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
#1186
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
#1187
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 50
Ahhh! It was not a redemption but a paid ticket. I meant avios cannot be used for upgrade on other oneworld airlines include CX, so perhaps that is the reason why they were not offered a cheap upgrade at that time? But still I don't think I've heard CX giving out cheap AM upgrades instead of op-ups.
#1188
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
My family (Both OWR) came back from HND on CX549 a few days ago. They faced an interesting situation and I'm not sure if I heard it before. Since I didn't travel with them so I may miss some details.
Background: Y class is overbooked, PEY and J are not full.
What happened is: Most (or all) PEY passengers were op-uped to J. All Y class passengers during my fam's check-in (They had to deal with overweight luggage so it took them a lot of time) were offered a cheap AM upgrade (1k or 2k miles, not sure) to PEY, and most passengers took the offer. They are definitely not OW/MPC silver or above because they are in the Y/PEY check-in counter. However, my family (BA/OWR, but travelled on CX metal mostly) on revenue ticket were not offered anything including an op-up. I understand avios cannot be used for upgrade, but should they be offered an op-up or something ahead of cheap AM upgrade? I don't think I've heard of a cheap upgrade in the past, so is this a new policy? Thanks!
Background: Y class is overbooked, PEY and J are not full.
What happened is: Most (or all) PEY passengers were op-uped to J. All Y class passengers during my fam's check-in (They had to deal with overweight luggage so it took them a lot of time) were offered a cheap AM upgrade (1k or 2k miles, not sure) to PEY, and most passengers took the offer. They are definitely not OW/MPC silver or above because they are in the Y/PEY check-in counter. However, my family (BA/OWR, but travelled on CX metal mostly) on revenue ticket were not offered anything including an op-up. I understand avios cannot be used for upgrade, but should they be offered an op-up or something ahead of cheap AM upgrade? I don't think I've heard of a cheap upgrade in the past, so is this a new policy? Thanks!
#1189
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 50
Also lining up in Y queue means the person has no status/MPC Green. So I wonder if op-up is given to MPC/Silver or above, then an option to upgrade using AM for non-status members. If this is the case, perhaps even OWE has no op-up?
#1190
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Ahhh! It was not a redemption but a paid ticket. I meant avios cannot be used for upgrade on other oneworld airlines include CX, so perhaps that is the reason why they were not offered a cheap upgrade at that time? But still I don't think I've heard CX giving out cheap AM upgrades instead of op-ups.
I think I'm with helvetic here - it's not discrimination by ability to pay.
Rather, OWR is really pretty low on the status pecking order that CX's algorithms may well have determined that a non-status AM member with high CIV and a small co-pay should be treated better than a partner OWR (doesn't CX Green and Premium Economy have their own desk in HND?)
A partner OWS may still be opuped.
#1191
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 50
I understand the Avios angle now. I thought it was currency (already) paid for the ticket but you meant it as an ability to pay.
I think I'm with helvetic here - it's not discrimination by ability to pay.
Rather, OWR is really pretty low on the status pecking order that CX's algorithms may well have determined that a non-status AM member with high CIV and a small co-pay should be treated better than a partner OWR (doesn't CX Green and Premium Economy have their own desk in HND?)
A partner OWS may still be opuped.
I think I'm with helvetic here - it's not discrimination by ability to pay.
Rather, OWR is really pretty low on the status pecking order that CX's algorithms may well have determined that a non-status AM member with high CIV and a small co-pay should be treated better than a partner OWR (doesn't CX Green and Premium Economy have their own desk in HND?)
A partner OWS may still be opuped.
Also, given the same amount of spending on CX, does status matter on CIV score (i.e. MPC Green vs BA OWR)?
Anyways back to this scenario: is it new to offer cheap AM upgrades to almost everyone instead of op-ups?
#1192
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
Rather, OWR is really pretty low on the status pecking order that CX's algorithms may well have determined that a non-status AM member with high CIV and a small co-pay should be treated better than a partner OWR (doesn't CX Green and Premium Economy have their own desk in HND?)
A partner OWS may still be opuped.
A partner OWS may still be opuped.
#1193
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
#1194
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club - Silver
Posts: 30
Flying to LHR during CNY time (Late Jan) Noticed my PEY (upgrade from Y) waitlist booking that I made 3 months ago was removed from the Asia miles portal without my knowledge. Had to put myself back on the waitlist for PEY again. Has this happened to anyone? Is this normal?
Last edited by pol212; Dec 23, 2019 at 7:53 pm
#1195
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Flying to LHR during CNY time (Late Jan) Noticed my PEY (upgrade from Y) waitlist booking that I made 3 months ago was removed from the Asia miles portal without my knowledge. Had to put myself back on the waitlist for PEY again. Has this happened to anyone? Is this normal?
#1196
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club - Silver
Posts: 30
Ah youre absolutely right
"You can check for your latest flight status through "Your Flights". Please note that your waitlist booking will expire if the flights are not confirmed by 22:00, 23 Dec 2019."
Thanks
"You can check for your latest flight status through "Your Flights". Please note that your waitlist booking will expire if the flights are not confirmed by 22:00, 23 Dec 2019."
Thanks
#1197
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: GVA
Programs: IB Platino/OWE, LX SEN/*G, TP Gold/*G, ALL Accor Platinum
Posts: 23
My experience: I'm flying CX for the first time today and got an upgrade from the cheapest economy class (N) to business on CX746 BAH-DXB-HKG. Very generous! :-) The flight is overbooked and I'm OWE (IB Platino).
#1198
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: HKG
Programs: CX MPC, AC Aeroplan
Posts: 92
I flew HKG-DXB-HKG twice only and they were a couple years back so I can't say it's a lot of data points. Flights were all full in Y and got op-up to J on all segments. I was "just" CX Silver at that time. The same thing happened to a co-worker on his trips (separate). Sounds like it's fairly common to have an overbooked Y with not many elites on this route and op-up chance is good for anyone with CX/OW status.