[cwoodward]

It is so pleasing for me to see my favourite airline rising from the ashes of covid despite the the continuing quarantine restrictions of Hong Kong.
Cathay is rapidly adding back capacity and again flying to 80% of international destinations from July despite the continuing restrictions.
The groups dominant world position in international air freight through Cathay, Air Hong Kong and the 49% shareholding in China Air Freight are of course assisting as has the HKD7 billion government bridging loan.

According to credible reports the Group’s liquidity is again healthy standing at over HK$31 billion currently with monthly cash burn minimised and well under control once again.

The airline is progressively adding back capacity with seemingly additional flights every day with more added from 1st July which is of course having a positive financial impact on the airline’s coffers.
London going twice daily and Manchester 3 times a week, most other European destinations operating again with Australasia well on the way back to normality with both the absent Perth and Brisbane again operating from July. The Asia schedules are almost back to 2020 levels with more flight added every week. I see Manila was 5 times yesterday but no sign of Johannesburg yet.
New aircraft are being delivered and both pilots and cabin crew being recruited and trained, a third runway on stream from 2023. and a new Hong Kong Government team in place from 1st July there are strong expectations that the lowering of quarantine restrictions will be accelerated with many expecting considerable change from mid month.

A long way to full recovery but at last I have confidence that it will happen and once again full aircraft – the streets and bars full of tourists…

2 users thanked author for this post.

Abidjan, GivingupBA

[CathayLoyalist2]

Likewise, my favourite airline. Been flying with CX since 1989. They have helped me out on many occasions to get on a flight, move redemption booking dates, re instated expired miles when through my own fault I had let them expire . The list goes on. Just a question now of finding redemption availability and/or J seats at reasonable prices

[_glbetrkkr_]

God bless it. Love the service, the food and those lounges in HKG!!!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Mark

[christ]

I think anyone would be mad to fly on Cathay as their tickets are massively over priced in business (within Asia or Europe).

Yes their lounges are nice and staff friendly.

However for half the price, i would endure changing on Qatar (noting their prices have also shot up but not like Cathay). For US it is best to go via Tokyo on JAL (from HK).

I also believe they have closed most of the lounges in HK.

[cwoodward]

Christ -we all have a choice and for many years many have preferred Cathay over its competitors while others like yourself prefer the enticing comforts of a subsidised Arab airline that appears able to burn money with no need to much consider the many rigors that running a real business under extremely challenging conditions entails.
BTW no Cathay Hong Kong lounges have been permanently shuttered and to the contrary new ones are planned for the enlarged and refurbished public areas and are already in process including I am told a large arrivals lounge.
It seems like rather a pity that your budget may perhaps not to stretch to enjoy the much admired unsubsidised comforts of Cathay.
None the less – ɡädˈspēd sir.

[CathayLoyalist2]

I have just made some dummy bookings on CX and Qatar, LHR to SIN, and CX is considerably cheaper than Qatar. The one low point is a 12 hour connection in HKG to SIN. That said GBP 2600 on CX and GBP 5500 on Qatar

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MartynSinclair, GivingupBA

[esselle]

I was a big fan of CX back in the day before I retired.

MAN-HKG was a frequent trip, and HKG-SYD also. The fares were always competitive and the service in J was a bit of a benchmark for other carriers. The HKG lounges were among the best.

Their F offering was also outstanding, including a handwritten welcome card from the crew.

Not sure why, but my loyalties drifted away a bit (much as they had from BA a few years earlier, although the reasons for that were far more obvious) and I found others (EK, EY, QR) offered better service/value.

My go to choice in F now is EK, with AF close behind depending on the routing.

It will be interesting to see where CX get to on this.

1 user thanked author for this post.

cwoodward

[christ]

Cwoodward – nothing to do with budget but i will not support an overpriced airline who gave up and abandoned HK and whilst other airlines continued flying. Also I suspect you are not in HK but the cabin crew were a big cause of a COVID wave for breaking rules going out and caused the country much misery – Cathay should be in more trouble than they were.

Also as seems you do not travel, Cathay permanently closed a lounge and the First in the Wing is not open.

Cathay Pacific Closes Hong Kong Lounge(s)

[cwoodward]

Christ
From the Cathay pacific public web site :

‘The Wing, First (near gates 1-4), and The Pier, Business (near gate 65) have however recently been reopened to eligible passengers under specific access requirements.”

Lets deal with your ‘gave up and abandoned Hong Kong nonsense’ first.
At no time during the pandemic did Cathay cease to fly ‘abandon Hong Kong or do other than work with all authorities to achieve the best possible outcomes for all.
‘Gave up and abandoned Hong Kong’ As all, who are active on or read this forum will well know Cathay continued to fly, paid staff and did all that was possible to to support Hong Kong during the pandemic and continue to do so.

Sir, am beginning to rather suspect that you have very possibly never flown with Cathay and likely never been recently to Hong Kong or were perhaps fired from Cathay. This because you appear from these posts to write from ignorance, prejudice and a degree of personal animosity rather than from any real desire to accurately inform or contribute to this respected forum in any helpful meaningful way.

BTW. Been here since 1976 old boy.
Pip Pip

Please don’t bother with a reply

[christ]

I am based in HK and have been a long time.

