blum81

Hi everyone,

Trying to plan a trip back home to Vancouver (KUL-HKG-YVR and return) but with the situation in HK right now and no transiting it's seems near impossible to find a flight let alone reward flights.

I'm I pretty much out of luck for anything with Cathay? Am I able to book a reward on a partner airline like JAL?

Worse case scenario I can fly with Singapore Airlines with a paid far (zero status with Krisflyer or SA) but I really wanted to use up my Asiamile points and utilize my diamond status I have... or what's left of it lol...

sxc

I believe transiting via HK is almost zero chance.

ernestnywang

I looked at the schedule and it seems, on Thu., you can take the red-eye JL KUL-NRT and transit to the Fri. NRT-YVR? Long transit in NRT but doable.

blum81

I'm ok with the transit time, but would I be able to use my asiamiles points for a JAL flight? I haven't found anything when trying to do a dummy booking on asiamiles.com

ernestnywang

Yes, of course you can use AM to redeem JL flights. JL and CX are both members of oneworld. Whether the JL flights have any award seats, I have no clue. Best to call MPO and ask. You are DM so hopefully waiting time will be short, though currently, even as GO myself, I often have to wait for over an hour, unless I call at around 3am. Being based in KUL, you also have the option to redeem oneworld multi-carrier award on MH+QR, for example.

blum81

Thanks Ernest. I'll give them a call and see how it goes.

I'm quite flexible on the dates so I'm debating if I just wait until April 20th or whenever HK allows transiting again for Cathay flights to open up. Just concerned the HK gov will extend, again lol.

Hopefully there are some adjustments to flight restrictions.
https://simpleflying.com/is-hong-kon...-restrictions/

Carfield

Knowing Carrie... I won't count on it!

Even if the rules are relaxed, it is hard for CX to restart all this service within a short period of time. Not to mention we don't know what rules will be lifted or relaxed.

Currently, if an airline carries four Covid positive passengers tested on arrival and incomplete paperwork within seven days of operation, that airline will be banned from carrying passengers on that route for 14 days. Unless that rules are lifted, I don't know what good will the lifting of transit ban and countries ban be any good.

As of this point, Cathay Pacific has already released its May schedule and you can find it at CX's where we're flying page.
Cathay Pacific will fly to KUL on May 1 and 27 only.
Cathay Pacific will fly to YVR on May 14 and 29 only.

I will definitely avoid booking CX anytime soon.

Carfield

Rivarix

It's been a while since I use AM but maybe you can use AA or BA site and then feed the route to the AM agent? Considering the frequency, you'll have better luck if you're willing/can go through the US since JL has multiple daily flights to the US. I can see several options daily via SEA, DFW and LAX on AA site. And you can get paid ticket on AA/AS to YVR is AM is not willing/can't see that piece.

As other have said above, definitely avoid booking CX - doesn't make sense to transit at HKG when you can avoid it.

unfrequentflyer

I wonder if OneWorld has begun looking for another airline to replace CX

blum81

hopefully this is good news.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ight-bans-nine

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ssary-lam-says

sxc

But there is no mention of being able to transit in HKG...as for your original question of being able to transit in May - based on yesterday's developments, no chance.

CXYYZ

Transit theoretically possible from April 1, per Danny Lee/Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...s-from-april-1

But don’t see how this will work practically. CX is not really ramping up its flights to the key markets that have been banned: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/break...nine-countries

mucaari

Yeah for CX/HKIA to properly restart, they need to remove these stupid airline bans and the excessive quaratine on crew.