Thanks. Actually all non-miles / cash upgrade are courtesy upgrade to me so... Anyway :D

ha. understood.

but yea...if you ask the staff about "op-up", they will have no clue what you're talking about. "courtesy upgrade" = their language.

I want to know about this, too...

while there are some AA knowledgeable folks in here, the AA forum is probably the right spot for these questions for the two of you. Practically, from Asia Miles / Cathay point of view, of course this (the act of getting an upgrade) is possible...just enter your Asia Miles # at booking and use AM to upgrade the ticket. Provided you're in the proper fare class (W/R) and redemption availability is there, it will process. However, I suspect your question is more "will I still get AA points for my underlying fare class when I do this", and whether or not the AA system will give you the points for the underlying fare class, or the systems will conspire to screw you over.

You'll definitely be able to strip the CX MPC/Asia Miles number from the booking once you're confirmed and ticketed, and presumably can add your AA number. However, whether or not AA mucks it up afterwards is another story and probably a question for that forum. Even if you strip the FF #, I've seen reports in here where the original program that was stripped is still credited, even though you changed the FF #. I am not sure what AA's systems are like in this situation.

AA's system seems to process partner upgrades reasonably well. Though the QF points upgrade was a while ago. The CX OPups (AA number entered at the gate) processed fine a bit over a year ago.

Always keep your BPs until the miles credit (properly) while wandering

Fred

Did you book tickets with CX FF number first, upgraded with Asia Miles, then switched to AA FF number at the gate?

Sort of. Mrs WF (no status) and I got Opups at the gate when I went up to change the FF # to AA. R class one way tickets booked online with CX...

Happy wandering

Fred

Here's a new one that I haven't seen asked... if a KA flight is booked with a CX flight number (like for example CX5802 HKG-PVG operated by Cathay Dragon) can you still upgrade with Asia Miles? Marco Polo service center is telling me no (this is part of a LAX-HKG-PVG itinerary in D upgrading to F -- they say that only the transpacific can be upgraded unless the KA leg was booked with the KA flight number). Is this right or should I go the call again until I get a knowledgable agent route?

Thanks!
744

Yes you can still upgrade. It isn't anything too tricky. You just got a dumb or lazy agent.

Done it plenty of times. Technically they'll have to change you to all be one "airline"....but just bother the MPC agent and they can contact reservations and do it for you while you're on the phone. It's the same thing with companion awards....both must be under either KA or CX flight #, but not one and the other. (CX+CX and KA+KA are both valid. CX+KA are not). It's a dumb legacy systems thing they haven't integrated yet or are too lazy to do. Tell them to switch you to either the CX or KA flight # so all your segments are the same.

Just did this two weeks ago. And many times before that.

I flew HKG to JFK recently on a non-AA earning fare code but was upgraded to premium economy... Does anyone know if it's possible to now earn AA miles for the flight? Or is it based on what your booked code was?

Also, where the heck is the ticket number on the Cathay boarding pass? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills and can't find it.

By 'upgrade', you mean either
1) you paid the fare difference between your fare code and PE
2) you upgraded using Asia Miles beforehand/at check in
3) you were operationally upgraded for free as a result of economy being overbooked

for 1) you will get the miles. For 2) and 3), no AA miles. I'm sure PE was enjoyable however!

Ahhh okay yup it was #3. Good to know, thanks a bunch!

And yeah, I've flown business a number of times but didn't expect premium econ to be as significantly nicer than normal coach as it was. Def made the flight much more pleasant.

op-up when cabin's not full
 

I've just got op-uped to J from PEY last night HKG-SYD. Received email from expertflyer about seat change at -2 hours. However, it still shows as 8J 1W 9Y at -1 hour, and there are still 2 seats empty (unselected) at PEY section.

Is this a normal practise for CX to op-up someone so they can free 1 seat at the lower cabin just in case?

That can be one of the followings:
* The 1W might just be J being sold as W at the last few hours, in which case W was already oversold. They were op-upping W passengers before boarding.
* There might be Y->W instant upgrades that hadn't been processed, and they had to op-up W passengers to make room for such upgrades.
* Or perhaps others...
It is difficult to imagine CX op-upping passengers for no reason.

I got op up'd once pey to J with pey 70% full because 'DM wanted your seat'