I want to part pay for a Cathay Pacific flight with avios
Feb 16, 2019, 12:34 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: BA and Qatar Airways
Posts: 6
I want to part pay for a Cathay Pacific flight with avios
I have a BA Executive Club card and 80,000 Avios points.
How can I use them to make part payment on Cathay Pacific flights LGW - Hong Kong-Sydney
How do I do this?
How can I use them to make part payment on Cathay Pacific flights LGW - Hong Kong-Sydney
How do I do this?
Feb 16, 2019, 12:35 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Feb 16, 2019, 1:20 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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A guide (but check the BA web site)-->https://www.awardhacker.com/#f=HKG&t...=0&c=y&s=1&p=0
Anyway why that route?
Do you want to stop over in HKG?
Feb 16, 2019, 1:46 pm
#4
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see the sections on 'Avios and money' and 'part pay with avios'
Your guide to spending Avios | 2019 edition
Your guide to spending Avios | 2019 edition
Feb 16, 2019, 3:03 pm
#7
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Feb 16, 2019, 7:33 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: BA and Qatar Airways
Posts: 6
How have you booked Cathay flights with part Avios, part cash?
Dear Howard - if you’ve booked Cathay flights in the past with part Avios, part cash, can you share the process by which you’ve done that? Is there a telephone number (my personal preference) for enquires to Cathay Pacific or is it email? Many thanks if you’re able to assist
Feb 16, 2019, 11:10 pm
#9
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Dear Howard - if you’ve booked Cathay flights in the past with part Avios, part cash, can you share the process by which you’ve done that? Is there a telephone number (my personal preference) for enquires to Cathay Pacific or is it email? Many thanks if you’re able to assist
Feb 17, 2019, 12:02 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
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There are two ways you can book flights with combinations of Avios and money:
1) Part Pay With Avios: this is only available on BA flights - you book a normal paid ticket at the prevailing fares (which therefore earn Avios and TPs, or miles in another FFP).
At the point of booking you have the option to sell your Avios back to BA for a rebate on the price of the paid ticket. Usually BA starts off paying you something like Ł10 off for 1000 avios, a reasonably good rate, but then the rate gets poorer the more Avios you choose sell to BA (something like Ł40 off for 7000 Avios).
Example: the real fare is Ł100, options available might be Ł90 + 1000 avios, Ł80 + 2500 avios, etc.
Changes and cancellation terms are that of the ticket you are buying, which could be range from HBO and inflexible to fully flexible. If the ticket is refundable, you will be refunded the avios you sold to BA.
2) Redemption: this is available on any airline where you can redeem Avios including CX - you get an award ticket (which doesn't earn avios or TPs). The amounts of Avios required are according to the zonal chart. You have to pay the taxes and charges associated with the origin and destination. All tickets include checked luggage.
At the point of booking you have the option to purchase a portion of the Avios needed for the redemption. You could do this if you don't have enough Avios, or even if you do and want to keep some for something else. You would pay about 0.7 to 0.8p for each Avios.
Example: the real fare is 10000 Avios + Ł35, options available might be 8500 Avios + Ł47, 7000 Avios + Ł59, etc.
If you cancel you will be refunded all the Avios (including the avios you purchased as part of the transaction, rather than the money you used to buy them), and all the taxes and fees less Ł35. If the taxes and fees were lower than Ł35 none are refunded, but you won't be charged the extra. Changes can be done for Ł35.
1) Part Pay With Avios: this is only available on BA flights - you book a normal paid ticket at the prevailing fares (which therefore earn Avios and TPs, or miles in another FFP).
At the point of booking you have the option to sell your Avios back to BA for a rebate on the price of the paid ticket. Usually BA starts off paying you something like Ł10 off for 1000 avios, a reasonably good rate, but then the rate gets poorer the more Avios you choose sell to BA (something like Ł40 off for 7000 Avios).
Example: the real fare is Ł100, options available might be Ł90 + 1000 avios, Ł80 + 2500 avios, etc.
