Oct 29, 2013, 4:27 am
Last edit by: ZZ100
Is it possible to buy a (cheap) upgrade on Cathay Pacific upon check-in?
The short answer is no.
Cathay, as a general rule, does not allow you to purchase last minute upgrades if there are empty seats in Y+, J or F. The only way to upgrade a ticket is to pay the fare difference between your current ticket, and an available fare class in the higher cabins. Note that if your current ticket has restrictions (cancellation fees, non-refundable) these still apply.
There are been stories of people who have been offered cheap upgrades by Cathay, but this is more an exception than a common occurrence.
If I upgrade my ticket using asia miles, do I still earn miles?
Yes, you will earn miles for the original fare class that you booked, not the upgraded cabin.
How do I get a free upgrade / operational upgrade (op-up)?
Cathay Pacific does not upgrade passengers just because there are empty seats in higher classes. Upgrades will only occur where there is overbooking in lower classes.
The order of upgrades when required is believed to be:
I am travelling on an award ticket. Will I still be considered for a free upgrade?
Yes - there are many stories of passengers on award tickets, or who upgraded a class using miles, getting (additional) upgrades.
What happens if the aircraft has 4 or 3 cabins, but is only selling Business and Economy seats?
It is likely if you have Marco Polo status, and to a lesser extent oneworld status, you may be able to sit in either First Class seats (if booked in J) or Premium Economy (if booked in Y) with service of the original cabin. There doesn't appear to be consistency yet as to how these semi-upgrades are allocated. Some people have been able to choose seats in the higher cabin during online check-in, or some will get them on request at check-in. However, there is no entitlement to these seats.
Will I get an upgrade on my Birthday, or for my membership anniversary, or for reaching xx number of lifetime club miles?
Please see this link for members' experience with these kinds of upgrades: Marco Polo Anniversary Upgrades
I want to use Asia Miles to upgrade a BA flight. How do I do this?
As of 22 June 2018, it is no longer possible to upgrade BA flights with Asia Miles.
How do I upgrade a CX flight using miles?
If you already have issued your original ticket:
If you have not made any booking yet, and you want to check availability:
If you don't receive a new e-ticket before departure, call up Marco Polo club to double check if the upgrade has been issued.
The short answer is no.
Cathay, as a general rule, does not allow you to purchase last minute upgrades if there are empty seats in Y+, J or F. The only way to upgrade a ticket is to pay the fare difference between your current ticket, and an available fare class in the higher cabins. Note that if your current ticket has restrictions (cancellation fees, non-refundable) these still apply.
There are been stories of people who have been offered cheap upgrades by Cathay, but this is more an exception than a common occurrence.
If I upgrade my ticket using asia miles, do I still earn miles?
Yes, you will earn miles for the original fare class that you booked, not the upgraded cabin.
How do I get a free upgrade / operational upgrade (op-up)?
Cathay Pacific does not upgrade passengers just because there are empty seats in higher classes. Upgrades will only occur where there is overbooking in lower classes.
The order of upgrades when required is believed to be:
- VIP (Heads of State, Government Bodies, or Canto Pop/Movie stars)
- CX Diamond Plus
- CX Diamond Invitation, Diamond
- CX Gold
- CX management staff on travel duty
- oneworld Emerald
- CX staff on duty nominees , other airline staff nominees, CX staff on personal travel
- oneworld Sapphire
- CX Silver
- oneworld Ruby
- CX Green
- Asia Miles
- Non status
I am travelling on an award ticket. Will I still be considered for a free upgrade?
Yes - there are many stories of passengers on award tickets, or who upgraded a class using miles, getting (additional) upgrades.
What happens if the aircraft has 4 or 3 cabins, but is only selling Business and Economy seats?
It is likely if you have Marco Polo status, and to a lesser extent oneworld status, you may be able to sit in either First Class seats (if booked in J) or Premium Economy (if booked in Y) with service of the original cabin. There doesn't appear to be consistency yet as to how these semi-upgrades are allocated. Some people have been able to choose seats in the higher cabin during online check-in, or some will get them on request at check-in. However, there is no entitlement to these seats.
Will I get an upgrade on my Birthday, or for my membership anniversary, or for reaching xx number of lifetime club miles?
Please see this link for members' experience with these kinds of upgrades: Marco Polo Anniversary Upgrades
I want to use Asia Miles to upgrade a BA flight. How do I do this?
As of 22 June 2018, it is no longer possible to upgrade BA flights with Asia Miles.
How do I upgrade a CX flight using miles?
