cathay pacific staff travel

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Cathay Pacific selects IBS Solution to help manage staff travel

Cathay Pacific has signed a multi-million dollar contract to implement IBS’ new generation solution, iFly Staff , to automate and improve the management of employee travel. iFly Staff will also be used for Cathay Pacific subsidiaries including sister airline Dragonair.

The implementation of iFly Staff will result in an automated staff travel solution that supports the eligibility and entitlements offered to the airline’s employees and their dependants. It will provide a 24X7 self service environment giving employees access to staff travel facilities across the globe. iFly Staff will also help both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair to improve efficiency by simplifying and streamlining staff travel management processes for both duty and leisure travel.

“We recognise the trust Cathay Pacific has placed in our solution and our delivery capabilities by selecting iFly Staff. By providing process improvements, and improved efficiencies as well as greater employee satisfaction, iFly Staff will help Cathay Pacific and its subsidiaries deliver the business process transformation they are looking for. ,” said Murray Smyth , Sr. VP & Global Head, Airline Passenger Services Line of Business, IBS Software Services.

Vicky Karantzavelou

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.asia/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Addressing Quality Assurance concerns: A critical analysis of Boeing’s production practices
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.asia/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ SriLankan Airlines strengthens its global reach as UATP merchant
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.asia/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Da Nang joins Vietnam's MICHELIN Guide culinary destinations
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.asia/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Yum China announces expansion and enhanced stockholder returns in 2023 annual letter

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• 中国 (简体中文) China (Chinese)

Cathay Pacific selects IBS Solution to help manage staff travel

07 February 2011, Trivandrum: Cathay Pacific has signed a multi-million dollar contract to implement IBS’ new generation solution, iFly Staff, to automate and improve the management of employee travel. iFly Staff will also be used for Cathay Pacific subsidiaries including sister airline Dragonair.

The implementation of iFly Staff will result in an automated staff travel solution that supports the eligibility and entitlements offered to the airline’s employees and their dependants. It will provide a 24X7 self service environment giving employees access to staff travel facilities across the globe. iFly Staff will also help both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair to improve efficiency by simplifying and streamlining staff travel management processes for both duty and leisure travel.

“We recognise the trust Cathay Pacific has placed in our solution and our delivery capabilities by selecting iFly Staff. By providing process improvements, and improved efficiencies as well as greater employee satisfaction, iFly Staff will help Cathay Pacific and its subsidiaries deliver the business process transformation they are looking for. ,” said Murray Smyth, Sr. VP & Global Head, Airline Passenger Services Line of Business, IBS Software Services.

About Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways is an international airline registered and based in Hong Kong, offering scheduled passenger and cargo services to some 140 destinations around the world using a fleet of 128 wide-bodied aircraft.

Cathay Pacific and its subsidiaries (which include Dragonair and all-cargo carrier Air Hong Kong) and associates employ more than 20,000 people in Hong Kong. The airline’s two major shareholders are both listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, as is Cathay Pacific itself. The airline is a founding member of the oneworld global alliance whose combined network servesover 750 destinations worldwide.

Meet Our Experts At

Passenger assistance

If you require any passenger assistance or have special travel requirements, please let us know as far in advance of your flight as possible, so that we may do our best to accommodate your needs.

Before your date of travel

Kindly note that we have minimum advance notice periods between 48 to 72 hours before your Cathay Pacific flight,  to be able to accommodate specific requests. More details on notices and requirements, are listed within each section below.

At the airport

Before the flight, our staff at the counter may request verification of your special assistance needs, usually in the form of a checklist or medical clearance . If you are found to be medically unfit to fly or do not comply with our safety guidelines, Cathay Pacific reserve the right to refuse carriage. We will of course do our best to refund your travel ticket either partially or, where possible, in full. For further information, please view more details on verification requirements, within each of the relevant sections below.

Disability and mobility assistance

Travelling with children

Elderly passengers

Medical assistance

Pregnant women

Travelling with animals

Peanut and tree nut allergy

Special meals

Helpful links.

Baggage information

Select your seat and print your boarding pass to save time at the airport.

Contact us and FAQs

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Helping airline employees along their zed journey.

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Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, CX (known as "Cathay Pacific")

Visas and passports and api, flights excluded, special requestes.

• Flight listing policy and procedures 
• 1. Before proceeding to the airport
• Please ensure you book/list through myIDTravel portal for the flight that you intend to travel on. Once you've made the booking/listing in myIDTravel, you will receive a booking/listing confirmation email through myIDTravel. You must present this listing confirmation email when you arrive at our counters. Our airport team cannot proceed check-in/standby procedure if a ZED SUBLO/NOSUB traveller does not have booking/listing made through the myIDTravel portal.
• For AI, AT, MH, PX, QR, SU and UL ZED SUBLO travellers , Listing through 'myIDTravel listing portal for generic user ' https://www.myidtravel.com/myidtravel/start?action=login-generic  is mandatory . User ID will be your airline two-letter code following 'staff' e.g. For AT ZED travellers, the user ID will be AT staff. Password will be your airline three-digit numeric number (first three-digit of your ticket) e.g. For AT ZED travellers, the password will be 147. If you change your travel plan i.e. travel on a different date, travel on an earlier flight, cancel the trip etc. you  must re-arrange/cancel your listing via myIDTravel , at the earlist possible date to avoid meal wastage of meals and any additional costs for the transporting carrier.
• For other ZED SUBLO travellers, You have purchased tickets via myIDTravel for CX, in which the myIDTravel system will automatically create a listing at the time of purchasing the CX e-ticket. You will receive your e-ticket receipt (for each traveller) sent to the email address enetered while issuing the tickets on the myIDTravel portal. If you do not have your airlines's log-in to access myIDTravel for CX, please contact your airlines' staff travel office. If you change your travel plan i.e. travel on a different date, travel on an earlier flight, cancel the trip etc. you must re-arrange/cancel your listing via myIDTravel , at the earlist possible date to avoid meal wastage of meals and any additional costs for the transporting carrier.

