CX vs. UA1K?
 

Moved to Hong Kong, and am negotiating w/ CX to honor my 1K status (Marco Polo Diamond) in exchange for getting my roughly 200K of miles I'll book this year.

I like the direct routes I can use the miles on from here (Hanoi, Bali, etc.) but am loath to start at the bottom of Cathay's program.

Questions: How do those of you on the Asia Miles/Marco Polo program like it? Do they give bonus miles based on status (I get 100% as a UA 1K) or just what I see on their website about 150% for 1st class, etc.?

In general, I'm looking for a comparison between what I've got and what CX has to offer in their program.

Steve
Hong Kong

I am sure many of us here would be curious if you are successful in being comped Marco Polo Diamond on the strength of UA1K.

If you would like to get elite bonus miles, I would suggest that you ask AA to comp you. AA treats CX flights as if their own, giving you all the elite bonus miles, barring some discount economy classes.

I am trying to confirm myself if CX would give Gold (second tier, oneworld saphire) to Hyatt Diamond members. (I grabbed Hyatt Diamond, just because of this.) If you are Hyatt Plat, CX comp you to Marco Polo silver.

from what we have heard so far on this board, getting comped by CX is extremely hard, at least as of a few months ago...so I would also like to hear what shayes' experience would be...my guess would be, the most they would give is MPO Gold...

shayes, you may find the following thread useful, with some pros and cons about AM/MPO vs AAdvantage:
should I keep MPO or switch to AAdvantage ??

Chiangi, I didn't know about CX comping Hyatt Plat to MPO Silver...since as an Amex Centurion cardholder here in HK, I got comp Hyatt Diamond status...interested in knowing whether they would renew my MPO Gold based on this ?? I have been putting all my oneworld flights this year all to AA so far, aiming for EXP...but having MPO Gold would be handy given the guaranteed seat benefit...please let us know, thanks !!

btw, forgot to tell my own experience...but it was more than 2 years ago, when AM and the revamped MPO were just launched...I had been a Premier Executive with UA for a few years at that time, and CX didn't even give me a comp Green membership...

[shayes, you may find the following thread useful, with some pros and cons about AM/MPO vs AAdvantage:
should I keep MPO or switch to AAdvantage ??

Thanks for the tip to read this thread...for a while in reading it I thought I should join AA and could use my long-haul miles from HKG to USA for intra-Asia flights, as I mentioned I now live in HK. I did see a note in there though, that AA miles are only redeemable, for the most part, on CX for flights originating in the US.

Bummer...I hate the fact that MPO has no status bonus. I just flew Chicago-HKG business class and received 11,000 bonus miles. I think I'll stay Star Alliance and buy my vacation flights within Asia...tough w/ three kids though!

Steve

not true...AA miles are redeemable for (almost?) all CX flights, systemwide, no matter you are originating in USA or HKG...you can find this info on AA's website...

I think what confused you probably is that UPGRADES on CX flights using AA miles are only possible for transpacific flights, and full-fare only...e.g. HKG-USA-HKG, USA-HKG-USA, USA-HKG-(Asia/Australia/Africa)-HKG-USA...while with Asia Miles you can upgrade all CX flights (as long as your ticket is in a subclass eligible for mileage accrual), and in fact you can use Asia Miles to upgrade KA, BA, SN and SR flights too...that's one of the nice things about AM/MPO...

tedhl, so the Diamond credentials from Hyatt this year did not include an offer for Marco Polo Gold?

I was trying to confirm this in the Hyatt forum but no apt replies there.

I received the Hyatt Platinum credentials in March and it included an invitation to Marco Polo Silver .... no other qualification required whatsoever than being a Hyatt Platinum. Isn't this incredible? You need to fax an invite to Marco Polo, and they will upgrade your status within a few weeks. I have heard Hyatt Diamond getting Marco Polo Gold in Japan. So this may be a region-specific offer then? I didn't know Hyatt would have such region-based targeted promotion strategy. I will be getting Diamond credentials so I will let you know what'll happen.

shayes, as tedhl says, you can issue CX (or any other partner's) awards any place CX flies from.

[This message has been edited by Chiangi (edited 04-30-2001).]

Not only can you use your AA miles for CX short-haul flights within Asia, I found that I was generally able to redeem miles much quicker and with less effort than Marco Polo members. Kind of ironic.

Also, CX is continually trying to attract more North American members to their routes-- so for the past few years, they've kept up a string of pretty lucrative bonuses for AA members.

.. AA has the stupid 2 week ahead rule for redemption, so AA is a lot mroe convenient to redeem CX flight, at least for now.

.. never heard about MPO Gold comp, but it could be likely for a japan targeted promotion.....MPO silver is more likely