Oct 2, 2015, 3:08 am
Last edit by: sxc
Related threads:
What are the best value segments under the new system?
Switching out of Marco Polo: What do you choose and why?
FAQs as answered by AgencyGuy:
When will the mid-tier benefits be awarded?
They will be awarded as the member hits the mid-tier milestone. Not at the end of the membership year. These will be valid for a year commencing the day they are granted. No points are deduced when members are awarded these benefits.
Does that mean a member reaching 1800 tier points will get all three mid-tier benefits?
Yes, each benefit will be made available as the member hits the 1400, 1600 and 1800 point milestones
What mid-tier benefits will be awarded as of the conversion date of 15 April 2016?
The mid-tier benefits will kick in automatically after 15th April, if your converted club points balance exceeds the mid-tier thresholds. So for a Diamond tier member, if your converted balance is 1800 points you will immediately have access to two first class lounge guest passes, four bookable upgrades and one companion Gold card.
A Gold member on his/her way to Diamond pick up four short/medium upgrades along the way, but a renewing Diamond gets nothing?
You are correct, Silver, Gold or Diamond members on their way to renewal, don’t get additional benefits until they reach the mid-tier thresholds. But they will get there, I guess the benefits are designed to recognize members who go the extra mile after they have passed their renewal thresholds.
Is there any requirement on the underlying booking sub-classes when using a mid-tier upgrade "coupon"?
Yes, the original flight needs to be booked in an “upgradable” sub-class, the same sub-classes that qualify for Asia Miles upgrades
Is economy upgraded to Premium Economy or business for flights with Premium Economy?
It is always a one class upgrade so Economy to Premium Economy, if a flight does not have Premium Economy then the upgrade is to Business.
Are the sub-classes for the upgraded bookings A, I, and E (if applicable)?
I don’t know what these subclasses are yet other than that they will be revenue instead of redemption sub-classes. I guess they will be announced later.
What miles will be awarded for a flight upgraded using a upgrade coupon? The original ticket class, or the upgraded class?
I understand that both points and miles will be credited based on the upgraded class.
Green Re-Qualification
For Green members, if their membership year ends before 15 April 2016, like now, their membership will automatically be renewed. If their membership ends after 15 April and they have ANY club points at that time, they will be automatically renewed for another year (even if they are below 100 pts). If their membership ends after 15 April and they have no club points at that time, they will lose their Green membership or have the option of paying the US$100 fee to renew.
What are the best value segments under the new system?
Switching out of Marco Polo: What do you choose and why?
FAQs as answered by AgencyGuy:
When will the mid-tier benefits be awarded?
They will be awarded as the member hits the mid-tier milestone. Not at the end of the membership year. These will be valid for a year commencing the day they are granted. No points are deduced when members are awarded these benefits.
Does that mean a member reaching 1800 tier points will get all three mid-tier benefits?
Yes, each benefit will be made available as the member hits the 1400, 1600 and 1800 point milestones
What mid-tier benefits will be awarded as of the conversion date of 15 April 2016?
The mid-tier benefits will kick in automatically after 15th April, if your converted club points balance exceeds the mid-tier thresholds. So for a Diamond tier member, if your converted balance is 1800 points you will immediately have access to two first class lounge guest passes, four bookable upgrades and one companion Gold card.
A Gold member on his/her way to Diamond pick up four short/medium upgrades along the way, but a renewing Diamond gets nothing?
You are correct, Silver, Gold or Diamond members on their way to renewal, don’t get additional benefits until they reach the mid-tier thresholds. But they will get there, I guess the benefits are designed to recognize members who go the extra mile after they have passed their renewal thresholds.
Is there any requirement on the underlying booking sub-classes when using a mid-tier upgrade "coupon"?
Yes, the original flight needs to be booked in an “upgradable” sub-class, the same sub-classes that qualify for Asia Miles upgrades
Is economy upgraded to Premium Economy or business for flights with Premium Economy?