2. Arriving at our check-in/standby counters

• For all our flights departing Hong Kong from 11 December 2023
• Starting 11 December 2023, we are officially removing the need to ‘register’ at the Aisle A check-in counters for a standby slip, and therefore the requirement to wait around the counter for your number to be called.
• Instead, your entire check-in and pre-boarding experience has been streamlined and digitalised into a simple process that varies slightly depending on whether you’re ‘Accepted’ or placed on ‘Standby’ during the online check-in process.
• If you are confirmed or accepted  on a CX flight departing from Hong Kong during online check-in:
• Check in online ( www.cathaypacific.com ) and download your mobile boarding pass.
• Scan passport at self-service kiosk in aisles A, B, C, or E.
• Drop your bag(s) at any self-bag drop counter in Aisles A or C.
• Proceed through security and immigration, and to your boarding gate.
• If you are waitlisted or placed on stand-by on a CX flight departing from Hong Kong during online check-in, instead follow these steps:
• Check in online ( www.cathaypacific.com ) before coming to the airport.
• Scan passport at self-service kiosk in aisles A, B, C, or E, and print and attach bag tag(s) to your baggage.
• Wait patiently for boarding pass; sent via SMS and email if you are accepted for the flight.
• Drop your bag(s) at any self-bag drop counter in Aisles A or C. And proceed through security, immigration and to boarding gate.
• Important reminders:
• To avoid delays or potential problems with using the self-service kiosks and at immigration or may result in us not being able to accept employee traveller for travel, please ensure employee traveller’s name on the booking & ticket exactly as it appears on your travel document.
• To receive boarding pass even if you are accepted for travel, please ensure you enter correct mobile phone number and a valid email address during online check-in or at the self-service kiosk. Please also ensure your eligible dependents / travel nominees enter their personal mobile phone number and email address during online check-in or at the self-service kiosk. They must be able to receive their own boarding pass; screenshots will not be accepted by the Airport Authority’s systems.
• To ensure sufficient time for bag drop and go through security & immigration, please complete the check-in (including scan passport, print your baggage tags, if needed, at kiosk at Departure Hall Aisle A, B, C or E) at least 80 minutes prior to your scheduled departure. Please note that baggage acceptance and/or bag drop is not available at transit area, and must be done at the Departure Hall Aisle A, B, C or E)
• FAQ 1. What do I do?
• 48 hours before your departure:
• Ensure you have a listing for your preferred flight.
• If you are holding a confirmed reservation for your flight, you can check-in online ( www.cathaypacific.com ) at any time within 48 hours of departure.
• 24 hours before your departure:
• Ensure you have cancelled any unwanted listings and only have one listing for your preferred journey
• Check in online ( www.cathaypacific.com ) between -24hours and -60minutes to departure.
• If you are accepted for the flight, download your mobile boarding pass. If you are placed on standby, follow the steps listed as above.
• On the day of travel:
• Online check-in will close sharply at 60 minutes prior to the departure time of your flight.
• If you’re travelling with cabin baggage only, we suggest getting to the airport no later than 70 minutes prior to departure.
• If you’re planning to check bags in, plan to be at the airport no later than 80 minutes prior to departure. This will allow additional time in case there are queues at the self-service kiosks.
• When you get to Hong Kong International Airport:
• Go straight to any of the self-service kiosks in Aisle A, B, C or E at HKIA and scan your passport/travel document. Everyone needs to do this (whether you have bags to check in or not), as this helps us validate your travel document details. Failure to do this will mean you will be held up at the boarding gate while we verify your documents
• Print any baggage tags that you need and attach them to your bags.
• Employee acceptance will commence between 60 to 40 minutes prior to departure. The airport team may be able to start earlier if all revenue customers have checked in. We may also have to wait until -40 minutes if we are waiting for last minute Cathay members to arrive or if it is a weight restricted flight. Please be patient. The HKIA team will start the acceptance process as soon as possible.
• Once you receive your mobile boarding pass, proceed to any of the self-bag drop counters in Aisle A or C to drop your bag. Bag drop will close sharply at -40 minutes to departure – so be near Aisle A or C at this time.
• Proceed through security and onto the boarding gate
• At the boarding gate:
• Before you board, please ensure you check your SMS messages or email one last time for any new boarding passes.  This will ensure you have correct seat in case of any last minute seat changes, upgrades, or downgrades 
• FAQ 2. Am I eligible to use the self-service kiosks at the airport? 
• on a passport without a biometric chip
• on a British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport
• with an infant under the age of two years
• on a direct flight to the USA
• If you fit into any of the above categories, please see the team at the Employee Travel counter at the end of Aisle A where they will be happy to assist. 
• FAQ 3.   What if something goes wrong at the self-service kiosk or if I need assistance?  In the first instance, just look for one of our HKIA kiosk ambassadors. They will try to resolve your issue on the spot. If they can’t please just proceed to the Employee Travel counter at the end of Aisle A.
• FAQ 4.   What happens if I don’t get accepted on my flight?  Just the same as today, you will be transferred to the next available flight to the same destination, and follow the new process to wait patiently for boarding pass (please refer to FAQ 1. section 'when you get to the airport' for details). If you no longer wish to travel, please ensure you let a member of the team at the Employee Travel counter know before leaving the airport so that we can cancel your check-in.
• FAQ 5. What happens if I change my mind and no longer want to travel?  Please let a member of the team at the Employee Travel counter know before leaving the airport so that we can cancel your check-in. Please ensure you then cancel the listing in Travel Hub so that other colleagues can plan their travels based on accurate loads and employee listings.
• FAQ 6. What if I only want to travel if a certain class is available? Please follow the standard process of checking-in online, validating your travel documents at the self-service kiosk and self-printing any baggage tags. Then please proceed to the Employee Travel counter and let the team know your preferences
