I find the CX process for canceling and refunding a ticket so bad it's almost comical, at least for US-based passengers. I didn't find anything relevant in the search, so I figured I would post the details to save someone else time in the future.

This is for tickets bought through cathaypacific.com in the US:

1. Go to manage my booking on the CX web site
2. Cancel reservation
3. Follow the instructions to call the local service centre for a refund (in the case of the US, 800.233.2742
3a. Optional step: Try 3 again if the line is busy
4. Have an agent tell you to instead dial 888.962.6688
5. Choose option for refund, and be told that you must do this by sending an email to [email protected]

I'm not sure why this is the current process, but hopefully skipping from step 1 to step 5 will save someone else some time in the future!

Not to mention it takes weeks before you get your money back into the account

The beauty of AMEX. On a refundable ticket, particularly if issued by the AMEX travel agency, they will charge back CX or other airlines that obnoxiously attempts to kite a bonafide refund for weeks and weeks.

I have rarely needed this, but a Philippine Air, full fare J class refundable ticket with no fees, per the terms at purchase, PAL quoted 6 to 8 weeks to refund. I sent AMEX a copy of the "fully refundable" terms and they charged back and credited the full amount while PAL "investigated"

For a US tickets, refund should hit the credit card bank within 7 business days or federal regulations are being violated.