Fragrant HarbourA forum for the large number of pilots (expats and locals) based with the various airlines in Hong Kong. Air Traffic Controllers are also warmly welcomed into the forum.
I once agreed to DT back from LHR on one of those torture benches as a favour to the harrassed check-in staff...never again...my hemmers have never recovered
'Arrive in Better Shape' was dropped for obvious reasons.
I flew LAX - HKG (B744) a couple of years ago, and while I liked the idea that I didn't have someone reclined into my knees for 12+ hours, it got tough during the wee hours to find a comfortable sleeping position. I'm 6'0" and it got cramped after a while. BUT, the pax in the row in front of me wasn't reclined into my face.
To their credit, CX had very attentive Cabin Crew on that leg and on the return leg to LAX, and the IFE helped a lot. Meal service was stellar in comparison to US domestic fare.
I give CX credit for thinking outside the box, and it was a vacation trip, so my mindset throughout was to stay mellow and enjoy the whole thing.
Definately a bad design! The worse is the fixed part that is supposedly there to support your lower back. It's ok for an hour or so but not on a 10 hr + flight! Your basically forced to stay in one position!!!
I personally think we need an entire makeover. The Y class and J class seats are not keeping up with the rest of the industry ie; Air New Zeland and Emirates. We will have to compete on a grander scale in the very near future. Our service while good, is getting behind as well. The ammenities kit is embarrsing, use to be good but now just really cheap. I think uniforms, paint job, interiors and service need a makover. We are one of Asias top airlines but it's getting tough out there. Our aircraft are old and we need more new ones. I say we take some of Japan airlines aircraft, not just freighters! We can hire some of there pilot's and use the aircraft as a stop gap until we get new ones. I think they are in better condition anyway. Our interiors are getting really ratty and our passengers are complaining a lot, you can see it and feel it. When I go to work I sort of cringe. The meals are crap too. Those beautiful Asian girls are what keeps the people coming back. Just my two cents.
Saturn, a very good thing about Caffy is that when you add up the total number of landings, and the total number of take-offs, the result is evenly divisible by two.
I was/am a fan of Cathay, having flown with them a few times but this was more than 10 yrs ago.
However, I'm due to fly again with them next month to LHR-HKG then onto BKI with DragonAir, having made a decision to fly specifically with them again due to being more than happy with them on previous flights.
A couple of niggling concerns though:
Are these new fandangled shell seats still in situ on the LHR-HKG flight 254? As I'm only 5 ft and a bit, I'm hoping they will have little impact on my comfort, so perhaps on this occasion it's an advantage to be a shortarse...? I'm flying cattle class.
As someone rightly says, reviews are quite often written by those with something negative to say, but it doesn't stop me from noticing all the negative comments and thinking that Cathy doesn't seem to be quite the marvellous airline I flew with years ago.
I'm afraid I'm looking forward to this flight with some trepidation - surely their service hasn't declined as much as some people claim?
I remember being impressed with Dragonair a few years ago too, hopefully they will be as good now as they were then.
I was speaking to a Captain the other day from another airline that flys the flag! He's 6ft plus and he said he never had a problem with the seat, in fact he said is was quite comfortable, he also said he wished the service on his airline was as good as Cathy's (whoever she is?) He went to AKL via HKG from LHR.
I reckon the seats are great. I don't find them any more uncomfortable than any other cattle class seats, and the best thing is you don't get your tv screen shoved in your face 2 seconds after takeoff.
Well, its academic what the posters here think, or what the CX spin doctors have put in the SCMP over the last couple of years, the passengers have spoken and the " back breaker " is on its way out, possibly to KA. I actually think they would be ok for regional flying.
He went to AKL via HKG from LHR.