• FAQ 7. What if I’m travelling with an infant? You can check-in online before coming to the airport, and then go directly to the Employee Travel counter at the end of Aisle A. Our team at Hong Kong International Airport will be happy to help from there. 
• FAQ 8. I’m coming off a flight as operating crew. Can I now standby airside at the gate? No. All employee travellers starting their journey in Hong Kong must clear security and outbound Hong Kong immigration to remain compliant with the law.
• FAQ 9. What if employee traveller is elderly and/or do not have a mobile phone?  Please assist them to check-in online before coming to the airport and then approach the Employee Travel counter at the end of Aisle A. Our team at Hong Kong International Airport will be happy to help from there
• FAQ 10. I haven’t received a mobile boarding pass for my flight. How will I know when employee travel acceptance is completed?  Employee traveller acceptance is finalised no later than 40 minutes prior to departure (earlier when possible). We will be introducing further digital enhancements in 2024 to enhance this part of your experience
• FAQ 11. My flight is delayed, do I still need to check-in no later than 60 minutes before the original scheduled time of departure (STD)?  No – online check-in will remain open until 60 minutes before the estimated time of departure in the case of any delays
• FAQ 12. I’m travelling with my dependent or other employee traveller(s) who are on a separate booking and we want to travel together. What do I do?  If you are travelling with your dependent or other employee traveller(s) and you only wish to travel if you are all accepted on the flight, you can link your bookings during online check-in (via the box at the top right-hand side of the screen after you have logged into your online check-in page). If you link your bookings in this way, please note:
• the airport team will treat this as your request that you must travel together
• all linked bookings will take the lowest onload (boarding) priority amongst everyone travelling.
• For example, oneworld employee traveller at boarding priority 31 linked with another booking who is ZED employee traveller at a boarding priority 33 (lower than 31) – both travellers will be treated as the lower priority 33 during acceptance.
• If you are unable to link your booking types, please check-in online separately and then see the team at the Employee travel counter at the end of Aisle A. They will take your preferences and let the flight controller know.
• Hui Xiang Zheng (回鄉證)
• Tai Bao Zheng (台胞證)
• Travel Permit to and from Hong Kong and Macao (往來港澳通行證) Please ensure you add this document as your travel document during on-line check-in. Note – your passport details entered in the booking/listing are transferred to online check-in platform, simply replace the passport information with your travel document above.
• FAQ 14. I’m travelling with my family and want to let you know who will travel if we all cannot be accepted. How do I do this?  Please check-in online before coming to the airport, scan your travel document at a self service kiosk, print your baggage tags and then approach the Employee Travel counter at the end of Aisle A. The HKIA team will record your preferences from there.
• FAQ 15. If employee acceptance needs to happen closer to -40 minutes to departure due to weight restrictions or other operational reasons, how can I make the -40 minute baggage drop cut-off time?  If employee acceptance cannot occur until -40minutes to departure, the HKIA team will assist all accepted employee travellers. Counters A35 and A36 will be dedicated employee travel bag drop counters for these exceptional situations
• For all our flights departing outside Hong Kong:
• You should ideally arrive our check-in/standby counters  at least two hours before  the scheduled flight departure.
• If you are  accepted for your flight after completing the online check-in , please proceed to check-in/bag drop counters for your class of travel, and ensure this step is completed no later than 60/75 minutes (see note for reporting time requirement) before the scheduled flight departure.
• If you are  placed on standby for your flight after completing the online check-in , please proceed to the employee standby counters (see note for counter location), and ensure the below steps are completed no later than 60/75 minutes (see note for reporting time requirement) before the scheduled flight departure.
• Step 1: present your listing confirmation (issued by myIDTravel) and travel documents (including visas, return/onward ticket if applicable) to the Airport team
• Step 2: the Airport team will then provide you with a personal standby number which will be used for standby acceptance.
• Step 3: You will be asked to return at a specific time, approximately 40-60 minutes before the flight.
• Step 4: Please be patient and wait for your personal standby number to be called, once the Airport team has finalised acceptance for the flight
• Note for reporting time requirement
• For CX flights with  check-in counter closure time at 60 minutes before scheduled departure time , please complete your standby registration at check-in counter  no later than 75 minutes  before the scheduled flight departure.
• For CX flights with  check-in counter closure time at 40 minutes before scheduled departure time , please complete your standby registration at check-in counter  no later than 60 minutes  before the scheduled flight departure.
• Our flight's check-in countery closure time can be found on our webiste www.cathaypacific.com > Manage > Prepare your trip > Airport information.
• Note for our standby counter location - please proceed to staff standby counter otherwise check-in counter for your class of travel
• Passengers must possess valid tickets and proper travel documents (including valid visas / entry permit if required) for all countries to or via which they travel, unless an exemption to that effect is granted by the country authorities.
• Passport must be valid for at least 6 months, while travel visa and/or entry permit must be valid for the period of stay or beyond depending on the country concerned.
• Failure to comply with the standard requirement may result in problems with passenger processing and refusal for entry.
• CX flights not operated by CX aircraft; Joint Venture flights; Code Share flights; Chartered flights; and Domestic Sectors within a Country (eg. KUL-PEN).
• Flight range between CX1000-1999, 6000-7999 and 9000-9999.
• ANC-YTO-ANC, BAH-RUH and DXB-JED-DXB.
• ID passengers should be dressed in accordance with public standards of good taste. This will normally mean attire suitable for an office, or smart casual wear. It excludes jeans, T-shirts, sweat-shirts, shorts, gym shoes, and similar extremes of casual wear.
• Dress standards are enforced at airports and our Airport Services staff have the final say on what is or is not acceptable dress and if the standard of dress is improper the ID passenger will not be accepted for boarding.

