[Anonymous]

[HKGdirector]

With 2 flights arriving LHR between 0500 to 06.30 it seems idiotic CX only open their arrivals lounge at 08.30 ! Does CX expect premium passengers to wait 3 hours to shower, shave etc ? There is the far less desirable AA lounge but is the small savings on not having a functioning lounge worth losing F and J class pax ? Can BT get someone in CX to respond to this please ?

[giramondo]

I agree that it would be nice to freshen up after a very long flight but maybe I am guessing that CX doesn’t open its arrival lounge earlier because it is too expensive to run. Nowadays, more than in the past, the phrase “COST CUTTING TO THE CORE” is applied by almost all the business activites to be able to survive. My point is that many of the passengers allowed to use these facilities of extra comfort and others, MAKE the decision to implement all the cost cutting everywhere possible so you cannot have it both way….

[ElinWong]

Thanks to Business Traveller for bringing our attention to these comments from our passengers.

In response to their comments about our lounge facilities at London Heathrow Airport, I would point out that it has always been our practice to have separate lounges for arriving and departing passengers.

Our First Class and Business Class passengers and Marco Polo Club Gold tier and above members arriving at London Heathrow Airport are invited to our oneworld partner American Airlines’ Admiral’s Club Lounge which is located after customs and immigration at the Arrivals Building and is open from 0500 to 1400 daily.

Cathay Pacific’s First and Business Class lounge located in the restricted area is available for eligible passengers departing from London. The lounge is opened from 0530 to 2200. Apart from Cathay Pacific passengers travelling to Hong Kong, eligible passengers (oneworld Emerald and Sapphire OR Marco Polo Club Gold and above) with onward journeys on other oneworld member airlines may use Cathay Pacific’s lounge before their departure flight.

We value comments from our passengers and look forward to your flying with us again.

Regards,

Elin Wong,
Corporate Communication Manager – Overseas,
Cathay Pacific

[HKGdirector]

Dear Ms. Wong,

You have missed the point and failed to explain why the CX arrivals lounge at LHR only opens after 08.00 when you have 2 flights arriving between 05.00 and 06.30 ? CX have an arrivals lounge and it should be open ? The AA lounge is not as desirable and you should know the staff there only offer cereal and yoghurt for breakfast ! They advise pax the food supply does not arrive untill 08.00 ! So F and J class passengers arriving after a 13 hour flight cannot expect a hot breakfast !

The matter of departure lounges is totally irrelevant to the question raised. I regret your response appears designed to obfuscate the issue.

This is an important forum for business travellers and as regular F & J class customers we would like to know why you do not open your arrivals lounge at LHR in time for 2 747s arriving early in the morning ? It suggests cost cutting and a lack of consideration for your high yield passengers. Would your Director of Service Delivery, care to explain to this forum why such small cost savings are being implemented ?

[VintageKrug]

Nice to see a response from CX, thanks for that.

I would imagine that the savings are not that small, and that the global recession, rise in fuel and insurance costs and downturn in business travel, coupled with the need to conserve cash would be perfectly reasonable justifications for Cathay to keep its airside facility shut until 8am.

After all, it is not as if no Arrivals facilities on offer.

The T3 AArrivals lounge is actually not that bad, to my great personal surprise. I last used it two weeks ago, and was impressed. It is great improvement on the previous AA facility (scroll to end of page):

http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/airportAmenities/AAFlagshipLounges.jsp

There are plenty of shower suites, 29 in total, and they are spacious and well ventilated.

The AAngel on the desk was helpful, if overly chatty.

And they do indeed offer hot bacon rolls. Not as good as those offered in the BA Arrivals lounge, but bacon rolls nonetheless.

T5 has excellent arrivals facilities which are open from 0530. Perhaps you should try another airline next time you fly into London from HKG 😉

http://www.terminal5.ba.com/en/arrivals/galleries-arrivals/

[ScottWilson]

It is fair to note that CX is rare in even offering arrivals lounge facilities at LHR. I don’t know of any other Asian airlines that do this.

[HKGdirector]

Touche VK ! You are right in suggesting BA’s arrival lounge in T5 is the best….in fact, in the great days gone bye of BA leading with the introduction of the then first flat bed in F (1995 ?) I flew BA to LHR regularly, and again, they were first in giving F & J passengers a terrific arrivals loung in T4.

Scott – With 4 flights a day into LHR and as it is CX’s hub in Europe (in conjunction with its One World partners) an arrivals lounge is essential particularly, if you are connecting on to other European/UK destinations.

A good reason to fly BA to LHR from HKG but the bed is just too small….:)

[VintageKrug]

I seem to recall the blurb states that the new BA First will be 60% wider at the shoulders (which frankly seems an awful lot to me – maybe I recall that incorrectly!).

Never mind the breadth, let’s talk about the length!! Stats haven’t been released yet, but I feel assured that even you will be suitably impressed by the size of the new F seat.

Cathay is deffo one of the best First Class products out there, but there are other non-seat related factors where other airlines win out. And hopefully soon the new seat will also regain the competitive edge.

I would imagine most people connecting would do so with CX’s oneworld partner.

As BA has showers for all those travelling in business class or above (and all Gold Card holders regardless of class travelled) in its regular Galleries lounges, I suppose a dedicated CX Arrivals Lounge is less important.

Are there some Arrivals facilities in T4 – perhaps Emirates has some? Not sure.

[NTarrant]

I think Ms Wong should have read the complaint, does not give much confidence if the Communications Manager has difficulty in addressing the issue.

Does not add up opening at 0830, no one is going to sit around for up to three hours. I’ll stick with BA

[dgfelliot]

@HKGdirector,

I think from reading Elin Wong’s reply, she is saying that the Arrivals lounge does open at 0530. I’ve certainly used in the past when disembarking from CX251.

[NTarrant]

Ms Wong’s reply has been updated. I was reading it the same as HKGDirector, hence my post. It certainly didn’t mention arrivals before, am I right HKG?

[VintageKrug]

Hmm.

CX Lounge seems to be airside, and deffo does not open until 0830:

American Airlines Arrivals Lounge
Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 – Arrivals Building, 3rd Floor
Opening hours: 0500 – 1400 Daily

Cathay Pacific First and Business Class lounge
London Heathrow Terminal 3
Opening hours: 0830 – 2200

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_ID/atairport/airportdetails?cityCode=LON

[HKGdirector]

NTarrant is quite right. I recently had a colleague of mine travel to LHR and he was shocked at the fact that the CX arrivals lounge would not open for another 3 hours. Also, I gather he was turned away from the AA arrivals lounge as you need to carry a lounge invitation card issued on check in in Hong Kong to gain access. In what again appears to be penny pinching on the part of CX, the arrivals lounge invitation is not issued automatically upon check in even to F class passengers. You must specifically ask for it. Presumably, AA charge CX based on the number of invitations redeemed ?

VK – your points are well taken. If I was connecting over LHR a top class arrivals lounge would be essential. Once BA introduce their new F on the HKG/LHR route, I will definately try it out.

BT – Please draw the attention to CX’s Director, Customer Service to these posts and ask for a response ? Our CX Account Manager advises it is a Mr. Ivan Chiu.

[HKGTraveller]

Having toiled the route too many times too mention, I can confirm CX does not have an arrivals lounge in London- they use the AA Arrivals lounge as part of OW. To get access request a pass when checking in in HKG or in flight.

The only CX lounge in London is for departing travellers.

CX’s only Arrivals Lounge is in HKG and located on the right as you walk from T1 to T2,

[Author]

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