Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Where do you want CX to fly?

CX is continuing its purchase of planes and seems to have a robust albeit somewhat conservative expansion strategy. What routes would you like to see, or, if you prefer, what new routes makes sense?

Personally, I'd like to have a carrier in China that offers MPC club miles and sectors, so Beijing and Shanghai will be welcome additions. Screw Dragonair if I can fly CX there.

in Europe: Zurich is much missed,
in USA: Boston, Chicago
in Australia: I would love to fly CX inside Australia, even if it's only on a few routes.

I will like CX to resume the daytime nonstop flight from LAX to HKG, and to relaunch the daytime nonstop JFK to HKG flights.

New destinations --
Busan, Korea
Kaoshung, Taiwan
Chicago, USA
Zurich, Switzerland
Manchester, UK
Copenhagen, Denmark
Christchurch, New Zealand

Carfield http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

For one thing, i would really love it if CX flies daily to SUB rather than their three times weekly. Very disappointing! But anywae, Chicago is definitely one which i would love them to fly to. The only reason i left CX is because they dun fly to Chicago and i just moved there. If they do, i am back! Maybe Las Vegas would be the other, compete with SQ.

Definitely ORD.

A few months ago, a poster stated that because Chicago does not have a large Chinese population, CX wouldn't be inclined to serve this city. I don't agree with this. Otherwise, why would Korean Air and Singapore Airlines fly to ORD?

I think ORD has something going for it to compensate for it's small Chinese population (compared to YYZ, YVR, SFO, JFK, and LAX). ORD is one of AA's two major hubs. And as AA's partner, CX would be able to offer a large group of customers easy connections at ORD from many midwest and east coast cities. With a 10:00pm/11:00pm departure, like that of JFK, connections would be convenient for people who want to a full day's work before leaving for ORD.

By the way, the Asian population in Chicago is indeed growing steadily.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by francophile:
A few months ago, a poster stated that because Chicago does not have a large Chinese population, CX wouldn't be inclined to serve this city. I don't agree with this.
</font>

I would. Despite it being a relative economic backwater, YVR was CX's first N. American destination (SFO was 2nd as a later extension to this flight). Of course YVR is also the closest to HKG back in 742 days.

The population not only has to have a substantial number of Chinese but recent H.K. Chinese immigrants in particular. I doubt if Chicago has a sufficient numbers of the latter.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
Otherwise, why would Korean Air and Singapore Airlines fly to ORD?
</font>

SQ? I'd bet Chicago's status as a commodity trading centre has a lot to do with it.

As for KE, the Korean imigrant community is pretty large and is everywhere. Are there any of the Korean conglomerates' subisidiaries located around Chicago?

I would like CX to offer service to PEK.

back in the 1980s YVR's HK population
could not have been bigger than that of
YYZ's. i remember before i immigrated to
YVR, most of my parents' friends had
already moved to YYZ. YYZ was undoubtedly
the preferred destination for many HK
immigrants since it was a bigger city and
had a bigger chinese population until the
1990s when YVR's proximity to HK and its
friendlier weather made it more attractive
to HK immigrants.
if CX solely started the YVR route in the
1980s for the sake of catering to overseas
HK residents, wouldn't HKG-YYZ make more
sense (of course coupled with a refuelling
stop somewhere along the way)?

I'll second BOS. Current AA choices to connect with CX from BOS to HKG are an Eagle flight to JFK (what a nice start/finish to a trip http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif ) or a transcon to LAX or SFO.

Also -- HNL. Combined with AA routes and a stopover, it would make a nice, relaxed way to go transpac, not to mention the mileage run possibilities! And I'm sure there might be some potential HKG customers who might be more interested in flying to HNL on CX than on CI, UA, etc...

Finally, this is a complete longshot, but CPT would be interesting -- to get just a bit more flying on the 140K F award from North America (currently the furthest destination is JNB), and land someplace nicer. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by danang (edited 08-16-2002).]

