Oct 29, 2013, 4:27 am
Last edit by: ZZ100
Is it possible to buy a (cheap) upgrade on Cathay Pacific upon check-in?
The short answer is no.
Cathay, as a general rule, does not allow you to purchase last minute upgrades if there are empty seats in Y+, J or F. The only way to upgrade a ticket is to pay the fare difference between your current ticket, and an available fare class in the higher cabins. Note that if your current ticket has restrictions (cancellation fees, non-refundable) these still apply.
There are been stories of people who have been offered cheap upgrades by Cathay, but this is more an exception than a common occurrence.
If I upgrade my ticket using asia miles, do I still earn miles?
Yes, you will earn miles for the original fare class that you booked, not the upgraded cabin.
How do I get a free upgrade / operational upgrade (op-up)?
Cathay Pacific does not upgrade passengers just because there are empty seats in higher classes. Upgrades will only occur where there is overbooking in lower classes.
The order of upgrades when required is believed to be:
I am travelling on an award ticket. Will I still be considered for a free upgrade?
Yes - there are many stories of passengers on award tickets, or who upgraded a class using miles, getting (additional) upgrades.
What happens if the aircraft has 4 or 3 cabins, but is only selling Business and Economy seats?
It is likely if you have Marco Polo status, and to a lesser extent oneworld status, you may be able to sit in either First Class seats (if booked in J) or Premium Economy (if booked in Y) with service of the original cabin. There doesn't appear to be consistency yet as to how these semi-upgrades are allocated. Some people have been able to choose seats in the higher cabin during online check-in, or some will get them on request at check-in. However, there is no entitlement to these seats.
Will I get an upgrade on my Birthday, or for my membership anniversary, or for reaching xx number of lifetime club miles?
Please see this link for members' experience with these kinds of upgrades: Marco Polo Anniversary Upgrades
I want to use Asia Miles to upgrade a BA flight. How do I do this?
As of 22 June 2018, it is no longer possible to upgrade BA flights with Asia Miles.
How do I upgrade a CX flight using miles?
If you already have issued your original ticket:
If you have not made any booking yet, and you want to check availability:
If you don't receive a new e-ticket before departure, call up Marco Polo club to double check if the upgrade has been issued.
The short answer is no.
Cathay, as a general rule, does not allow you to purchase last minute upgrades if there are empty seats in Y+, J or F. The only way to upgrade a ticket is to pay the fare difference between your current ticket, and an available fare class in the higher cabins. Note that if your current ticket has restrictions (cancellation fees, non-refundable) these still apply.
There are been stories of people who have been offered cheap upgrades by Cathay, but this is more an exception than a common occurrence.
If I upgrade my ticket using asia miles, do I still earn miles?
Yes, you will earn miles for the original fare class that you booked, not the upgraded cabin.
How do I get a free upgrade / operational upgrade (op-up)?
Cathay Pacific does not upgrade passengers just because there are empty seats in higher classes. Upgrades will only occur where there is overbooking in lower classes.
The order of upgrades when required is believed to be:
- VIP (Heads of State, Government Bodies, or Canto Pop/Movie stars)
- CX Diamond Plus
- CX Diamond Invitation, Diamond
- CX Gold
- CX management staff on travel duty
- oneworld Emerald
- CX staff on duty nominees , other airline staff nominees, CX staff on personal travel
- oneworld Sapphire
- CX Silver
- oneworld Ruby
- CX Green
- Asia Miles
- Non status
I am travelling on an award ticket. Will I still be considered for a free upgrade?
Yes - there are many stories of passengers on award tickets, or who upgraded a class using miles, getting (additional) upgrades.
What happens if the aircraft has 4 or 3 cabins, but is only selling Business and Economy seats?
It is likely if you have Marco Polo status, and to a lesser extent oneworld status, you may be able to sit in either First Class seats (if booked in J) or Premium Economy (if booked in Y) with service of the original cabin. There doesn't appear to be consistency yet as to how these semi-upgrades are allocated. Some people have been able to choose seats in the higher cabin during online check-in, or some will get them on request at check-in. However, there is no entitlement to these seats.
Will I get an upgrade on my Birthday, or for my membership anniversary, or for reaching xx number of lifetime club miles?
Please see this link for members' experience with these kinds of upgrades: Marco Polo Anniversary Upgrades
I want to use Asia Miles to upgrade a BA flight. How do I do this?
As of 22 June 2018, it is no longer possible to upgrade BA flights with Asia Miles.
How do I upgrade a CX flight using miles?
If you already have issued your original ticket:
- Try upgrading using Manage My Booking on the website (not always successful)
- If self-service doesn't work, try calling Marco Polo hotline to check availability
- If there is availability, you will need to issue the upgrade immediately to secure it. They may give you a few days grace before isssuing the upgrade, but this is now rarely given.
- In a few days, or longer if they are busy, your miles will be deducted, and you will be emailed a new e-ticket with the upgrade class details on it, and your online booking for your original booking class will disappear.
If you have not made any booking yet, and you want to check availability:
- Call Marco Polo club to check for availability on the flights/dates you want, or check for normal redemption availability on the website.
