Cathay's niche position is over. Now there are the ME 3 for long haul hub connections, low cost for regional, and Chinese airlines which are passable and cheaper. Foreign airlines now fly directly to Chinese cities rather than using HKG/CX as their gateway. Add in the sky high operating cost of a HKG base and you have a perfect storm.
Those who joined in the 1980s on the A scale had the best days.