Cathay now also bans OW FF from pre-selecting seats

[Mattg]

I just booked a CX paid Y fare on the Cathay Pacific website, entered my QFF number at the time of booking, and was able to select exit row seats for free (I have oneworld emerald). Cannot change the FF number now, though.

 

[serfty]

I have a Qantas Award booking in economy with a CX segment. My Emerald appears to be in the booking but when I tried to select an exit row seat online a charge was being assessed.

I called Cathay and after a bit of to and fro-ing, the seat was selected. But when I looked the booking up online, I saw that while the seat had been assigned to me, I also saw a notation of an unpaid seat charge.

The travel is next year, so I left it for s few weeks.

Now when I look it up there is now no notation that a fee needs to be paid. OK, we'll see what happened next year.

Cathay appear to have fixed these seat selection issues and I can again readily select seating without being assessed for a fee as an emerald.

 

[chitown_boy]

Have been able to select exit row seats easily on all 4 sectors of CX (MEL-HKG-JFK, BCN-HKG-MEL). At check-in in MEL as a lowly QF WP, was offered an entire bulkhead row blocked out. It’s been decades since I’ve flown CX, but I’m very impressed how they treat partner OWE

 

[aikman]

No luck for me. Y reward ticket with my QF Gold FF number recorded. I don't have leading zeros. I have a genuine fear of ending up in a middle seat and I don't know what to do about it.

What you need to get around is to sign up for Cathay member, then you can select seats.

Didn't work for me.

 

[SYD]

View attachment 504696
No luck for me. Y reward ticket with my QF Gold FF number recorded. I don't have leading zeros. I have a genuine fear of ending up in a middle seat and I don't know what to do about it.


Didn't work for me.

Have you tried calling them?

 

[burneracc]

View attachment 504696
No luck for me. Y reward ticket with my QF Gold FF number recorded. I don't have leading zeros. I have a genuine fear of ending up in a middle seat and I don't know what to do about it.


Didn't work for me.

For future reference, what worked for me was to booking the tickets whilst already logged into cathay so that the trip is linked to your account, but record the qff # during the booking process.

 

[SYD]

For future reference, what worked for me was to booking the tickets whilst already logged into cathay so that the trip is linked to your account, but record the qff # during the booking process.

and it let you do that - obviously?

Normally if you’re logged in to an airline/hotel website/app, it automatically associates the booking with the airline/hotel account number (as applicable) and can be hard to change!

 

[MELso]

View attachment 504696
No luck for me. Y reward ticket with my QF Gold FF number recorded. I don't have leading zeros. I have a genuine fear of ending up in a middle seat and I don't know what to do about it.


Didn't work for me.

Who did you book through?

FWIW, I booked three tickets from AMS-HKG-MEL using QFF points the other day. My QFF number was linked correctly and the ticket was on 081 stock.

As a OWS (SG), I was able to select extra legroom seats at 60A on the A359 as expected, while my dad who's OWR (PS) could select a regular seat (60C). However, I couldn't select a seat for dad's partner who's without status (she got the same error as you), so I've added the trip to my Cathay account (without changing the FF number) in the hope of getting her 60B on both legs by checking in at T-48h. Despite adding it, the QFF numbers have remained on the booking.

 

[SYD]

Who did you book through?

FWIW, I booked three tickets from AMS-HKG-MEL using QFF points the other day. My QFF number was linked correctly and the ticket was on 081 stock.

As a OWS (SG), I was able to select extra legroom seats at 60A on the A359 as expected, while my dad who's OWR (PS) could select a regular seat (60C). However, I couldn't select a seat for dad's partner who's without status (she got the same error as you), so I've added the trip to my Cathay account (without changing the FF number) in the hope of getting her 60B on both legs by checking in at T-48h. Despite adding it, the QFF numbers have remained on the booking.

Apparently that’s a quirk of CX (mentioned upthread), that they don’t bestow the same perks on all PAX on the same booking based on the highest status PAX. Which is really weird TBH.

 

[MELso]

Apparently that’s a quirk of CX (mentioned upthread), that they don’t bestow the same perks on all PAX based on the highest status PAX. Which is really weird TBH.

I've read it's because they generate an EMD for non-status pax, which they can't if it's ticketed through another airline. Not sure how true this is though.

 

[GrahamBRI]

For future reference, what worked for me was to booking the tickets whilst already logged into cathay so that the trip is linked to your account, but record the qff # during the booking process.

That approach worked for me also.

 

[aikman]

View attachment 504696
No luck for me. Y reward ticket with my QF Gold FF number recorded. I don't have leading zeros. I have a genuine fear of ending up in a middle seat and I don't know what to do about it.

So I started a chat with Cathay on whatsapp. They asked if I preferred aisle, middle or window. They then assigned seats for me. Anyway, I no longer have to worry about ending up in a middle seat.

FWIW, I booked the flight using AA miles but I replaced my AA number with my QF number at the time of booking so my AA number does not appear anywhere at all.

 

[cwd]

Apparently that’s a quirk of CX (mentioned upthread), that they don’t bestow the same perks on all PAX on the same booking based on the highest status PAX. Which is really weird TBH.

They do for their own status members, but not for OW equivalents. So a CX DM's seating privileges will apply to others on the booking, but that doesn't work if it's a OWE who has the higher status. It does mean you may have to go with the lowest common denominator if travelling with others which is frustrating as in practice you can't use the seats you would otherwise have access to unless you want to sit apart.