If you already have issued your original ticket:
- Try upgrading using Manage My Booking on the website (not always successful)
- If self-service doesn't work, try calling Marco Polo hotline to check availability
- If there is availability, you will need to issue the upgrade immediately to secure it. They may give you a few days grace before isssuing the upgrade, but this is now rarely given.
- In a few days, or longer if they are busy, your miles will be deducted, and you will be emailed a new e-ticket with the upgrade class details on it, and your online booking for your original booking class will disappear.
If you have not made any booking yet, and you want to check availability:
- Call Marco Polo club to check for availability on the flights/dates you want, or check for normal redemption availability on the website.
- Book a revenue ticket in the class of service for which you will be paying. Do NOT do this via the website -- call a CX telephone sales number/travel agent.
- Put the booking on hold.
- Call the Marco Polo/Asia Miles Service Center. Have them book the upgrade and give you a deadline to have the ticket issued. (It's usually about 72 hours).
- Have telephone sales/travel agent issue your revenue ticket.
- Call Marco Polo/Asia Miles back. Give them the revenue ticket number against the PNR and ask them to issue your upgrade.
- In about two or three days, you'll get a new ticket with the upgrade showing.
If you don't receive a new e-ticket before departure, call up Marco Polo club to double check if the upgrade has been issued.
The Ultimate Upgrade Question thread
Jun 15, 2017, 8:06 pm
#631
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
Well, congratulations - I've had good luck (100% in fact) with North America-HKG PE to J op ups when I was OW Sapphire/Emerald last year. Just withhold your excitement and keep the gopros/camera flash away or else the CX FFs will start their eyerolling and bashing, and just enjoy your flight! You will like CX as a BA FF.
Jun 15, 2017, 8:39 pm
#632
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
Generally on long-hauls CX upgrades from Y to PEY, even for their DM and GO members. Indeed there are exceptions where pax end up from Y in J, but generally this is how it works. To use an extreme example, if PEY is filled with 100% zero status pax, Y is filled with 50 DMs, and Y is oversold by X:
*X number of DMs will be upgraded to Y to PEY.
*X number of no-status pax will be upgraded PEY to J.
Reality isn't as extreme as above, but CX heavily discounts PEY at outports. Data I've seen in the past for the US, and make sense to me conceptually, indicate that CX prices PEY at prices that aren't much more, or even comparable to mid-priced REGULAR Y ticket buckets UA sells ex-SFO and EWR. What CX is trying to do is incentivize flyers from outside HKG, including those on *A and SkyTeam, to try CX. The calculus for those passengers is "well, I can collect my miles on UA in Y class (which we all know is a total disaster), or I can say screw it to miles and for the same price fly CX in premium economy". The latter is hands down more comfortable. There are a lot more complexities to this than I'm letting on, and these ticket buckets seem to be in conjunction with tack-on destinations in Asia, but the point remains.
As a result, the dynamic I've noticed is that PEY cabins tend to be the least elite-heavy cabin on the plane. (on a side note, I think this totally justifies the demand for PEY: CX is getting non elites, and even other alliance fliers to try CX because the value for money is there in PEY, when priced at a discount). Until recently, Cathay PEY is just horrendously priced ex-HKG for the most part. Maybe this will change going forward but history has been so far, CX says screw you to HKG fliers - where the greatest # of its own elites are based - and instead fills PEY with connecting traffic from outports. So CX's own elites especially Diamonds (CX equivalent of OWE) tend to be clustered in the other cabins, particularly in J class on long-haul flights.
So this is why, as even an OWS, you're already in a decent position in PEY. If Y gets super oversold like happens from time to time, and the cascade of op-ups start occurring, you'll be positioned for a potential upgrade to J.
Jun 15, 2017, 8:40 pm
#633
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: YVR, KUL
Programs: AC, MH, BA, AF-KL
Posts: 2,904
Jun 15, 2017, 8:42 pm
#634
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: London, UK
Programs: Asiamiles, Marco Polo Club, Amex
Posts: 30
Possible upgrade to J on a PE booked through asiamiles
Hi All - new poster here and encouraged by these posts...
I'll be redeeming 72,000 miles for a return London-HK flight shortly for CX PE. Would like to know your thoughts, as a Green Marco Polo member and in the right circumstances if there may be a possibility that I could be upgraded to J class...even if my booking will show I booked the flight via asiamiles?
Basically does booking via flight award disqualify me from a possible upgrade? I will be flying solo very close to Christmas this year and am flexible with dates.
Thanks for reading ...
I'll be redeeming 72,000 miles for a return London-HK flight shortly for CX PE. Would like to know your thoughts, as a Green Marco Polo member and in the right circumstances if there may be a possibility that I could be upgraded to J class...even if my booking will show I booked the flight via asiamiles?