It is always a one class upgrade so Economy to Premium Economy, if a flight does not have Premium Economy then the upgrade is to Business.
Are the sub-classes for the upgraded bookings A, I, and E (if applicable)?
I don’t know what these subclasses are yet other than that they will be revenue instead of redemption sub-classes. I guess they will be announced later.
What miles will be awarded for a flight upgraded using a upgrade coupon? The original ticket class, or the upgraded class?
I understand that both points and miles will be credited based on the upgraded class.
Green Re-Qualification
For Green members, if their membership year ends before 15 April 2016, like now, their membership will automatically be renewed. If their membership ends after 15 April and they have ANY club points at that time, they will be automatically renewed for another year (even if they are below 100 pts). If their membership ends after 15 April and they have no club points at that time, they will lose their Green membership or have the option of paying the US$100 fee to renew.
Changes to MPC announced for 15 Apr 2016
Sep 30, 2015, 1:54 am
#91
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 7_0_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/537.51.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0 Mobile/11A501 Safari/9537.53)
Agree. Unless cx stops this nonsense of letting partner awards scoop up 6 f seats on 77W, all upgrade vouchers are good as sh!t
Originally Posted by HarbourGent
Whether the upgrade passes are a material benefit depends on whether you're able to use them. Currently, it's often not possible to use miles to get an upgrade at short notice on popular routes. After the passes are introduced, there's no reason more availability would open up and F will still be busy with redemptions from partner airlines, one suspects.
So the "four upgrades" will likely only equate to four upgrades for those who are able to plan their travel far in advance.
So the "four upgrades" will likely only equate to four upgrades for those who are able to plan their travel far in advance.
Sep 30, 2015, 2:06 am
#92
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
While i'm certain there will be some of us who get these certs, I really doubt it will be more than 33% of DMs. Possibly even less. It's not going to be a huge number. Heck, maybe it will even benefit us further because maybe CX is going to make some changes to partner redemptions and perhaps hold back some F inventory! Any changes to that I would be thrilled.
Unless there is some other change to the way CX handles op-ups, I think they will continue. And frankly, if they don't, I'll absolutely put my business elsewhere. The op-ups are probably the single greatest benefit of MPC for DMs. Hands down and I'm sure a lot of DMs will agree. If the op-up benefit is canned, that would probably be the end of my relationship with CX. They are absolutely a hard benefit that I use in my calculation for being loyal. Whether or not they're "published' or "unpublished" is irrelevant to my decision making.
Sep 30, 2015, 2:10 am
#93
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
Whether the upgrade passes are a material benefit depends on whether you're able to use them. Currently, it's often not possible to use miles to get an upgrade at short notice on popular routes. After the passes are introduced, there's no reason more availability would open up and F will still be busy with redemptions from partner airlines, one suspects.
So the "four upgrades" will likely only equate to four upgrades for those who are able to plan their travel far in advance.
So the "four upgrades" will likely only equate to four upgrades for those who are able to plan their travel far in advance.
That said, obviously the value for these vouchers goes up hugely if we can actually burn them in advance. I would think CX would simultaneously want to make some changes to the ability for MPCs to redeem (aka, can we actually get some redemptions 1-8 months out?!), and any such changes might have some knock-on effects to partner redemptions as well. I hope we haven't heard the end of this. They clearly haven't told us all the details. Like a lot of things with these new changes, we'll have to wait and see - policies haven't all been publicized yet. How to use these vouchers is probably my biggest question.
Sep 30, 2015, 2:47 am
#95
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,807
I doubt it. Unless CX prices J/F lower and/or stop overselling Y to northern transit traffic, the upgrade instruments will be only as useful as Asia Miles currently are now (book them 360 days out or 4).
