Downgrade / IDB priority
 

I booked a last minute flight on CX (long haul) departing in the next 24 hours showing J2C2D2P2I2. The CX flight is the only nonstop option.

However, it appears every single seat is assigned on the seat map (via EF) and for this reason I'm unable to OLCI

There's plenty of availability in W and Y, but I'm not willing to accept a downgrade due to the length of flight - I would rather not fly, but I'd also like to know in advance to I can book another flight, not waste time at the airport etc.

What is likely to happene here? I'm Emerald if that makes a difference. Does CX have a certain order they downgrade passengers? Do they look for volunteers?

Tried once during Easter. They were asking for volunteers during checking in and boarding.

I've been offered to downgrade from J to PEY for around $10,000HKD in cash plus an upgrade voucher before. Didn't take it as I wanted to fly J. This was during check-in about 2 hours before STD. I can only imagine the offer will rise in value if they are still short of volunteers closer to departure time.

On an A350, they always blocked 11DG and 12AK, so if those were the only seats left, you would be asked to select seat at airport, I've tried this once.
Anyway, I don't think CX would force downgrade an Emerald, unless all other 40 or 50 J pax were all DM/DM+.

Thanks - i'm going to head to the airport in a couple of hours and see what happens. Unless EF is messed up again, the seats are occupied, not blocked.

If its 11D/G I'd rather take compensation and an upgrade voucher haha

im quite keen to hear the end result. My guess is there are empty seats (not called 11d/g). What cxwaterboy says is correct, 11D/G show assigned always when they’re not. So it strikes me as quite possible maybe some other seats are that way.

Agree. I’m quite keen to see if CX is indeed now selling 11D/G in this manner. I hope it’s a false alarm. Those two seats are completely inappropriate to be for sale.

I've been on long haul where revenue passengers filled 11DG. I wouldn't be too happy if I paid 40K HKD for a round trip to be in that seat.

A OW Emerald or DM member will not be involuntary denied boarding, downgraded or even ask to be downgraded.

There are different types of 'seat block' that can be inputted into the system. Some will show as a 'block' and some will show occupied.

Arrived at the airport (outport) to find that I had already been assigned to a middle of the cabin window (this was on a 35K) so I'm assuming they moved or downgraded someone. Agent said they were overbooked by 3 but would likely be ok was there are typically misconnects onto this service. Overall I'm happy with the result, I did probably head to the airport 30 minutes earlier than usual due to not being able to OLCI but CX got me onboard with a good seat. Every single seat ended up being occuplied in J, which is something I'm seeing on more and more of my flights vs pre-C19.

Thanks for following-up B-HQC!

As others have alluded to, it would be shocking to me if an Emerald (or even Sapphire) was IDB, let alone CX's own program members. CX is quite good about those things.

I'm most shocked they're selling 11D/G now to customers. I still hope that isn't quite true. I've seen them occupied in many recent flights but each time was able to identify them as off-duty crew. Or, in a recent case, an acquaintance from Lufthansa Technik, a.k.a industry people. (These are all short-haul flights FWIW)

Pretty sure i spotted some rev pax in 11D on my HKG - JFK flight in May, though cant be sure if they were or not. Either way, felt bad for them...

I think what CX said previously was those 2 seats were the last to be sold, they never said anything about not selling those seats?

the guy who used to run mpc told me in person they weren’t sold, solely for ID pax, off duty crew etc, def not the likes of us cash paying cattle. Timing was pre COVID, maybe 2018 or 2019. I can’t speak for recently. Or maybe that wasn’t true, or we all had one too many drinks? I’m not sure id mix that up, but who knows. I don’t have really any way to verify except call some friends at swire which I’m not plalning on doing ;). What I can say without question is my last two SIN sectors 11DG were full, but all 4x were industry people. I explicitly asked on one flight (cx staff) and actually knew a guy traveling on the other, while other seat was his colleague it turned out. Not normal revenue pax.

Those seats are really a bad look for cx if they’re actually filling with unsuspecting cash pax. Same with one of the seats on 77K, the one in back mini cabin D side near the lav. Even regionally, I’d be quite displeased. Never gotten them and always had this (maybe false???) idea in my head that CX didn’t actually sell them.

Shockingly, my parents do not mind 11DG at all.. In fact, when I pointed out to them its right next the toilet and it's commonly thought to be the worst seats on the CX A350, they said they do not mind.. They like to be in the front of the cabin and prefer the middle seat traveling together... Well, parents.. what can you do? :p

I was on an HKG-SHA last week (fyi, this is consistently the single most elite heavy flight in the whole CX by far). ~30 out of 39 in J alone were DMs so I was asked if I could move to the PVG flight (with Aria) which I declined. The check in staff at the podium acknowledged that they usually would not ask DMs but the system prompted them to ask every single pax for that day. I asked and there was no cash or mileage compensation (so I politely declined ;) )

Fyi, I didn't get my first meal choice as they only had 13 of each loaded. I tried to probe a bit with the crew as to how they maneuvered around the cabin (as I was sitting up front but they came to me quite late), but they just shrugged it off and told me 'we are full today' blabla. oh well

I’m curious to hear why SHA seems more DM heavy. I’m not saying PVG isn’t. I’ve seen the queues on a Monday/ Tuesday morning.

The amounts of flights to PVG just gives me more flexibility. It’s easier to do a day return there as well.

Proximity to what I need to do, in my case. Biggest point: office is 25-40 mins max from SHA. PVG is 45 minutes if I’m lucky and realistically 55-75. (We’re based in Puxi.) Smaller points: walk from jetbridge to immigration to car is in average faster at SHA than PVG.

