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
Dec 21, 2018, 3:52 pm
#961
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA Plat, National EE, Marriott Plat, HH Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 401
Your AA membership doesn't count for anything when doing Asia Miles upgrades, that's not right. Asia Miles reps are notorious on here for telling people stupid things that aren't right.
Loading is here
F2 A2 J9 C9 D9 I2 W9 R2 E0 Y9 B9 H9
K9 M9 L9 V9 S0 N0 Q0 O0
I don't know how to interpret that....cheapo PEY sold out, but I fare also only 2 seats left. I guess it looks good?
Fwiw it seems like from people posting here, PEY generally has the best odds of op-ups, and by extension I would think PEY->biz Asia Miles upgrades should have a decent chance. The reason is the PEY cabin tends to be elite (in-particular CX elite) light.
Loading is here
F2 A2 J9 C9 D9 I2 W9 R2 E0 Y9 B9 H9
K9 M9 L9 V9 S0 N0 Q0 O0
I don't know how to interpret that....cheapo PEY sold out, but I fare also only 2 seats left. I guess it looks good?
Fwiw it seems like from people posting here, PEY generally has the best odds of op-ups, and by extension I would think PEY->biz Asia Miles upgrades should have a decent chance. The reason is the PEY cabin tends to be elite (in-particular CX elite) light.
Dec 22, 2018, 7:43 am
#962
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2
Could someone please advise the flight loads for CX162 (SYD-HKG) for 28th Dec? I have an E class ticket in PEY and am MCP silver - just wondering what the chances of an op-up to biz might be!
Thanks in advance!!
Thanks in advance!!
Last edited by four.3.two.1; Dec 22, 2018 at 5:26 pm Reason: added in MCP status
Dec 24, 2018, 12:43 am
#963
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 19
Hello all, was wondering if I could get an idea on the loading for CX170 (Per-HK) 29th December 7:35AM. I'm sitting in R hoping to use Asia Miles to upgrade. MCP Gold. wondering if I should start hounding them now or later on the phone or closer to date.
Dec 24, 2018, 7:05 am
#964
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: CX MPC DM
Posts: 416
Looks like a good chance for op-up. I'd think an upgrade with miles should be possible. Depends on if CX thinks theres a chance of wooing revenue pax for paid I class tickets. But with I7 I would think MPC would confirm. If you want to burn the miles, I'd call every day to try for a confirmation. I'd also think instant upgrade very possible if that fails.
Dec 24, 2018, 7:10 am
#965
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 19
I'm seeing this on EF - J8 C6 D7 I7 W1 R0 E0 Y0 B0 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0
Looks like a good chance for op-up. I'd think an upgrade with miles should be possible. Depends on if CX thinks theres a chance of wooing revenue pax for paid I class tickets. But with I7 I would think MPC would confirm. If you want to burn the miles, I'd call every day to try for a confirmation. I'd also think instant upgrade very possible if that fails.
Looks like a good chance for op-up. I'd think an upgrade with miles should be possible. Depends on if CX thinks theres a chance of wooing revenue pax for paid I class tickets. But with I7 I would think MPC would confirm. If you want to burn the miles, I'd call every day to try for a confirmation. I'd also think instant upgrade very possible if that fails.
Dec 24, 2018, 7:15 am
#966
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: CX MPC DM
Posts: 416
I think its borderline chance for op-up. No way to know how many elites in front of you and 4 PE seats left. Even though only Y1, I'm seeing a fair amount of empty Y cabin seats on the seat map. Not sure if that's because the seats haven't been allocated yet. A little closer to depart date, EF should be showing seat blocks. This time of year there may be good possibility of over booking Y cabin.
If there are diamonds in economy, could they get preference to upgrade straight to biz, or is op up usually a 1 class upgrade too?
Dec 24, 2018, 3:18 pm
#968
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
In general, from what I read on here it seems like PEY is the sweet spot for non-CX elites or lower tier elites to get op-ups. The dynamic of one-class upgrades (for the most part) is the reason why.
Dec 26, 2018, 2:42 pm
#969
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171
Only one class operational upgrade, unless, I guess if business is so undersold and Y is so oversold that there are more than 34 (?) op-ups from Y.
Dec 31, 2018, 12:44 am
#971
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Last edited by percysmith; Dec 31, 2018 at 1:24 am
Dec 31, 2018, 1:09 am
#973
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Dec 31, 2018, 2:18 am
#975
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: HKG/HND/OOL
Programs: QF Emerald. SQ Gold.
Posts: 3,171
no u have better luck on instant stractch lotto that pays 3k usd to buy ur upgrade
thats return to work travel peak. J loading of 0 and 1 means filled with pax whos schedule are fixed, unlike other times when there is business trips travel with flexibility. so expect all J to turn up.
thats return to work travel peak. J loading of 0 and 1 means filled with pax whos schedule are fixed, unlike other times when there is business trips travel with flexibility. so expect all J to turn up.