ORD and HNL

with ORD, u can hop to BOS and a lot of places

as for HNL, my wishful thinking,
there is nothing on the belly (cargo) for HNL. unless we get HKG-HNL-(48 states), but the arrogant US govt would prefer the US passengers pay a lot more for lousy service from near-bankrupt airlines to giving up cabotage to CX.

and mainland china, of course.
unless we got KA into OW

how about 2/3 weekly flights to calgary?

Definately ORD, since ORD-HKG this route is always occupy by UA, have another airline maybe giving me another choice for nonstop flight. I would think either CX or AA on this route would be good, and either one of it could be codesharing on ORD-HKG and then use CX to connect to southeast asia or Drangonair to mainland China

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ORDnHKG:
Definately ORD, since ORD-HKG this route is always occupy by UA, have another airline maybe giving me another choice for nonstop flight. I would think either CX or AA on this route would be good, and either one of it could be codesharing on ORD-HKG and then use CX to connect to southeast asia or Drangonair to mainland China</font>

I thought you were dropping oneworld alliance because you could only collect Mileage Plus miles while shopping at Dominick's.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by jakob:
how about 2/3 weekly flights to calgary?</font>

You're kidding right?

even DFW would be more likely...

A thread in the AA forum a couple months ago reported that the BOS runway is too short for flights to Asia. Stats were produced that showed BOS's runway to be far shorter than JFK, LAX, etc., and as I recall someone even found min runway lengths for 747s, 777s, etc. with various amounts of fuel; as promised, BOS couldn't handle a plane with enough fuel to get all the way to Asia.

Perhaps someone can find the thread at issue via a search of the AA forum.

This explanation (for why BOS has no Asia service) makes good sense to me. After all, BOS is a big enough market that it seemingly could support at least one flight to NRT if such a flight were possible.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Clement Lowe:
You're kidding right?

even DFW would be more likely...

</font>


Calgary has a sizable Chinese population.
Fairchild (beside its presence in Toronto
and Vancouver) has an established presence
in Calgary which has its own cantonese
radio stations.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bedelman:
BOS couldn't handle a plane with enough fuel to get all the way to Asia.</font>

Thanks for enlightening us! I searched the AA forum and found the thread. Apparently the proposed new runway wouldn't be long enough either, if it ever gets built (its purpose would be to have another usable runway during certain wind conditions.)

Looks like the longest runway at BOS is about 10,000 feet long, while the longest at JFK is about 14,500. A fully-loaded 747 would end up in the harbor if it attempted to take off from BOS.

BOS-YVR-HKG, anybody? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Clement Lowe:
You're kidding right?

even DFW would be more likely...
</font>

Don't forget that Hutchison Whamphoa owns or is (or was) affiliated with a certain Canadian oil & gas company HQ'd in YYC (granted that intra-conglomerate travel might be limited).

CX used to codeshare on certain CP flights between YVR and YYC to carry pax to/from the CX gateway.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 08-19-2002).]

ZRH! ZRH! Z-R-H! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif That would allow me to use my QG miles again to fly them to HKG.

------------------
airOli (http://www.olimade.com/airoli), the Swiss Air Line. ;)

OK, here's a surprise... Apparently CX officials have held a number of meetings with officials in SJC (that's San Jose, CA, for those who don't know). There is some definite interest from CX in starting HKG-SJC, once the runway 30L extension (currently underway) is complete. Apparently the route would operate with 747-400s... I suppose the new Int'l (FIS) gates at SJC are 747-ready ?

I admit this is surprising, because CX already has HKG-SFO and that's not even daily as far as I can tell... however, were CX to use Terminal A at SJC, it would offer a great selection of convenient connections on AA, and most likely AA would restart SJC-SEA and SJC-PDX to serve connections from HKG.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by danang:


Also -- HNL. Combined with AA routes and a stopover, it would make a nice, relaxed way to go transpac, not to mention the mileage run possibilities! And I'm sure there might be some potential HKG customers who might be more interested in flying to HNL on CX than on CI, UA, etc...

</font>

The passenger numbers are there to support HKG-HNL. There is only one major problem....the belly (cargo) of the palne is empty. This is the issue with HNL.

