Cathay Pacific Airways Origin & Destination (O&D) Booking Policy
(effective September 1, 2023)
1. Introduction
Cathay Pacific is committed to providing our passengers with a seamless and reliable booking
experience. To ensure fair and ethical practices, we have set up the following policy to prohibit
circumvention of inventory control, point of commencement manipulation, and other abusive booking
practices. These practices compromise the integrity of the booking process, harm the financial health of
our business, and most importantly lead to a poor passenger experience.
Cathay Pacific manages inventory on an origin and destination (O&D) basis, using point of
commencement (POC) logic. Inventory that is available on a particular segment for one O&D may not be
available for other O&Ds including the same segment. Cathay Pacific’s booking policy prohibits the
creation of reservations with the intent to circumvent inventory management controls (e.g., married
segment logic or journey controls) and/or to obtain inventory for ticket sales which Cathay Pacific does
not intend to offer for the passenger's actual O&D itinerary.
Example:
· O&D needed: SFO-HKG in Q Class
· O&D requested: DFW-BKK in Q class
· Sectors cancelled: DFWSFO & HKGBKK
2. Inventory Control Manipulation
Inventory control manipulation refers to actions taken to artificially create scarcity or availability of flight
seats or services. This unethical practice undermines the fairness of booking processes and can result in
higher prices for passengers. At Cathay Pacific, we strictly prohibit:
• Married Segment Manipulation: Any attempts to recreate the original O&D at a lower booking
class using other O&Ds and the cancelation of sectors is a fraudulent way of by-passing our
inventory management control
• False Availability: Any attempts to present false seat availability to induce urgency or
manipulate prices.
• Automated Scripts: The use of automated scripts or bots to book multiple seats simultaneously,
creating artificial demand.
3. Point of Commencement Manipulation
Point of commencement manipulation involves misleading practices related to the origin or destination
of a flight. Such practices can mislead passengers and harm the efficiency of our operations. We
prohibit:
• Hidden Segments: Booking itineraries with the intent to disembark at layover points and discard
remaining flight segments.
• Fare Manipulation: Misrepresenting your intended point of commencement to obtain a lower
fare, e.g. booking inbound segment before outbound segment.
4. Abusive Booking Practices
Abusive booking practices encompass various actions that exploit pricing loopholes and harm the overall
booking ecosystem. At Cathay Pacific, we do not tolerate:
• Price Scraping: Extracting fare data from our website for purposes other than personal booking.
• Excessive Ticket Reselling: Buying tickets with the intention of reselling them at a higher price,
often at the expense of genuine travelers.
• Duplicate Bookings: Creating multiple bookings for the same passenger on the same flight,
leading to overbooking and passenger inconvenience.
5. Consequences of Violation
If an agency is found to have violated this policy, Cathay Pacific reserves the right to take appropriate
actions, including but not limited to:
• Cancellation: Canceling the booking without refund.
• Ban: Imposing a temporary or permanent ban on booking with Cathay Pacific.
• Legal Action: Pursuing legal action in cases of severe violations.
Offense / Action
1
st
Offense – less
than 10 Tickets
1
st
Offense – more
than 10 Tickets
2
nd
Offense
3
rd
Offense
Action taken
Written warning
plus:
Delink PCC, with
USD/CAD 5,000 to
relink
Delink ARC/BSP,
with USD/CAD
10,000 to relink
Suspend access to
CX preferred
partner programs
Amount per ticket
USD/CAD 400 per
ticket
USD/CAD 500 per
ticket
USD/CAD 1,000
per ticket
USD/CAD 1,500
per ticket
Administrative fee
ADM fee
USD/CAD 25
ADM fee
USD/CAD 25
ADM fee
USD/CAD 25
ADM fee
USD/CAD 25
6. Reporting Violations
Passengers and partners are encouraged to report any suspicious or potentially abusive booking
practices to your Cathay Pacific Account Manager. Timely reporting helps us support a fair and
transparent booking environment.
7. Conclusion
At Cathay Pacific, we prioritize the comfort, convenience, and fairness of our passengers. This policy is
designed to ensure that all passengers have equal access to our services and that the booking process
remains transparent and reliable. We appreciate your cooperation in upholding these standards and
communicating these policies to your staff and sub agent community, contributing to a positive travel
experience for all.
Cathay Pacific reserves the right to amend or update this policy as needed. The latest version will be
available on our agency website cxagents.com.
Effective Date: September 1, 2023