Basically does booking via flight award disqualify me from a possible upgrade? I will be flying solo very close to Christmas this year and am flexible with dates.
Thanks for reading ...
Jun 15, 2017, 8:47 pm
#635
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
That said, even though PEY is the "best" chance for op-up, I really wouldn't be booking around that premise. The odds still are low. It'll be great if it happens and it CAN happen, but I'd still say it's unlikely to happen and no doubt the disappointment will be real. Too many variables at work especially for a Green member.
If you were a DM, GO or OWE, then I'd go ahead and perhaps you strategize around it. The super high rates PEY-J you're hearing on here seem to be posted mainly by DM, GO and OWE members, based on what I know about those posters. I probably don't recommend being as aggressive as Green simply because the disappointment is more likely than the payoff.
But....PEY is definitely the one class where you have an "real" shot as a Green. Much, much, much higher than if you were in Y or J.
Jun 15, 2017, 9:04 pm
#636
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: London, UK
Programs: Asiamiles, Marco Polo Club, Amex
Posts: 30
Thanks...Will be booking it as PE then, and not expect. What I can do is check with my travel agent which flights/dates are nearly full in Y and PE, 2 days +/- the 22nd Dec, to give me an idea of the probability.
Jun 16, 2017, 7:08 am
#637
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
haha to be fair, it's not generosity so much as the way the PEY cabin is sold and how CX does op-ups.
Generally on long-hauls CX upgrades from Y to PEY, even for their DM and GO members. Indeed there are exceptions where pax end up from Y in J, but generally this is how it works. To use an extreme example, if PEY is filled with 100% zero status pax, Y is filled with 50 DMs, and Y is oversold by X:
*X number of DMs will be upgraded to Y to PEY.
*X number of no-status pax will be upgraded PEY to J.
Reality isn't as extreme as above, but CX heavily discounts PEY at outports. Data I've seen in the past for the US, and make sense to me conceptually, indicate that CX prices PEY at prices that aren't much more, or even comparable to mid-priced REGULAR Y ticket buckets UA sells ex-SFO and EWR. What CX is trying to do is incentivize flyers from outside HKG, including those on *A and SkyTeam, to try CX. The calculus for those passengers is "well, I can collect my miles on UA in Y class (which we all know is a total disaster), or I can say screw it to miles and for the same price fly CX in premium economy". The latter is hands down more comfortable. There are a lot more complexities to this than I'm letting on, and these ticket buckets seem to be in conjunction with tack-on destinations in Asia, but the point remains.
As a result, the dynamic I've noticed is that PEY cabins tend to be the least elite-heavy cabin on the plane. (on a side note, I think this totally justifies the demand for PEY: CX is getting non elites, and even other alliance fliers to try CX because the value for money is there in PEY, when priced at a discount). Until recently, Cathay PEY is just horrendously priced ex-HKG for the most part. Maybe this will change going forward but history has been so far, CX says screw you to HKG fliers - where the greatest # of its own elites are based - and instead fills PEY with connecting traffic from outports. So CX's own elites especially Diamonds (CX equivalent of OWE) tend to be clustered in the other cabins, particularly in J class on long-haul flights.
So this is why, as even an OWS, you're already in a decent position in PEY. If Y gets super oversold like happens from time to time, and the cascade of op-ups start occurring, you'll be positioned for a potential upgrade to J.
Generally on long-hauls CX upgrades from Y to PEY, even for their DM and GO members. Indeed there are exceptions where pax end up from Y in J, but generally this is how it works. To use an extreme example, if PEY is filled with 100% zero status pax, Y is filled with 50 DMs, and Y is oversold by X:
*X number of DMs will be upgraded to Y to PEY.
*X number of no-status pax will be upgraded PEY to J.
Reality isn't as extreme as above, but CX heavily discounts PEY at outports. Data I've seen in the past for the US, and make sense to me conceptually, indicate that CX prices PEY at prices that aren't much more, or even comparable to mid-priced REGULAR Y ticket buckets UA sells ex-SFO and EWR. What CX is trying to do is incentivize flyers from outside HKG, including those on *A and SkyTeam, to try CX. The calculus for those passengers is "well, I can collect my miles on UA in Y class (which we all know is a total disaster), or I can say screw it to miles and for the same price fly CX in premium economy". The latter is hands down more comfortable. There are a lot more complexities to this than I'm letting on, and these ticket buckets seem to be in conjunction with tack-on destinations in Asia, but the point remains.