Last edited by percysmith; Sep 30, 2015 at 2:55 am
Sep 30, 2015, 2:54 am
#96
Join Date: May 2009
Programs: BA- GGL, Hyatt-GLB, Marriott- AMB
Posts: 284
BA gold earns extra 100% miles, silver earns 50% extra. CX isn't offering that to DM or Golds. I also think BA program is slightly easier to earn tiers with that 2000 miles threshold. I thought CX would have followed SQ and its PPS program. Nevertheless, the guarantee seat hurts a lot. Need to figure out options for these last minute flights in the future, which is often, especially for major holidays, where flights can be sold out for the whole day.
Also no idea what the fare class will be to use these upgrade coupons.
Also no idea what the fare class will be to use these upgrade coupons.
Sep 30, 2015, 3:23 am
#97
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: country Western Australia
Programs: QF SG(LTS) - AA LTG(1MM)
Posts: 2,771
Interesting that medium-long split at 3700 (allowing PER) - which puts all of HKG-Australia in that group. A minor plus for someone who saw the benefit of the CX program being the Y class earn (versus AA or QF). The MH Z class fares and the UL purchased upgrades to I now become much more desirable (as would be if crediting to QF).
And the questions remain about potential changes to Asia Miles (eg miles based upgrades) and the entire AA program.
Happy wandering
Fred
And the questions remain about potential changes to Asia Miles (eg miles based upgrades) and the entire AA program.
Happy wandering
Fred
Sep 30, 2015, 3:28 am
#98
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: HKG
Programs: CX DM, SQ, BA, TG, Sheba, VN, MPO since 1980
Posts: 1,058
The deal
Revamped Cathay Pacific frequent flier plan to offer best rewards to biggest spenders
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 30 September, 2015, 3:59pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 30 September, 2015, 3:59pm
News›Hong Kong›Economy
AVIATION
Danny Lee [email protected]
Cathay Pacific Airways has unveiled its long-awaited frequent flier programme revamp which will reward big spending over economy-class bookings, but will offer more generous perks to travellers across its membership.
The new Marco Polo Club will move to a points-based system, while Cathay Pacific and Dragonair have acknowledged the shake-up will hurt economy class and short-haul travellers.
Most frequent fliers will breathe a sigh of relief after plans by Hong Kong’s biggest airline to axe premium lounge access perks for middle-tier members was scrapped. The likelihood is that fliers who just managed to qualify for the second-tier membership will find it more difficult to retain that status which opens up perks such as lounge access and priority boarding.
Overall, points will be earned based on class of travel, bookings in a range of classes that are full-fare or flexible rather than discounted, and distance flown with earning based on flying furthest. However, fewer points will be earned on Cathay’s partner airlines like British Airways, American Airlines and Qantas in the Oneworld alliance.
The South China Morning Post first revealed the overhaul to the programme last January.
READ MORE: Frequent fliers in Cathay Pacific's cheap seats face big let-down [1]
The new Marco Polo Club will take effect from April 15 next year.
Cathay Pacific said as it continued to “grow, so does the need to evolve the Marco Polo Club” as ultra-long and ultra-short flights distorted fairness among amount spent by travellers.
“The way members earn status no longer accurately reflects their contribution to the airline,” the airline said.
“To meet the changing needs of our members, we have looked at ways to provide better, more flexible benefits, and to enhance the overall membership experience for our travellers”
Changes to the points-based model will hurt regular short-haul travellers. It will no longer be possible to fly as frequently in economy class, for example, between Hong Kong and Taipei at least 80 times a year, as many people do now, which automatically triggers the renewal of top-tier club status.
However, travellers who fail to earn enough points to stay in the club will be ejected or face an annual renewal fee of US$100 (HK$775) marking the end of the one-off US$50 joining fee.
The original programme rewarded flyers based on flights and miles earned: green (four flights only), silver (30,000 miles or 20 flights), gold (60,000 miles or 40 flights), or diamond (120,000 miles and 80 points).
Instead, fliers earning enough points will move higher in the membership: green (100 points), silver (300), gold (600) and diamond (1,200). At the half-way mark between each tier upgrade, members will be given at least one business class lounge pass for one-time use.
