Can Cathay split a PNR?
 

I booked a trip with a friend later this month to Hong Kong (two adult passengers on the same PNR), and sadly, we're no longer friends. I'm wondering if Cathay could split our tickets up into separate PNRs, so that my friend can cancel if she wants and I can continue with the flight? I'd love my PNR to be a new one too, just to avoid any risk of my former friend messing with my reservation details (doubt she would, but hey, you never know).

Yes (standard procedure if I need to carve out one or more family members off a group booking and cancel (or upgrade!) them).

CX directly if you booked direct with them, your TA otherwise (hope it's not an OTA...)

When the PNR is split, one of the passengers would be on a new PNR, and the other, on the original.

I think the passenger listed first, will retain the original PNR- might be wrong but that’s my vague recollection from whenever we had to split PNRs (While making the booking: input my details first, wife’s second. For some reason - probably alphabetical sort at work- CX’s system would assign her the lower e ticket numbers- aka the first passenger on the PNR- and on splitting, she would retain the original PNR reference, and I got a new PNR)

ernestnywang might know the mechanics better.

Gotcha, thank you both! Booked directly with Cathay so that should make it slightly easier - guessing I'd have to call in to have this done (versus writing in over Twitter DM / email / chat), especially if I want the new PNR (as I think I'm listed first on the ticket, my name starts with A)?

Just make it clear that you want your name to be split into the new PNR. Can be easily done by a reasonably competent agent.

Got a competent agent, who easily solved all of this. Many thanks!

Note that unless you get your ticket re-issued (which might comes with a fee), your ex-friend can still look up your PNR by using your ticket number, which should be either just 1 digit before or after hers.

Seems you booked 2 tickets together on CX's website, so you paid both using your credit card? I assume you have the right to cancel and get a refund of her ticket in this case?
The pax on the old PNR can be any of the pax. Amadeus allows you to select which pax you want to take away from the original PNR.