[consult717]

The Airline that keeps on deteriorating in service and quality. I have travelled on cathay for over 15 years consistently in business on a short and long haul flights. I have complied data of customer experience and their ability to make the experience worthy of praise in the aircraft. As per my research and experience, 20-30% of the time, my overall experience has been uncomfortable and distasteful. I will list top line areas of deterioration, food and serving methods, seat cleanliness, and accommodation of issue related resolutions. Now, below is an article that makes me really uncomfortable about traveling in Cathay, hope to hear your opinions on this matter.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/cathay-pacific-onboard-camera/index.html

[MartynSinclair]

I think CCTV cameras in trains, busses and aeroplanes as well as most street corners is the norm. Does it invade my human rights and privacy…. probably – do I care, absolutely not.

In the thread I started this morning about a passenger filming an evacuation, where CCTV could be a tremendous benefit is the ability of the airlines and safety boards, to replay cabin emergencies to perhaps improve safety procedures & passenger behaviour during emergency situations.

I prefer by far airline CCTV cameras to monitor passenger behaviour than having a mobile stuck in front of my face and ending up on You Tube.

5 users thanked author for this post.

AnthonyDunn, Montysaurus, AFlyingDutchman, GivingupBA, w8ster

[cwoodward]

Consult717 I have very simple solutions to suggest.
My opinions are:

1. That you stop flying Cathay as doing so clearly distresses you.
2. That you take note of proper research as to the general Cathay passenger experience. (as clearly you have been unbelievably unlucky) This you will find is an overwhelmingly
positive one.
3. That before making dramatic and alarming posts you make some attempt to confirm that what you are posting is not utter nonsense.
Cathay’s response to this beat up ( that has been doing the rounds of several airlines for some months) is below:

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Our inflight entertainment systems do not have any cameras, microphones or sensors to monitor passengers, nor have they in the past.”

[consult717]

I dont think I can respond to your view as it is bitter for your own reasons and is not constructive.

[consult717]

@MartynSinclair
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I agree camera’s are the norm of our society and I dont have an issue with them installed for the purpose of security but it does become an issue when it goes beyond that and from the sound of the article, it had that feel to it. Nonetheless your approach is appreciated.

[christopheL]

@Martinsinclair

According to CNN : « Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific has revealed it is recording passenger activity on its aircraft via inflight entertainment systems and video cameras … »

According to the CX spokesperson, similar devices were not installed in their IFEs. “Our inflight entertainment systems do not have any cameras, microphones or sensors to monitor passengers, nor have they in the past ».

Who is right who is wrong ?

[CathayLoyalist2]

Consult717, like cwoodward I could say you have been very unlucky. On the other hand I wonder if your compiled data, whatever that consists of, would pass integrity levels on reliability and validity measures. In addition you have been flying with CX for 15 years thus statistically your experience would be considered an “outlier”. I have been with CX since 1989 and would not recognise your description of CX. Sure there have been a few issues but on each occasion CX has stepped up and corrected the errors without a litany of excuses and in a number of occasions went further than I was expecting in resolving any issue. As for cameras CX has said they do not use them. I for one have no problem with cctv, Incidentally which airline do you think is leading the pack?

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mkcol74

[canucklad]

Hi Consult717
Not sure where you live, and what exposure you have to surveillance, but it’s all around my life . Almost impossible to go 5 minutes without being potentially watched by someone somewhere !!

Including on buses, trains and taxi’s
Whilst I shop or just walking about the town
When I’m at work
Even chilling with my pals in the pub

As a liberal, am I comfortable with this constant intrusion ? No
Is it a necessity in todays world to help protect us ? Sadly Yes
Do I own an Alexa device ? Absolutely not

1 user thanked author for this post.

AFlyingDutchman

[consult717]

@Cathayloyalist2
My data is not a research oriented paper, its a simply overall experience that I have shared, I think 15 years of traveling will give one a gist of how things improve or deteriorate and in my experience they had deteriorated. I wish my experience was closer to yours but it isn’t the case. All airlines have a tendency of bad service and I do not think any airline falls on that merit but my intention is to know others experience so a well informed opinion can be heard.

[AFlyingDutchman]

[quote quote=952206]I think CCTV cameras in trains, busses and aeroplanes as well as most street corners is the norm. Does it invade my human rights and privacy…. probably – do I care, absolutely not.[/quote]

I Agree with Martyn and others who have said similar that this is a matter of ‘norm’ these days. That said, in most cases, there is a requirement to let the public know of the CCTV surveilance, as you often see such notification on aircraft, trains, trams, buses, etc. If there is no such notification on a CX aircraft I would venture to say they probably arent using the IFE to ‘spy’ on the passenger as this would open themselves up to untold number of lawsuits.