Ultimately, Cathay is attempting to save money by making it harder to quality to become a top-tier flier, while incentivising benefits for premium travellers.
Topics:
Cathay Pacific
More on this:
Frequent fliers in Cathay Pacific's cheap seats face big let-down [1]
________________________________________
Source URL: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/e...lan-offer-best
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 30 September, 2015, 3:59pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 30 September, 2015, 3:59pm
News›Hong Kong›Economy
AVIATION
Danny Lee [email protected]
Cathay Pacific Airways has unveiled its long-awaited frequent flier programme revamp which will reward big spending over economy-class bookings, but will offer more generous perks to travellers across its membership.
The new Marco Polo Club will move to a points-based system, while Cathay Pacific and Dragonair have acknowledged the shake-up will hurt economy class and short-haul travellers.
Most frequent fliers will breathe a sigh of relief after plans by Hong Kong’s biggest airline to axe premium lounge access perks for middle-tier members was scrapped. The likelihood is that fliers who just managed to qualify for the second-tier membership will find it more difficult to retain that status which opens up perks such as lounge access and priority boarding.
Overall, points will be earned based on class of travel, bookings in a range of classes that are full-fare or flexible rather than discounted, and distance flown with earning based on flying furthest. However, fewer points will be earned on Cathay’s partner airlines like British Airways, American Airlines and Qantas in the Oneworld alliance.
The South China Morning Post first revealed the overhaul to the programme last January.
READ MORE: Frequent fliers in Cathay Pacific's cheap seats face big let-down [1]
The new Marco Polo Club will take effect from April 15 next year.
Cathay Pacific said as it continued to “grow, so does the need to evolve the Marco Polo Club” as ultra-long and ultra-short flights distorted fairness among amount spent by travellers.
“The way members earn status no longer accurately reflects their contribution to the airline,” the airline said.
“To meet the changing needs of our members, we have looked at ways to provide better, more flexible benefits, and to enhance the overall membership experience for our travellers”
Changes to the points-based model will hurt regular short-haul travellers. It will no longer be possible to fly as frequently in economy class, for example, between Hong Kong and Taipei at least 80 times a year, as many people do now, which automatically triggers the renewal of top-tier club status.
However, travellers who fail to earn enough points to stay in the club will be ejected or face an annual renewal fee of US$100 (HK$775) marking the end of the one-off US$50 joining fee.
The original programme rewarded flyers based on flights and miles earned: green (four flights only), silver (30,000 miles or 20 flights), gold (60,000 miles or 40 flights), or diamond (120,000 miles and 80 points).
Instead, fliers earning enough points will move higher in the membership: green (100 points), silver (300), gold (600) and diamond (1,200). At the half-way mark between each tier upgrade, members will be given at least one business class lounge pass for one-time use.
Ultimately, Cathay is attempting to save money by making it harder to quality to become a top-tier flier, while incentivising benefits for premium travellers.
Topics:
Cathay Pacific
Frequent fliers in Cathay Pacific's cheap seats face big let-down [1]
________________________________________
Source URL: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/e...lan-offer-best
Sep 30, 2015, 3:28 am
#99
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Silver
Posts: 54
Refreshed Marco Polo Club - "enhancements" annouced
Hi all,
Long time lurker and first time poster. Please be gentle.
I just got the following email and wanted to share it with everyone. For more details, click here.
I hope the changes are good news for at least some of us because it's really bad news for me
- I think next year will be the last year I will be in DM and I think I will be drop out of Marco Polo club altogether in 2017 and switch to another programme/alliance. 
______
Dear Mr Doraemat,
The Marco Polo Club – designed to help you travel well
As a valued member, we wanted you to be the first to know the details of some upcoming changes to the Marco Polo Club and the reasons behind them.
These changes are designed to reflect the growth of the Cathay Pacific network and the evolving requirements of our members. New cabin products and additional routes, in particular ultra-long and ultra-short ones, mean that the way members earn status no longer accurately reflects their contribution to the airline. At the same time, we wish to improve the benefits members receive, making them more flexible than before.
