Cathay Pacific Eliminates Award Waitlisting

Perhaps they are thinking about achieving dollar revenue at the last minute - I know I’ve been sent emails from Qatar asking if I’d like to upgrade a paid ticket a few days out of departure.

Shouldn't it be "Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is transfer partners with several major transferable points currencies, **but** for the most part award pricing isn’t all that competitive compared to Alaska Mileage Plan or American AAdvantage"? Considering that AA and AS aren't partners with as many transferrable currencies, that's still a big advantage for Asia Miles IMO, especially for those of us that don't have a lot of AA and AS miles organically.

My guess is that it adds complication and disappointment when it doesn't work out for the person. Better to just avoid it all together.

This was my thought, too. I can't imagine how a waitlisted award seat would "cannabilize" a revenue fare any more than non-waitlisted award seats since the airline determines when/if to make award seats available. Full stop. With airlines starting to climb out of the Covid Revenue Canyon, they may be looking at additional revenue methods.

Ugh… this sucks. So there is no way to book two reward F seats again on a transpacific flight.

Maybe some activist kid who couldn't protest about extradition anymore got bored, wanted to travel and never clear the waitlist started to protest CX for the waitlist transparency.

Sad
Was able to book a one way business class award flight from YVR - to - AKL via HK. I paid 85,000 Asia miles + a fuel tax of $ 319 Canadian dollar.

I've had a bunch of wait-list award bookings sitting there with no movement the last few months. I've seen zero F or J availability on CX, only wait-listing, which makes me think they are simply aren't making any seats available in F or J. During the same time I've even seen availability for partner awards on JL J and on Q suites, but still no CX J or F.

So I think they are getting rid of wait-list just so customers will stop calling and asking if their booking will clear, because it won't.

With 30% or less load factors, I doubt holding back award availability will do anything to maximize revenue.

This is one of the most destructive illogical changes made by the current CX manage team . I have been a loyal member abc supporter for 40 years that will now cease immediately. The waitlist function was an excellent tool to keep member retention over the competitors . My purchase of revenue tickets with this airline was based upon the customer focus via Asiamiles and The Marco Polo club . This now destroyed like many other issues the airline is imposing through exorbitant fares , no redemption seats on any flights apart from those offered by other Oneworld carriers such as JL BA QR AY and QF. The airline is attacking its loyal base with gusto , irrelevance and disdain.
I see no future for this airline long term .
The Asiamiles program is now officially subservient with no credibility.

Storm in a teacup surely?
Most 1st awards are booked via partner airlines IMO.
If anything it levels up the field for all players; or is that something you don't care for?

CX frequent flyer has been slowly going down the tubes since before the pandemic. I was Diamond for years, but slowly the benefits and privileges got whittled away. I got out and moved to another FF program.
CX seems to forget what loyalty actually means. They simply don't care. They will go under and not before time. Its sad. CX for the longest time was one of the best airlines around.

Just as an FYI...I used to head up revenue management for a major airline in the region and we always though the CX proposition was value destructive for the airline. Allowing waitlist stops passengers from booking commercial seats which are more valuable than points redemptions. Also, we used to give preferential/early inventory access to members of our own loyalty program than members of partner programs...

Just sharing some insights from the inside

Is anybody else finding it impossible to book an award ticket on CX from the USA??

When searching flights with Asia Miles, it shows every flight as "fully booked" in business. But if you go to book with cash, they show the entire cabin is vacant!

Then, if you try and use their "points + cash" option, you will find that the cash price of $5,800 (US$ !) drops down to $5,000 if you add 100,000 points! $800 savings for 100k asia miles???

I mean, WTF CX?