1 user thanked author for this post.

cwoodward

[IanFromHKG]

[quote quote=952534]I have complied data of customer experience and their ability to make the experience worthy of praise in the aircraft. As per my research and experience, 20-30% of the time, my overall experience has been uncomfortable and distasteful. I will list top line areas of deterioration, food and serving methods, seat cleanliness, and accommodation of issue related resolutions … My data is not a research oriented paper, its a simply overall experience that I have shared[/quote]

consult717, please pardon me if I am missing something, but I cannot see where you have shared all this very specific data that you say you have “complied” [compiled?]? Would you please post a specific link?

As to the use of CCTV in public areas, including on public transport – that battle was lost long ago

[cwoodward]

consult717 wrote:

‘As per my research and experience.’
“I have complied data of customer experience.”
‘My data is not a research oriented paper’

From your several posts I see no trace of:
Any research.
Any compiled data.
Any paper (research or otherwise).

All that I see from your several emails is you having an OTT dig at Cathay after reading a silly tabloid article that was as ill conceived as was your original post.
What I don’t see in your more recent posts is any acknowledgment that the article that you link was total nonsense or any reference to Cathays total denial of the the accusations made therein.

As must be obvious to you by now your view and experiences of Cathay differs significantly from most others here.
As you no longer enjoy flying with Cathay……..then don’t.

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mkcol74, Johnnyg

[rferguson]

Airlines ‘deteriorating’ go in a cycle and they either ounce back with ‘enhancement’ or they go under. The heyday of the european airlines began diminishing when the likes of CX/MH/SQ became more established and focused on their hubs in carrying transit passengers from europe to asia and australia. The european airlines found the competition tough from the asian carriers and cuts had to be made which often were obvious in the product.

Fast forward and now the asian airlines are having to make cuts due to the competition from the Middle East airlines which are now poaching the same business the asian carriers originally poached from the euro carriers. I don’t think it’s unfair to say the service at CX has ‘diminished’ over the last fifteen years. But they are not alone. People that fly SQ and MH regularly say the same thing about those carriers with noticeable reductions in the offerings onboard or on the ground.

We are now seeing the overcapacity and over expansion of the middle eastern carriers taking its toll. Etihad, once the ‘poster boy’ of luxury travel in all classes has become a shadow of its former self in terms of the onboard offering. At the same time many of the european carriers and the US carriers are investing more money into their product to enhance it.

It really is a cycle of the ‘survival of the fittest’ (or in terms of some carriers ‘survival of the biggest government pockets’) and the cycle of deterioration and enhancement will continue.

Just for my own two pence worth on CX….I think they are a solid airline that offers a consistently good product. No, not the best but consistently good. The bed is essentially the same on every longhaul aircraft which I like. Their lounges are superb which is not the norm with most asian airlines (the likes of JAL, Korean, Asiana, Thai etc can have amazing onboard service and product but the most mediocre lounges even at their hubs). The food on CX is decent and the service is fine and generally efficient.

One aspect that I have noticed in the onboard service is that (IMHO) it was better when CX recruited from all over the ASEAN countries attracting a lot of the very best from countries synonymous with warm, genuine customer service oriented people. Such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia etc. This recruitment process was stopped a good few years ago and CX only now recruit locally in HKG. I find the local HKG crew a little less cutomer-centric and more robotic than the older crew from elsewhere in Asia.

And finally in regards to CCTV on aircraft – as other have said some airlines have IFE that has CCTV cameras but so far no airline has activated these (that I know of). CX is not alone in having this system with the feature and there have been several other reports similar to the OP’s regarding other airlines. In each case the airline has responded that they do not activate/use the system.

Nearly every commercial aircraft will have CCTV in the forward galley. This is for security purposes pertaining to the access to the flight deck post 9/11. I’m not sure on other airlines but on each BA aircraft BA has a placard on the bulkhead mentioning that CCTV takes place for security. I can’t remember off the top of my head if it mentions for access to the flight deck or not.

[cwoodward]

rferguson wrote

“One aspect that I have noticed in the onboard service is that (IMHO) it was better when CX recruited from all over the ASEAN countries attracting a lot of the very best from countries synonymous with warm, genuine customer service oriented people. Such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia etc. This recruitment process was stopped a good few years ago and CX only now recruit locally in HKG. I find the local HKG crew a little less cutomer-centric and more robotic than the older crew from elsewhere in Asia.”

I almost agree with you re the above and have posted same on this forum.
Although
The process has never been ‘stopped’ only curtailed due to the demands of the HK cabin crew unions that should never have been agreed to (weak CEO at the time). Now difficult to rescind.
The other points that you make are very debatable in my opinion.

[MartynSinclair]

Seems that Mercedes are facing ‘tracker’ accusations as well.

https://news.sky.com/story/mercedes-sparks-privacy-row-over-use-of-location-trackers-on-finance-vehicles-11789662

Again, i would have no issue if my car had a permanent tracker switched on. However, I would be more upset if this kind of protection did not reduce my car insurance.

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