TL;DR: Cathay Pacific has published Economy Class fares from Hong Kong to San Francisco and Los Angeles starting from HKD2600 for travel between the 1st and 13th of November, 2018.
In a bid to compete with Hong Kong Airlines, Cathay Pacific has returned again with some very competitively priced Economy fares for travel to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The basic fare information is as follows:
These flights are booked in Cathay’s “Economy Supersaver” fare bucket, in the “O” fare class. This is Cathay Pacific’s most restrictive fare class, which means that passengers cannot:
- Pre-book seats
- Rebook
- Earn Asia Miles or Marco Polo Club points
- Upgrade with miles
- Refund their ticket in the event of cancellation before or after departure
- Refund their ticket in the event of a no-show
Is this a good deal?
It depends.
For anyone with Marco Polo Silver, Gold and Diamond, or oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status, this is a fantastic deal. Although you won’t be scoring any points to help out your mileage balance, you’ll still be able to use your elite benefits, including priority seat selection.
Cathay Pacific The Pier Business Lounge Hong Kong Airport
For price-conscious travelers without elite benefits though, it’s worth looking at some other choices.
For example, Hong Kong Airlines is offering flights for HKD 2824, including all taxes and fees for travel between Hong Kong and Los Angeles on similar dates. These tickets are under the “Economy Select” fare bracket, which includes the following “benefits”:
- Date and time changes for HKD1200
- Seat Selection
- No Cancellation or Refund
- No-show charge of HKD1200
- Earn Fortune Wings Club Points (at a discounted rate)
- No re-routing or transferring
Ultimately, you’re getting a less restrictive product for the same amount of money. This is without a doubt the best option for any price-conscious traveler without any sort of elite status.
Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A350 Hong Kong Airport
TIP: Remember to check out other fare buckets before booking…
While these fares may seem really appealing, it’s always worth checking out some other fare buckets. For example, Cathay Pacific is offering “Economy Save” tickets for HKD3320 more for the same departure period on flights to San Francisco, which comes with the following conditions:
- Not able to pre-book seats
- HKD1800 charge for rebooking
- 25% Asia Miles accrual
- Cannot upgrade with miles
- Earn Club points
- HKD1800 charge for cancellation before departure
- HKD1800 charge for cancellation after departure
- HKD2000 no-show charge
That’s significantly less restrictive than your average Economy Supersaver ticket, and also nets you some point along the way. For those who still want a little more flexibility in travel plans, this is a significantly better option for what is still an excellent price for what amounts to around 27 hours in the air.
Bottom Line
What are you waiting for?