Another success R->I, but it took a bit more work this time. JFK-HKG, with a Singapore Point of Sale, about 2 weeks out. Initial request was rejected. No I class inventory for +-1 day, for the standalone segment, or, married, with any PoS.

I had flexibility and changed the underlying booking to a flight that seemed more open (D was available as a married segment to SIN, but not standalone), and the upgrade request did go through successfully. This time the rebooking was into I, rather than the D they had rebooked us into last year.

Guess CX is aware that their zeroing out of the lower fareclasses is making the upgrades very difficult to use and they're being a wee bit flexible at times, possibly when it suits them (the upgraded flight is quite open in all classes, except W).

It depends on the route you fly. The sweet spot for using a BUD is from Biz to First on LH/ULH flights. I was planning on going for 1600 but after recent announcements of removing F from refurbed 77W's and also tracking my usual route - LHR-HKG-LHR, I decided to drop the decision to go for 1600 because my preferred flight CX253/254 is downgrading to a 359 from Winter schedule. Honestly without enough F routes, the bookable upgrades have little value. Also CX really make using them a pain with online requesting, inventory / POS loopholes... it actually easier to use miles for upgrade - you can waitlist, request at airport etc.

Post-Covid you can request BUD at airport. I've done so 3 times already. On two occasions I purchased my ticket only after the agents confirmed upgrade is available.

Forgot to give an update on my experience. Yes, I did a mileage run to hit 1600. Bought last January a MNL-HKG-CDG return for August 2024, I class. Used BUD to upgrade to F on HKG-CDG return (two sectors). Shocked (happily) to get confirmation within 24 hours. New upgraded ticket also issued the same day. YMMV. Now what to do/where to go with the other two BUDs...

Yes - I guess the big difference is mileage upgrade Z class can be waitlisted, wish they would do the same for BUD so if there are cancellations you are prioritized to get the seat... the challenge still stays - which flights to use to them on? the number of F longhauls are dwindling as they install Aria.

Alright I'll jump in. I have a similar dilemma. I currently have 5 bookable upgrades (we call them "BUD" here, is that right?), and I'll probably have 9 (getting 4 more) by around August timeframe, thanks to some CX promotion that let me start the year with 400 points already. I have zero longhauls planned with CX for now, although I'll probably have at least 3 more US round-trips in second half, of which inevitably one or two of those will go to CX. None to Europe that I know of for now. The rest is just intra-Asia flying.

I'm probably repeating what everyone already knows, but it's that I've noticed there is no real convenient way for me to use this as I used to (as discounted F or J travel). Back then, it seemed the "A" inventory was sold in first, and "I" inventory was sold at least sometimes in biz, and those are what these BUDs needed to be utilized. But I don't think I've seen this situation anymore, is CX not selling A and I fares anymore longhaul? To be clear, what I mean as "convenient" is being able to plan ahead and know if I'm in F or J, and also not having to call the MPC hotline a bunch of times (I can't waitlist them either). Am I missing something?

I also note there also isn't much F class these days anyway. To the US, I see just LAX and JFK. And I don't think there is any way to reliably use or try to use in advance, for example like a waitlist? I see someone upthread saying I can check at airport, but even if so, that's not really what I prefer. And I don't want the hassle of having to have to constantly check, call, etc. From the looks of it these BUDs are less valuable than before the pandemic, is that the consensus? That's how it seems to me. I really just need to pay the cash fare, or essentially roll the dice buy J and hope I get lucky. There also doesn't appear to be a waiting list. Right? My problem is I don't really like rolling dice!

I tend to fly mostly J class around Asia, where J is the highest class on the plane so I don't see a lot of other opportunities to use them. (I do see F once a day to Tokyo and Beijing, but as it was before the pandemic, no other regional F routes.) Am I missing a trick here to use these or are they going unused?

The morning to HND and afternoon return is still a 777 with F for now..

830/831 for JFK tend to have reasonable A availability. I did a mileage upgrade to first (after a BUD to I) at the airport, BUD would have worked.

I've had great success over Easter Holidays on flights to and from LHR for my family, using 5 bookable upgrades for PEY upgrade to J, as well as 3 more bookable upgrades on J to F.. on CX237 and CX254.. Could have been lucky, but I was able to get them confirmed 2 weeks out before the flight.. Basically used all of my wife and my own bookable upgrades that were expiring this year all in one shot.. Getting another 8 more this month after passing 1600 sp, so the roulette continues.. haha..

Based on the information provided here I was able to get a J to F confirmed within 24 hours for a flight departing in 7 days time

Cheers

Could i ask, how does request on bookable upgrade work? A request was put in for Nov25 but status has in “on request’

Anyone had this request which subsequently cleared? Just unfortunate that this was requested way in advance (though not stretching it) and they expire in May25.

Is there a way to extend BUG expiry? Even by paying? Currently sitting on 10 of them with no foreseeable plan to use them (ideally I only use J -> F)... really sucks for them to go to waste but I don't see any F service from November onwards.

Just scored 2x J -> F on CX830, ~3 months out.

My wife and daughter (booked in redemption J using miles) are going to hate me and my son (booked cash J, and thus using the upgrades).

Big mistake! Huge mistake!

haha. i am concerned..