- Book a revenue ticket in the class of service for which you will be paying. Do NOT do this via the website -- call a CX telephone sales number/travel agent.
- Put the booking on hold.
- Call the Marco Polo/Asia Miles Service Center. Have them book the upgrade and give you a deadline to have the ticket issued. (It's usually about 72 hours).
- Have telephone sales/travel agent issue your revenue ticket.
- Call Marco Polo/Asia Miles back. Give them the revenue ticket number against the PNR and ask them to issue your upgrade.
- In about two or three days, you'll get a new ticket with the upgrade showing.
If you don't receive a new e-ticket before departure, call up Marco Polo club to double check if the upgrade has been issued.
The Ultimate Upgrade Question thread
Apr 17, 2018, 8:38 pm
#841
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: KCGX
Posts: 144
Some data points for LAX-HKG. CX 881 never opened any additional Z space and eventually went F0 about T-36. Was F3 at the Sunday/14 day window. CX 883 (which had been F1 for the longest time) all of a sudden went F3 Z2 so I paid a change fee and immediately was able to confirm two of those for us.
Our return HKG-ORD was F5 and cleared the waitlist at the Sunday/14 day window. Waitlist notified me via SMS and email simultaneously and the deadline to ticket was the same as the waitlist expiration date/time so I actually had over a week to finalize the ticketing.
Tip for those that waitlist a RT upgrade, make sure you readd your return leg to the waitlist when the RT waitlist expires. That is not automatic although I was able to do it online painlessly.
Thanks to those that provided some guidance.
Our return HKG-ORD was F5 and cleared the waitlist at the Sunday/14 day window. Waitlist notified me via SMS and email simultaneously and the deadline to ticket was the same as the waitlist expiration date/time so I actually had over a week to finalize the ticketing.
Tip for those that waitlist a RT upgrade, make sure you readd your return leg to the waitlist when the RT waitlist expires. That is not automatic although I was able to do it online painlessly.
Thanks to those that provided some guidance.
May 8, 2018, 8:57 am
#843
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: HKG
Programs: CX DM, SPG Pt, Le Club Accor GO, Shangri-La GC Jade
Posts: 1,327
I got op-up offer for both bounds when I was flying HKG-TPE on X class.... But since they didn't offer my companion to op-up as well I was (being) retained in Y
May 8, 2018, 11:38 am
#844
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,053
May 8, 2018, 5:35 pm
#845
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Singapore
Programs: Cathay Diamond and Singapore Gold
Posts: 227
May 21, 2018, 11:22 am
#846
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP 75K, HI DIA
Posts: 208
Wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. I cleared the upgrade waitlist to F for SFO-HKG-SIN and so called the AM Service Center to reissue the ticket. They said no problem, it will be issued within three days. Then I log in to check my itinerary on the CX website and this message still appears:
"Our records indicate that you have not issued a ticket for this booking. Please contact Asia Miles Service Hotline
to issue the ticket before 09:00, 21 May (SFO time). Otherwise your booking will be invalid and will automatically be cancelled without further notice."
Same message as before, only now the ticketing deadline has changed to list a deadline PRIOR to when I called the AM Service Center this morning. And, obviously, that ticketing deadline is now in the past. I assume this is some sort of website glitch but anyone have similar experiences with an upgrade that has cleared but is awaiting re-ticketing on the AM end?
"Our records indicate that you have not issued a ticket for this booking. Please contact Asia Miles Service Hotline
to issue the ticket before 09:00, 21 May (SFO time). Otherwise your booking will be invalid and will automatically be cancelled without further notice."Same message as before, only now the ticketing deadline has changed to list a deadline PRIOR to when I called the AM Service Center this morning. And, obviously, that ticketing deadline is now in the past. I assume this is some sort of website glitch but anyone have similar experiences with an upgrade that has cleared but is awaiting re-ticketing on the AM end?
May 21, 2018, 11:44 am
#847
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Singapore
Programs: MPC, KF, Accor, SPG, HH
Posts: 903
Wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. I cleared the upgrade waitlist to F for SFO-HKG-SIN and so called the AM Service Center to reissue the ticket. They said no problem, it will be issued within three days. Then I log in to check my itinerary on the CX website and this message still appears:
"Our records indicate that you have not issued a ticket for this booking. Please contact Asia Miles Service Hotline to issue the ticket before 09:00, 21 May (SFO time). Otherwise your booking will be invalid and will automatically be cancelled without further notice."
Same message as before, only now the ticketing deadline has changed to list a deadline PRIOR to when I called the AM Service Center this morning. And, obviously, that ticketing deadline is now in the past. I assume this is some sort of website glitch but anyone have similar experiences with an upgrade that has cleared but is awaiting re-ticketing on the AM end?
"Our records indicate that you have not issued a ticket for this booking. Please contact Asia Miles Service Hotline
to issue the ticket before 09:00, 21 May (SFO time). Otherwise your booking will be invalid and will automatically be cancelled without further notice."Same message as before, only now the ticketing deadline has changed to list a deadline PRIOR to when I called the AM Service Center this morning. And, obviously, that ticketing deadline is now in the past. I assume this is some sort of website glitch but anyone have similar experiences with an upgrade that has cleared but is awaiting re-ticketing on the AM end?
