how best to approach this booking
Jan 8, 2019, 8:39 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA EXP; United 1K, Delta, IHG Plat Amb, PE, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 749
how best to approach this booking
Please feel free to move if there is a thread that fits this best.
I want to book two one way tickets on Cathay. Business class, HKT>HKG>ORD. One paid, the other a redemption. I'd prefer the paid ticket to be under my name (for business reasons) and the redeemed flight to be under husband's name.
I have an Asia miles account that I can transfer AmEx points to but will Cathay let me book a redemption flight for hubby from my Asia Miles account? Or, do I need to create an account for my husband and put the miles there?
Is it best to call AM for the two bookings together so they are linked?
Any other tips?
AJ
I want to book two one way tickets on Cathay. Business class, HKT>HKG>ORD. One paid, the other a redemption. I'd prefer the paid ticket to be under my name (for business reasons) and the redeemed flight to be under husband's name.
I have an Asia miles account that I can transfer AmEx points to but will Cathay let me book a redemption flight for hubby from my Asia Miles account? Or, do I need to create an account for my husband and put the miles there?
Is it best to call AM for the two bookings together so they are linked?
Any other tips?
AJ
Jan 8, 2019, 9:11 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC/SIN
Programs: CX DM, SQ KF
Posts: 2,171
Tad confused, but I'm guessing that you are looking for 2 passengers to travel HKT-HKG, and, HKGORD? (or is it oneway paid, HKT-ORD, and the return ORD-HKT, a redemption?)
It wouldn't really matter whose account you book from - there will be 2 tickets under each booking, one for you and one for your husband and there'll be 2 ticket receipts, one each for each passenger, showing the price paid...
You can redeem from your account for your husband if he's a part of your redemption group.
It wouldn't really matter whose account you book from - there will be 2 tickets under each booking, one for you and one for your husband and there'll be 2 ticket receipts, one each for each passenger, showing the price paid...
You can redeem from your account for your husband if he's a part of your redemption group.
Jan 8, 2019, 9:26 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA EXP; United 1K, Delta, IHG Plat Amb, PE, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 749
ok. sorry about confusion. Yes. Looking for one way HKT>HKG>ORD on one paid reservation and another reservation for the same flights for my husband but his will be award redemption. Both in Business.
I haven't done a redemption for another person through Cathay before so my first concern (before I move points from Amex) was if I move them to my account, can I book his redemption for only him from my account. I was pretty sure I could if BOTH were redemptions flights but wasn't so sure if I could do a redemption if I wasn't part of the award reservation. I can't do that on some other airlines.
AJ
I haven't done a redemption for another person through Cathay before so my first concern (before I move points from Amex) was if I move them to my account, can I book his redemption for only him from my account. I was pretty sure I could if BOTH were redemptions flights but wasn't so sure if I could do a redemption if I wasn't part of the award reservation. I can't do that on some other airlines.
AJ
Jan 8, 2019, 9:45 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
ok. sorry about confusion. Yes. Looking for one way HKT>HKG>ORD on one paid reservation and another reservation for the same flights for my husband but his will be award redemption. Both in Business.
I haven't done a redemption for another person through Cathay before so my first concern (before I move points from Amex) was if I move them to my account, can I book his redemption for only him from my account. I was pretty sure I could if BOTH were redemptions flights but wasn't so sure if I could do a redemption if I wasn't part of the award reservation. I can't do that on some other airlines.
AJ
I haven't done a redemption for another person through Cathay before so my first concern (before I move points from Amex) was if I move them to my account, can I book his redemption for only him from my account. I was pretty sure I could if BOTH were redemptions flights but wasn't so sure if I could do a redemption if I wasn't part of the award reservation. I can't do that on some other airlines.
AJ
Jan 8, 2019, 2:03 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
What you are looking for is a companion ticket for your husband to "latch" onto your paid ticket.
That way, you redeem fewer miles for your husband than an outright redemption ticket.
And the person that you redeem a companion ticket for does NOT need to be someone in your redemption group.
You would need to check if the companion ticket is available for your same flights before ticketing and moving your Amex points to Asia Miles, as companion ticket can only be redeemed (online or by phone) after you have ticketed the paid ticket.
