SR 103 From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1702 posts, RR: 43 Posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 6 days ago) and read 16547 times:
We all take airlines very personally on this board. We each have our own likes and dislikes, and we each associate ourselves with a particular airline for various personal reasons. While the majority of you on this board associate me with KLM, there is another airline I associate myself with, an airline that I have been flying since I was a crawling toddler. While I hold this airline rather close to my heart, I rarely get to fly them due to my geographical location. Recently I was having a chat with and old college buddy (some of you may know him as Ronerone), who invited me to join him on a little adventure to Hong Kong. Once he mentioned which airline he was planning on taking, I was hooked. Plans were made and my ticket was booked before I even put the phone down with Roni. Cathay Pacific here I come!
Cathay Pacific has always had a stellar reputation for service. While they may not be as talked about as the legendary Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific over the years has created a brand and reputation that is equally as impressive. When one mentions Cathay Pacific, images of gorgeous flights attendants from ten Asian lands with the tag line “Cathay Pacific - Arrive in Better Shape - 1990” just automatically pops into my head. I used to live in Hong Kong as child in the early 90’s and I have always remembered those catchy TV commercials.
Somewhere at the turn of the century, Cathay Pacific become rather quiet and kept a low profile. Many have said Cathay Pacific lost its way with cost cutting and ridiculously uncomfortable seats in both business and economy. However over the last year the airline had made some positive changes to bring it back on course.
Among the changes Cathay Pacific launched a new advertising campaign with the slogan, “People: They Make an Airline” with various employees relating some personal stories. I for one found the messages, clear and straight to the point. Now was the time to test out a theory, do the people of Cathay Pacific really live up to the marketing hype or do they fall short like so many other well-reputed carriers?
SR 103 From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1702 posts, RR: 43 Reply 1, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 16532 times:
Cathay Pacific 738
Dubai – Hong Kong
Airbus A330-343X (B-HLS)
Seat: 17K
Scheduled Departure Time: 23:30
Actual Departure Time: 23:26
Scheduled Arrival Time: 11:35
Actual Arrival Time: 11:38
Check In: Both Roni and I arrived at Dubai International Airport just after 20:45. As can be expected there was quite a crowd, despite it being Ramadan time.
We proceeded out towards security check point C, the designated area for Cathay Pacific, Delta and Air China among others. Security was relatively quick and we were both at the check in counter within minutes.
We were greeted by a friendly DNATA agent who proceeded to check me in first.
“Sir you have been upgraded to business class.”
“Thank you, that’s great news. Would you by chance have any window seats?”
“Certainly sir, let me check.”
My boarding pass was issued and then came Roni’s turn. However, as this was the first part of his round the world (RTW) adventure, it took a little longer trying to check his bag all the way through to wherever on earth his final destination was. After some furious typing and discussions with a supervisor, Roni’s bag was checked all the way through and his boarding pass was issued with the seat next to me.
We both headed out towards passport control which took a bit longer for me, and has become the norm when traveling through Dubai. Fifteen minutes later after everything was completed on my end, Roni and I proceeded down towards the tunnel and commenced our long trek towards the main terminal.
After a quick glance at Duty Free we both headed towards the British Airways Terrace lounge where we were let in by a very friendly and smiling Filipino agent.
Lounge: The lounge was rather deserted at this hour, Roni and I being about the only people inside. Naturally the first thing we did was pick a table by the window to drop our stuff off. The next stop was the snack and bar area.
While the choice was not great it was certainly enough to munch on before a flight. The only complaint we had regarding the snacks was that everything was ice cold, including the pakora’s and samosa’s
There were an abundance of drinks, and I settled on a Fanta while Roni made his signature bloody mary. We took our selections back to the table and proceeded to talk, eat, drink and gawk at the Golden Falcon plane being loaded outside our window for its quick flight back to Bahrain. In a way it was quite fitting; as many of you know, Roni moved to Bahrain a few months after this trip was taken.