As a result, the dynamic I've noticed is that PEY cabins tend to be the least elite-heavy cabin on the plane. (on a side note, I think this totally justifies the demand for PEY: CX is getting non elites, and even other alliance fliers to try CX because the value for money is there in PEY, when priced at a discount). Until recently, Cathay PEY is just horrendously priced ex-HKG for the most part. Maybe this will change going forward but history has been so far, CX says screw you to HKG fliers - where the greatest # of its own elites are based - and instead fills PEY with connecting traffic from outports. So CX's own elites especially Diamonds (CX equivalent of OWE) tend to be clustered in the other cabins, particularly in J class on long-haul flights.
So this is why, as even an OWS, you're already in a decent position in PEY. If Y gets super oversold like happens from time to time, and the cascade of op-ups start occurring, you'll be positioned for a potential upgrade to J.
I do notice the same pattern in terms of PEY price too. Say JFK-HKG PEY is around $2k, while JFK-HKG-CAN (Guangzhou is literally 100 miles away from HKG.) could be $1.6k, JFK-HKG-SIN is $1.7k and JFK-HKG-PEK is around $1.6k as well (Same thing for J). And yes CX PEY is priced competitively, even within Oneworld. For routes like JFK-HKG-NRT ($1.8k) when compared to JFK-NRT/EWR-LAX-NRT on JAL (easily $2.6k). As AA might promote PEY for its TPAC in the future, we will see how that goes.
PS: Please don't try UA Y class. That's the single worst experience I had with HKG-ORD flight and I am happily avoiding UA for domestic flights.
Last edited by andersonCooper; Jun 16, 2017 at 7:20 am Reason: Typo
Jun 21, 2017, 12:37 pm
#639
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Dallas and Harare
Programs: AA-EXP 2MM
Posts: 143
Upgrade frustration
I've a milage run next month, JNB-HKG-JFK 12 July after arriving on the early Qatar flight from Dallas that same morning, with a return on 14 July. Earlier today I was wanting to check and see how much it would be to upgrade the JNB-JFK portion. Website gave me a fantastic price of ZAR 13,395 for J (I class ticket) from my current PYE (E class ticket) on the same flights numbers I'm currently booked. I quickly input my card info and received an email from AMEX for the "large purchase approval" during the online "we are processing your order screen". A couple minutes later the screen pops up saying they couldn't book my request and to go back and pick another flight option. Huh?
Went back to "change my booking" and lo and behold the same upgrade offer price was not available. It is now ZAR 39,432! Wonder what happened and/or what did I do wrong???
Went back to "change my booking" and lo and behold the same upgrade offer price was not available. It is now ZAR 39,432! Wonder what happened and/or what did I do wrong???
Jun 21, 2017, 1:38 pm
#640
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
I've a milage run next month, JNB-HKG-JFK 12 July after arriving on the early Qatar flight from Dallas that same morning, with a return on 14 July. Earlier today I was wanting to check and see how much it would be to upgrade the JNB-JFK portion. Website gave me a fantastic price of ZAR 13,395 for J (I class ticket) from my current PYE (E class ticket) on the same flights numbers I'm currently booked. I quickly input my card info and received an email from AMEX for the "large purchase approval" during the online "we are processing your order screen". A couple minutes later the screen pops up saying they couldn't book my request and to go back and pick another flight option. Huh?
Went back to "change my booking" and lo and behold the same upgrade offer price was not available. It is now ZAR 39,432! Wonder what happened and/or what did I do wrong???
Went back to "change my booking" and lo and behold the same upgrade offer price was not available. It is now ZAR 39,432! Wonder what happened and/or what did I do wrong???
By the way, I have done this before and it is a physical and mentally stressful experience to put it lightly (in both J and W). I would also look into free stopovers in HKG granted by the I fares if you have the flexibility to do so
(well, I believe E fares also have free ish stopovers included...)
Jun 21, 2017, 2:09 pm
#641
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Dallas and Harare
Programs: AA-EXP 2MM
Posts: 143
Firstly, you are talking about what we call an 'upfare' and not upgrade. Your first price is correct as current ex-JNB published fare for JNB-USA rt is around 48000 ZAR while E class is around 26000, and indeed upfare for one way is normally just half the price difference, but the fare rules change every few months so I'm not sure if you would have to upfare the entire ticket. However, bear in mind that JNB POS and ex-JNB inventory itself is very volatile and can change from moment to moment. I just looked and it seems that 830 and 840 are still available, but it is weird as C and D class are zeroed out. I suggest you to call HKG hotline to sort it out (don't bother with the ZA hotline - those agents are incompetent.)
