Tell us the date of your travel, flight number, etc and I can check EF for loads. Likely scenario is the only seats available require some status to choose or are currently blocked. For some reason, CX has been blocking the last row, 33, of PEY on the 359s. Row 30 seats are usually premium which can easily be selected by pax with status.

You're inability to select a seat could be for this reason or for overbooking scenario. Either way, if you are ticketed for PEY (Y+) you will fly in that cabin or better if you happen to get lucky with an operational upgrade (op-up) to J due to overbooking. Calling AA or CX ticketing to try and get an assigned seat might work, as you are seeing everything "grayed out", as you say. I would try this, while PEY is more generally more comfortable than Y, being assigned a middle seat is not ideal.

travelling on CX SFO-HKG 5/22 01:15 AM departure. If you could check loads and see if there are seats in the 2 sections of the 2-4-2 arrangement I'd really appreciate it. If there isn't do you suggest not calling in and having them assign me a seat in hopes of an op-up?

You can't call for an op-up. If you win the op-up lottery, either your name will be called by a gate agent or in the lounge or you when the agent scans your boarding pass and the system tells the agent to check. The other scenario is extreme overbooking where either during online check-in or at physical check-in you're given a new seat assignment with an upgrade.

Looking at this flight, EF shows - J9 C9 D9 I9 W9 R9 E9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V7 S4 N0 Q0. W, R, E are the PEY fare classes, the number after the fare class indicates the number of tickets for sale, if 9 means 9 or more. J, C, D, I are the biz fare classes. So they are still selling tickets in PEY, however the seatmap shows absolutely full PEY section, with only 33 H/K showing as blocked instead of occupied. Looks like CX is looking to overbook PEY. J Class seatmap is showing lots of empty seats. I would say the chances are high for an op-up. Whether you win the lottery it's hard to say. CX status pax (DM, GO) are higher in the food chain.

Currently 33 H&K are showing as blocked. By calling CX you might be able to get a seat assignment for one of those.

would you take chances at hopefully winning the op-up lotto?

Yes, I would but I'm a CX DM and I would certainly hedge my bet by calling CX Marco Polo Club and snagging 33H as I wouldn't want to seated in a middle PEY seat on a 14 hour flight to HKG in case I don't win the lottery.

I'm a AA plat (OWE) so not sure how to play it. Will CX assign 33h/k if they are blocked or reserved for say special needs pax?

I don't really understand what you're trying to do. You can't influence your op up chance with what you're describing or not.

Overall my understanding is PEY is the best class to score op ups from, so thats going for you. What's going against you is obviously CX DMs are ahead of you, and according to recent reports here so are CX GOs and even SLs. But on some flights Y is super oversold and J isn't, and they go down and op up everyone and their brother. Anyway, I don't think it's worth obsessing over. Your odds are decent, but admittedly not amazing and just roll with it. Not much you can do.

The question was weather to select a seat via calling CX, (to see whether they will assign me one of the blocked seats), or not and if that would have any impact on getting an op/up. Appreciate the feedback on the op/up procedure. Just wanted to give myself the best shot.

Long-Shot Upgrade . . .
 

I purchased a Premium Economy (Class W) ticket on American Airlines for my flight to HKG from PHX. I have requested an upgrade for my AA Legs (PHX-LAX-NRT.) However, the last leg of my flight (NRT-HKG) is operated by CX and has me in Regular Economy! Is there any way, anyway at all other than paying to upgrade my entire itinerary that I can purchase or upgrade with miles just that CX leg to Business class?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

All -

Hoping someone can point a new CX traveler in the right direction.

Booked ORD-HKG in discounted business class (booked into I). Outbound flight is in early-june, return is in mid-july.

I'd like to take a shot at upgrading to first. Outbound shows F4 and return F6 in expertflyer - obviously way too early to tell.

I have an AsiaMiles account with no miles in it. I have TY points and MR points I can transfer in. OW Emerald if that matters, which I assume it doesn't.

I guess my question is: what's the best way to play this?

Specifically:

1. Can I/should I call and waitlist for an upgrade? Does it matter when? Do I need to have miles in my account to do so?
2. Assuming it doesn't clear a week out, and assuming the numbers look ok, is that the right time to transfer miles in? I understand transfers take 1-4 days and I assume I want to make sure I have miles in my account in case something opens last minute - is that accurate? Fully recognize that I'm gambling if I do this and that I may very well lose.
3. Any sense of when CX has been releasing space lately? Is it 7 days out? 48 hours? 24?

Feel free to point me to other threads. I searched and only found one thread, two years old, that didn't address these questions. I may very well have missed one and if so apologies for cluttering up this thread. Similarly, I haven't read all 72 pages of this thread - but if there are posts in here that address this, I'd welcome being pointed to them.

And finally - many thanks.

So, I've read most of this thread now and have a pretty good understanding of upgrades on Cathay, but a few questions persist. Stil a newb obvi.

I bought two CX tix fare class "E" direct on their website for an IAD->HKG RT for 7/5->7/16 (we have an add-on to fly HKG<->HKT). I checked EF and still plenty of availability in all classes except PE on both legs from/to IAD.

I bought the tix knowing I couldn't upgrade on miles which I decided against and figured I'm completely okay with PE if that's all I end up with. Both of us are OWR. Pretty far down in the pecking order but at least not at the bottom.

Can I still bid for an upgrade? And, if so, what's the typical min-bid to upgrade?

Am I still eligible for an op-up with fare class "E" to business?

Still WAY too early to tell loads at this point... but am highly considering bidding up to business if I can for a min-bid.

You can find out if your itinerary is eligible on a dedicated CX page for that (google Cathay Upgrade Bid or similar).

Yes, eligible for op-up.