Checked Baggage

• Checked baggage allowance for Adult/child on cx flight - 2 pieces (this will only apply to tickets that has this information indicated*)
• Economy class: 2pieces per adult/child, weight of each bag not exeeding 23kg.
• Business class: 2pieces per adult, weight of each bag not exceeding 32kg. 
• Note for business class: the weight of each check-in baggage on Business class between Hong Kong and New Zealand cannot exceed 23kg.
• Note on size of baggage: size (adding width, height and length) of each bag not exceeding 158cm (62inches)
• Infant not occupying a seat - 1piece plus a car seat and a stroller with maximum weight equivalent to an adult ticket in the same class. Bag dimension (adding width, height and length) must not exceed 115cm (45inches) for each piece.
• Through check-in is not available to all interline travellers on CX flights for Leisure ("Personal") Travel.

*if the ticket only indicated 1piece, then our check-in counter will only be able to accept 1 piece. The second piece will be charged as excess baggage.

Cabin Baggage

• Please visit CX corporate website for the latest arrangement.  See Below:
• https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_HK/travel-information/baggage/cabin-baggage.html
• Please refer 'Flight Listing policy and procedures'

Through check-in

• ID passengers who have been accepted for boarding should arrive at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes prior to flight departure. The boarding gate will be closed at 10 minutes prior to flight departure.

Special meals

• Special meals are not available to any standby passengers. If you have specific dietary needs or preferences, you should carry on board your own provisions.

Unaccompanied minors

• ID passengers who are under the age of 16 must travel accompanied by an adult holding the same type of ticket.
• CX recommends all ID passengers to arrange comprehensive insurance. 

Back-up tickets

• ID passengers are expected to purchase all tickets that are likely to require from own airline.
• CX will not issue any rebate tickets for ID passengers from interlines.

Aircraft configurations

• Please visit CX corporate website for details.  See below: 
• https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_HK/about-us/about-our-airline/fleet.html

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Flying in Style: Staff Travel Dress Code Made Easy

Last week, United Airlines denied boarding to two young girls on standby passes for wearing leggings. A third girl cleared for the flight from Denver to Minneapolis-St. Paul after changing into a dress. Now, the company is in hot water after the incident spilled over onto Twitter.

United’s Pass Travel Dress Code

By failing to prominently mention the children were flying on pass travel, media accounts are only adding fuel to the fire. Airlines provide this benefit to their employees, families, and friends for free or reduced cost, and thus set a higher standard of appearance. Referring to United’s official pass travel dress code, a company spokesman countered that “pass travelers are representing the company and as such are not allowed to wear Lycra and spandex leggings…” Regardless, the debate has taken off over United’s decision. Is it wrong to deny children from boarding over this seemingly minor transgression? What would other airlines do? Fasten your seatbelts as we explore the pass travel dress code from airlines across the world.

Back to the golden age in Asia

Remember the good old days when passengers would dress up for a flight? Japan’s All Nippon Airways desires “suits, blazers, slacks, shirts, neckties, shirts, blouses, etc.” Cathay Pacific and EVA Airways have similar policies. One time while checking in for a Cathay Dragon flight, the agent asked my girlfriend to change out of her sandals. We were heading to Cambodia and had 90-degree heat. Pass riding in Asia is a serious business.

What about the Middle East?

Pass riding is also a serious business in the Middle East. Etihad Airways prefers UAE national dress and requires men to wear blazers to sit in first class. Non-collared T-shirts and shorts are banned in all classes.

Don’t wear your uniform in KLM

In the US, airline employees often “commute” to work by plane while in uniform. But don’t try it in The Netherlands. “ISA travelers are not allowed to travel in airline uniform on KLM.”

Furthermore, ISA travelers must dress appropriately and take care of their appearance. This requires neat casual (business) attire and excludes track/sweat suits, tank tops, flip-flops, shorts, and torn and/or extravagant clothing. Neat and tidy jeans are accepted.

Our friendly neighbors up north

Interestingly, Air Canada makes an exception to their dress code for children ages 12 and under but does not specifically permit leggings. Otherwise, while Air Canada “strictly prohibits” any kind of athletic wear (sweats, yoga pants, running shoes, etc.), they are more understanding for overnight flights.

“After take-off, you may change into something more comfortable, such as yoga pants or loungewear. Whatever you change into must be clean and appropriate for public areas. Nighties, pajamas, and other sleepwear are not permitted. Please note however, you must change back into your pre-boarding attire before the plane lands.”

Are leggings appropriate for pass riders?

United and other US carriers offer a relaxed pass travel dress code. Unlike ANA, United’s spokesman told the New York Times, “It’s not that we want our standby travelers to come in wearing a suit and tie.” Pass riders in the US can wear jeans and athletic shoes as long as they are plain and not dirty or tattered. But for now, leggings are firmly in the “no” category. This can change as styles evolve, and considering United’s public relations nightmare, Air Canada’s exception policy for children seems like a sensible update. Still, pass riders need to be mindful of each airline’s dress code, which can be found in the airline notes on StaffTraveler, and the final authority of the gate agent to deny boarding to pass riders they deem unfit to represent the company’s image.

Josh works for an airline in the US and spends his days off traveling the world on standby. His blog, Cleared List, features standby tips and destination guides to help you maximize your benefits.

