Cathay Pacific’s loyalty program has just added some noteworthy restrictions when it comes to changing your frequent flyer number on reservations, and it’s something that some flyers won’t be happy about…
In this post:
Cathay Pacific limits changing loyalty number on reservation
Cathay Pacific has updated the terms of its loyalty program. Let me first share the full relevant terms, and then we can discuss the implications:
To access or use your Status Benefits, you must enter your Membership number into your booking prior to travelling on your booking. If you do not enter your Membership number into your booking prior to travelling or remove your Membership number from your booking, you will not be able to access or use your Status Benefits. You will not be able to remove your Membership number from the booking after you have completed check-in of your flight for which you have entered your Membership number.
To recap the two most important points:
- In order to take advantage of status benefits, you must have your frequent flyer membership number on your reservation
- You’re not able to remove your membership number from the booking after you have checked in
A thread on FlyerTalk suggests that this policy has recently started to be enforced consistently, so these aren’t just theoretical terms that don’t have practical implications.
Why does this matter, and what’s the motivation for this policy?
This change is bad news for those who like to take advantage of elite status perks with one program, while crediting their points to another program. I wouldn’t say people do that on a widespread basis, but among those who are really into miles & points, it’s not uncommon.
As an example, if you had oneworld Sapphire or oneworld Emerald status through one program and wanted to use that for lounge access, you couldn’t then credit the flight to another program. The same would apply for things like baggage allowances and other.
In terms of enforceability, this presumably applies primarily for actual flights on Cathay Pacific, since that’s what Cathay Pacific has control over. Meanwhile Cathay Pacific has no mechanism by which it can enforce this when traveling on partner airlines (though that’s not to say that the airline couldn’t somehow punish members, in theory).
This isn’t totally different than how the Alaska Atmos Rewards program has restrictions on switching frequent flyer program numbers, though the details do differ a little bit.
One would assume that the primary motivation for this is that Cathay Pacific doesn’t want its loyalty program members with elite status using their status perks through that program, while crediting flights to different programs.
For that matter, Cathay Pacific has made some loyalty program changes in recent times, and I know some people are looking to jump ship. So this new policy is also a way to prevent people from taking advantage of their elite perks while transitioning to another oneworld program. That makes any loyalty program transition significantly less seamless.
Bottom line
Cathay Pacific now has new restrictions on changing the frequent flyer number on reservations. You can only access elite perks based on the frequent flyer number on your reservation, and you can’t change your frequent flyer number after checking in for a flight.
Clearly Cathay Pacific is trying to avoid people “double dipping,” where they take advantage of elite perks with one program, while crediting rewards to another program. Cathay Pacific is still in the minority when it comes to having such a policy, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see this spread a bit more.
What do you make of Cathay Pacific’s policy change?
I suppose if CX are going to be billed for their members using lounges all over the place, they want that to be recorded properly so they know who's doing it. And the revenue associated with that cost to be tied to their tickets that they get paid for.
“In terms of enforceability, this presumably applies primarily for actual flights on Cathay Pacific, since that’s what Cathay Pacific has control over.”
Or not allowing people into CX lounges unless the membership number with status is on the boarding pass regardless of whether they’re travelling on CX or not.
I was raising the stupid CX FFP issue here several times over last month and OMAAT is just picking this up now from FT?
What is the impact if you're redeeming miles? If I have a CX flight in J booked through Asia Miles, can I access The Pier First with OW Emerald earned from AS?
I’m not sure if this is the same thing, but I had a flight booked on Cathay and then used the status match offer on Royal Jordanian after seeing it on the blog. Since then, I’ve been trying to update my frequent flyer program on my Cathay booking to the Royal Club membership number, but it won’t let me.
I did the same thing. You have to chat them
I have to imagine this is being triggered because of the mass exodus from BA Gold. Folks trying to use their BA status to access lounges while crediting all of their flights to another program they don't have status with yet.
I imagine that would be largely irrelavant to cathay though?
If a BA gold member uses a lounge, they get paid by BA for it's use.
When the flight is credited, Cathay then pays the FF program for the benefit received (status points + FF currency). If you switch from BA Gold to another program it isn't neccesarily bad for Cathay and if anything may be a pure positive if you switch to...
I imagine that would be largely irrelavant to cathay though?
If a BA gold member uses a lounge, they get paid by BA for it's use.
When the flight is credited, Cathay then pays the FF program for the benefit received (status points + FF currency). If you switch from BA Gold to another program it isn't neccesarily bad for Cathay and if anything may be a pure positive if you switch to Cathays own FF program.
More than likely it is what Ben is alluding to in the article.
