unpleasant redeem booking experience
Aug 26, 2018, 11:21 pm
#31
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,800
To be honest, this is an acceptable offer. OK, it is kinda of “The Squeaky wheel gets the oil!” However, my point is reward seats are definitely much more difficult to book than they were before.
Oh, another thing: I always think DMs own the privilege to request reward seats released. It is one of the reasons I’d like to become DM. But maybe this privilege does not come as easy as in the past????
Oh, another thing: I always think DMs own the privilege to request reward seats released. It is one of the reasons I’d like to become DM. But maybe this privilege does not come as easy as in the past????
I can imagine even SLs being Crowded Out of the call centres by GOs and DMs breathing fire at the agents like a raid of Pokemons to extract seats from supervisors.
Aug 27, 2018, 12:50 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AAdvantage Asia Miles Air China
Posts: 870
Dynamic Award Pricing
In defence of CX, I am planning to redeem my meagre CX AMEX card miles on a short trip to either KL or BKK and am seeing far more award availability in the Saver buckets than before. SIN seems to be solid waitlist.
Aug 27, 2018, 12:57 am
#33
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
This fits in with my (conspiracy theory) view that the 'Tailored Awards' are really dynamic pricing in disguise and that 'Tailored Award' availability is a way to force the award miles required to usurous levels. CX can easily claim to make lots more awards available at the Tailored Award level while restricting the lower levels, but who in their right mind would want to redeem at these levels? Surely in terms of value it is better to just buy a cash ticket?
I was wondering what the hell was going on.
Your answer would make the most sense.
Aug 27, 2018, 1:44 am
#34
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AAdvantage Asia Miles Air China
Posts: 870
From the Asia Miles Website "For mileage requirements for Standard and Choice Awards on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon, please refer to the Award charts published on the Asia Miles website. For Standard Awards on other online redemption Partner airlines and Tailored Awards on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon, please refer to mileage requirements quoted at the online redemption booking platform".
The key element is the items in red, essentially you are given a 'Tailored Award' quote at the time of making an online redemption that can potentially be anything CX wants it to be, and can be easily applied to phone in redemptions of course.
Aug 27, 2018, 3:15 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
This fits in with my (conspiracy theory) view that the 'Tailored Awards' are really dynamic pricing in disguise and that 'Tailored Award' availability is a way to force the award miles required to usurous levels. CX can easily claim to make lots more awards available at the Tailored Award level while restricting the lower levels, but who in their right mind would want to redeem at these levels? Surely in terms of value it is better to just buy a cash ticket?
.
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However if you're referring to the "20% extra redemption seats", CX has always said these extra seats are at the Standard level. They are not taking into account Tailored or Choice awards. But we have no way of verifying this.
Aug 27, 2018, 4:11 am
#36
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AAdvantage Asia Miles Air China
Posts: 870
Although CX has never called Tailored Awards dynamic pricing, their description has always made it seem that they are dynamic pricing awards. However if you're referring to the "20% extra redemption seats", CX has always said these extra seats are at the Standard level. They are not taking into account Tailored or Choice awards. But we have no way of verifying this.
On the 20% level, you are right, no way to validate this unless CX makes the data available, which is just not going to happen.
Aug 27, 2018, 7:57 am
#37
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: HKG
Programs: CX, BA
Posts: 69
Still, and I am sad to say this, it is like the 20% increase claim, there is no way to disprove it.
Aug 27, 2018, 8:25 am
#38
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,800
Agreed, by definition 'Tailored Awards' implies dynamic pricing and that is how they seem to be applying this award level, but CX seems to be deliberately avoiding calling 'a horse, a horse' but when something 'walks like a duck, quacks like a duck.......' Sorry for the metaphors, but I think CX needs to be upfront about how this award level works, and I doubt if many people have actually read the definition I quoted, or if they did, did not understand what it means.
On the 20% level, you are right, no way to validate this unless CX makes the data available, which is just not going to happen.
On the 20% level, you are right, no way to validate this unless CX makes the data available, which is just not going to happen.
But it's not hard to reverse engineer the table. HT kaka for completing the Tailored table. I added the partner table which is also not published:
Aug 27, 2018, 10:22 am
#39
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
Which makes the Gold bookable upgrades less usefull, since I tends to be sold out 3+ months upfront, apart from the requirement, you need to book in high-fare buckets PEY (R,W) to be able to, etc.
And, you can not use the Gold bookable upgrades for distances >3700 miles.
Aug 27, 2018, 7:36 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AAdvantage Asia Miles Air China
Posts: 870
It's not true Dynamic Pricing, they are just "hiding" the redemption table so they can change it without making it too easy for bloggers.
But it's not hard to reverse engineer the table. HT kaka for completing the Tailored table. I added the partner table which is also not published:
But it's not hard to reverse engineer the table. HT kaka for completing the Tailored table. I added the partner table which is also not published:
Though why to hide from Bloggers?
Aug 27, 2018, 7:44 pm
#41
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: TPE, CGK
Programs: GFF Plat, CX DM, SQ TPPS, AS 75K
Posts: 199
Aug 27, 2018, 8:12 pm
#42
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,800
In fact the 20% disinformation campaign is working exceedingly well for the non-FTers in my life. I can't convince them otherwise until they look up something, inevitably find nothing (or a horribly overpriced Tailored award) and I tell them what was available this time last year like an eternally sour bag of sour grapes.
Last edited by percysmith; Aug 27, 2018 at 8:34 pm
Aug 28, 2018, 11:18 pm
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Taiwan
Programs: CX DM (OWE), Accor Gold
Posts: 379
Dear all,
Five days ago, I wrote an email to MPC to express my unpleasant booking experience.
I havent heard any feedback yet.
However, yesterday I got 3 messages to inform me that the waitlists were cleaned, which were AMS(U class), CDG(Z class), and BRU(U class). I will pick up one and cancel others.
I am not sure if these rapid clearance were related to my email.
Or it is just normal procedure to clean the waitlist soon when these bookings made very early.
Anyway, the result is good but the process was not. Acting like a raid of Pokemons isn’t fun.
Five days ago, I wrote an email to MPC to express my unpleasant booking experience.
I havent heard any feedback yet.
However, yesterday I got 3 messages to inform me that the waitlists were cleaned, which were AMS(U class), CDG(Z class), and BRU(U class). I will pick up one and cancel others.
I am not sure if these rapid clearance were related to my email.
Or it is just normal procedure to clean the waitlist soon when these bookings made very early.
Anyway, the result is good but the process was not. Acting like a raid of Pokemons isn’t fun.
Oct 22, 2018, 3:38 am
#45
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,800
First Tailored increase Short Tailored Y 20k-->28k AM
It's not true Dynamic Pricing, they are just "hiding" the redemption table so they can change it without making it too easy for bloggers.
But it's not hard to reverse engineer the table. HT kaka for completing the Tailored table. I added the partner table which is also not published:
But it's not hard to reverse engineer the table. HT kaka for completing the Tailored table. I added the partner table which is also not published:
MrMiles caught AM jacking up miles required for KIX Tailored
Last edited by percysmith; Oct 22, 2018 at 4:14 am