Availability for Awards (Using Amex MR to CX conversion)

[okiedokie]

I've got 200,000 AMEX and my partner has 150,000.

4:3 conversion ratio.

Looking at AsiaMiles for Australia -> Europe and can't find any availability around June, via any city.

I switched to Qantas for hunting as it's interface is much better which shows 11th June Adelaide -> London via HKG, both legs Cathay. Do the same search on AsiaMiles and it's waitlist only.

Is the availability scattered, do I need to call or? Annoyingly I can find individual legs available for the two parts, but not any straight through ones (though a stopover would be great it'll be too many points). It also doesn't show a lot of the options, for example enter Adelaide and your only EU option is London even though Cathay fly to multiple

 

[theblank]

Annoyingly I can find individual legs available for the two parts, but not any straight through ones (though a stopover would be great it'll be too many points)

I have managed to get Velocity to join together two individual Etihad legs together for one booking that wasnt available as single redemption.
Give your preferred Partner a ring and ask.

 

[okiedokie]

I'm still at the rough hunting stage. If you can 'join legs' that's good to know, I can find some matches, try and find the rest of the journeys flights, then once I've got all the dates try and book it in. My partner isn't a huge fan of flying so trying to get direct routes rather than some 30hr funky route that I'd happily take

 

[JohnK]

Isn't Amex to Cathay a 1:1 conversion?

With the Amex devaluation in April I've been checking awards in business from SYD/BNE to either HKG or BKK for specific dates in March, April and August and availability is very poor.

 

[okiedokie]

They have 2 different levels depending on which card you have

 

[andrew b]

We get 1:1 change over AMEX TO Asia miles but this will change of course in April. We have flown twice now in the last three years business class melbourne to milan return. I buy one ticket outright ( about $6800.00) and we get a companion ticket for my wife which with the companion discount costs us 115,000 points return business class. I then get about 15000 miles back into my asia miles account as the reward for the paid ticket which makes my wifes asia miles usage effectively 115-15 =100,000 miles for a return business class ticket to europe from melbourne for her. We book almost 12 months ahead to get my wifes reward ticket and we always ring them to get it rather than online.

 

[Oxy]

I buy one ticket outright ( about $6800.00) and we get a companion ticket for my wife which with the companion discount costs us 115,000 points return business class.

I have just become aware of this option, I am just shy of enough points and availability is scarce anyway for to J returns mel-hkg-eu. From the T&C it seems this companion award is not dependant on availability either? Is there any catches because it seems a really good deal. Even better if you depart from an alternate purchasing city

 

[andrew b]

I have just become aware of this option, I am just shy of enough points and availability is scarce anyway for to J returns mel-hkg-eu. From the T&C it seems this companion award is not dependant on availability either? Is there any catches because it seems a really good deal. Even better if you depart from an alternate purchasing city

The only issue is that you must travel together no matter what. Apart from that, we have had no problem. Good Luck.

 

[andye]

I assumed from the booking a year out that award availability is an issue-can you clarify @andrew b please?

Edit: I went back and read the website-looks very promising if I read correctly

 

[Oxy]

Traveling together we not an issue in this instance. I had found the fares ex DPS that I was wanting and was about to transfer some miles from MR when the fare went from $3k to over $5k. Suddenly not so worth it.
Still reasonable pricing on some routes ex CMB or MNL for those that are keen.

 

[Oxy]

I assumed from the booking a year out that award availability is an issue-can you clarify @andrew b please?

Edit: I went back and read the website-looks very promising if I read correctly

From my research (no first hand experience) it seems that award availability isn't a factor. I think it's more tat you are using miles that the assumption is created that it is directly related to awards being available. Perhaps they come out of a higher priced Asia Miles bracket like the "choice" awards to increase availability?
I think it's really hard to know untill there are more first hand accounts.