Boarding: Before we knew it a boarding announcement was made for our flight at 22:40. Both of us grabbed our belongings and made the rather lengthy trek to the other side of the terminal. We eventually reached Gate 101, which was deserted; apparently we were one of the last people to board the aircraft.
We walked down the jetway only to discover that our aircraft this evening was B-HLS, an aircraft that both Roni and I had flown in the past. I had flown this exact A330 back in December 2001 when I had done a RTW on oneworld while Roni had flown this particular aircraft from Hong Kong to Dubai back in 2008.
A smiling flight attendant named Rachel from the Philippines greeted us at the door in her dark ISM uniform.
“Hello, welcome onboard. Please this way.”
I sat down and almost immediately Ann was by my seat holding a tray of drinks.
“Hello sir, welcome onboard. May I offer you a beverage? I have orange juice, carrot juice, champagne and water.”
“Some water please.”
“Certainly sir.”
I leaned back and took a sip and turned my head to look out the window but was met with a wall. Yes, this was my first experience with the herringbone seat. While I may travel quite a bit, I have conveniently avoided the herringbone layout. I think everyone and their mother has an (negative) opinion on this layout, but it was time for me to bite the bullet and form my own. Yes the seat is on the narrower side, but if you pull the armrests up, there is more than enough room. The legroom is perfectly adequate and the cushioning was soft. Overall the seat seemed to be perfectly fine and not as uncomfortable as it is made out to be.
Jessica came by a few minutes later with the menu and wine list for tonight’s flight.
Captain Wall came on the P/A to welcome us onboard and inform us that our flying time would be a quick seven hours and 40 minutes to Hong Kong this evening.
Push back occurred a few minutes early with the latest Cathay Pacific safety video being played on all our PTV’s.
After about ten minutes of taxing, the cabin lights were dimmer, our Rolls Royce engines were spooled up and we began our acceleration down the runway.
SR 103 From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1702 posts, RR: 43 Reply 2, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 16526 times:
Flight: At the exact moment Captain Wall released the seat belt sign, the cabin crew swung into action. First, Ann was in the aisle handing out small bottles of Evian water with Jessica right behind her holding an amenity kit, and a few steps behind was Piyanut with Hong Kong arrival cards.
“Mr. SR 103 will you be requiring an immigration card for Hong Kong?”
“I will, thank you.”
A few minutes passed before Piyanut was back at my side,
“Mr. SR 103 have you decided on what you would like to drink?”
“Can I have a Pacific Sunrise please?”
“Certainly, Mr. SR 103”
She proceeded down to, Roni who ordered his signature bloody mary. I decided to look through StudioCX to see what was on offer today. There was a large selection of movies and shows that would keep me happily entertained for hours. Today I decided on Source Code while Roni went for his standard Family Guy.
Ann delivered my drink along with the customary bowl of salted nuts. The Pacific Sunrise definitely belongs on Cathay’s signature menu as it was delicious. It had just the right hint of citrus to go along with the champagne.
My Pacific Sunrise Roni’s signature Bloody Mary
“Mr. SR 103, would you like another Pacific Sunrise or something else to drink?”
“Can I please get a coke.”
“Certainly, with ice?”
“Yes please.”
All too soon, Seon Hee was placing a white linen cloth down on my tray table in preparation for dinner service. Ann approached me with a tray and placed it ever so gently on my tray table with a smile.
Piyanut was right behind her with a breadbasket containing some piping hot goodies. I picked the garlic bread and only the garlic bread despite being offered more, as I did not want to fill up on bread. The garlic bread that Cathay serves is, warm and crisp with a soft center. While it’s not the best garlic bread served in the air (in my opinion), it certainly comes in second.
My Garlic Bread
Roni went for something that was not soaking in butter, a healthy brown bun.
