percysmith

None provided your name appears in your spouse's redemption list and you have her account personal details (dob/mobile/email and eitther passport nationality or name on redemption list (can be yourself)

I have agents who said that's not possible. I told them their training is inadquate and HUACA.

michaelpowell44

If there have been time changes with certain flights on an award will CX waive change fees if I want to cancel a sector and change dates/times?

percysmith

Got to be substantial...I got rebuffed for 45 mins. How much are we talking about?

Psychiatrist

From my experience, they will only waive change fees if the MCT (minimum connecting time) cannot be met because of the time changes.

percysmith

Corp Travel Owner HK

Been trying to find seats for a client to fly HKG-MAD-HKG early next year, either prem econ upgrading to business, or just business (same thing availability wise). Very flexible with the dates, but no use at all. Can fly any time from mid Jan, wants a 3 week stay, and come back by end of Feb. Nothing available on any dates that will work for this, despite the flights being wide open in all classes on all dates pretty much.

I explained to him that with the changes to redeeming tickets, CX have basically become more greedy, and for a lot of routes where you could book far in advance easily, now they won't allow redemption until very close to the date of the flight when they have not sold many seats and are desperate to shift some.

This of course is a horrible situation for anyone to be in, when this client is very well organised and is booking quite far ahead, and he has enough miles for 4 business class tickets for himself, wife, and 2 children. Now though the last minute hunters or un-organised people seem to have a better chance of redeeming, most likely a few days before the flights, but of course my client cannot wait until mid Jan and 'hope' he can get 4 seats, he wants to book the trip now, book the time off work, and secure the hotel bookings etc.

Similarly the same client had a ticket recently HKG-JFK-HKG in prem econ wanting to upgrade to business, couldn't do it returning, all flights full +/- 3 days, despite I/D/C/J all wide open showing 9 seats, but when he then had to change dates at the last minute returning for JFK-HKG, there were 2 or 3 flights available for business redemption/upgrade on every day over the next few days, so it was again apparent that only then CX were happy to offer the seats, as they did not think they would be able to sell them in the next 24 hours.

I will have enough miles by the end of this year to redeem my tickets to the UK for Christmas 2019, but I am fairly sure that even when I try to redeem them in Jan, being one of the first people to book so far ahead, I will probably see waitlist only on the AM site. I certainly don't want to waitlist, I want to lock in guaranteed seats, as each day that passes with flights waitlisted, all other dates that I am flexible enough to book are generally getting busier and busier!

A couple of months back I tried booking around end of Feb, to go anywhere in Asia really where I could book tickets for me and the wife, avoiding Chinese new year dates of course. The only city I could get was Siem Reap, so booked that and looking forward to it. Again for all other cities that we fancied, despite it being random dates not close to public holidays, it was showing as waitlist for everything.

percysmith

I generally agree.
I have been and also encourage everyone to rebuild their use cases - use possible dates and trips to simulate what kind of availability is available.

For me, short trips are out - I can't even plan my leave in low season properly.
Business travel for seniors is a struggle and a no-go during public holidays.
I'm struggling to go back to Aus on HK public holidays even as Tailored.
Best use cases is still school season for my brother's family and my own 7-day long trip.

On the other hand, I had an appalling harvest season, so there's pressure on the other end of the equation too.

I seem to be burning more miles (incurring more costs) for worse seats.
Really a detriorating situation, though one I will still side with AM because the cash alternative for the best use cases is still going to cost more than my trading costs.

As for public holidays, I'm prepared to open my wallet. Although I will take a CX/KA fare if it is the lowest, I'm more than happy to spend money on someone who is not CX/KA.

Audio

It is really getting very bad.

Now for HKG->SIN sector, you get no direct flights for weekends.....if you want confirmed award tickets, it's a 18-hour layover at BKK.

Prior to 22 Jun, i can do HKG-SIN-HKG anytime I like. Even when it gets busy, I just go for business class redemption at 50,000 miles return for flights operating at unpopular hours. Now, it is almost impossible, unless you cough out 114,000 miles.

(Audio)

percysmith

Won't bother. Jetstar it.
Not that I have a reason post-22/6 to go, for now.

Similar for Japan, with UO in low season. Or JL redeem.

My use cases are all long haul. The miles I need are still quite a lot, but I'm getting less seat for same amount of trading.

SekiM

Corp Travel Owner HK

I will let you know how I get on in Jan when I try to book Christmas 2019 flights as soon as the dates are in the system for HKG-MAN-MAN. To increase my chances it's a toss up whether we will do prem econ or business, as fortunately will have enough miles for both, but if it comes down to 1 being available to book when the other is showing waitlist only, then that may force my hand, rather than waitlist/wait and then see the other option disappear later. Our daughter will be 2 by then and need a seat rather than go on lap, so prem econ might be be the only/best option anyway, as I don't even think we can safely have her in a CX business seat alone, given the configuration!

I noticed that some flights I waitlisted in econ HKG-MNL-HKG for April are still on waitlist, which I waitlisted months ago. Avoiding the main Easter dates, and MNL not a big Easter holiday destination anyway like other CX/KA routes. I suspect will have to just keep checking this early next year. I'm not convinced the GDS availability matches the real availability for this.

kaka

percysmith

Hang on, you mean revenue avaialbility or redemption availability?

What is the revenue availability for the dates you want to fly?

percysmith

I got challenged about the way I value awards. I seem to be overvaluing lower-priced cabins that fit my schedule:

https://forum.hongkongcard.com/forum...w/25995?page=1 #7

marcommm

YMMV, as always