They don't want people to use their cathay status to get into a lounge, which is a cost to them, before then switching to crediting it to a different FF program, which is a second cost to them.
Sure, but also not sure how widespread this is among Cathay status holders right now, while its happening with BA in real time. Cathay just made some tweaks to its own program, may be looking to make more, and is monitoring what is happening with BA. So - it's possible this was triggered by the exodus from BA Gold.
The world no longer revolves around the fallen empire ;) This has nothing to do with BA. Neither directly (as explained, CX has nothing to lose), nor indirectly (BA operates in a very different market than CX).
So the good folks at Cathay just woke up one morning and decided to add a restriction? I mean, that's fine of course, and while the sun may now set on the Empire (Commonwealth countries notwithstanding), I do have to wonder if they were reading the latest issue of "Oneworld Executive Magazine" and saw what was happening over in King Charles land...
There are some changes to CX Diamond recently too, but not as drastic as the BA revenue gutting
You know this is going to spread throughout oneworld now.
Likely because a lot of people photoshopped another FF status then status matched into BA Gold (last year) or AA Plat Pro (this year) then get into Pier F and credit their miles on AS or CX.
Nearly everything below full fare Y are 0% accrual on AA, and I hope this new policy can deter churners from abusing status match. AA and all other OW airlines should stop giving people free Emerald as well...
Likely because a lot of people photoshopped another FF status then status matched into BA Gold (last year) or AA Plat Pro (this year) then get into Pier F and credit their miles on AS or CX.
Nearly everything below full fare Y are 0% accrual on AA, and I hope this new policy can deter churners from abusing status match. AA and all other OW airlines should stop giving people free Emerald as well - Qatar is already depreciating lounge access for EMDs, and I hope they don’t have extra excuses- some airlines giving out massive free EMDs- to justify making it worse.
*Nearly everything below full fare Y on CX
That's most definitely not the reason because such behaviour would be a fantastic deal for CX - they get to pocket money for miles while not having to pay for the benefits (since those came from another program).
@Samo
You gotta admit that some status perks are zero-sum games. The more people using a certain lounge, the less exclusive / comfy it becomes. The more people asking for late c/o and early c/is, the less rooms hotels are available to manage. Should this continue, status will either become irrelevant (D1 C/I and Lounge, Polaris Lounge, EVA Infinity) or it will be bad for everyone (Marriott and Hilton hotel lounges, AA Flagship, NH/JL...
@Samo
You gotta admit that some status perks are zero-sum games. The more people using a certain lounge, the less exclusive / comfy it becomes. The more people asking for late c/o and early c/is, the less rooms hotels are available to manage. Should this continue, status will either become irrelevant (D1 C/I and Lounge, Polaris Lounge, EVA Infinity) or it will be bad for everyone (Marriott and Hilton hotel lounges, AA Flagship, NH/JL business lounges, most *A gold lounges in developed hubs). Oneworld is the only alliance that still recognizes alliance wide top tier. If that is abused, you can imagine what way it is going to. Cathay is opening a Diamond/First only area in its Bridge lounge and allowing only them to reserve massages at Pier First in advance. Qatar is making its Al Mourjan and Al Safwa lounges business class / Platinum / first / Platinum+business only.
So, it is really not just about money.
It’s not the fault of other frequent flier programs that Chinese users abuse the system by submitting fraudulent status matches.
The Chinese market consistently pushes ethical churning boundaries both in frequency and severity, ruining these programs for legitimate users and then crying when they get called out on it. See: Hyatt Elite Nights, Marriott Platinum Match, Chinese expats running up six figure debts in the West and then defaulting when they return and can’t...
It’s not the fault of other frequent flier programs that Chinese users abuse the system by submitting fraudulent status matches.
The Chinese market consistently pushes ethical churning boundaries both in frequency and severity, ruining these programs for legitimate users and then crying when they get called out on it. See: Hyatt Elite Nights, Marriott Platinum Match, Chinese expats running up six figure debts in the West and then defaulting when they return and can’t be collected from. Programs will tolerate abuse to the extent that it helps them grow market share, but in the meantime the measures that these companies have to take to protect their profitability in the face of (outside and beyond the normal) abuse in that market will continuously degrade the loyalty and FF experience for everyone else, given the outsize volume of Chinese consumers in each program relative to their individual impact.
Can I say I love your contributions to this site? Your comment on the Japan tourism thread was also excellent.
That being said, I've read a few posts that this year people were lining up for dining room of the Pier - That didn't happen with last year's BA Gold match.
So I think something changed this year. Could be the massively "democratized" fraud status match, or just a few goofish sellers kicked into high gear mode.