New ways to earn
The first step is a new points-based system, effective 15 April 2016, which will change the way you earn status. You will be able to earn faster in premium classes, and with more eligible fare classes than before. This is a more balanced approach towards rewarding members across all club tiers.
More benefits to share
Enjoy rewards with more flexibility than before. You will be able to earn bookable upgrades. You will be able to earn extra lounge passes for travel companions across all membership tiers. More family travel will be rewarded, with a reduced qualifying age of 12, and easier sharing of benefits.
A more complete membership experience
Travelling well means understanding your needs. That's why we've retained all popular benefits of the club, such as unlimited lounge access for Silver members and above, priority boarding and check-in. We also retained Guaranteed Seat Reservation for Gold and Diamond members, but with adjustments to the fare classes available. We continually invest in new and improved lounges around the world to give you more choice. And we are developing an ongoing range of enhanced member experiences, coming soon.
Always here for you
To see how your current status in miles or sectors will convert into the new points system, please log in to your Account Summary to see your transition to club points. You can also use our club points calculator to understand how your future flights will earn status. And if you need further assistance, you can call our dedicated service line +852 2683 6788; +800 2683 6788 (International prefix may apply) or email us [email protected] for help.
We hope that you will find the refreshed Marco Polo Club more flexible and reflective of our members' needs. And of course, we will always continue to do everything we can to help you travel well. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again very soon.
Yours sincerely,
Dane Cheng
Director Sales & Marketing
Cathay Pacific Airways
Long time lurker and first time poster. Please be gentle.
I just got the following email and wanted to share it with everyone. For more details, click here.
I hope the changes are good news for at least some of us because it's really bad news for me
- I think next year will be the last year I will be in DM and I think I will be drop out of Marco Polo club altogether in 2017 and switch to another programme/alliance. ______
Dear Mr Doraemat,
The Marco Polo Club – designed to help you travel well
As a valued member, we wanted you to be the first to know the details of some upcoming changes to the Marco Polo Club and the reasons behind them.
These changes are designed to reflect the growth of the Cathay Pacific network and the evolving requirements of our members. New cabin products and additional routes, in particular ultra-long and ultra-short ones, mean that the way members earn status no longer accurately reflects their contribution to the airline. At the same time, we wish to improve the benefits members receive, making them more flexible than before.
New ways to earn
The first step is a new points-based system, effective 15 April 2016, which will change the way you earn status. You will be able to earn faster in premium classes, and with more eligible fare classes than before. This is a more balanced approach towards rewarding members across all club tiers.
More benefits to share
Enjoy rewards with more flexibility than before. You will be able to earn bookable upgrades. You will be able to earn extra lounge passes for travel companions across all membership tiers. More family travel will be rewarded, with a reduced qualifying age of 12, and easier sharing of benefits.
A more complete membership experience
Travelling well means understanding your needs. That's why we've retained all popular benefits of the club, such as unlimited lounge access for Silver members and above, priority boarding and check-in. We also retained Guaranteed Seat Reservation for Gold and Diamond members, but with adjustments to the fare classes available. We continually invest in new and improved lounges around the world to give you more choice. And we are developing an ongoing range of enhanced member experiences, coming soon.
Always here for you
To see how your current status in miles or sectors will convert into the new points system, please log in to your Account Summary to see your transition to club points. You can also use our club points calculator to understand how your future flights will earn status. And if you need further assistance, you can call our dedicated service line +852 2683 6788; +800 2683 6788 (International prefix may apply) or email us [email protected] for help.
We hope that you will find the refreshed Marco Polo Club more flexible and reflective of our members' needs. And of course, we will always continue to do everything we can to help you travel well. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again very soon.