The peppered hot smoked salmon and salad may not have looked all that fancy but it was absolutely delicious. The citrus coriander dressing complimented the salad and salmon perfectly. Just as I took my last bite of salad, Priyanut was by my side with Jessica behind holding a tray of dishes.
Jessica tipped the tray ever so lightly so that all three dishes were visible to me.
“Mr. SR 103, what would you like to have for your main course? We have stir fry beef, baked nile perch, or the chicken kabsa?”
Both Roni and I selected the beef.
Again the presentation may leave a lot to be desired, but it tasted excellent. The beef was tender and flavorful. The jasmine rice was still soft and warm, not dried out like commonly found on some of my regular carriers. The vegetables were still crisp and colorful, not overcooked and soggy like they can be when served in the air.
Once I had finished, Piyanut came by to collect my tray with Ann right behind her.
“Mr. SR 103, would you like to have some cheese, fruits or cake?”
“Can I just go for the cake please.”
“Certainly. How about some after dinner drink, coffee or tea?”
“Some tea would be nice.”
“Certainly. With milk and sugar?”
“Yes.”
Roni was not as full as me apparently as he went for all three choices of cheese, fruits and dessert.
Ann returned with my dessert plate and a warm cup of tea.
The opera cake turned out excellent and the green apple and praline tart was equally delicious. Just as I had finished my last bite and pushed my empty plate to one side, Priyanut was next to me with a box
“Mr. SR 103, would you like some pastries?”
I pointed to one that appealed to me and Priyanut ever so gracefully laid down two heart shaped sugar pastries.
Roni’s pastry choice
The little sugar pastries were not entirely to my taste (nor Roni’s) as we would have preferred one of those individual macaroons Cathay has been known to hand out in the past, or a simple chocolate - If Lufthansa can manage this simple task, there is no reason Cathay Pacific should be any different.
Once I had finished everything Jessica promptly collected everything with a smile.
“I hope you enjoyed your meal Mr. SR 103?”
“I certainly did, thank you.”
“May I get you anything else?“
“No thank you, I am fine for the moment.”
I reclined my seat finished up watching the movie. A quick visit to the lavatory revealed the usual amenities, which were much appreciated.
Back at my seat, I was still not feeling all that tired so I browsed through the short features and caught up on some 30 Rock.
Eventually I started to feel my eyelids getting heavy and decided to put on some Chicane and recline my seat all the way. This is where I found the seat truly remarkable. I dozed off comfortably into dreamland.
I eventually woke up from my slumber near Thailand and decided to watch an episode of Criminal Minds to help occupy my time till breakfast service commenced. I really should mention at this point that CXStudio is one of my favorite IFE systems out there. While it may not be EK ICE, it still beats the majority of carriers out there in my opinion. Many airlines, including some five star airlines, sometimes forget it is about quality rather than just quantity.
Before I knew it there was a pleasant smell of baking bread emanating from the galley which indicated that preparations for breakfast were already underway. Jessica was standing beside me holding a tray,
"Would you like a hot towel Mr. SR 103?"
Shortly thereafter Ann kneeling down next to me,
“Mr. SR 103, would you care for breakfast?”
“Yes please.”
“Would you like the eggs or Chinese porridge?”
“Can I get the eggs please.”
“How about some coffee or tea?”
“Tea please.”
A few minutes later Ann came by with a tray containing a cup.
“You have your tea with milk and sugar, yes?”
“I do. You remembered from dinner.”
“I always try to remember. Please enjoy. I shall bring your breakfast shortly.”
My Tea
Roni’s Coffee
Priyanut approached my seat, pulled out my tray table with a big smile.
“Your breakfast is here.”
Right on cue, Ann was behind her with my breakfast tray.
Before I had even finished taking a picture, Jessica was back with a breadbasket from which I picked a croissant. In true coordinated fashion, Ann was right behind her with a tray of preserves.
“Mr SR 103, may I offer you some jam, marmalade or honey?”
I settled on the ever so classic strawberry jam.