And I usually stay in Puxi, unless some exceptional reason calls me to Pudong.

so it’s just about speed.

I almost always try for the SHA flights. Unfortunately since I usually book travel close in, it is sometimes totally zeroed out in J and I end up from PVG. But SHa is my preference, especially for flying TO Shanghai. (CXs 60 minute shenanigan I think has made PVG more attractive to me on departure since I can pick up my BPs with the desk that’s always open there at PVG, whereas I’d be worried the agents would just leave at SHa? Is this true?)

I don’t mind PVG, apec helps big time. But if given choice I take SHA. I’m in Shanghai at least every 6 weeks.

Actually SHA is exempt from the universal 60 min rule because of airport mandatory restriction, all airlines close at T-40 except Domestic MU which closes at T-35.

And don’t worry they will leave one or two staff to deal with those who miss the flight.

Just out of curiosity, have you (or anyone) taken the CX 327 SHA-HKG service, which is available on M and Th 22:30 - 01:30+1?

This departure would give me a full day in Shanghai, and I can even leave for the airport after an early dinner. Interested to know of this flight's departure and arrival punctuality.

SHA does seem to sell better than PVG. I'm seeing J5 to SHA and J9 on other flights to PVG.

Imagine you're gold in J to SHA and being IDB/downgrade because everyone else is DM or above ;)

I bought a last minute J class ticket earlier this year and was assigned 11D. I went to a CX outport lounge and the agents there switched me to 23D. I talked with the lady in 23G who told me she was a duty travel crew and her colleague was being moved to 11D :D

Was on CX501 today and the queue at immigration and taxi were horrible. Luggage also took longer to come out. Will never do a post-midnight arrival flight again...

They don't carry extra meals now? I thought for a flight of 39 pax they would load like 42 or 43 meals.

I guess DM+ got their orders first, they remaining DM based on contributions again? Quite surprised to know their ipad can show that though.

I didn't realise you could ask ID staff to move. I would assume in the worst-case scenario, they would be IDB. Row 23 is very nice and I'm not surprised they chose that.

At least they aren't like some US/Europe airlines that don't load enough meals. You'd be quite surprised what they can see on that iPad of doom. A crew member once told me they gather a lot of data to identify their key customers. For example, if you buy a lot of duty-free on board, the crew might come around to hard-sell you.

That's a good point; thanks. Fortunately, I can go through e-channel, only have check-in luggage 50/50% of the time, and will either grab my car from parking or arrange our driver for pick up.

I am tempted to try the CX 327 next month.

i have not, sorry.

Phew. I'm set to head that way in Apr 2025.

Last time I dealt with a CX involuntary downgrade was 2017. The pax was a CX/OW nobody with AM redemption J tix.

e-channel also had long queue as they only opened 1 area out of the 2. But it's bearable (5-8 min queue vs normally no wait) while taxi was 20min vs normally ＜5min. So if you don't need to rely on public transport like me I think you could give it a try :D

I'm not familiar with the matter but I think duty travel crew has high priority than ID. Anyway, they msut have already checked-in when I booked my ticket so system only got me 11D/G.

But on a DM heavy flight I'd expect them to load at least 15x3. Imagine the pressure on the cabin crew when they have to tell more than 1 DM sorry your meal choice is not available.

I was told by an ISM they knew I'm a "good" pax due to always give good marks in survey :D so of course they'd know if you are a "demanding" pax!

Are there many DMs who care about the onboard catering of such short flight? Isn't the food in F lounges in HKG much better than that?
I'm quite sick of the food on the plane. Usually I got something to eat in lounge and eat nothing onboard for short flights

By the way, just curious, did the ISM greet all 30 DMs one by one? :D

The ex-SHA 40 minute cutoff (+ priority security for J) is also something that PVG can’t offer… I remember I left my hotel in Jingan at 12:10pm for a 1:20pm departure once and still made it fine. My colleagues are already raving about the new 3rd frequency (if only complaining about it not being daily..).

they often just zero out J by default for SHA flights (often the friday 530pm/7pm flight out of PVG as well) regardless of capacity, making it a de facto ‘DM exclusive’ flight as the only way to get on would be using the seat guarantee benefit.

yes. And more than that number in the back :tu:

I didn't realise that it is necessary to use the seat guarantee benefit for SHA. I always through the benefit was de facto useless.

I've been hammering out a complex multi-city/ open-jaw to SHA, and even if I managed to price it through their idiotic system, CS couldn't hold the booking for me. It's been driving me nuts.

I totally forgot about the DM seat guarantee benefit! How foolish!! This reminder is a huge lifesaver. I also had no idea they were zeroing it out. We often book online and just never thought more of it. Thank you!!

A small thing for PVG security: if you have APEC you can use the VIP security line. It makes PVG rather pleasant, except for the sometimes long gate walks and commute out there in the first place.

I am planning 16 Dec and/or 26 Dec to give CX 327 a try. Will report back.

[QUOTE=

A small thing for PVG security: if you have APEC you can use the VIP security line. It makes PVG rather pleasant, except for the sometimes long gate walks and commute out there in the first place.[/QUOTE]

This is really good to know!! Are you referring to the business class line or is there another VIP line?

They have a red line with a rope, usually manned by security. I'm not sure if biz class is allowed in; the line is usually minimal and they turn people away, although I don't know for certain what the criteria are for entry, only that APEC can use it. (However, when unmanned, people with biz class passes walk over the rope and there is no difference with the other lines.)

Awesome - will look out for this in my next trip!