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
Aug 12, 2024 | 5:00 pm
#1396
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: HKG, EXT, AGP
Programs: CX Gold (OW Sapphire), APEC
Posts: 171
As an SL who somewhat regularly flies in PY on a mix of R and T fare codes on flights between HKG/LHR in peak season, pretty much none. Don't get your hopes up. Also, the fare class you are booked in makes little to no difference when it comes to op-ups. The only thing you could do to perhaps improve your chances is do OLCI right when it opens up.
Aug 12, 2024 | 5:09 pm
#1397
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: CYEG
Programs: CX Silver, WS Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold Elite, Hilton Gold, OW Ruby, NEXUS
Posts: 2
As an SL who somewhat regularly flies in PY on a mix of R and T fare codes on flights between HKG/LHR in peak season, pretty much none. Don't get your hopes up. Also, the fare class you are booked in makes little to no difference when it comes to op-ups. The only thing you could do to perhaps improve your chances is do OLCI right when it opens up.
Aug 12, 2024 | 9:33 pm
#1398
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 11,078
Op-up are status based
Aug 12, 2024 | 9:35 pm
#1399
Moderator: Cathay Pacific
Join Date: Jan 2024
Programs: CX DM-
Posts: 1,302
Aug 13, 2024 | 1:12 pm
#1400
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Cathay, JGC, Skypass
Posts: 84
They used to upgrade a lot of SL international students (myself included) from Y to J long long long time ago. Are students the exception or have they fallen down the pecking order now?
Aug 13, 2024 | 1:26 pm
#1401
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: CX MPC Silver (OWR)
Posts: 59
It's not an exception. I'm also a student and I think the reason why we SLs get upgraded a lot is because we are flying during peak times for school (start and end of term), so the plane is full of college students etc. Most of this demographic don't care enough to optimize and get status, so we are at the top of the op-up list. I recently snagged an op-up from PEY to J from HKG to JFK and the flight had a lot of college students.
Aug 13, 2024 | 2:04 pm
#1402
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: HKG, EXT, AGP
Programs: CX Gold (OW Sapphire), APEC
Posts: 171
I would suggest there has been a rise in fellow students who have become GO members. On one particular flight from LHR-HKG last December, I recall 5 or 6 greetings being given out to others who also looked like students.
Aug 13, 2024 | 8:07 pm
#1403
Moderator: Cathay Pacific
Join Date: Jan 2024
Programs: CX DM-
Posts: 1,302
I wish it was a thing that they op-up students. I would enrol back into full-time education for this perk. Many students fly so often that they get status and priority when it comes to upgrades. We do need to remember that outside of the FT world, even SL is not that common.
Aug 13, 2024 | 10:50 pm
#1404
Join Date: Mar 2024
Programs: Agoda VIP DM; Booking Genius L3; Trip Plt; ... (smirk!) // ALL Accor GO; Ascott ASR SL
Posts: 618
On the other hand, if students attain their status by frequently flying as a student, they'd probably reduce flying by quite a bit after graduating and thar might not be the airlines' top priority in terms of customer retention...
It'd more likely be a batch of students every year which come, then go after a few years
Aug 13, 2024 | 11:56 pm
#1405
Moderator: Cathay Pacific
Join Date: Jan 2024
Programs: CX DM-
Posts: 1,302
Out of interest, does CX publish any stats w.r.t. its members' demographics? (numbers, by age, by location) etc.?
On the other hand, if students attain their status by frequently flying as a student, they'd probably reduce flying by quite a bit after graduating and thar might not be the airlines' top priority in terms of customer retention...
It'd more likely be a batch of students every year which come, then go after a few years
On the other hand, if students attain their status by frequently flying as a student, they'd probably reduce flying by quite a bit after graduating and thar might not be the airlines' top priority in terms of customer retention...
It'd more likely be a batch of students every year which come, then go after a few years
Aug 14, 2024 | 2:39 am
#1406
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Cathay, JGC, Skypass
Posts: 84
Always thought it was a "get em while they are young" sort of tactic by CX, giving access to fancy lounges with champagne, priority baggage/check-in, upgrades, etc. It's quite addictive when you're young. Been keeping my status since I got it years ago as a student and always prioritised CX for work (and personal) trips when available.
Aug 22, 2024 | 4:31 pm
#1408
formerly JackDann
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 2,258
Is it possible to Upgrade using Avios?
Looking to book HKG-HKT return. 250 in Economy and 1000 in J so would prefer to try and use Avios.
My assumption is that any availability would just show using the standard Avios search on the BA Website?
If this is not an option - what would the next best method to be rather than paying the full cash fare (Bid?)
Looking to book HKG-HKT return. 250 in Economy and 1000 in J so would prefer to try and use Avios.
My assumption is that any availability would just show using the standard Avios search on the BA Website?
If this is not an option - what would the next best method to be rather than paying the full cash fare (Bid?)
Aug 22, 2024 | 4:36 pm
#1409
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: HKG, EXT, AGP
Programs: CX Gold (OW Sapphire), APEC
Posts: 171
I was looking to see if I could upgrade to Business class on an R class ticket from ICN-LHR via HKG. From what I remember, the Upgrade award used to be distance based. This ticket that I currently have would cost 42000 miles for an upgrade (ICN-LHR via HKG is less than 7500 miles in total distance). It said 42000 miles was required when I checked last month. Now after checking today, it says 56000 miles (14000+42000) is required. It seems that they are charging both flights separately. Has there been a change in policy?