Regarding waitlist for upgrading someone in your redemption group... Are the miles deducted from AM account when you add to waitlist, or when upgrade clears? If it's the latter, what would happen if you didn't have enough miles in your account? Asking because I would like to transfer in enough miles only if upgrade clears -- any way to make that work?

Separate question: the AM terms indicate no upgrade awards on travel agency, bulk, discount tickets, etc. Does anyone know if this applied to Chase UR, Citi TYP, etc. redemptions that apply such that you're ticketed in an upgrade-eligible date class?

Thanks in advance for your help! Very unfamiliar with the program and hoping to have an additional person join during travel.

When the upgrade is cleared, CX will notify you. Sometimes, they keep the same deadline (from the waitlist deadline, which is all the way until a few days before the flight). Other times, they give you a couple of days from the time they notify you. You will then have to call MPO / AM to issue the upgrade award. The miles are then deducted when the ticket is re-issued to reflect the upgrade. However, if CX only gives you a couple of days, I'm not sure if the transfer will be deposited in your AM account in time.

I believe as long as the ticket is booked in J/C/D/I/W/R/Y/B/H/K/M/L/V class, it can be upgraded. I have upgraded myself on TA-issued tickets multiple times. However, I have no experience with the channels you mentioned.

Miles are deducted at the time the upgrade ticket is processed which is after the upgrade clears. When the upgrade clears, MPC will send you a message via email and SMS to your registered contact information. At that point there is an alloted time to do the ticketing which I believe is 48 hours (I am probably wrong about that, someone else can correct). To do the ticketing you need to contact MPC. If there is any fee to pay (airport tax, etc) the ticketing office will try to contact you on your registered phone number. Occasionaly, I have had to contact ticketing office myself when I am in HKG and my US phone number doesn't work. If there are no fees, the MPC agent will working with ticketing office and you will get an email within a day or so with your new e-Ticket. Also Manage My Booking will reflect the new ticket and you won't see the old ticket anymore.

Regarding required miles, I believe the rules have changed recently and waitlisting an award requires a minimum of 70% of the miles needed for the award. As part of the ticketing process, the miles are deducted from your balance. If you are short, within 70%, you can top off your balance, see Topping of Asia Miles,

I don't really understand your second question. I convert upgrade awards on travel agent purchased tickets all the time and there is no restriction as long as the ticket is within the required fare class for upgrading, for PEY that is R or W class. If you are talking about using Credit Card points for upgrading, the only currency available is Asia Miles, so those points need to be converted to Asia Miles. Very frequently MPC will give you a few days to transfer miles into your account. However with the new rules, you still in 70% in order to apply for the upgrade award.

If you are speaking about tickets purchased with points on Chase or Citi travel websites, I don't see an issue with that provided that tickets are in the appropriate fare class for upgrading. However for AA codeshare tickets, I don't believe those are upgradeable. I have colleagues who buy AA PEY tickets to HKG from the US on AMEX travel where they sometimes get a very good rate, but those are AA tickets on CX metal and are not eligible for upgrade.

Thank you both synthkeys and ernestnywang! Given the small time window, it sounds like I will need to transfer in enough AM before upgrade clears. To make sure a PEY ticket issued in W/R via credit card point redemption can be upgraded, I'll try to call within the first 24 hours so that refund is possible if they say no (even though it seems like it should work).

Bought ticket as an AA marketed flight, flying on CX metal... is this eligible for an upgrade using AA points? It was available for purchase when I bought the ticket (premium economy), however I have a bunch of AA miles to burn and was hoping to use them for my upcoming flight from SFO-HKG. Is this a possibility?

No. On CX metal you must use Asia Miles to upgrade only. No other currencies allowed regardless of codeshare.

Also note, only W and R (not E) sub fare classes are eligible at that.

Finally, there might be some difficulties even if you're on the correct fare class, due to the codeshare. But this last point I am not familiar with. Just flagging it as a possible issue others will know better.

If I put in a PEY->J upgrade request for myself. Can I change my FF# to AS after the upgrade is cleared so that I can credit the flight to AS?

Could one use Asia Miles to upgrade to J but credit the flight to AS? Would appreciate if anyone could confirm. Thanks.

I did this last year. I was upgraded from J to F at the transfer desk in HKG. I changed to my AA number in the Pier F lounge with no issues. I was going to change to AA whether the upgrade cleared or not, but kept my AM number in while on the waitlist. On my outbound to HKG my upgrade cleared several weeks out and I changed to my AA number online.

CX881 30 May LAX-HKG J->F UG
 

OK so purchased an upgrade to Y+ via AA (codeshare flight for cheap) on cx sfo-hkg A350. Went to log onto Cathay's site for seat selection and everything is greyed out. Is op up possible as I am an OWE? Are they holding back seats? What should I expect

Op-up is possible (prioritized behind CX DMs, GOs). But you should expect to sit in your ticketed cabin.

So I should expect to sit in Y+, even though currently can't select a seat. Just wanted to confirm as not having a seat would kinda ruin my travel plans, lol.

Have you tried calling CX or AA and asking them to assign seats? I suspect your issue may be that it is a codeshare.

it's grayed out on cx as well. but plenty of J and regular coach...