Cathay upgrading First and Business Class experience

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)

  • cwoodward
    Participant

    Rumour in HK that Cathay will announce on Monday that they are adding a mattress to business class seats and a thicker one for First. Also some other benefits also.

    Cathay May passenger traffic was up 5% yoy yet the communist owned SCMP managed today to twist the figures to indicate that the Cathay business was down.
    Their loss making Chinese airline mates must be becoming increasingly desperate to stick it to Cathay!

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    w8ster
    Participant

    In the last 10 years, I have always rated Cathay higher than its biggest rival (granted its my opinion) SIA. I like their products and their service way better both on and off the aircraft. I was based in London for most part of the last 10 years and the London team were superb. I never understood the SIA fold down bed thing and the lack of additional mattress for Cathay business seats never bothered me as they were comfortable as they are with a push of a button.

    That said, I have noticed a slight dip in the last 2 years and SIA is picking up their game (again my personal experience and opinion) so if this is really true, this will be a much welcomed news.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    thebigseats
    Participant

    Just stepped off SQ Business (B777-300ER, day flight) & found the seat to be dreadfully uncomfortable. Lack of usable legroom when lounging unless sitting sideways to the IFE & the slowest meal service I have ever encountered. Never again unless one can snag a bulkhead seat (only for Elites) which has far far superior space & is what the other J seats should have been. Back to CX for me – & with added amenities I can’t wait!


    nevereconomy
    Participant

    Used to fly Cathay J and F a lot a few years ago and they were always a cut above. The little things made the difference – like they always acknowledged my Emerald status or went out of their way to get me somewhere by other means if a flight was delayed or cancelled. Hope they still the same today..


    MarkivJ
    Participant

    I fly CX and QR the most on biz trips. Save for the fact that HK connection times are tight and CX flights are almost always late, I really like CX a lot.

    1. V consistent lounge product unlike some other airlines that have a good hub lounge but mediocre one at the destinations
    2. Great cabin crew – it’s not just that they remember names and OW status, but they are genuinely nice and warm. And helpful.
    3. Consistency – both in flight soft and hard products
    4. Seats – I like them! Save for minor improvements in certain new aircraft, overall experience is consistent

    Only thing I don’t care for is their food – it’s always a bit burnt and their Hindu Veg meals (my primary choice) are nowhere as good as BA’s.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    My only negative observations about CX are you never know what product you are going to get (within Asia) and sometimes the menu contains 3 meat items. Other than that, the lounges, especially in HKG are superb, the cabin crew work with such empathy and certainly do not make the passenger feel they are an inconvenience. I like the way I am welcomed on board by name and generally thanked for my business. Nothing appears to be too much trouble – even the way they say sometimes so ‘no’ or ‘not possible’ to the odd request ….


    TominScotland
    Participant

    Generally fair points, cwoodward.

    worth remembering, however, that Cathay is also part communist owned with significant shareholdings from Air China parent CNAC……..


    Folium
    Participant

    [quote quote=944647]
    worth remembering, however, that Cathay is also part communist owned with significant shareholdings from Air China parent CNAC……..[/quote]

    Somewhat random comment. CX owns 18.1% of Air China and Air China owns 29.9% of CX.
    Would you rather sit in the 45% of the plane that is owned by Swire Pacific which in turn is 55% owned by the very British, definitely non-communist Swire and Scott families?! With the latter being shipbuilders from Greenock, that might be very suitable.
    Or would sir/madam prefer the 9.99% of the plane owned by QR, another very un-communist organization.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    cwoodward
    Participant

    TominScotland Your point is well made however I am very reliably informed that the premium cabins are 100% owned by Swire !

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    stevescoots
    Participant

    [quote quote=944638]I fly CX and QR the most on biz trips. Save for the fact that HK connection times are tight and CX flights are almost always late, I really like CX a lot.

    1. V consistent lounge product unlike some other airlines that have a good hub lounge but mediocre one at the destinations

    2. Great cabin crew – it’s not just that they remember names and OW status, but they are genuinely nice and warm. And helpful.

    3. Consistency – both in flight soft and hard products

    4. Seats – I like them! Save for minor improvements in certain new aircraft, overall experience is consistent

    Only thing I don’t care for is their food – it’s always a bit burnt and their Hindu Veg meals (my primary choice) are nowhere as good as BA’s.[/quote]

    They have been my go to airline the past 18 months on my monthly schlep LHR-HKG-SGN etc, so much that i have lost both my EK and KLM golds. Anyway, they are far from perfect but certainly above many.

    I have been to some pretty awful CX lounges (3rd party) , PEK a few years back springs to mind and SGN Rose lounge.

    crew superb always have been

    consitency….on LH yes, SH they do tend to mix the aircraft around but its never been a negative to me as they have uniforminty in the J section across most of the fleet. most….

    Seats, I am also a big fan

    Food, 2 years ago it was worse than BA but it is improving a lot recently


    w8ster
    Participant

    [quote quote=944739]

    I have been to some pretty awful CX lounges (3rd party) , PEK a few years back springs to mind and SGN Rose lounge.

    [/quote]

    completely agree on this point. I fly out of Dubai recently with CX and they partner with LH and that lounge is simply not worth it. Even the people at the reception stone cold face like they were doing me a favour. There is a perfectly well looked after Ahlan lounge next door that incidentally SQ uses for their Business passengers.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    cwoodward
    Participant

    New Cathay PEK lounge is due to open 3rd quarter this year.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    w8ster
    Participant

    I understand this is reader’s forum and discussion based on rumour isn’t surprising and perfectly normal. I am rather surprised to see BT has an official article in the News section purely based on SCM article without official validation/announcement from Cathay. Unless its something the author knows but not allowed to publicly say.

    Anyone else have the same thought? I thought News section is all based on facts.


    canucklad
    Participant

    [quote quote=944942]I am rather surprised to see BT has an official article in the News section purely based on SCM article without official validation/announcement from Cathay.[/quote]

    Maybe Cathay management has come to the conclusion, that it’s time to do a bit of sucking up to the SCMP and promised them an exclusive.
    A bit of good publicity for an airline that that lives in an increasingly perpetual Catch 22 world, must surely be welcome !!

    Only flown in Y with CX, but it’s definitely the best airline on the ground and in the air that I’ve flown on for many a year.


    cwoodward
    Participant

    The official Cathay websites do seem a little coy on the subject but it seems there are a couple of sources for the rumour that has been picked up by many reputable news sites and tellingly not denied by the airline.
    As ‘canucklad’ alludes to it seems like this was a successful publicity strategy if intended.
    As not reported happening until October then it seems we need to wait a little longer for the official information direct from Cathay.

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