I have just experienced a similar case to this.

8 Apr: phoned Manila and booked CX161 2 Apr 15 in U using Mum's details and MPO a/c. I asked for the reservation be held because the return flight was around 11 Apr 15 and was granted hold booking to 18 Apr 14 [I think] 17:00 HKT.

16 Apr (yesterday) 08:00: phoned Manila again and booked CX162 11 Apr 15 return also in U and authorised ticket issue. Gave card details, passport details and chose seats. I saw the deadline reset to 16 Apr 14 00:00 HKT and received an itinerary at 08:15.

(I did this before I got to work. By the time I settled down at work at around 10AM, I saw CX162, CX100 and CX138 fully booked. They were all available for around 2 seats each at 08:00)

Today (17 Apr): received following email at 17:00 (exactly):

"Dear SMITH,

Your booking on Business Class of CX161 (HKGSYD), 02Apr15 has been confirmed. Please check details on Manage My Booking."

I had a number of Australian Easter 2015 bookings going on including my own, but I've managed to confirm all the flights I want and have cancelled all unwanted waitlists.

A check on my bookings show it wasn't my booking. But my mum's old booking's disappeared. Checkmytrip on my mobile shows "This trip cannot be found. It may have been cancelled. (4649)"

Under mum's MMB I saw a new booking, with the confirmed CX161 2 Apr as shown by the email but with a different seat allocation, and a CX162 11 Apr with the dreaded "Business (U) (R) On request"

I don't think I thumped 2747 5500 ever so hard on the phone keypad before (it won't go through so I had to thump 2747 3838 with equal force). To my surprise I got through to Tsuen Wan without delay.

I initially tore into the agent. She calmed me down somewhat by confirming she can see I did authorise the old booking to be ticketed. She said she'll have "ticketing" call me back.

They didn't, but sent the new itinerary with the Manila office header, CX162 still waitlisted and the following footnote:

"PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT YOUR RETURN FLIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WE NEED TO FINALIZE IT. WE WILL HAVE IT REINSTATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE WILL CALL YOU BACK ONCE ITS DONE. THANKS."

I decided to go home. On the way home, my mum said "some Indian" (her words) have called her trying to speak to her about the booking but she was in the middle of a pre-holiday tie-up at her work and asked the "Indian" to email. I had to explain what MPO has done with regard to English call centre outsourcing and why I had to use it for the T+360 08:00 bookings.

I am still waiting. I called Tsuen Wan again and confirmed they have my card numbers correctly. Hope things turn out as you say, though I cannot relate it to the deadline being wrongly set.

Just received:

"Dear SMITH,

Your booking on Business Class of CX162 (SYDHKG), 11Apr15 has been confirmed. Please check details on Manage My Booking before 25/04/2014 18:00."

Had Tsuen Wan resend it to ticketing. Remarks changed to:

"Our records indicate that you have not issued a ticket for this booking. Please issue Award Ticket before 00:00, 18 Apr (HKG time). Otherwise your booking will become invalid and will automatically be cancelled without further notice. "