Yours sincerely,
Dane Cheng
Director Sales & Marketing
Cathay Pacific Airways
Sep 30, 2015, 3:31 am
#100
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: HKG
Programs: CX DM, SQ, BA, TG, Sheba, VN, MPO since 1980
Posts: 1,058
Email re: changes
Received by my daughter today:
A New Chapter for the Marco Polo Club 30 September 2015 Dear Miss ,
The Marco Polo Club – designed to help you travel well
As a valued member, we wanted you to be the first to know the details of some upcoming changes to the Marco Polo Club and the reasons behind them.
These changes are designed to reflect the growth of the Cathay Pacific network and the evolving requirements of our members. New cabin products and additional routes, in particular ultra-long and ultra-short ones, mean that the way members earn status no longer accurately reflects their contribution to the airline. At the same time, we wish to improve the benefits members receive, making them more flexible than before.
New ways to earn
The first step is a new points-based system, effective 15 April 2016, which will change the way you earn status. You will be able to earn faster in premium classes, and with more eligible fare classes than before. This is a more balanced approach towards rewarding members across all club tiers.
More flexible, more rewarding
As your status increases, you will have the opportunity to enjoy rewards with more flexibility than before. You will be able to qualify for extra lounge passes for yourself and travel companions across all membership tiers. You will be able to earn bookable upgrades upon reaching Gold status. More family travel will be rewarded, with a reduced qualifying age of 12, and easier sharing of benefits.
A more complete membership experience
Travelling well means understanding your needs. That's why we've retained all popular benefits for our Green members such as priority boarding, check-in and a dedicated Marco Polo Club service line. We continually invest in new and improved lounges around the world to give you more choice. And we are developing an ongoing range of enhanced member experiences, coming soon.
Always here for you
To see how your current status in miles or sectors will convert into the new points system, please log in to your Account Summary to see your transition to club points. You can also use our club points calculator to understand how your future flights will earn status. And if you need further assistance, you can call our dedicated service line +852 2683 6788; +800 2683 6788 (International prefix may apply) or email us [email protected] for help.
Your Green membership will be automatically renewed for another year at no cost provided you have accumulated any number of club points during your current membership year. Moving forward, annual re-qualification will be 100 points or US$100.
We hope that you will find the refreshed Marco Polo Club more flexible and reflective of your personal needs. And of course, we will always continue to do everything we can to help you travel well. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again very soon.
Yours sincerely,
Dane Cheng
Director Sales & Marketing
Cathay Pacific Airways
A New Chapter for the Marco Polo Club 30 September 2015 Dear Miss ,
The Marco Polo Club – designed to help you travel well
As a valued member, we wanted you to be the first to know the details of some upcoming changes to the Marco Polo Club and the reasons behind them.
These changes are designed to reflect the growth of the Cathay Pacific network and the evolving requirements of our members. New cabin products and additional routes, in particular ultra-long and ultra-short ones, mean that the way members earn status no longer accurately reflects their contribution to the airline. At the same time, we wish to improve the benefits members receive, making them more flexible than before.
New ways to earn
The first step is a new points-based system, effective 15 April 2016, which will change the way you earn status. You will be able to earn faster in premium classes, and with more eligible fare classes than before. This is a more balanced approach towards rewarding members across all club tiers.
More flexible, more rewarding
As your status increases, you will have the opportunity to enjoy rewards with more flexibility than before. You will be able to qualify for extra lounge passes for yourself and travel companions across all membership tiers. You will be able to earn bookable upgrades upon reaching Gold status. More family travel will be rewarded, with a reduced qualifying age of 12, and easier sharing of benefits.
A more complete membership experience
Travelling well means understanding your needs. That's why we've retained all popular benefits for our Green members such as priority boarding, check-in and a dedicated Marco Polo Club service line. We continually invest in new and improved lounges around the world to give you more choice. And we are developing an ongoing range of enhanced member experiences, coming soon.
Always here for you
To see how your current status in miles or sectors will convert into the new points system, please log in to your Account Summary to see your transition to club points. You can also use our club points calculator to understand how your future flights will earn status. And if you need further assistance, you can call our dedicated service line +852 2683 6788; +800 2683 6788 (International prefix may apply) or email us [email protected] for help.
