Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Cathay newbie - what to expect in intl business class

Hi All,
I'm a frequent UA and AA flyer. I decided to cash in some AA miles for a CX flight in business class. My itinerary is as follows:

June 29:
SF0-LAX AA 1943
LAX-HKG CX883, Seat 12C
HKG-DEL (New Delhi) CX753, Seat 14C

July 09:
DEL-HKG CX752, Seat 14C
HKG-SFO CX872, Seat 12H

I was able to book this through AA for 100,000 AAdvantage miles. Seems like a good deal to me.

Here are some of my questions for you seasoned CX travellers:

1. I am trying get a more direct SFO-HKG-DEL flight for the outbound on June 29th. I am only flying via LAX because there is no availability on my preferred route. Any recommendations on how to get onto the direct flight, short of calling AA twice per day?

2. Flights 883 and and 872 are in 747-400s. Are these Seating Plan 74J or 74B? Which one is preferred? Flights 753 and 752 are on the A330. Are these the Type 1 A330 or Type 2 A333? Which one is preferred? My seat assignments are above. I prefer aisle seats, towards the front, but not bulkhead. Should I change any of my seat assignments?

3. In LAX, should I use the Cathay Pacific lounge or the AA Admiral's Club? Which is nicer, has better food, etc? In HKG, should I use the Wing or the Pier? I will make use of the showers and dining resources when in HKG.

Thanks in advance for all of your help. I did do a search for prior posts that might help but came up empty. Please point me to any existing resources.

[This message has been edited by rgoel (edited 04-23-2002).]

[This message has been edited by rgoel (edited 04-23-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by rgoel:
Hi All,
I'm a frequent UA and AA flyer. I decided to cash in some AA miles for a CX flight in business class. My itinerary is as follows:

June 29:
SF0-LAX AA 1943
LAX-HKG CX883, Seat 12C
HKG-DEL (New Delhi) CX753, Seat 14C

July 09:
DEL-HKG CX752, Seat 14C
HKG-SFO CX872, Seat 12H

</font>
-almost zero chance to clear the SFO-HKG flight, it is full with revenue passengers most days (also it has the new J seating while LAX does not, though this changes daily).
-HKG lounge is incredibly good (think 10x better than the average Admiral's club, or is that 100x better?). There is no arrivals lounge, only departure, but because you are in transit you have access (just show your boarding card HKG-DEL). Very good showers are available (I've never used the business lounge showers, but I believe they are similar to the F showers), and the Noodle bar has excellent food.
-train to Kowloon takes 22 minutes and has a free same-day return (runs every 10 minutes). I would get off at Kowloon, do some sight-seeing, then take the Star ferry across to Hong Kong island. Frommers guidebook has some excellent tourist advice, including what to see if you only have 1 day in HKG (as well as 2 and 3 day visits).
-everyone has different must-sees, for me drinks at Felix (top of Peninsula hotel) is on the list (USD10+ per drink and a bargain, you'll know when you see the place). And a visit to the Art museum across the street from the Sheraton. And the bird market (incredible collection of songbirds). You get the idea, HKG has a lot of great attractions, of all kinds.

Basically Business Class on CX sure beats ANY American carrier's Business Class or sometimes even their First Class out of the water.

Don't say 'what to expect'. Each person's experiences may be different. It's almost like someone asking what does xxx taste like and you get 1001 opinions. Of course I can be sarcastic and say "What to expect" - a seat on a plane!

Just go and experience it.

be prepared to be pampered! You will not be disappointed!!!

Back in January, I wanted SFO-HKG in J. Started calling three days before departure but no award seat via AA. But 18 hours before departure, they finally got one and I snatched it!

HKG will be really hot and humid in June.

Since CX is switching equipment from A340 to B747 on the SFO-HKG route, chances of getting the new J seat are slimmer.

There are two CX lounges at HKG: The Wing and The Pier. The Wing is very nice but can be crowded at time, especially in the late afternoon. The Pier is newer with very similar amenities. The showers in The Pier are larger and has a more refined decor. There's plenty of free food and drinks in both lounges.

I remember there is a oneworld alliance rule where if your layover is more than 12 hours, you have to reclaim your baggage at your transit point. Please call CX check if you need to do this in HKG since your layover is 16 hours.