While the croissant was warm and not dry or flaky, if anything it was on the soft side but still perfectly edible. The fruit bowl consisted of a slice watermelon, papaya, pineapple, cantaloupe and melon; all of which was nice and fresh. There was also a container of strawberry yogurt, which was delicious. Priyanut delivered my main course a short while later.
The eggs were cooked well, not at all rubbery. While I found the crepe to be decent, I could hear all my French friends gasping with horror. The sausage and mushrooms were perfectly fine as was the ratatouille. While presentation may be lacking, the taste was actually pretty decent. While more bread was offered, I politely declined as the breakfast was rather filling.
A smiling Ann offered seconds on my tea while picking up my tray. After breakfast Roni went roaming around to take his usual cabin shots while I filled out my Hong Kong landing card.
Eventually Roni came back with a big smile on his face. It seems he managed to get all the girls together for a picture in the galley. Once he flashed a smile and asked politely, they were only too willing to pose for him.
Captain Wall came over the P/A to inform us that we had already begun our descent into Hong Kong and would be landing in just over 20 minutes. All too soon connecting flight information started displaying on our PTV’s which indicated our rather imminent arrival.
Descending past the clouds the weather turned out to be perfect this morning in Hong Kong.
Our A330 touched down ever so gently onto runway 7R and slowly rolled to a stop. As usual when landing in Hong Kong, I was glued to the window watching all the various planes outside.
We eventually turned into Gate 28 where we came to complete stop and the engines were shut down. Everyone started getting up after the familiar “ding” of the seatbelt sign.
Upon disembarkation, ISM Rachel and Seon Hee were by the door wishing everyone “bye” as they disembarked. Both Roni and I thanked them for a great flight and we walked down the jetway into one of my all-time favorite airports, Chek Lap Kok.
The walk to immigration was not overly long, nor was the wait. Roni and I were in baggage claim 20 minutes after walking off the aircraft, which is pretty standard for Hong Kong. As neither of us had any luggage to collect we bypassed baggage claim and headed straight for our hotel.
SR 103 From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1702 posts, RR: 43 Reply 3, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 16509 times:
Verdict: Many of us fly ‘five star’ airlines such as Qatar or Singapore Airlines with some very high expectations. We nit-pick and rip these airlines apart on the smallest of issues - I myself have been guilty of this with my previous trip reports. However, over the last couple of years I have seen my variety of airlines dwindle to the point where 75% of travel is on one particular US carrier. Therefore, this little adventure on Cathay Pacific was quite a treat in my otherwise dull and lifeless travel itineraries.
The check in experience was very pleasant and the upgrade was much appreciated by Roni and me. While both of us work in the aviation industry, we always appreciate when one of our friends goes the extra mile to give us a treat. The lounge run by a fellow oneworld partner (British Airways) was comfortable with a decent selection of food and drinks.
The seat itself was very comfortable and a pleasant introduction to the herring bone design for me. Once the seat was reclined there was more than enough shoulder space in my opinion. The seat was also soft which meant it was well padded, something I miss on a lot of business class seats on other carriers. While the blanket and pillow provided were simple, they were very comfortable. The IFE, CXStudio also has to be one of my all time favorite systems out there. There is more than enough variety to keep most people entertained. The picture is clear and crisp, something that only helps enhance the experience.
As far as this particular set of cabin crew on our flight, they were exactly what Cathay Pacific advertises them to be. There was no plastic perfection, but rather genuine care and hospitality that created flawless service. They always took the time to double check and make sure all their passengers were content. Ann had memorized how I like my tea during dinner and made sure to deliver it the same way for breakfast. Small touches like this set CX’s crew apart from many other leading carriers.
In case you cannot tell by now, Roni and I were very pleased with our latest Cathay Pacific adventure. However, there is still one area that we would like to see Cathay Pacific change. The meal presentation definitely could use a lot of work. Some have compared CX’s in flight meals to ‘cheap Chinese takeout and I can see where that perception comes from. Any quality airline needs to plate its meals onboard, sometimes showing a little effort can go a long way in making a customer feel well cared for.