Happened to me once on a R to U upgrade
May 24, 2018, 2:30 pm
#848
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX DM (OWE), TK Elite (*A Gold)
Posts: 202
Hi All,
I'm DM, normally fly J on routes with no F. A few days ago I flew from HKG-YVR which has F. I checked loading which was in my favour, and having never been upgraded I was mildly hopeful. Unfortunately, it was not to be. What I did find is that my colleague, flying in J with GO status was upgraded to F. She was upped at the gate, so I guess an up-op rather than birthday/ mileage upgrade.
How can that be? What type of scenario would allow this?
I'm DM, normally fly J on routes with no F. A few days ago I flew from HKG-YVR which has F. I checked loading which was in my favour, and having never been upgraded I was mildly hopeful. Unfortunately, it was not to be. What I did find is that my colleague, flying in J with GO status was upgraded to F. She was upped at the gate, so I guess an up-op rather than birthday/ mileage upgrade.
How can that be? What type of scenario would allow this?
May 24, 2018, 3:01 pm
#849
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
Hi All,
I'm DM, normally fly J on routes with no F. A few days ago I flew from HKG-YVR which has F. I checked loading which was in my favour, and having never been upgraded I was mildly hopeful. Unfortunately, it was not to be. What I did find is that my colleague, flying in J with GO status was upgraded to F. She was upped at the gate, so I guess an up-op rather than birthday/ mileage upgrade.
How can that be? What type of scenario would allow this?
I'm DM, normally fly J on routes with no F. A few days ago I flew from HKG-YVR which has F. I checked loading which was in my favour, and having never been upgraded I was mildly hopeful. Unfortunately, it was not to be. What I did find is that my colleague, flying in J with GO status was upgraded to F. She was upped at the gate, so I guess an up-op rather than birthday/ mileage upgrade.
How can that be? What type of scenario would allow this?
Anecdotal, but within some of my friends / circles, we've been seeing SLs getting upgraded the most. I'm not surprised that this is happening.
In fact our opup order posted here has been erroneous for a while already; SLs get upgraded ahead of EMER/SAPH, this was clarified by a ground staff agent working for CX on another forum.
May 31, 2018, 1:34 am
#850
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Beijing
Posts: 349
Hi all, not finding the asnwers to my (burning) question. So here it goes:
I have flown the first of 4 sectors. flying in PY booked in R. So can upgrade to J class (U). I am being told its 30k miles for that (HKG-BCN-HKG). As I am waiting on a partner to book their flights, I am not certain I will be wanting the upgrade, as they may not get the business class ticket.
If I upgrade now (via website) and then later decide I actually want to go back to PY, and not use the upgrade is that:
- possible?
- will I loose the miles?
Flight is about 6 weeks away, 10 empty seats on the A350 in J.
I have flown the first of 4 sectors. flying in PY booked in R. So can upgrade to J class (U). I am being told its 30k miles for that (HKG-BCN-HKG). As I am waiting on a partner to book their flights, I am not certain I will be wanting the upgrade, as they may not get the business class ticket.
If I upgrade now (via website) and then later decide I actually want to go back to PY, and not use the upgrade is that:
- possible?
- will I loose the miles?
Flight is about 6 weeks away, 10 empty seats on the A350 in J.
May 31, 2018, 1:45 am
#851
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
Hi all, not finding the asnwers to my (burning) question. So here it goes:
I have flown the first of 4 sectors. flying in PY booked in R. So can upgrade to J class (U). I am being told its 30k miles for that (HKG-BCN-HKG). As I am waiting on a partner to book their flights, I am not certain I will be wanting the upgrade, as they may not get the business class ticket.
If I upgrade now (via website) and then later decide I actually want to go back to PY, and not use the upgrade is that:
- possible?
- will I loose the miles?
Flight is about 6 weeks away, 10 empty seats on the A350 in J.
I have flown the first of 4 sectors. flying in PY booked in R. So can upgrade to J class (U). I am being told its 30k miles for that (HKG-BCN-HKG). As I am waiting on a partner to book their flights, I am not certain I will be wanting the upgrade, as they may not get the business class ticket.
If I upgrade now (via website) and then later decide I actually want to go back to PY, and not use the upgrade is that:
- possible?
- will I loose the miles?
Flight is about 6 weeks away, 10 empty seats on the A350 in J.
May 31, 2018, 2:06 am
#852
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Beijing
Posts: 349
thanks, very helpful! Last thing... will the ticket conditions remain the same too, as per original booking? (no change fee, no show fee waived, etc...)
Jun 24, 2018, 8:35 am
#855
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
The rear J section is being sold as Y. This is somewhat common for a few KA routes where Y class demand / yield optimization requires more Y seats than the plane has on board. KA620/621 come to mind as frequently done this way, and the forward F cabin is opened for J elites.
The split J cabin on the 33R config helps permit this dynamic.