Just as someone disagrees with your view, there is no need to be rude / aggressive.

It is well known (look at other forums) that Cathay business prices are very high.

I have flown Cathay and would much rather the BA A380 (when it operated) than the A350. I didn’t find anything special re Cathay. As I said, the lounge at heathrow T3 for Cathay is by far the best of anywhere (v HK which i would say was average).

Cathay did not support HK in Covid – several of their crew broke the rules and contributed to starting the last Covid wave. I think Carrie addressed this point with the airline. Other airlines such as Qatar, Singapore, Emirates (and I think Thai) continued to fly daily when not banned v Cathay who flew routes about twice a month and changed those flights enough – perhaps you are not here if you are not aware of that. I am BA gold and gave up on a Bangkok flight with Cathay and ended up with Emirates (not a great experience) and came back with Thai (excellent).

I never said all Cathay lounges were closed but I said some had closed permanently such as the Bridge. As far as I am aware there is no longer a first class lounge as the Pier now combines business and first (look at BA who at T5 have a business lounge, first lounge and concorde lounge).

I am not saying HK has been easy for Cathay but other airlines have made more of an effort to maintain a regular service (they have done no more to work with authorities than any other airline).

Anyway for my next trip to US, rather than pay Cathay prices, I will be enjoying the excellent service of JAL at considerably better value business fare than Cathay (accepting the inconvenience of a 2 hour transfer).

As an aside I am not anti Cathay as staff are generally helpful and I would fly any day versus Qatar which was my last trip (no Q suite on either flight) but I had to go with the airline which actually had regular flights.

It seems they were flying 99% less passengers last month than pre – pandemic and so it does not seen that great when other airlines are full.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/cathay-pacific-cuts-cash-burn-target-by-half-hong-kong-eases-restrictions-2022-05-11/

Hope you are enjoying the hot weather of the last few days if you are indeed in HK!

[Tom Otley]

Ladies and gentlemen,

There’s a lot of great knowledge on this thread and hundreds of others.

We all decry the loss of debate and the polarisation of opinions, and many blame social media for that – and, by extension, the ability to post opinions while remaining anonymous.

I think it is important that people can post anonymously for a whole host of reasons which have been discussed elsewhere on this forum.

You clearly disagree about Cathay, but could you please cease the ad hominem attacks?

To paraphrase Albert O Hirschman, arguments which immune themselves from the possibility of being wrong and from accommodating uncertainty are closed discourses that thwart listening to others.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Globe_trotter, cwoodward, esselle

[cwoodward]

I fully agree Tom and I apologise for indulging myself….just couldn’t resist…. and it was a perhaps warranted distraction!
No real excuse though other than time on my hands being banged up at home with nasty case of covid and my much better half not letting me work.

Just for accurate info the decision to close the ‘Bridge’ lounge was taken pre-covid and I believe that it closed about March 2020.
I see that that Cathays excellent LHR lounges are again open as is Shanghai.
The former is good news for me as am hoping to be in UK and Cathay lounge after a long time away in July

2 users thanked author for this post.

GivingupBA, Tom Otley

[christ]

I was not aware that the Bridge decision was taken pre – Covid. I have only been to the Pier lounges but i know some liked the Bridge lounge.

The T3 Cathay First lounge was always a pleasure and i enjoyed the chairs by the window and the restaurant service (though the business lounge was good also). Shower facilities are excellent also. I did sometimes used to pop into the BA and American lounge and there was no comparison.

I think all airlines have good and bad depending on the day.

Just so that i don’t come across one sided, I will say Cathay customer service is in a league of their own (in a good way). Originally I was flying back to HK (from UK) to activate a new work visa during Covid and was going to Dubai first and then on Cathay 21 days later. I ended up changing my flight and went via Poland (hence Qatar) but Cathay service on helping me verify documents was amazing and with a personal (v generic) e mail address and who looked into everything and documented it all. This was in comparison to BA who did not have a clue when I asked. Also when i was checking in for Qatar, they also placed reliance on my Cathay e mail and were very impressed (my vaccine missed my middle name which is a big deal for HK and Cathay provided me a way around).

So therefore I do agree that Cathay customer service is excellent (and my Dad always used to say it was the best airline).

I am sorry I just got fed up with the changes to schedules and perhaps I have been unlucky at dates I have looked at re pricing. Also the A380 was my favourite plane – however looks like if BA returns in the winter it will be a 787 🙁 (not that I have ever been on a 787).

I appreciate Cathay have not had it easy being based in HK when other airlines can cherry pick their routes.

Anyway, apologies for any disagreement.

Hope your COVID gets better.

Have a great weekend.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Tom Otley

[SGJNI1961]

I booked CX to fly AMS-SGN next April. Half the price of QR and about the same as LH/SQ. It was the A350 on CX that clinched it rather than the B744 on LH, I don;t care for their seating in J.

[christ]

I did see that ANS to HK on Cathay has excellent prices (and I think Frankfurt).

To me it seems London and US are the high ones (but no American airline fly here and BA / Virgin have stopped to UK) and so perhaps understandable – it is a business after all!

Typically I want to fly to UK and US 🙁

[Author]

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