QRC3288

Flying J class KIX-HKG in 2 months. Trying to redeem upgrade redemption to F class. "Sorry Mr. QRC, no seats available for redemption."

Reality: 4 F seats for sale on my flight, and 4 F seats on the flight 10 mins later. So 8/12 F seats available for sale <2 months out, but they won't release a single seat to Asia Miles, either via upgrade or straight redemption. And after request, "Sorry Mr. QRC, we cannot release an F seat at this time." I am DM so I presume I'm getting the best look at what MPC offers. How does this situation incentivize me to be DM? Or even a member of MPC? Pretty useless.

Better yet, I've seen this movie before. Here's how I bet this situation plays out based on past experience:

*I won't clear the waitlist any time soon.
*I'll take myself off the waitlist in a few weeks. Spare the suspense.
*I'll go to KIX for my flight in a few months.
*50% chance I get op-upped to F anyway, along with other DMs.
*On board, I'll chat with passengers. Will realize the only two "sold" F seats on my flight were AA redeemers.

So CX is considering yet-to-be-announced changes to the MPC program, and presumably the DM tier. 5 years ago I wouldn't have traded DM for anything and flew CX on every route possible Right now, I've already spent 80% of my travel budget to other carriers in the last 3 months (each on routes that I could've flown CX), and this case above is a prime example why. For me the program has been death by a thousand, annoying little cuts for the last 5 years.

fakecd

just move away from CX and fly other alternative like I have done and can't be happier... with only exception I fly CX on Australian route as Qantas has died there.

I've been reading a lot of disappointment and grunts and rants from premium flyers. But yet they all end up returning to CX... that's exactly why CX remain complacent and arrogantly conceited.... so move your business away... it might take a year or so to requalify elsewhere (barring status match) but CX has made it clear they aren't interested in MPC loyalty even at diamond level....

It is so hard to earn trust/loyalty from consumers, takes years of hard work and investment... yet it seems they are happy to loose it, once broken it won't return.

sxc

Have you contacted MPC about this? I would be interested to know their response.

Jane's Addiction

Share your pain on the J to F upgrades. I have rarely cleared a J->F waitlist in the last few years, but almost always get the F seat when I call <24 hours before flying. Its annoying.

Now that I have DM secured through late 2016, i have flying SQ more regionally when I can. SQ regional J vs CX regional J is no comparison. Will take the leap to SQ longhaul when my PPS qualifying period resets.

Cathay Boy

I'm in the process of jumping over to BR if I don't like what I see from the new enhanced MPO. Yes, DM is trash now. Seems like CX is very happy to pull the middle finger on its own loyal FFP, and kowtowing to other FFP members. This just makes absolutely zero sense, but I guess it makes sense to CX....

The dumb short-sightedness that they make chump change from OW elites using their lounges, OW elites using their points to redeem CX flights, but forgetting the facts that us loyal CX members have prepaid for all that benefits with money going only to CX all these years, and only to be given the finger when we try to use these CX points, with a very bad earn/burn ratio to begin with.

7 years ago when I made DM I was very happy, too bad CX is dumbing down to a very ordinary airline...

cxfan1960

DM status was much more useful several years ago. They usually released award redemptions when I called... now I have to waitlist (although they usually clear if I pick the right dates).

Mwenenzi

Did you get your requested upgrade on those other carrier flights?
Were they a cheaper and/or better schedule?
Better earrning to a ffp?

The grass is not always greener over the fence

APeverell

Share the pain too! My Jan YVR HKG J to F upgrade never clear despite F ticket available from 4 down to 1 prior to 12 hrs before flight. The last one went to an AA redemption fellow. And I had to call in more than 10 times to hear that they were sorry no availability then giving out the last seat while I can't be put on waitlist and was in the air and couldn't call. What a PITA !

tiburon1K

Same experience.

In general I am loyal to my wallet than to an airline and hence mostly I or Z (*A) fares. Last 3 RT's have been on QR (good I fare sale of late). One problem w/QR I fare is change fee which is atrocious compared to CX. In the air, QR > CX...