So did the people of Cathay Pacific make the airline as advertised? In our opinion, absolutely! Consistency is hard to come by in this industry but from my personal experience as well as Roni’s, Cathay Pacific does an amazing job. They continue to be one of my all time favorite airlines.
Check In: 9 (Very polite and efficient) Lounge: 7 (Functional and nicely decorated) Boarding: 10 (Straight on to the aircraft) Seat: 8 (A bit narrow with limited window views, but still very comfortable) Service: 10 (The usual Cathay Pacific set of F/A’s) Entertainment: 10 (One of the better AVOD IFE’s out there) Food: 7 (While the presentation could use some work, the quality was top notch) Aircraft: 9 (For a 11 year old aircraft, it was in excellent condition) Arrival: 10 (Quick and efficient)
flightsimboy From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 848 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 16332 times:
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): Recently I was having a chat with and old college buddy (some of you may know him as Ronerone), who invited me to join him on a little adventure to Hong Kong.
Will reply in detail later, but when I saw the heading I thought this report might bring Roni back to the threads (as he's been missing of late) and knowing his obsession with Cathay, and lo and behold, here he is very much present and part of this report lol
planejamie From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2011, 572 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 16130 times:
Great trip report! I loved my experience with CX on RUH-HKG about 18 months ago now, I loved every bit of it (that was in Business, but with their old regional business class, not the nice new flat beds). The crews are great, food great and even though they were recliner seats, I was comfortable!
sw733 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 6072 posts, RR: 10 Reply 6, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 15974 times:
Good report. Brought back some memories - I flew this same route in J back in early February as part of a DXB-HKG-NRT routing. I ended up spending about 4.5 hours in that lounge at DXB...not a bad lounge, but not great by any means, and the views were pretty awful (no runway views and barely any a/c taxiing if I remember correctly).
767747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1748 posts, RR: 26 Reply 7, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 15290 times:
Good report!
Looks like you a great flight with Cathay Pacific - I'm always impressed with reports in this forum about them. Definitely an airline I have to fly on, no matter what class - when I was at JFK 2 weeks ago I also saw a 777-300ER lifting off which made me think that I need to try them as well.
Thanks for sharing! Looks like a nice Business Class service.
burj From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 838 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 14829 times:
Wow what an awesome trip report!
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): ice cold, including the pakora’s and samosa’s
O.K. that is just nasty.....
Interesting that you like the seats. I know CX has gotten a lot of crap about them...BUT so many other airlines have very similar seats, Delta, Air Canada, Jet, etc... I never understood why CX seemed to be singled out!
PLEASE tell me you "liberated" the salt and pepper shakers! Those have to be some of the coolest ones I've ever seen!
AlwaysOnAPlane From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2010, 299 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 13969 times:
SR 103,
Really enjoyed your report here.
From the sounds of it the crew were really good, always there when you need them without being too in your face all the time.
Nice selection of food, and from your comments, tasty too. Perfect.
I have never flown herringbone configured J, and like you (until this point) have tried to avoid it. It just looks more cramped but I can't make a factual comment. Maybe try it one day with AC?
Really good pictures too, enjoyed them and provided a lot of extra detail.
Ryanair!!! From Singapore, joined Mar 2002, 4652 posts, RR: 27 Reply 10, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 13528 times:
CX is an airline which brings back memories too. Can't believe my last trip on them was when they were were still 3-green stripes. Family relations in HK gave us many excuses pre-97 to fly there every few months.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): When one mentions Cathay Pacific, images of gorgeous flights attendants from ten Asian lands with the tag line “Cathay Pacific - Arrive in Better Shape - 1990” just automatically pops into my head.
This is from an era where large shoulder pads were still the fad. After this present batch of employees from the good old days retire, the fable of 10- Asian lands will be no more.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): Among the changes Cathay Pacific launched a new advertising campaign with the slogan, “People: They Make an Airline” with various employees relating some personal stories.