Changes and cancellation terms are that of the ticket you are buying, which could be range from HBO and inflexible to fully flexible. If the ticket is refundable, you will be refunded the avios you sold to BA.
2) Redemption: this is available on any airline where you can redeem Avios including CX - you get an award ticket (which doesn't earn avios or TPs). The amounts of Avios required are according to the zonal chart. You have to pay the taxes and charges associated with the origin and destination. All tickets include checked luggage.
At the point of booking you have the option to purchase a portion of the Avios needed for the redemption. You could do this if you don't have enough Avios, or even if you do and want to keep some for something else. You would pay about 0.7 to 0.8p for each Avios.
Example: the real fare is 10000 Avios + Ł35, options available might be 8500 Avios + Ł47, 7000 Avios + Ł59, etc.
If you cancel you will be refunded all the Avios (including the avios you purchased as part of the transaction, rather than the money you used to buy them), and all the taxes and fees less Ł35. If the taxes and fees were lower than Ł35 none are refunded, but you won't be charged the extra. Changes can be done for Ł35.
Feb 17, 2019, 1:29 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2006
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I may be wrong but I suspect that what Howard is talking about is not part paying the cx flight with avios (when avios allow you to lower the price of a paid flight which remains fully eligible to earn avios and TPS) but rather lower the avios cost of a cx award flight with cash (which still remains award). If that option exists you are just offered the different combinations directly on the final page as you are booking you award. It will say something like 60000+Ł115, 55000+185, 50000+255, 45000+325 or 40000+395 and you just pick the one you want.
Be aware that not all Cathay availability is shown online for Avios redemption esepcially for late availability, which is frustrating as that is often when Cathay availability comes up. To check availability I use Asia Miles and call up BA EC. This has always worked well for me, but others have evidence that Asia Miles availability doesn’t always match Avios availability.
Some OW airlines don’t offer Avios plus cash offset through BA EC, such as JAL. CX and MY do in my experience.
Feb 17, 2019, 1:34 am
#12
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Dear Howard - if you’ve booked Cathay flights in the past with part Avios, part cash, can you share the process by which you’ve done that? Is there a telephone number (my personal preference) for enquires to Cathay Pacific or is it email? Many thanks if you’re able to assist
That option is not available with all the airlines but Cathay is one of those you can.
Feb 17, 2019, 7:42 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: BA and Qatar Airways
Posts: 6
Yes, that’s the one. You can usually halve the number of required Avios by offsetting with the maximum cash addition. The availability seems the same whether you do the cash offset or not, as it’s offered towards the end of the transaction after availability is offered.
Be aware that not all Cathay availability is shown online for Avios redemption esepcially for late availability, which is frustrating as that is often when Cathay availability comes up. To check availability I use Asia Miles and call up BA EC. This has always worked well for me, but others have evidence that Asia Miles availability doesn’t always match Avios availability.
Some OW airlines don’t offer Avios plus cash offset through BA EC, such as JAL. CX and MY do in my experience.
Again, many thanks. To reiterate do I book through ba.com, cathaypacific.com or Avios.com?
And when you say you use ‘Asia Miles and call up BA EC” is there an Asia Miles website you check availability on, followed by calling BA EC?
Thank you very much - this is all most helpful
And when you say you use ‘Asia Miles and call up BA EC” is there an Asia Miles website you check availability on, followed by calling BA EC?
Thank you very much - this is all most helpful
Feb 17, 2019, 7:44 am
#15
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Again, many thanks. To reiterate do I book through ba.com, cathaypacific.com or Avios.com?
And when you say you use ‘Asia Miles and call up BA EC” is there an Asia Miles website you check availability on, followed by calling BA EC?
Thank you very much - this is all most helpful
And when you say you use ‘Asia Miles and call up BA EC” is there an Asia Miles website you check availability on, followed by calling BA EC?
Thank you very much - this is all most helpful