then calling AA trying to book ;
I saw on CX website that there are 2 FC award seats LAX HKG on the 16th, 17th and 19th of June. Called AA trying to book, was told that on the 16th, there is only 1 seat...17th and 19th nada.
Can someone help explain to me why, so close to flight time, does CX still hold on to those award seats for the Marco Polo members only ? and not available to any OW FF who try to book them ?
Thanks in advance.

No one is going to be able to give you an explanation that would pacify on this issue. They prefer rewarding their own members including giving preference close to the day of flight.

What I meant was : is this really the practice that CX is exercising ? or just AA doing... I don't have a QF account, can't go over there to look and see if those seats show up over there or not. If it does, then there is something wrong with AA.
I am not questioning CX's practice...it's their rights to conduct business the way they see fit...

Actually, in my opinion, not sure about reward seat availability, but in general CX is probably one of the better of the oneworld carriers when it comes to treating its top-tier OW members that aren't MPO. I'm an MPO Gold member residing in New York, so often for my domestic flights and my one flight a year to ZRH I use AA (vs. BA for mileage purposes in Y). However, when I spoke with AAdvantage last time and asked if top-tier non AAdvantage OW members are considered for complimentary upgrades at check-in, they said that that's reserved only for their own members and those with 500-mile upgrade coupons (which are also given only to their own members). CX on the other hand does upgrade OW Emerald members of its partners on CX flights and doesn't reserve that only for their own. My last flight to ZRH actually, J was empty but Y was packed, yet I wasn't even considered for an upgrade, seeing as how I was still in Y a few rows from the J cabin. So really, I think its an issue across oneworld how each carrier treats members from partner carriers and not only a CX business practice. Honestly I agree with you, but a carrier is going to reserve some perks for its own.

The QF web site will not display award space on CX. Try the BA web site.

Really? I used the QF search engine and got availability information on most OW partners.

There have been a few cases where I have seen availability on the c x site but when ringing Cx to book I have been told The seat is not available so it is not necessarily cx holding back Seats for its own pax

i think QF award research system is more accurate.
Some time I saw the seat on CX web or QF available while I had booking already.
If MPC search the seat under my booking they can not find any seat available.
So you can ask them search the seat without exist booking,they may find seat available.

As of this morning, I did not see any CX award availability on the QF site. It did in the past but now no more.

As mentioned many many times before....

The asiamiles website is not accurate when showing CX award availability. That said, CX does prefer to have its own members waitlist for flights that have no award available and it will release seats accordingly when necessary.

CX site is inaccurate, so it is possible that availability is different when you call. But as CX DM, with the exception of one or two routes, the MPC agent would ask you which day/flight you would prefer, and your chance of getting that flight is rather high.

And let me guess. One of those "one or two routes" is probably HKG-JFK on either 830/31 or 888/89, right? I really hope they use one of those new 777-300ERs for an additional JFK nonstop to HKG.

I know the SFO route is not one of them, even though J if often full. I do not have personal experience on the JFK route. I saw some discussions earlier in another thread (I cound not find it) on U award redemption on that route, and it sounds that it is difficult. However, keep your faith, as both you and your son are elite members. With an additional flight coming soon, the chance of getting an award with definitely increase.

If nothing else, you helped out a fellow FTer. I was able to grab that one F (Z) seat on 6/16 after I saw your note. I was not able to get CX on the way home though, and am taking JL in F.