maverikbc

I heard CX releases more seats for their own members, so I've been searching on CX website itself, but it doesn't give me a calendar view for most city pairs I search. It seems to search only one class of service at a time.

Are there any better ways to search quickly, preferably showing multiple classes of service like most other airline programs? Perhaps with 3rd party search engines?

It took me more than an hour to search one city pair one way, one class for a whole year. If I'm flexible to fly in one of 2 classes, for example, it requires double of my time searching.

What's frustrating the most is it forces me to run a new search after looking at about 3 weeks day by day, then I'll need to go back, change the date in search box, then hit the search button. This process alone takes minimum 1 minute.

carrotjuice

Not directly answering your question, because I too would be interested in a quick solution if one is available.

You forgot to mention that occasionally you may see a date as available for your route and class through the 3-day scroll, but once you click on the specific date, no options are presented.

Cathay�s system is horrible.

maverikbc

I think I usually see 5 days on top of the screen to tap on, usually without availability and required number of points in calendar itself, like this screenshot. I don't think I've ever seen '3 day scroll', however I've occasionally seen 5 day calendar with either 'not available ' or 'from xxx miles'. In my experience, they've been accurate, when it says there's availability, I can proceed to check out.




When I search minor city pairs like YVR or SEA to PNH, it's a lot more problematic. Google shows CX sells (and presumably flies) HKG to PNH 3-5 days a week for next 2 months, but whatever the date I choose, I get a series of errors. First with this 'processing' for 30 secs:

Then it shows this message by itself for about 10 secs:

Then finally this. This whole cycle takes at least 2 min, so if I were to diligently check everyday for a month, it takes at least an hour.

8592nd

Desperate to find something other than this horrendous system, use my points, and quit this program for good. The elevated plugin made it bearable but it's a total mess without it. I'm massively regretting making them my main choice for building up points, they make it as hard as possible.

Any simple business search from 5+ cities in Europe to 5 cities in Asia comes up with nothing, no matter when I search, and if I remember correctly they don't get nearly as many seats with QR etc as they used to. Yet they still force me to search one date at a time and glitch out half the time anyway. I see talk about using AA.com or searching on BA's website, but open seats generally don't show up when I go to search the same thing on Asia Miles.

levelnine

There is no alternative way of searching CX-exclusive availability quickly. Their main focus is hobbling attempts by third parties to make their program more usable through search tools and add-ons. They don't want you to be able to actually use your points.

carrotjuice

My reference to "3 days scroll" was exactly what you had displayed on your screenshot - you can scroll either 3 days left or right from the middle date.

maverikbc

Delete

percysmith

They want you to use your points on non-flight redemptions https://lifestyle.asiamiles.com/en/c/t3_apple_ipad

percysmith

EF stopped awards search and alerts, and Aeroplan and Lifemiles putting the thumb screws on seats.aero too https://reddit.com/r/awardtravel/s/VLvRKt55RU

l380

This is absurd. Seems like that is the only way to keep the FFP program profitable and airlines' finance afloat.... keep selling miles yet make it impossible to redeem and hope all those miles will expire?

maverikbc

Last month I thought about quit collecting Asia Miles, but when I checked a couple of weeks ago, it was funny suddenly CX started releasing a lot of seats for Asia Miles with post devaluation prices. I couldn't manage to burn it all, but 40k pts left, I'm fairly happy that I was able to book JL J seats(my first ever J TPAC on JL, I've only flown F and Y😉 ) last month still cheaper than CX seats price starting this month. I think BA has recently devalued JL seats, possibly CX seats as well yet again, without announcement of any sort. Even after post Asia Miles devaluation, CX and JL seats are still cheaper via CX than redemptions via BA, so I guess I'll continue to collect Asia Miles, perhaps only when there's a bonus. I have a love hate relationship.
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leosantos

Exactly what they have been doing for some time now

leosantos

On Friday last week I realised I had a free upgrade voucher that will expire end of 2023. I just called the sales line and input my DM details. A very helpful guy spoke to me, found me a flight to use it on and booked the flight for me. 48 hrs later the upgrade was confirmed. I have zero intention of keeping DM after racking up over 2 million miles in 8 years with them before COVID, as they will never come back to being anything of the former airline I chose to fly with. They will never give lifetime status and are still cutting back in every possible area, when it comes to product and services. The financial hole they are in, is never going to get filled and I honestly cant see them not being merged into another airline in the future.