That way, you redeem fewer miles for your husband than an outright redemption ticket.
And the person that you redeem a companion ticket for does NOT need to be someone in your redemption group.
You would need to check if the companion ticket is available for your same flights before ticketing and moving your Amex points to Asia Miles, as companion ticket can only be redeemed (online or by phone) after you have ticketed the paid ticket.
Jan 8, 2019, 2:32 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA EXP; United 1K, Delta, IHG Plat Amb, PE, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 749
so, I have done a search and it looks like there is pretty good availability for redemption tickets - worth chancing moving the miles.
So, if I understand correctly, the steps are:
1) book my paid ticket
2) then somehow search to see if there is a companion ticket (from my reservation page?)
3) if no companion ticket available, search for a regular redemption ticket?
4) if all else fails, call Asia Miles for help? LOL
AJ
So, if I understand correctly, the steps are:
1) book my paid ticket
2) then somehow search to see if there is a companion ticket (from my reservation page?)
3) if no companion ticket available, search for a regular redemption ticket?
4) if all else fails, call Asia Miles for help? LOL
AJ
Last edited by aj411; Jan 8, 2019 at 4:04 pm Reason: typo
Jan 8, 2019, 4:23 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2015
Location: WAS, SZX, HKG
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, CX Green
Posts: 735
so, I have done a search and it looks like there is pretty good availability for redemption tickets - worth chancing moving the miles.
So, if I understand correctly, the steps are:
1) book my paid ticket
2) then somehow search to see if there is a companion ticket (from my reservation page?)
3) if no companion ticket available, search for a regular redemption ticket?
4) if all else fails, call Asia Miles for help? LOL
AJ
So, if I understand correctly, the steps are:
1) book my paid ticket
2) then somehow search to see if there is a companion ticket (from my reservation page?)
3) if no companion ticket available, search for a regular redemption ticket?
4) if all else fails, call Asia Miles for help? LOL
AJ
IME there is no reason to do a full redemption booking when companion award is much cheaper
Jan 9, 2019, 9:10 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: HKG
Programs: CX DM, SPG Pt, Le Club Accor GO, Shangri-La GC Jade
Posts: 1,327
So, if I understand correctly, the steps are:
1) book my paid ticket
2) then somehow search to see if there is a companion ticket (from my reservation page?)
3) if no companion ticket available, search for a regular redemption ticket?
4) if all else fails, call Asia Miles for help? LOL
AJ
1) book my paid ticket
2) then somehow search to see if there is a companion ticket (from my reservation page?)
3) if no companion ticket available, search for a regular redemption ticket?
4) if all else fails, call Asia Miles for help? LOL
AJ
Assume that you have the required miles in account, you can call AM, check companion availability, confirm the seats, ask the call centre agent to hold for a few minutes and at the same time, book your paid ticket online
If there's no companion ticket available there won't be any regular redemption ticket out there, so this also means if you can see redemption ticket available online it's pretty safe for you to go ahead to do the booking
As far as I know, unless you are DM, companion ticket uses the same inventory as the redemption ticket. Since your ticket is somewhat complex, CX website may not work for companion tickets. I am not sure how long AMEX transfer take, but the most ideal solution is like: 1) Call CX to make the revenue booking, and put the booking on hold for probably a week; 2) Call Asiamiles, give them your revenue booking reference, and have them put the companion award on hold; 3) Call AMEX to transfer miles and then ticket all bookings. Whether this is doable depends on whether CX is willing to hold a booking for as long as the miles transfer.
IME there is no reason to do a full redemption booking when companion award is much cheaper
I don't know how long it takes for AmEx to transfer the points into AM, but even as DM they only allow me to hold confirmed redemption / companion booking for one day so this won't work
Jan 14, 2019, 10:16 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA EXP; United 1K, Delta, IHG Plat Amb, PE, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 749
ok. so what is the trick to actually get through to Asia Miles? I've been on hold (sat the phone down and let it go on speaker) for over an hour.
AJ
AJ
Jan 14, 2019, 11:00 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171
Jan 14, 2019, 11:02 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171