Indeed, things have never been the same ever since they moved away from "Arrive in better shape". That tag line was so part of CX is such a strong way I thought it was a BIG mistake they thought otherwise. Pretty much like how TG's "Reaching for the skies" was so unsuccessful it was reverted back to "Smooth as silk" faster than anyone could say "ping pong balls".
An airline with ever changing taglines are never really successful marketing-wise. Case in point, MH.
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): My boarding pass was issued and then came Roni’s turn. However, as this was the first part of his round the world (RTW) adventure, it took a little longer trying to check his bag all the way through to wherever on earth his final destination was.
Such a jet setting Kardashain he is.
I love these shakers. So zen looking...
Great TR, welcome back to airliners.net.
Welcome to my starry one world alliance, a team in the sky!
akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 2329 posts, RR: 53 Reply 11, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 13216 times:
Hi Anosh,
First of all thank you so much for bringing this marvelous report. It has been a while since I read a report of CX Business Class. I did not know that you had a crush on the airline.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): an airline that I have been flying since I was a crawling toddler.
Do you mind sharing any toddler photo?
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): I used to live in Hong Kong as child in the early 90’s and I have always remembered those catchy TV commercials.
Me too. I loved to see those commercials on Indonesian TV.
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): check point C, the designated area for Cathay Pacific, Delta and Air China among others.
Among others like Garuda?
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): “Sir you have been upgraded to business class.”
Tantalizing selection! I assume you have to pre-order in case you wish vegetarian meal.
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): Push back occurred a few minutes early with the latest Cathay Pacific safety video being played on all our PTV’s.
Comfy position to watch the safety video. Hey, is that an Emirates pen you have got there on your left?
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 2): The Pacific Sunrise definitely belongs on Cathay’s signature menu as it was delicious.
I assume you recommend it?
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 2): Jessica tipped the tray ever so lightly so that all three dishes were visible to me.
How lovely to present three of them together.
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 2): Both Roni and I selected the beef.
Noooo! I can imagine that you and Roni have always been unanimous. But please not during mealtime, i would love to see how the other dishes looked like.
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 2): Roni was not as full as me apparently as he went for all three choices of cheese, fruits and dessert.
ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 1541 posts, RR: 54 Reply 12, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 12739 times:
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 4): I thought this report might bring Roni back to the threads (as he's been missing of late) and knowing his obsession with Cathay, and lo and behold, here he is very much present and part of this report lol
Hi flisghtsimboy,
I have never really disappeared, just at times i can only lurk in the shadows haha
Quoting akhmad (Reply 11): Hey, is that an Emirates pen you have got there on your left?
Suryo, it is my Emirates pen It writes all my TRs!!
Quoting akhmad (Reply 11): You make me eager to fly with her sometime.
I think you should add CX to your to-do list!, I have a feeling CX will be next in line for you, real soon
CX was definitely a great start to my RTW. Consistent, reliable, and with the usual professionalism. I did notice a few cutbacks -food for one, as mentioned by SR 103- but never at the expense of service and/or crew.
Over the past year -and ever since CX launched its services to AUH- i have developed a very close relationship with them. And in the way i find their inflight product to be exceptional, the very same applies to pretty much everyone working for that airline. It's all about professionalism! No wonder why they are my favorite
Many thanks to Cathay Pacific for another great flight, for the upgrade, and for the lounge access at DXB! And many thanks to SR 103 for compiling this great TR!
Cheers,
Roni
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6183 posts, RR: 79 Reply 13, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 12235 times:
Great report, CX's product is very impressive. I still don't like the herringbone layout.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): Eventually Roni came back with a big smile on his face. It seems he managed to get all the girls together for a picture in the galley. Once he flashed a smile and asked politely, they were only too willing to pose for him.
