[rferguson]

Hey consult717….look forward to your upcoming comparison!

I guess the distinction has to be made between being disappointed at a deterioration in Cathay’s service – OR having tried alternative airline(s) finding you prefer their service styles.

I can’t comment on the NA – HKG routes on CX as I have never flown them on that route. On the Europe/Mid east – HKG – Australia routes I have flown there has definitely not been a deterioration. The seat has improved. Onboard catering satisfactory (it’s never been CX’s strong point). I agree the Wing F lounge is nothing really that special but I think the HKG J class lounges are way above most of the competition and I LOVE that they all have their own DNA in HKG instead of the cookie cutter approach. I have always found their crew pleasant as a minimum and have never had a flight with a major delay. So, in my experience I can’t say that the service on CX has ‘deteriorated’ today to what is was a few years ago.

Yes, other airlines have come along and offered what a lot of people would consider a superior flying experience. But because Qatar or Etihad offer a la carte dining (and a huge amount of options on the menu), cars to the airport, spas etc it isn’t fair to say that Cathay has deteriorated because it is something they have never offered.

For me (and I know everyone is different) if I was really disappointed with the service offering of airline A and delighted with B but have to fly ‘via’ somewhere on B I would take B without hesitation.

Anyway – looking forward to your findings in your upcoming travels!

[RichardBall6]

Hello Consult717,

You are bang on the money.

Just to confirm … my experience over many years is that the current CX service and standards have deteriorated from what they were in previous years. No matter what other airlines are offering, that is not the issue here ! We are just comparing CX NOW to what they were BEFORE, which was good.

I am new to forums but it seems that as soon as someone posts a detailed entry about a particular issue they have with an airline, a number of people come back with general spin pro the airline.

Anyway, the point is that I have absolute discretion on my airline spend and it is a pity that PER to LHR via HKG is not really an option for me now. The thing is that there are many people like me in Perth spending many tens of thousands of dollars per year on air fares shuttling to and from Europe who feel the same.

CX not only need to stop their detiorating service but actually make steps to bridge the widening quality gap with respect to competitors. Particularly so as they still seek to charge more!

[rferguson]

Hey RichardBall6 – Welcome!

Haha have to disagree with what you say in paragraph three. Start a topic complaining about BA and see how many pro BA-er’s you will get jumping to their defence. The silence will be deafening. 😉

Out of curiosity – what do you think has deteriorated at CX over the past few years? The hard product? The catering? Crew? Punctuality?

Cheers! RF

[RichardBall6]

Hard product better; seats improved. (Tables a bit weird, unless you are 2 inches thick).

Meals much worse: range, quality, timing, snacks, beverage quality, lack of flexibility, no salt pepper unless ask etc.

Service is the main issue – seems to have lost its spark, and I am the most understanding and accommodating person onboard who thinks about what the cabin crew have to do over the course of a flight.
I would like to think that Cathay head trainers would read all input and think… “How can we give good service to our clients “? After all, this should be lowest marginal cost.

[donkeyasia]

Dear all, sensible comments on all sides. Dou think these reflect all CX service, or is their a dramatic difference regional Asia and Long Haul flights. Personally I think CX regionally is much better than SQ and I fly both a lot. I also discovered on asking that some cabin crew only fly regional or LH, not both. Perhaps the LH crews are getting stale and presumptuous.

[AzookiTravel]

Hello donkeyasia,

Maybe because the Long Haul flight employees have encountered a much larger range of different nationalities with different behaviors that they sometimes just put themselves to this certain level of attitude to that may look rude to other nationalities. We can also consider the other possibilities that they maybe not compensated well, or having personal issues, etc.

*Here are some tips on how to deal w/ them:

1. Approach Cautiously: Watch out for the first thing that will come out of your mouth. You may not get the most stellar service if your first approach is wrong.

2. Situation Awareness: Take a second to empathize with what the employee is experiencing at the time you approach her.

3. Hands Off: You might mean it as a simple gesture to get the agent’s attention, but nobody likes getting groped or poked by a stranger.

4. Keep Your Voice Down: The easiest way to get a poor response is to shout at an airline employee. They will instantly put their guard up

5. Tone Down Your Language: The minute you start with any obscenities your cause is lost.

6. Kill Them With Kindness: If you are exceedingly nice to a rude person, sometimes you can disarm them-even improve their attitude.

7. Be Selective: If you see that one employee seems grumpier than the others, go to the more agreeable one.

8. Get a witness: If you are subject to extremely abusive behavior, ask someone who witnessed it to back up your story.

9. Remain Calm: In a calm, metered tone ask nicely to speak with a supervisor, manager or a higher up. Don’t make a scene at the airport.

10. Taking Formal Action: Draft a letter of complaint and reread it before you print it-time provides great perspective. Get the agents name and employee number, along with the contact info of any witnesses.

[Author]

Posts