Numero Cruncher,
A valiant swing and a miss at the point of my post. Of course he should re-apply, I did, and was offered another chance. In my case, the timing of things was such it would have been foolhardy to decline a firm job offer at a comparable carrier than to risk the low-percentage CX interview process.
It is only hindsight that offers the complete perspective. As it turns out my circumstances were fortuitous. I believe the term you are reaching for is as simple as "validation". And yes, though I was "forced" to decline the CX interview the second time, it was the unprofessional handling of my correspondence that did tend to validate my decision. I did not "create" this opposite view of things, Cathay HR did it all by themselves!
As I stated earlier to the guy wanting advice: by all means reapply. But don't limit yourself to Cathay. Find the place that is the best "fit" for you - you might just be surprised where that is. If you read through the Stinky Harbour forums you will see there are many who thought it would be a good fit, now reconsidering.