By the way, I have done this before and it is a physical and mentally stressful experience to put it lightly (in both J and W). I would also look into free stopovers in HKG granted by the I fares if you have the flexibility to do so (well, I believe E fares also have free ish stopovers included...)
By the way, I have done this before and it is a physical and mentally stressful experience to put it lightly (in both J and W). I would also look into free stopovers in HKG granted by the I fares if you have the flexibility to do so
(well, I believe E fares also have free ish stopovers included...)Will call the help line from here in the US to see what I can figure out. Thanks again for your response!
Last edited by dfwrob; Jun 21, 2017 at 2:52 pm Reason: Correct some grammar
Jun 26, 2017, 9:45 pm
#643
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 52
Greetings,
Flying SFO-HKG in PE (E) this Friday (6/30/17). I am unable to select a seat ("Please check at the time of check-in" on CX website); EF shows PE full with one seat blocked. 7 seats open in J with another 7 blocked.
I am OWE and wondering if there is any strategy that I should take to op-up to J. Maybe check-in early/late, call ahead, etc. Not terribly hopeful, love CX PE, just wondering!
Any comments are welcome. Apologies in advance if my query is redundant - I read the last 20 or so pages of the thread and may have missed it.
Many thanks.
Flying SFO-HKG in PE (E) this Friday (6/30/17). I am unable to select a seat ("Please check at the time of check-in" on CX website); EF shows PE full with one seat blocked. 7 seats open in J with another 7 blocked.
I am OWE and wondering if there is any strategy that I should take to op-up to J. Maybe check-in early/late, call ahead, etc. Not terribly hopeful, love CX PE, just wondering!
Any comments are welcome. Apologies in advance if my query is redundant - I read the last 20 or so pages of the thread and may have missed it.
Many thanks.
Jun 27, 2017, 10:25 am
#644
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC
Posts: 524
Greetings,
Flying SFO-HKG in PE (E) this Friday (6/30/17). I am unable to select a seat ("Please check at the time of check-in" on CX website); EF shows PE full with one seat blocked. 7 seats open in J with another 7 blocked.
I am OWE and wondering if there is any strategy that I should take to op-up to J. Maybe check-in early/late, call ahead, etc. Not terribly hopeful, love CX PE, just wondering!
Any comments are welcome. Apologies in advance if my query is redundant - I read the last 20 or so pages of the thread and may have missed it.
Many thanks.
Flying SFO-HKG in PE (E) this Friday (6/30/17). I am unable to select a seat ("Please check at the time of check-in" on CX website); EF shows PE full with one seat blocked. 7 seats open in J with another 7 blocked.
I am OWE and wondering if there is any strategy that I should take to op-up to J. Maybe check-in early/late, call ahead, etc. Not terribly hopeful, love CX PE, just wondering!
Any comments are welcome. Apologies in advance if my query is redundant - I read the last 20 or so pages of the thread and may have missed it.
Many thanks.
When I flied KIX-HKG, didn't do online check-in and on a redemption Y ticket. Arrived the airport 60 min before departure, the ground agent didn't mention anything when I check in. Yet, I was being called while in the lounge and said I was being upgraded to PEY on an A359.
Another flight from NGO to HKG, I booked PEY and arrived at the airport 2 hours prior departure. The GA said Y was overbooked so I might have chance to upgrade to J. However, she could not confirm at the time I check in.
Once also experienced an instant upgrade from Y to J while check in.
So, just be patient and wait. That is what you can do.
Jun 27, 2017, 10:41 am
#645
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 52
Chance of upgrade is not affected by time of check-in. However, affect the time you know if you are upgraded or not.
When I flied KIX-HKG, didn't do online check-in and on a redemption Y ticket. Arrived the airport 60 min before departure, the ground agent didn't mention anything when I check in. Yet, I was being called while in the lounge and said I was being upgraded to PEY on an A359.
Another flight from NGO to HKG, I booked PEY and arrived at the airport 2 hours prior departure. The GA said Y was overbooked so I might have chance to upgrade to J. However, she could not confirm at the time I check in.
Once also experienced an instant upgrade from Y to J while check in.
So, just be patient and wait. That is what you can do.
When I flied KIX-HKG, didn't do online check-in and on a redemption Y ticket. Arrived the airport 60 min before departure, the ground agent didn't mention anything when I check in. Yet, I was being called while in the lounge and said I was being upgraded to PEY on an A359.
Another flight from NGO to HKG, I booked PEY and arrived at the airport 2 hours prior departure. The GA said Y was overbooked so I might have chance to upgrade to J. However, she could not confirm at the time I check in.
Once also experienced an instant upgrade from Y to J while check in.
So, just be patient and wait. That is what you can do.