DSI

Hi,

I have three paid seats on J from HKG to JFK and could not go online to "manage booking" to upgrade to F. I understand that this will require 60,000 Asia Miles, which I can get through my SPG miles. But I don't exactly want to transfer the miles before I can get clarity on the upgrades.

Any tips, insight? Is three F seats are not booked, can I just hand over the 180,000 points? Or is it still a little difficult?

pssteve

See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...on-thread.html sticky for discussion on this.Good luck.
I had no luck using AM to UG from PEY to J even though J on several legs went out with empty seats. Based on my experience it seems that you do have to transfer the points into AM before they take you seriously.

Guy Betsy

You need to first find out thru the website if there are 3 award spaces for F. Upgrades and award seats use the same inventory code.

When you call to book, those miles must be there because AM cannot hold the seats while you transfer the miles. Once confirmed, the miles will be deducted immediately.

Having said that, it is very difficult to confirm 3 seats at once. It may take one seat at a time, and then you may have to waitlist at least one if not two of them. If you do not have MPC status, your chances are lower because if a status member waitlists those same flights, they will get it before you.

RA-wannabe

Getting 3 F class redemption is next to impossible if you are not a DM member. Even a DM member will find it hard to get 3 F class redemption. It's 1/2 of the seats on F class...

jamienbaker

Depends on the season. We routinely get FOUR award seats in F from JFK in late July or early August, but never get more than two returning at the end of August. No status, always booked through AA or BA. Typically get 2 11 months out and then the other two T-11 days or closer. SFO particularly easy on 744 flight.

So it depends on route and season.

mayodave

chance of 3 seats on one flight is very slim

jamienbaker

We've routinely done both 3 and 4. Requires preservance and luck. To the OP, when is your flight, peak season or summer slump? Would you consider flying via SFO and connecting from there?

mayodave

You mean MEGApreservance

jamienbaker

Completely accurate! The first two are easy to score - book as soon as the AA system will allow (which is generally 30 days after CX/BA allow bookings, something to do with Amedeus but I don't remember the specifics). But once inside of 14 days, sleep grinds to a halt and one has to check every hour or so. Last year we scored the other pair of F seats 11 days out, I checked at 0630 EST and there was nothing, checked again ay 0715 and there they were. So I actually had 11 days of rest and relaxation, which was a first.

For this summer, it'll be tough. Wife and kids booked in J, flight showing F6, but we missed the 11 month window and now everything is shut down. They are satisfied flying over in J, but my wife won't know where to head for the five hour layover in HKG due she's never done anything but the F Wing. So if I can't get them in F, she'll have to navigate J lounges on her own. So I have no clue what amenities are available, where to direct her, are there showers, etc.

I'll join a week later via SQ Suite so I don't have to deal with CX 744 issue. Though I'm holding CX reservation as my backup in case anything fouls up with SQ (or, more likely UA, since I have to position in LAX first).

So yes, MEGAperserverence is the way it is done!

Guy Betsy

OP is using Asia Miles for I->Z upgrade.

So its going through the pecking order..

And OP BOUGHT revenue tickets from HKG to JFK. I don't think suggesting him to start from SFO is going to be an option !

jamienbaker

My understanding is awards are released and waitlists cleared at slightly different times, meaning one should monitor awards in hopes of jumping the queue. Simply relying on the waitlist process is foolish on most airlines, though perhaps CX is better than most.

As for SFO, if one has purchased biz tickets my guess is change of routing may be only an insignificant service charge. Again, I may be mistaken. But I stand by my advice. Is F is the goal, one should incorporate the easiest US gateway which is clearly SFO for as long as the 744 remains.

CrazyJ82

There were reports that this used to be true on CX. But based on recent experience, it has improved. (Strange to think they've managed to improve anything IT-related, but there it is.) For upgrade awards where I was watching availability like a hawk, my waitlists cleared a couple weeks before departure automatically. Unless there was an extremely narrow window of opportunity, it appears those seats were never available to non-waitlisted pax.

jamienbaker

Excellent to know. This is how it should work. Appreciate the insight.