You might have to check for the flights you want a week or two prior to your departure date. Inventory tends to open up.

Well... You know some people I know (well basically everybody i know who is a member of Asia Miles) they are ACTUALLY staying on the computer at 00:00 HK time to snatch the award space for a flight a year (350 days i think) later. IMHO, Asia Miles although is kind of stingy, but it is not any sort of scam/ fraud. Me and my family could redeem 4x biz lh tickets departing on Christmas Day last year- CONCLUSION : you can get a seat if you are quick enough

It actually opens 08:00 HKT. And it involves the phone.

It's not about quickness, it's about policy of holding on hope of not giving away seats when you can sell it. And for a family trip nobody has the luxury of waiting till 1 week prior to departure to know that whether you're going to have a seat or not.

Does any FFP offers this benefit: "Guaranteed mileage redemption seat", it would be an excellent benefit that will ensure I keep flying with CX even if my travel frequency will be reduced in the foreseeable future. (For DM and GO that is)

In all fairness, I think Asia Miles is above average for award redemption, esp in premium cabins. Like all FFP, it takes research, patience and flexibility to get your redemption clear. If the airlines open up all available seat for redemption then they will be out of business.

Actually some do but it requires absurd amount of miles, for example SQ.

There are priority awards where you use more miles to get more availability.

Sure enough, there are, but at 105K AM this is more than what OP has.

Never had an issue to redeem - but then I only book PVG-HKG in C with plenty of availability and flights..

It is well known that airlines control the number of available rewards.. Good luck to the ops and chill out..

I'd try to check what redemptions are available before starting out with a new program...but I can imagine lots of non-FTers being drawn by the false advertising.

It's horribly annoying. I just have a colleague ask "I've booked the CX709 for my sister to BKK next month - only flight when she booked months ago. The morning flights all opened now. What if she wants it?" (I asked her to consider whether 1,000AM = 1 full day in BKK)

I asked a similar question of my mother who wanted to drop in on my brother and nephew on my brother's birthday "I have a less than perfect redemption itinerary now. But it's all in CX Business and you'll get there in time for brother's birthday and play with my nephew for a few days. Shall I redeem that now and waitlist you on the good flights? Very little change fee"

OP, I'm sure CX Forum loves to help people out, but FT isn't the source to come for every little mileage redemption problem
If you get frustrated with your issue, You clearly should've went an found "Award/Mileage Consultant", you pay those people to search rewards for you because you can't do it yourself

That or Delta Skypesos soon to be known as SkyYen :D

No FFP can guarantee a Mileage Redemption Seat, that's simply impossible.
No airline would let you redeem a seat if the flight is Y0, Soldout.
The closest thing you can have to that would be AA Anytime Awards where you can grab the last Y "for-sale" seat for double the regular mileage rate.

To be honest, CX does open up some space 1-2 wks out for J/F redemption so it's not like their RM is idiotic.
You might not like what CX RM does but their patterns at least are consistent.
I rather they open up lspace ast minute vs. SA or QF who gives out their award allotment 355 days out and then rarely open up seats later on even if the flight is wide-open.
.
It is annoying for Regular Joe but good for the elites who have waivers on change fee, redeposit fees, carrier-change fee.
Am I missing any other fees??? :confused: :D

We get the benefits of moving flights around last minute as better flights open up, while the Joes get stuck with their pre-existing flight unless they pay up :)
That said, we fly more with the carrier and hence earn that valuable benefit

Do you DMs get waivers on date change/reissue/cancellation fees? That's an unwritten benefit I haven't heard of before.

BA's GGL level (above Gold) gives "Jokers" to use where you can redeem on a BA flight as long as certain revenue classes are available, twice a year (and more, depending on how much you fly). This is probably the closest to a "guaranteed" award flight that I can think of, since those revenue classes have infinitely easier availability.

Just thought I'd say that I've always been very fortunate with my mileage redemption. I've been successful with all my redemptions. Granted, I don't redeem that often but for both short haul and long haul, I've been getting the flights I want. And I'm just a green member .. Yes I had to be flexible but I'm not complaining. =)

That's a published AA EXP and BA Gold Benefit. :)
I don't know about CX Diamond, any experience from some of our resident DMs?