Your Green membership will be automatically renewed for another year at no cost provided you have accumulated any number of club points during your current membership year. Moving forward, annual re-qualification will be 100 points or US$100.
We hope that you will find the refreshed Marco Polo Club more flexible and reflective of your personal needs. And of course, we will always continue to do everything we can to help you travel well. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again very soon.
Yours sincerely,
Dane Cheng
Director Sales & Marketing
Cathay Pacific Airways
Sep 30, 2015, 4:27 am
#101
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: HKG
Posts: 42
This nonsense is often repeated here. Those F award seats open up 1-2 days before departure, and at that point are available to all, with priority given to MPC members who (unlike other partners) can waitlist for them. MPC DM members therefore have absolute advantage over anyone else in access to these awards -- where are the restrictions you are referring to?
Sep 30, 2015, 4:30 am
#102
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 174
What is this bookable upgrade means? I just dont get it, Its a kind of upgrade voucher when you have 1000 points as Gold and 1600 as Diamonds? So DM requires more points to get bookable upgrade ?? Doesnt seem right or i missed something else?
Sep 30, 2015, 4:41 am
#103
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: CX - DM; Hilton - Diamond, Marriott - Titanium
Posts: 542
for GO, these upgrade vouchers is for regional flights only whilst DM upgrades are for systemwide including all longhaul routes. I think everyone is still puzzled on this 'bookable upgrades'. CX definitely needs to clarify on the underlying fare class that is eligible for using this upgrade voucher or any restrictions with regard the use of these bookable upgrades.
Sep 30, 2015, 4:47 am
#104
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 172
By turning the seat guarantee into something that is only useful if you're not footing the bill, CX have basically removed any distinction between a SL and GO, especially if you only just qualify for GO and therefore won't have the 1000TP required to obtain the upgrade certificates...
Sep 30, 2015, 4:48 am
#105
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
This nonsense is often repeated here. Those F award seats open up 1-2 days before departure, and at that point are available to all, with priority given to MPC members who (unlike other partners) can waitlist for them. MPC DM members therefore have absolute advantage over anyone else in access to these awards -- where are the restrictions you are referring to?
I outlined this briefly in another thread. I can give you an exact example from November last year:
1) as CX DM, I waitlist for HKG to LAX full redemption F award 1 month out. No availability. To be safe, I book J redemption which is open. (I couldve also booked Y, which I've read forum members do as well as a backup).
2) I go on waitlist for F.
3) MPC gives me a "deadline" of 1 week before departure to ticket. We must ticket at the deadline or lose the J seat.
4) 1 week before departure, F is still not open, MPC forces me to ticket my J booking. I have no choice...I must ticket J.
5) Fyi, our AM redemption bookings are non refundable, and CANNOT be upfared to an F redemption even if F opens up. This is the key point. AA will let folks cancel a J redemption and book F at the last minute, a de facto upfare we can't do. As a result, AM F demand is "cleared out" when we are forced to ticket in a lower class. I still *demand* F....but AM's dumb redemption rules are preventing me from swapping my now-confirmed J booking into F.
6) back to my situation last year. one day before departure, one F seat indeed was released to AA. How do I know? Because my friend, whom I was flying with, got it. He flew up in F and I was in J. Hes an A EXP and burned miles. He thought it was hilarious, took many pictures, sent back a glass of Krug, and has ever sinc reminded me what a fool i was to use AM. It confirmed to me a scenario that has played out for many members here.
So conclusoon: MPC/AM "F" demand is neutered because of dumb MPC policies forcing us to ticket and not allowing us to swap out to F if it opens up. This naturally enda up leaving F with availability for, ironically, lower yielding partners.
I gotta stop here because this isn't on topic. But as MPC/AM members we are keenly aware of the programs drawbaks....I got a rude enlightenment this year. Either way, we're not making it up.
Last edited by QRC3288; Sep 30, 2015 at 4:54 am