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Simple Flying

How to spend cathay pacific asia miles.

Spending Asia Miles on flights will likely offer the best value.

• Spend Asia Miles on flights for the best value with Cathay Pacific, using a distance-based award system.
• Redeem Asia Miles for upgrades on Cathay Pacific flights following fixed rates by distance.
• Explore multi-carrier booking options for complex trips using one world airlines with stopovers and fixed pricing.

With the airline not looking to complicate matters, Cathay is the chosen name of the loyalty program of Cathay Pacific. It allows frequent travelers to collect Asia Miles and earn elite status from their travels. Once earned, miles have valuable uses.

The most obvious, and usually best value, option is to spend Asia Miles on flights or upgrades. Flights are possible with a wide range of partners. Upgrades are only offered with Cathay Pacific. There are other possibilities, though, if this is not an option.

Spending on Cathay Pacific flights

Cathay uses a traditional distance-based award system for miles redemptions. As with earning miles, it has not switched to any form of variable or dynamic pricing system. This is generally better value and offers some particularly good value sweet spots, but the disadvantage is that seats may not be available.

Flights with Cathay Pacific are all priced using the same distance-based pricing system. You are charged based on the total flight length (including connections) and the cabin. There is no differentiation for the flight regions - prices are based solely on the total route length.

Rates are as follows. Note that these rates were changed in October 2023 to the rates shown here.

The "Type 2" category for short-distance tickets applies when travel involves Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, or Sri Lanka.

Stopovers are not permitted – Asia Miles used to allow these, and they could offer some very good value award tickets.

Booking is simple online, with flexible calendar-based searching (the example below is for close-in Hong Kong to London flights).

Spending with partner airlines

Cathay has an extensive list of airline partners that allow both earning and redeeming of Asia Miles. These include all one world airlines, plus additional partners of:

• Air New Zealand
• Bangkok Airways
• S7 Airlines (currently suspended as a one world member)
• Shenzhen Airlines

Spending with all partner airlines also uses a distance-based award system, with fixed-priced awards. This is less transparent than the fixed pricing on Cathay Pacific flights, however. Cathay does not publish fixed charts for pricing. Instead, rates for any airline and route must be checked using the award search tool.

In general, rates will be higher than the equivalent award for just Cathay Pacific (if available). For example, London to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific in business class costs 84,000 Asia Miles. With partner airlines, this would cost 89,000 Asia Miles.

The examples below are for a short-range booking with British Airways and American Airlines transcontinental flights.

All one world and some other partners can be checked and booked online. Some other partners must be requested manually using an online form. This is time-consuming and unflexible, but still worth it if you are looking for a particular route.

Currently, partners that have to be booked manually are Air Canada, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Gulf Air, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, and SWISS.

Love learning about points and miles? Read more of our loyalty news and guides here .

Using Asia Miles for upgrades

Using Asia Miles to upgrade cabins is also a popular and good value use.

• Only Cathay Pacific flights can be upgraded, and again, the pricing is based on fixed rates by distance.
• Flights can only be upgraded by one cabin. Economy, for example, can be upgraded to premium economy or to business class on shorter routes without a premium economy cabin.
• The lowest economy Lite booking classes are not eligible for an upgrade.

Rates for upgrades are as follows:

Oneworld multi-carrier award

One feature of the Cathay program is a well-documented multi-carrier booking facility. These can be used for complex multiple-carrier trips, extending to full round-the-world bookings.

The rules in summary are:

• Awards are only available for one world airlines. Two or more airlines must be used.
• Up to five stopovers can be included.
• The total distance can be up to 50,000 miles (priced in several bands).
• Trips must return to the origin (either as a return trip or a round-the-world circuit)
• You need to contact Cathay to book. It is possible – and advisable – to check the award availability for each sector individually beforehand.

Pricing is set by total distance and cabin.

• The shortest trips of up to 1,000 miles would cost 30,000 Asia Miles in economy and up to 75,000 Asia Miles in first class.
• The longest routing of 35,000 to 50,000 total miles would cost 160,000 Asia Miles in economy, 280,000 Asia Miles in business class, or 380,000 Asia Miles in first class.

Companion ticket booking using Asia Miles

This is another unusual redemption feature with Cathay. If you purchase a cash business or a first class ticket with Cathay Pacific (in F, A, J, C, D, I, or P class), you can use Asia Miles to get another equivalent ticket for a companion.

Companion tickets are only available for round-trip itineraries. The flights must be the same, and must be available for award space booking. Based on a round trip, this is lower priced than using miles outright and is of good value if it works out for you.

The rates are as follows:

Use Asia Miles for hotels and car hire

Aside from flying with Cathay Pacific or partners, the other main use of miles is for hotel or car hire travel bookings. This will not usually be as good of a value as using miles for flights, but it is an option for some people. Note that Cathay used to offer “Experience Awards” for events and activities, but these were discontinued in late 2023.

Cathay has a booking portal where hotels and car hire can be searched for and booked globally. Hotels are offered with many of the major chains, as well as independent offerings. With this type of booking, you should always check the value you are getting against alternative cash prices.

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

Are you a member of the Cathay program and use Asia Miles? Feel free to discuss your uses and the best value further in the comments section below.

Cathay Pacific

Can Cathay Pacific get its act together, or is it time for Hong Kong authorities to take a stake in the airline?

• Absent pilots, cancelled flights - airline says it has learned from 'bad spell' but critics aren't convinced
• Some say more competition is the way to raise standards, protect city's international aviation hub status

Cathay Pacific Airways CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por found himself in the hot seat when he faced an aggressive panel of Hong Kong lawmakers who criticised the carrier's "chaotic" management, slow pace of recovery and worsening service.