Longhornmaniac From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 3094 posts, RR: 48 Reply 14, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 12129 times:
Wonderful report!
I just had to comment that one of the flight attendants in the advertisements (Flora), was my flight attendant from PEK-HKG this June! Small world!
ba319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8259 posts, RR: 56 Reply 15, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 12087 times:
Hi Anosh,
Great report and pictures, thanks for sharing with us.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): May I offer you a beverage? I have orange juice, carrot juice, champagne and water.”
- Carrot juice? - neve had that offered to me before on a plane.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): While it’s not the best garlic bread served in the air (in my opinion), it certainly comes in second.
- Who does the best ? - I find Finnair offer a pretty good garlic bread.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): the presentation may leave a lot to be desired, but it tasted excellent. The beef was tender and flavorful. The jasmine rice was still soft and warm, not dried out like commonly found on some of my regular carriers. The vegetables were still crisp and colorful, not overcooked and soggy like they can be when served in the air.
- Indeed, not the presentation you would find on EK or EY, but presentation is not everything.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): The eggs were cooked well, not at all rubbery. While I found the crepe to be decent, I could hear all my French friends gasping with horror. The sausage and mushrooms were perfectly fine as was the ratatouille. While presentation may be lacking, the taste was actually pretty decent
- Again presentation is lacking.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): Eventually Roni came back with a big smile on his face. It seems he managed to get all the girls together for a picture in the galley.
- Roni does have a way with women!
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): As usual when landing in Hong Kong, I was glued to the window watching all the various planes outside.
- Me too, looks like the weather was better whan when I was there a few weeks back, lots of crappy 'scummy' weather from mainland China.
SR 103 From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1702 posts, RR: 43 Reply 16, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 11706 times:
Quoting AlwaysOnAPlane (Reply 9): I have never flown herringbone configured J, and like you (until this point) have tried to avoid it. It just looks more cramped but I can't make a factual comment. Maybe try it one day with AC?
As mentioned, it was a first for me as well. It really is not as bad as people make it out to be.
Quoting Ryanair!!! (Reply 10): An airline with ever changing taglines are never really successful marketing-wise. Case in point, MH.
You and your MH bashing! I agree though, the new tag lines are never as good as the classics.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 11): Noooo! I can imagine that you and Roni have always been unanimous. But please not during mealtime, i would love to see how the other dishes looked like.
I had thought about getting the fish for dinner, but I felt safer going for the Chinese option, sorry.
Quoting Longhornmaniac (Reply 14): I just had to comment that one of the flight attendants in the advertisements (Flora), was my flight attendant from PEK-HKG this June! Small world!
Good to see they are using actual employees and not paid models.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 15): Great report and pictures, thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks, glad you liked it.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 15): Who does the best ? - I find Finnair offer a pretty good garlic bread.
Its actually an US airline for me, Continental.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 15): Indeed, not the presentation you would find on EK or EY, but presentation is not everything.
Your right, but it would be nice if they tried a little bit on the presentation.
MSS658 From Belgium, joined Oct 2010, 2202 posts, RR: 14 Reply 18, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 11307 times:
Hi SR 103
Nice trip report, thanks for sharing it with us! Reading this I almost felt like I was onboard on CX 738 to HKG with you and ronerone! Except from the meal presentation, things look quite great!
reifel From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1132 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (1 year 6 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 11067 times:
Excellent report, thank you for sharing. Seems you had a great time.
Quoting SR 103 (Thread starter): Cathay Pacific has always had a stellar reputation for service. While they may not be as talked about as the legendary Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific over the years has created a brand and reputation that is equally as impressive. When one mentions Cathay Pacific, images of gorgeous flights attendants from ten Asian lands with the tag line “Cathay Pacific - Arrive in Better Shape - 1990” just automatically pops into my head. I used to live in Hong Kong as child in the early 90’s and I have always remembered those catchy TV commercials.
