PointsMeanPrizes

Hi All,

This is my first post on the CX forum so your help is much appreciated. I am a keen collector of BA miles and will be making a redemption booking for July to do the JFK - YVR route. I am booked over in F on BA to JFK but they tell me that there is no onward availability for redemptions in F on CX at all in the first half of the month. I don't have a CX asiamiles account so could someone tell me when there is outbound only availability for 3 seats in F as a mileage booking, or maybe tell me how I can check for myself?

I have been looking at the website and reading your posts and I can't wait to try the CX product as it sounds even better than BA for service.

Thanks in advance . . .

PMP

Guy Betsy

That route has very limited availability for CX MPC members, much less *other* airline partners. Most of the time, CX will only release ONE seat per flight, and after that is booked, *MAY* release another.

But JULY is getting into peak season, and thus CX may be unwilling to release any more award seats since they are able to sell that seat as full revenue.

Having just an asiamiles account isn't going to help you especially if you don't have miles there to redeem. (Asiamiles and MPC members have the added ability to waitlist on CX awards).

Your best bet is to keep contacting BA and ask them to check for availability.

number_6

You are looking for 3 award F seats on the same flight JFK-YVR? I think there is zero chance of finding 3 on any flight in advance, normally 1 or at most 2 (of the 12) seats are released, as Guy Betsy has noted. There aren't the thousands of F seats per day as LHR-JFK has, only 12 per day and you want 25% of their inventory. Also you realize this is a rather inconvenient schedule during the summer for JFK-YVR (it is timed for HKG), as you leave close to midnigh and arrive at 3 am (and the airport is mostly shut down, minimal taxi and bus services, so best arrange ground transport ahead of time if there are 3 of you).

christep

I concur with number_6 - unfortunately I think your chances of getting 3 F award seats on that flight are as close to zero as makes no difference... The only way you might be able to do it would be very close to the date, almost on a standby basis, but there would be no guarantees.

pacificboot

I agree with the above. Your chances of success is very low since
1) You want 3 seats together
2) You want to fly in a peak season
3) You want First Class seats
4) You don't hold DM status within the Marco Polo Club

But another option could be using AA instead. JFK-LAX-YVR will be the best alternative because you can experience a premium First Class service on the JFK-LAX route.

christep

Presumably, since the journey starts in LHR the obvious alternative is to take BA LHR-YVR!

fallinasleep

I think the stickler is finding three F seats LHR-YVR in July or maybe he just wants to see NYC.

PointsMeanPrizes

Thanks for all the help guys. I have had another chat with BA and they have told me there is only ever 1 award seat available on this route in 1st, but there are 3 in Business. I had booked 3 business class seats but have now changed that to 2 business and 1 first as it wont cost me any more miles.

I understand that CX use the BA lounges at JFK so as I am on an F redemption can I get my daughter, who is only 2 years old, and my wife in to the concord lounge (they are booked in to club) or will we have to suffice with the terraces?

Also what is the best approach to try and get my family bumped up to F if it isn't full?

ACORD

If J is not full -- your chances are limited-to-none

PointsMeanPrizes

I feared as much. I guess from your responses that this is a busy flight as well. Do you get fed on the night flight?

Buster CT1K

Yes you do get fed.

number_6

Zero chance to use the Concorde Room but you can use the F lounge and CX even pays for the BA pre-flight dining in the J lounge (not recommended, the CX onboard food is much better, but the flight time is rather late). The Concorde Room is accessible only when flying BA (BA does not make it available as a Oneworld lounge and does not allow CX or QF to use it at JFK). Actually the F/J lounges are not substantially different at JFK, and the showers are on the J side in any case.

To fly in F the award tickets would need to be reissued by BA (shouldn't be too hard as BA does the ground handling for CX at JFK). CX does fully cater F on this leg, so lack of catering won't be a problem. I've never seen JFK-YVR fully booked (normally YVR-HKG is fully booked and some pax board F in YVR, leaving some empty F seats JFK-YVR, however CX does not release these for award use so you cannot book these in advance).

Guy Betsy

CX will not 'bump' your wife and kid to F unless they are on an F award ticket. If they are on a J award ticket, they stay in J.

The only way to possibly get into F is to issue F award tickets for your wife and kid, and confirm them in J class. Then if on the day of the flight, if there are still F seats available, then you may ask nicely if CX will let your wife and daughter to get in F as they actually have a F award issued.

CX is under no obligation to allow your wife and daughter to fly in F even though they are on a F award ticket. But it will increase their chances of getting into F than on a J award.

PointsMeanPrizes

We are on an F redemption but they are booked in to J for the CX leg due to no availability in F. Is that what you mean? Where woudl it say on my ticket that it was an F redemption?

I know that the chances are slim to none but forewarned is forarmed and if you meet some nice check in staff then . . . . who knows ;0)

Guy Betsy

The farebasis code.