Members of the Legislative Council 's economic development panel did not hold back as they grilled him on a string of recent problems that hit the city's flag carrier.

Cathay cancelled 786 flights between December last year and February for reasons that ranged from internal planning failures, an "unanticipated and sustained increase" in pilot absences because of seasonal illness and increased flights over the year-end holiday season.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge , our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

With an ongoing manpower shortage, the company was also forced to push back its target for restoring full pre-pandemic capacity from the end of this year to the first quarter of next year.

CEO Lam apologised handsomely as he told the lawmakers: "I admit that this situation hasn't been satisfactory and we've disappointed our customers for causing all these inconveniences."

He assured them that Cathay did not have any structural manning problems, had learned from its bad spell and that similar incidents would not occur again.

But critics worry the unsatisfactory recent events have hurt Hong Kong's reputation as an international aviation hub, questioning if it is time for the government to relook its approach to Cathay.

Some suggested the Hong Kong government should take a stake in the airline to ensure the city regains its aviation hub status , a vision laid down by Beijing's 14th five-year national plan .

They also questioned Cathay's capability in light of Hong Kong International Airport's third runway opening by the end of this year, boosting the hub's capacity by 50 per cent to 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo annually.

For the city to stay ahead in the international aviation game, some recommended injecting stiffer competition, with Hong Kong granting more routes or traffic rights to other airlines.

This has not been a season of only bad news for Cathay, which is owned by Swire Pacific, with a 45 per cent stake, followed by mainland Chinese carrier Air China with 30 per cent.

The company wowed the industry last month reporting its first annual profit in four years at HK$9.78 billion (US$1.3 billion) last year, following losses of about HK$34 billion (US$4.3 billion) during the three years when Covid-19 crippled the travel industry.

The profit was Cathay's highest since it reaped HK$14 billion in 2010, marking a strong post-pandemic recovery and an end to a string of large deficits.

The company was aided through the pandemic crisis by the government's multibillion-dollar bailout plan, with preference shares worth HK$19.5 billion issued to the government as part of a recapitalisation deal.

Cathay bought back half the shares for HK$9.75 billion last December and said it planned to acquire the remainder by the end of July.

Flying to about 80 destinations worldwide, it accounted for over half the airport's passenger throughput last year, carrying more than 20 million passengers. It also delivered 19.6 per cent more cargo at 1.38 million tonnes last year compared with 2022.

It has also been consistently rated as one of the world's top airlines.

Cathay Pacific budget carrier HK Express eyes mainland China for expansion

Flag carrier struggling to regain former glory.

But if there is one issue about Cathay that bothers business magnate Allan Zeman, it is the airline's ongoing staffing crunch, especially the shortage of pilots.

"The pilots are like the lifeline of an airline. Without the staff, it can't fly. But it takes time to train new pilots," he said.

It shed a record 5,900 jobs - including pilots - in October 2020, when it axed regional airline Cathay Dragon and imposed a range of permanent and temporary staffing cuts in the first half of 2021, further reducing its workforce by 2,500.

At the end of last year, Cathay said it needed another 500 pilots this year to meet its target of restoring full pre-pandemic capacity.

It hired 461 trainee pilots last year, recruited from the city and the mainland. About 270 former pilots also rejoined the airline, including 151 from the now-defunct Cathay Dragon.

The new hires bring the number of pilots up to 3,400, still below the pre-pandemic level of 3,800. The group has more than 23,800 employees worldwide, of whom 19,600 work in Hong Kong.

But Zeman still doubted that Cathay would meet its recovery target.

"I have my fingers crossed that they can do it by the first quarter of 2025, but I am still questioning if it's possible," he said. "If it doesn't happen by then, we really need to look at a backup plan."

A former Airport Authority member, he said the government should explore grooming a second flag carrier.

"Hong Kong is too important to be overreliant on one airline now," he said.

Competition would create a lot of advantages for Hong Kong, he said, as it would bring down airfares, attract visitors and possibly better service too.

"Competition keeps businesses on their toes," Zeman said. "When you have competition, you do whatever you can to increase your service and watch your fares. When we don't have competition, we become complacent."

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific says it must spend prudently, shuns customer perks

Can hong kong afford a second flag carrier.

But Law Cheung-kwok, a senior adviser at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's aviation policy and research centre, disagreed, saying: "The city's aviation market is too small to allow the existence of two [flag carriers]."

He said it took years of effort and market development for Cathay to achieve its status as the city's dominant airline, and that had nothing to do with favouritism from the government.

"It's the same everywhere in the world, where one country only has one [flag carrier] or national airline," he said. "We have had other local airlines before, but they couldn't survive."

The city has three other local airlines now - low-cost carriers Greater Bay Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines, and HK Express, which is fully owned by Cathay.

Hong Kong Airlines has been hit hard by financial turmoil after its parent HNA Group went into bankruptcy restructuring following Beijing's clampdown on its aggressive asset acquisitions overseas.

In December 2022, it was approved by the city's court for a HK$49 billion debt restructuring plan in a bid to keep its business afloat.

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific to reinstate service to Saudi Arabia

Law pointed out that Hong Kong Airlines used to operate long-haul flights before the pandemic but had not resumed them yet, while the other two carriers only operated short-haul flights.

"In the future, whether those airlines launch long-haul flights is ultimately a decision for them to make themselves," he said. "They are not subject to specific restrictions and are allowed to operate them within the scope of their capabilities. It all depends on the demand."

Other airlines have failed to take off in the past. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, founded in 2005 to run long-haul, low-cost services to London and Vancouver, was voted "World's Leading New Airline", but went bust three years later after accumulating losses of HK$1 billion.

Law said Cathay had a lot of clout in the authorities' decisions to sign air traffic rights deals through bilateral air services agreements.

