If I book an eligible Qantas domestic/international flight under my Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Gold (oneworld sapphire), can I also use my Qantas Frequent Flyer Bronze account/point

If I book an eligible Qantas domestic/international flight under my Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Gold (oneworld sapphire), can I also use my Qantas Frequent Flyer Bronze account/points to upgrade domestic/international?

This way I can use my bronze QFF points/account for upgrade whilst crediting the points for the Qantas flights to maintan my Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club Gold Status.

I asked this question via phone and email to Qantas but was told by one consultant to contact Cathay Pacific direct and was told by another consultant that i could via their normal upgrade policy (i.e. confirmed upgrades on domestic flights and waitlist/register for intermational flights if ticketed under an eligble fare)

Yes. Under the Qantas booking system there are multiple status fields, but agents often stuff it up...

Safest way would be to book using QFF number, hoping the upgrade clears, then at checkin go to the business class desk (per your sapphire privelages), and get the redemption changed to Cathay, and get the other sapphire benefits (inc lounge access)

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep that in mind

@cxflyer

I think the key here is the booking inventory of the tickets purchased.

If you booked a revenue ticket, excluding E, N, O & Q booking inventory, via QF (i.e. Qantas has ticketed the booking) and happen to record your CX FF number in the booking, then it is perfectly acceptable to upgrade using your QF FF points. I believe (I'm not 100% sure) you will earn CX points based on the original booking inventory (as opposed to the business or first rates).

If however if you have used your CX FF points to book a redemption ticket on QF, then the booking inventory (X for economy, U for business and Z for first) means upgrades will not be available. In which case you cannot use your QF FF points for upgrades.

I stand corrected, moa999 raised an important point. QF does not do confirmed upgrades!

So keep your QF FF number on the booking and make the switch once upgrades is confirmed. Make sure your boarding pass records your CX number.

I'm not sure what's your chances of upgrades if you're only Bronze and I'm also not sure how you can get your CX FF number reinstated on your boarding pass if you got upgraded at the gate!

Perhaps a sure way of using up your QF FF points AND accruing miles on CX is to purchase a QF ticket using points and pay, then once the booking has been ticketed, call up Qantas and get them to change the frequent flyer number on the booking (at this stage you can also request seating from the agent since you're OW Sapphire).

I thought QF do confirmed upgrades for domestic flights? I know with QF international, it's a register system and upgrades are allocated by   platinum, gold, silver then bronze.

As an aside, how would QF treat (or do they at all?) allocate upgrades according to equivalent oneworld ff status? For example, would they give priority to CX MPO Gold (oneworld sapphire) over QFF silver? Or is this a grey area?

I know oneworld ffp programs do not (as far as I know) allow redemption upgrades on another oneworld members airline. Hence I probably posed a tricky question in the first place if I wanted to credit the base points/tier status to maintain my CX FF gold (oneworld sapphire) status (for eligible QF flights) BUT also use the points sitting in my bronze QFF to book confirmed upgrades on QF domestic flights or wait list/register upgrade on QF international flights. In this instance I'm sure QF would treat me or prioritise me as a QFF bronze rather than a CX MPO Gold/oneworld sapphire?

Yes you would be deemed a QFF Bronze in the QF system and prioritised accordingly.

You are not able to append both your CX and QF FF numbers on the QF booking to enable you to 1) use your QF points for upgrade and 2) the higher status by virture of CX to be prioritised for the upgrade.

It is a grey area with regards to how QF (or any other airlines) prioritise QF/EK/OW FF. I would imagine this was Commercial-In-Confidence information.

Although this is now all based on system application controls. Presumably a good enough hacker can break in and decipher the algorithm?

QF do have confirmed upgrades for domestic flights. I travelled last week and when I used the website to request an upgrade it was confirmed immediately.