QRC3288

I guess my point isn't clear. Maybe I should've referenced other posts. Yes, I've been flying SQ and BR. In the case of BR price is superior, and schedule is basically the same for both BR and SQ versus CX to me (I fly so much it doesn't really matter if I launch off to North America from HK, Singapore, or Taipei, for example...I live in HK, and can arrange meetings in the two other cities). BR's/SQ's J class hard+soft product is either equal or superior to CX. What has been keeping me tied to CX over the years is what I considered the absolutely fantastic DM program, which (among other things) allowed for DMs to easily get award redemptions. Just a few years ago, CX would release revenue seats to DMs as awards. It was pretty awesome. However, for reasons I won't go into here (but I've discussed at length in the ongoing MPC thread), basically the MPC program has been devalued so much that the incentives even for a DM member are probably to book all excess travel to a OW partner carrier. This seems counterintuitive. Obviously, something is askew with the program when on multiple occasions I haven't cleared an upgrade award waitlist weeks in advance, but was then op-upped!

This year I flew the 120k miles to requal for Cathay DM status in <4 months. After DM requalification, I view myself as having "discretion" where I spend my $. In the past, I would put it all to CX, because even though SQ, EK, QR etc. offer compelling products, I valued the impeccable soft benefits on board as a DM and the MPC redemption procedures. Now, CX has changed. And so have I, with the receipts to prove it. It's a little bittersweet but that's the way this goes. I'm still clinging on to some hope that a lot of these changes are just teething issues with the Amadeus switchover, but the longer this goes on the more I doubt that. Living in HK there is probably little chance I won't earn DM. But right now, for reasons like this J-F upgrade impossibility (it's not even like the flight is even close to selling out!), I am no longer booking all my excess travel on CX. The MPC program was part of my decision-making calculus.

Ironically, CX is getting my cheaper D/I fare travel while the competitors are getting the more expensive fare buckets.

QRC3288

I did, they couldn't help unfortunately.

They told me 8/12 F seats (on the two flights 10 mins apart) are still available for sale (both A and F availability), but zero redemption availability. Flight is <6 weeks out. They are unable to release a seat to award inventory at this time.

I'll keep checking with them, and will wait for that email/phone call, but I'm not hopeful. Just like AmexCent and tiburon1k, I've experienced this situation a number of times before and it plays out usually to disappointment and frustration (as well as the occasional op-up, and the feeling of "?@#?? I tried to redeem for this upgrade a month ago but now you're giving it to me for free?").

sxc

Actually I wasn't so much interested in them clearing seats for you, but for you to explain the changing of your spending patterns based on their commercial decisions. They should know the effect of their actions based on how they are treating you.

Fly Me To The Moon

Well, on the other side of the coin, I have been DM for about 1.5 years now, so I may not have seen much of the soft benefits of the past which other posters have referred to. Generally, I am pleased with being DM, although my reference point is certainly shorter than others.

About two months ago (in mid-Jan), I was able to get a First Class HKG-CDG return redemption on CX using BA Avios for travel during last week of April. I am only a Blue member there, but since the flights were available, I ticketed them straight away. Fast forward to early-March, and my girlfriend decided to join me on my trip. I booked a paid J class ticket for her, and used my AsiaMiles to upgrade her to F. The HKG-CDG upgrade was ok, but the return had to be on waitlist. I asked specifically whether the waitlist would be prioritised using my DM status or my GF's Green MPC status. The agent replied, "using DM status". I just got the return upgrade cleared a few days ago.

Checked the CDG-HKG flight online, and it shows that 4/6 F seats are still available for sale. Therefore, on that flight, it is so far only me on a redemption ticket and my GF on an upgrade ticket.

alphaod

Having been only DM for some four months, I have found treatment and overall service to above what I had gotten with lower tiers of status (granted, I've only been a MPO member for 14 months so far). I have not really been that frustrated with F redemptions much since most of my flying is short haul, though I have found some interesting things about award [upgrade] redemptions especially when it comes to waitlists.

KACommuter

I have a similar but not identical set of priorities. What I really need:

1. Flat bed
2. Step up when my travel arrangements go belly up
3. What I get for loyalty

1 is offered even by UA and AA by now. CX has excelled at 2. But 3 has deteriorated.

Maybe CX management feels that there are too many DM's now so the cost of 3 e.g. upgrade or flight redemptions is too high. But losing the loyalty of the 120k miles+ flyers also carries a high price.