"And another thing that is almost for certain, there are a lot less cock-ups swept under the carpet over there than in this part of the world."
This is an important point. The total lack of transparency in the airline industry in HKG and Asia in general means that many things can be conveniently overlooked in a way not possible in a western country. How many times would CX/KA "self report" transgressions to CAD as happens in the US, aus etc. CX have had some pretty major "events" that are barely mentioned in the world press and could create a rosier picture than that of other carriers that live under the microscope.