Cathay standby on award ticket?
Oct 12, 2017, 8:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 19
Cathay standby on award ticket?
Apologies for this; for regular flyers I'm sure you know the answer, but I looked online for the last 30 minutes and could find no clear answer to this scenario.
I'm a oneworld Emerald (AA EP) flying in J from LAX to HKG on AA next week. My final destination is Manila, and AA doesn't fly there so I booked an award ticket in first class on Cathay. However, there is an earlier flight that I would rather take than waiting 7 hours in the lounge, but it departs at 9am and my flight into HKG isn't scheduled to arrive until 8:10am. Obviously that connection was too close to book, but in practice that flight typically arrives about an hour early, and therefore I could conceivably make the 9:00am flight. So my question-- does Cathay allow standby for first class on same day for award tickets? I have every confidence that first class won't be full to Manila, as I am usually the only person. Anyway, thanks!
I'm a oneworld Emerald (AA EP) flying in J from LAX to HKG on AA next week. My final destination is Manila, and AA doesn't fly there so I booked an award ticket in first class on Cathay. However, there is an earlier flight that I would rather take than waiting 7 hours in the lounge, but it departs at 9am and my flight into HKG isn't scheduled to arrive until 8:10am. Obviously that connection was too close to book, but in practice that flight typically arrives about an hour early, and therefore I could conceivably make the 9:00am flight. So my question-- does Cathay allow standby for first class on same day for award tickets? I have every confidence that first class won't be full to Manila, as I am usually the only person. Anyway, thanks!
Oct 12, 2017, 12:03 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
Have u got luggage (if you do you can pretty much forget it. You could try standby/goshow by short checking ur bags to hkg then check in + standby for earlier flight)
or if you dont have luggage, you can try at transit desk (saying you didnt expect ur flight to arrive so early...) or failing which, the lounge.
and even if they allow you (* see below) the F cabin may not be available.
* Usually they’ll send you back to contact aa to change the ticket. but sometimes they can do it as a favor to cancel out an earlier problem, or if you are going them a favor in the future.
im not saying its definately possible(or not) but to my experience w ba award tickets, is that they would not do anything unless some issue had already/will happen.
im sure this question had been answered (by me lol) - im just too lazy to dig it up.
or if you dont have luggage, you can try at transit desk (saying you didnt expect ur flight to arrive so early...) or failing which, the lounge.
and even if they allow you (* see below) the F cabin may not be available.
* Usually they’ll send you back to contact aa to change the ticket. but sometimes they can do it as a favor to cancel out an earlier problem, or if you are going them a favor in the future.
im not saying its definately possible(or not) but to my experience w ba award tickets, is that they would not do anything unless some issue had already/will happen.
im sure this question had been answered (by me lol) - im just too lazy to dig it up.
Oct 13, 2017, 9:15 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: HKG/MEL
Programs: QF Platium(OWE)/CX Diamond(OWE)/SPG Platium/Marriott Titanium/Hyatt Globalist/Accor Platium/
Posts: 111
A data point:
Booked HKG-TPE Y class award on BA Avios Award. Arrive Airport 2.5hrs before departure time. I asked if possible switch to the eariler flight, the check-in agent is happy to do so after a phone call to flight control.
Also happened for HKG-SIN/BKK flight which ticketed on BA Avios reward stock. As long as the previous flight is not full, most CX agents are happy to arrange.
However OP will be on connecting flight, not sure if they also able to switch the flight for you given that they need to search your checked-in baggage.
Booked HKG-TPE Y class award on BA Avios Award. Arrive Airport 2.5hrs before departure time. I asked if possible switch to the eariler flight, the check-in agent is happy to do so after a phone call to flight control.
Also happened for HKG-SIN/BKK flight which ticketed on BA Avios reward stock. As long as the previous flight is not full, most CX agents are happy to arrange.
However OP will be on connecting flight, not sure if they also able to switch the flight for you given that they need to search your checked-in baggage.
