Taking Advantage of CX Award / Upgrades
 

I have a ton of AMEX Membership rewards and usually transfer my points to M&M for the 1:1 ratio.

I end up booking CX Biz/First award tickets and dumping hundreds of thousands of miles.

Is there a smart way to book these flights?

The only option I know of is:

1) Buy a revenue Premium Economy ticket, upgrade for 30k (RT) AsiaMiles before the flight - if - there is J availability in the first place and the process seems rather complex.

Would love some tips on how NOT to spend 140,000 miles RT or more for CX awards.

Thanks!

Transfer to AA and redeem CX as partner awards from there?

Not possible with Amex MR. Only to BA Avios or CX Asia Miles.

Unless you do MR -> SPG -> AA, but that would be a horrible value.

I guess the best move might just be booking a R/T revenue ticket in Premium and using 30k AM to upgrade into J.

AMEX MR can't transfer to AA? What is the rate for transferring to SPG?

In theory, a good move. Just FYI only the top two sub fare classes, I think W and R.

In practice, if you are aren't a CX status holder, you're gonna need some flexibility. Highly recommend you check award availability beforehand either by calling or using KVS. The problem with the AM upgrade awards is you gotta buy those more expensive PEY fares, and CX will just tell you tough luck if award space doesn't open. So you could presumably be left rather peeved if you pay up for a higher PEY care class but then can't burn the miles to upgrade! Just a heads up.

That's a good point.

E fares in Premium Economy are $2k RT (upgrade NOT permitted)
R fares in Premium Economy are $2.5k RT (upgrade is permitted)

Still not bad at $2.5k given 30k AM gets you into J. If you can do it.

Has anyone ever upgraded with AM at the airport? Or is this something that MUST be done prior to check-in?

Many of us, myself included, have used Asia Miles at the airport. The proper term in AM/MPC parlance is an "Instant Upgrade". Translation for burning Asia Miles at the airport with the ground staff. The check-in agents can process, they give you a physical receipt to sign, and you get a copy.

For waitlist, once you hit departure day the MPC/AM waitlist clears out. Control is handed off to the airport; this means a new waitlist is formed for "Instant Upgrades". It is similar to the AM/MPC waitlist in that DM has priority over GO, over SL, over GR, over AM. The annoying thing is the "Instant Upgrade" waitlist does not see the MPC/AM waitlist, and hence even if you were the top of your elite group on the AM/MPC waitlist, that position won't transfer to the airport waitlist. Instead, the Instant Upgrade is a brand-new waitlist to itself. Which means, you have an incentive to get to the airport early if you're planning on doing Instant Upgrade.

It sounds like you're no status just Asia Miles on CX, right? The example would be this. Say you're on the waitlist, and Asia Miles says you're "first" a month out, ahead of all other non-elite Asia Miles members on the waitlist (DM, GO, SL and GR will still outrank you no matter when they add themselves). Now let's say you don't clear, and you go to the airport super late. Maybe 4 seats were available in J, and there are 1 DM, 2 GOs, and 1 other Asia Miles member on the Instant Upgrade waitlist, all ahead of you. Unfortunately, since that other Asia Miles member got to the airport first, he will get it - not you. Your position ahead of that other Asia Miles member on the old waitlist is irrelevant.

Finally, most outports I believe will allow you to upfare relatively easily. I think it might be a strategy to consider to hold off on buying W/R, go to the airport, and if biz seats are available offer to upfare to W/R on the spot, and then burn AM. However this maneuver could be just too complicated and also bears a bit of risk.

I have been buying PEY (and Y before there is PEY) for my wife and get her upgraded to J. I never did upfare. I have been successful every time except once. The risk of upfare is high. We may be forced to buy W instead of R, and W fare is close to 2X R fare for SFO-HKG.