"As Cathay is Hong Kong's largest carrier, the government will consult it before applying for an air traffic right with another place. It must ensure local airlines will provide the relevant service otherwise it will be pointless to make the deal," he said.

Lawmaker Frankie Yick Chi-ming, who represents the transport sector, said the aviation industry's recovery could not rest solely on Cathay, but also on Hong Kong's other three other airlines.

"As an aviation hub, having a strong home carrier is crucial because it allows for seamless connections. However, it doesn't mean granting it a monopoly," he said.

"There should also be opportunities for other airlines to grow. As consumers, we certainly desire competition and more affordable options."

An aviation insider said local airlines had to negotiate hard with the government to acquire new routes.

Newcomer Greater Bay Airlines, founded in 2020, once appealed openly to the government to strike a balance on the allocation of air traffic rights so that it could compete in a market dominated by Cathay.

Liza Ng, its newly appointed CEO, told the Post: "The authorities may seriously consider opening up the traffic rights, bringing more opportunities to other airlines.

"We believe competition leads to higher quality and efficiency, benefiting the overall development of the aviation industry and reinforcing Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub."

Greater Bay Airlines currently flies to seven destinations in Asia with a fleet of eight aircraft.

Ng said its network would be expanded with a daily service to Singapore later this month and new services to mainland cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

But she admitted that the manpower shortage remained a major issue hindering the development of the airport and airlines.

Hong Kong's Greater Bay Airlines aims to land pilots, cabin crew from mainland

It is recruiting pilots locally and from overseas, and has hired cabin crew from Shenzhen.

A source close to the aviation industry told the Post it made sense to allow the other local airlines to fly to more destinations, as this could help cement Hong Kong's aviation hub status, bring down airfares and attract more visitors.

He said Turkish Airlines had applied to increase the number of weekly direct flights between Istanbul and Hong Kong from the current six to 14 because of rising demand.

The insider said Turkey was also keen for more direct flights between the city and Istanbul operated by local airlines, preferably Cathay.

"The Hong Kong government should allow local airlines to run more direct flights between the two places because Istanbul is a superconnector to many different destinations in Europe and other places in the world," he said.

'Government stake will keep Cathay in check'

Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun, former chairman of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, is one of those who believes it would be beneficial for the government to take a stake in Cathay.

"With the government as a shareholder, it will help Cathay secure many new international air routes and those in mainland China. It can also serve as a bridge providing through-train service between the West and the mainland," he said.

Tien said a government stake would also hold Cathay to greater accountability and scrutiny to ensure it improved its performance.

"It's so strange that the government has no say in Cathay even though it is being granted [flag carrier] status with so many privileges," he said.

"The government as a shareholder can also force the carrier to set up a penalty system for flight cancellations due to poor planning."

Economist Simon Lee Siu-po, an honorary fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Asia-Pacific Institute of Business, agreed that a government stake was a way to exert influence over the airline but questioned if that would be best for Cathay.

"I have doubts about the government's capabilities to scrutinise the company, and it may have a side effect of inappropriately meddling with the airline's commercial operations," he said.

He added that there was nothing to stop the government from imposing a penalty for unsatisfactory performance by Cathay.

Lawmaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, a member of the key decision-making Executive Council, said there were many ways for the government to put pressure on the company, including investigations or tighter requirements when the airline applied for new air routes.

He said it was necessary to maintain Cathay's premier status for its strategic importance with extensive global connectivity.

"As a [flag carrier], Cathay is charged with greater responsibility of providing air service to even unprofitable destinations if they are conducive for the city's development," he said.

Lam cited the example of Cathay's plans to reinstate a strategic passenger route between Hong Kong and Riyadh later this year as the government pursued stronger trade and investment links with Saudi Arabia .

Hong Kong's Cathay 'learns lesson', pushes back capacity target by 3 months

Responding to queries from the Post, Cathay said it would continue to add more flights and more destinations progressively in the mainland and countries in the Belt and Road Initiative , China's massive multinational infrastructure initiative.

"This year, we relaunched our services to Colombo and Chennai, and we are excited to be resuming our services to Barcelona in June," it said. "Rebuilding the network is a complex process that takes time, and our rebuilding trajectory has been absolutely in line with our global peers."

The Transport and Logistics Bureau said it would continue to encourage local airlines to strengthen services in response to demand and make the most of opportunities from the airport's third runway.

Its spokesman said the government would focus on the airport's current major routes and those with potential in the belt and road plan, including destinations in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.

Too few pilots, roster chaos: behind Cathay Pacific's flight cancellations

That would strengthen aviation services between Hong Kong and those regions, consolidating and expanding the city's aviation network, he added.

"The Airport Authority has also been discussing with non-local airlines to launch and increase flights to and from Hong Kong," he said.

Mayur Patel, head of Asia for aviation analytics firm OAG, expressed confidence in Cathay's ability to strengthen the city's aviation hub status, pointing to its investment in more than 70 new aircraft.

"A strong aviation hub requires a strong home carrier and with Cathay Pacific Group's robust financial and investment programme, this reinforces Hong Kong's leading aviation hub status," he said.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

We got a sneak peek at Cathay Pacific's sleek new premium economy seats

When Cathay Pacific revealed plans for its new suite-style "Aria" business class back in March, the aviation world was aflutter. But what might have gotten lost in the news was the fact that the airline will also be introducing a refreshed, third-generation premium economy product.

TPG got a first look at these new seats at the airline's "Customer Experience Showcase," which took place April 8 in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District. Here are the exciting developments the airline shared and what passengers can look forward to once these seats go into service toward the middle of this year.