On a side note, CX officials had been talking to some important Hawai'ian official as of a couple of years ago. I can't remember if it was the governor or mayor, but the talks ended when the Hawai'ian official snubbed CX by cutting important meetings to go play golf.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by verhalen:
I admit this is surprising, because CX already has HKG-SFO and that's not even daily as far as I can tell...</font>

I don't know where you were looking, but HKG-SFO is certainly daily and has recently been upgraded from an A340 to a B747 route.

SJC is a nice easy airport to use, so I wouldn't be unhappy if they switched there (I usually want to get to a point roughly equidistant from SFO & SJC).

Didn't KE used to fly to BOS?

Didn't KE used to fly to BOS?

yes three times weekly via EWR. So it was more of an extension of the EWR flight.( it may have been via JFK, correct me if I am wrong)

how could KE have flown Inter-USA? i thought that is not allowed?

Re. Boston's short runways...couldn't CX institute a BOS-HKG flight stopping in YVR for refueling like the JKF flight? Even that would be much better that the current situation in which one needs to hop to JFK or YYZ on Eagle or fly trans-continental to SFO/LAX.
RKDuke

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kelvinbee:
how could KE have flown Inter-USA? i thought that is not allowed?</font>

It can. It just cannot carry any pax ticketed solely for flights within the U.S. points.

Other international airlines with flights within the U.S. (as an extension of int'l flights) are QF LAX-JFK (sure about this), BR SEA-EWR & BA BWI-IAH (not sure sure but I know they have stops in the U.S. enroute to the U.S. route terminii).

while CX cannot unload passengers in ANC,
OZ/KE has definitely unloaded (and reloaded, i believe) passengers in ANC on the way to NYC.

they probably have made big concesssion to the arrogant US negotiators to achieve this.

I would like to see more connections to India. HKG-BLR (unlikely) and increasing frequency to daily on HKG-BOM (restoration) and HKG-DEL. Air traffic in India seems to have passed pre 9-11 numbers but the problem seems to be fares (no support for high fares with the decrease in IT spending). How about HKG-CMB for some good tier point runs on BA or mileage runs on OW.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by enjoystravel:
How about HKG-CMB for some good tier point runs on BA or mileage runs on OW.</font>

It's already up to 4 times per week I believe...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Kaoru Kanetaka:
Didn't KE used to fly to BOS?

yes three times weekly via EWR. So it was more of an extension of the EWR flight.( it may have been via JFK, correct me if I am wrong)</font>

It was BOS-JFK-ANC-SEL (I took it on December 31, 1999 and it was like having a private 747 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif) The OZ JFK-SEL flight stopped in ANC at the same time as KE.

Though the BOS-YVR-HKG (or similar) route would be ideal, a BOS-JFK-etc scheme from CX would of course be welcome -- hence avoiding the need to fly on a cramped Eagle plane, navigate JFK over to CX, and deal with rude BA check-in agents. Question is whether CX would make enough money to justify the change...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by danang:
It was BOS-JFK-ANC-SEL (I took it on December 31, 1999 and it was like having a private 747 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif) The OZ JFK-SEL flight stopped in ANC at the same time as KE.

Though the BOS-YVR-HKG (or similar) route would be ideal, a BOS-JFK-etc scheme from CX would of course be welcome -- hence avoiding the need to fly on a cramped Eagle plane, navigate JFK over to CX, and deal with rude BA check-in agents. Question is whether CX would make enough money to justify the change...</font>

CX needs 2 flights to YVR daily.
1 744 won't be enough to satisfy the demand.
pre 9-11 it was double daily 744 but now
744 and 343.

HONOLULU!!

Honolulu sounds great.

I'd be happy with a direct to JFK or Chicago would be real nice.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by enjoystravel:
I would like to see more connections to India. HKG-BLR (unlikely)</font>

Actually, CX has been already been granted permission by the Indian government to fly HKG-BLR using A330s, conditional upon codesharing with AI on this route. They shelved their plans for this service after 9/11 though.