I know perfectly what you mean. When I was a kid we used to live in Japan and in order to fly home to Germany in the holidays we always took CX. It was a tristar flying from FUK to HKG, mostly with a stop in TPE. Then we usually spent a night in the Meridien (and later Regal) airport hotel, just in front of Kai Tak, continuing on CX 288/289 to FRA (and sometimes continuing to UK, i guess MAN and LHR if I remember correctly). Later we lived in Indonesia and again took a 747-300 from CGK to HKG with stop in SIN, an aircraft which I liked since it had a video screen (the tristar didn't). Later they opened a nonstop CGK to HKG flight, sadly operated by the Tristar (sad at that time due to missing iFE, while I would love it today). Staff with CX was always more than nice to us kids and we usually got a big backpack full of goodies, even including a real Herpa model plane! Incredible what I'm able to remember, I was like 8 to 10 years old that time.
ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 2785 posts, RR: 23 Reply 22, posted (1 year 6 months 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 10226 times:
Excellent TR SR 103 .... sorry for my delayed response, as you know I was preoccupied with many things the past few months.
So yes, Cathay Pacific, ronerone, SR 103 ... the perfect trifecta ..... something similar when 2 lovers meet in a typical bollywood movie of the 90s. Kind of gives you a preview of the TR :P
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): My boarding pass was issued and then came Roni’s turn. However, as this was the first part of his round the world (RTW) adventure, it took a little longer trying to check his bag all the way through to wherever on earth his final destination was.
Where was he going to?
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): While the choice was not great it was certainly enough to munch on before a flight. The only complaint we had regarding the snacks was that everything was ice cold, including the pakora’s and samosa’s
For a self respecting Indian like me, serving cold onion pakoras and samosas is as big a crime like murder theft etc.
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 1): There were an abundance of drinks, and I settled on a Fanta while Roni made his signature bloody mary.
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 2): While it may not be EK ICE, it still beats the majority of carriers out there in my opinion.
You need to rephrase it ..... it's not "t may not be EK ICE" it is supposed to be "it's miles away from ICE". No doubt CX studio is good and I liked the selection they had on my flights (with that awfully uncomfortable seat), but EK ICE is in a different league altogether
Quoting SR 103 (Reply 3): So did the people of Cathay Pacific make the airline as advertised? In our opinion, absolutely!
I need to fly CX more to get that class of service! Nonetheless CX is an excellent airline and would fly them in the future for sure.
Thanks for sharing.
A lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep
mk777 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 1186 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (1 year 6 months 4 days ago) and read 10108 times:
Hi Anosh,
A nice one yet again, but hey thats not surprise. And its been a while since your last report, work keeping you busy?
I have to say the upgrade was a nice treat but the ONEWORLD lounge didn't offer a great selection of food from what i can see.
the a/c looked clean and the only problem i had was with C class food presentation. It was quite pathetic (like you mentioned). Even the menu card was more classy than the presentation...LOL...However, since the food tasted great, I shall not take away CX's points on that regard, but as the saying goes "you eat with your eyes", so personally CX should improve in that department.
The crew seemed like they were a wonderful bunch and not plastic at all and took great care of you and Roni. i love when they are this way. I also liked some of the a/c pics you took at HKG.
I think i might give them a try soon. Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip. Cheers!
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Lounge: The lounge was rather deserted at this hour, Roni and I being about the only people inside. Naturally the first thing we did was pick a table by the window to drop our stuff off. The next stop was the snack and bar area.
Boarding: Before we knew it a boarding announcement was made for our flight at 22:40. Both of us grabbed our belongings and made the rather lengthy trek to the other side of the terminal. We eventually reached Gate 101, which was deserted; apparently we were one of the last people to board the aircraft.
Roni’s signature Bloody Mary
My Garlic Bread
Roni went for something that was not soaking in butter, a healthy brown bun.
Roni was not as full as me apparently as he went for all three choices of cheese, fruits and dessert.
Roni’s pastry choice
Roni’s Coffee
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