Cathay Pacific new premium economy seats and layout

"Human-centric design is what we're known for – listening to customer insights is at the core of what we do," Cathay Pacific's general manager of customer experience and design, Vivian Lo, said as she welcomed media to the showcase. "All the product design you see today are the product many rounds of customer research and validation about what is important to the customers."

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free biweekly Aviation newsletter .

Like the airline's current Boeing 777-300ER premium economy section , the cabins aboard refitted 777-300ERs will feature seats in a 2-4-2 pattern. The cabin will have 48 seats total, spread across six rows. That's a 50% increase over the airline's current 777 configurations, which have just 32 to 34 premium economy seats.

The current versions are like wide recliners, whereas the new fixtures feature a more sculptural, futuristic design. They are about 19 inches wide between armrests and have 40 inches of pitch.

They have hard shells that cradle the cushions and angular privacy wings adjacent to their headrests that extend about eight inches from the seatback. Seats on the aisles and windows only have these wings one the single side between them and another seat; the two seats in the center of each row have them on both sides. There is a flip-out reading light embedded in the wings as well.

The headrests are adjustable up and down with comfort wings of their own to help cushion passengers' heads, and they will tip up to support passengers' necks.

Unlike similar-looking seats on Japan Airlines' A350-1000 , these seats do physically recline (rather than sliding down within their shell) and lean back about 8 inches, just as the airline's current premium economy recliners do. They measure about 19 inches wide between armrests.

Also unlike JAL's seats, the Cathay Pacific ones will not be motorized; rather, their individual parts, including the seatback and leg rest, will be operable using buttons.

The seats have leg rests for ergonomic comfort with footrests that flip out from their bottoms and can be adjusted closer or farther, depending on the passenger's height. This more closely resembles the airline's A350 premium economy setup since the current 777-300ER seats just have footrests.

Seats have bifold tables that pull out of the armrests in addition to small drinks trays — one that's part of the armrest between neighboring seats and another that pulls out from just below this.

Premium economy passengers will have two dedicated lavatories, one on either side of the cabin, each with touch-free sinks and toilets for hygienic purposes.

Cathay Pacific new premium economy seat features

The new Cathay Pacific premium economy seats will sport exciting technological updates as well.

Chief among them, their inflight entertainment screens are 15.6 inches diagonally (compared to 10.6 inches on current 777-300ERs and 12.1 inches on the Airbus A350-900 and -1000). They have 4K resolution and the option for Bluetooth audio pairing if you want to use your own headphones. The screens tilt up from the seatback as well, so if the passenger in front of you is reclining, you can still view the content easily.

Just below them, a fold-down shelf pops out so you can rest your own personal entertainment device should you prefer to use it instead.

Another update? Each seat will have both USB-A and USB-C ports (compared to just USB-A on current versions) as well as a universal power point.

The power point and USB-A ports are embedded in the central column between pairs of seats. The USB-C port is in a small seat-side cubby; the cubby has a handy light so you can see where your phone or other belongings are.

Which planes will feature the new Cathay Pacific premium economy?

Like the airline's Aria business class, Cathay's latest iteration of premium economy will be installed on the airline's eventual order of Boeing 777-9s and retrofitted onto its current 777-300ERs at a pace of about one per month. That means we should see the rollout start toward the middle of this year and carry through 2027 or so.

What happens to Cathay Pacific first class?

As part of the news about refitting the Boeing 777-300ERs, Lo also revealed that the refurbished planes remove the first-class seats in the process; they will just feature the new Aria business-class suites. The airline has a new first-class product in the works, but this will be reserved for its Boeing 777-9s, which will hopefully be delivered starting next year.

However, given the rolling delays on Boeing's 777-9 rollout, there's no telling for sure when these planes will arrive. Cathay has yet to release many details on its planned new first class. That said, there's the multiyear rollout of the 777-300ER refurbishment process and, hopefully, the eventual appearance of 777-9s in the airline's fleet. So, it might work out that as the 777-300s lose first class, they'll be replaced fairly quickly by 777-9s with the new product onboard.

That creates issues for folks booking Cathay Pacific first class, as some will enjoy the new seats while some will be relegated to the old as the airline's fleet is standardized. Given how rare (almost nonexistent) Cathay Pacific first-class awards have been in recent years, though, this might not affect many flyers.

Enhanced meals and beverages

In addition to its new premium economy seats, Cathay Pacific also showcased its new and ongoing partnerships for business- and first-class meals. This includes partnerships with famous Hong Kong restaurants Duddell's and Louise — a French favorite. Among the sample dishes on display were steamed chicken with morel mushrooms and goji berries from Duddell's and pan-seared beef tenderloin with Madeira jus and porcini puree from Louise.

Customers flying business class in the coming months might also find special wine offerings on board, including Taittinger Champagne and a variety of Chinese wines produced in the Ningxia and Shandong regions. Of course, the airline's specially brewed Betsy beer, which is meant to be consumed at altitude, will also remain available.

Onboard and airport connectivity

Media representatives received a presentation on the technologically driven personalization enhancements the airline is hoping to implement in the coming months and years.

These include creating a customer profile to interface with seats' inflight entertainment systems so that passengers can store preloaded seat positions and content playlists. The system might also eventually display flight connection information and lounge recommendations for Hong Kong International Airport (HGK) based on which ones the passenger has access to; it could show the passenger's arrival and departure gates as well as general transit information.

Though these will be rolled out slowly and progressively, it points to how much the airline is pursuing customization as key to the passenger experience.

Bottom line

Cathay Pacific's sleek new premium economy seats seem like another step forward for the airline's already popular product. Hopefully, the process of putting them into service will go smoothly. Beyond that, hopefully, the airline will make them readily available for award redemptions, so passengers can enjoy more legroom and privacy than in economy.

Related reading:

• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
• The best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations