Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Pier closed due to Sars

Temporary closure of The Pier and new opening hour of The Wing

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The Pier, our second lounge at the Hong Kong International Airport is temporarily closed until the end of May, due to low travel demand. However, you can still enjoy Cathay Pacific's full services at our main lounge, The Wing.

In response to the changes in flight schedules, The Wing will open at 6:45am every morning. </font>

[This message has been edited by Chiangi (edited 04-15-2003).]

This is the most depressing news so far in the history of the new HKIA. My most favorite place to relax has been taken away! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Sigh, just another sign of the times...

Do they still have the cabanas open? All that humidity and a virus can't be good.

The cabanas, at the Wing, are open. No cabanas at the Pier.

I was at the Wing's F section, all for myself. Very deserted. CX could even close this section and put all the customers to the business section.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PW1P:
Do they still have the cabanas open? All that humidity and a virus can't be good.</font>

As I understand it, viruses like cold& dry, and bacteria/fungi like hot & wet.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Chiangi:
The cabanas, at the Wing, are open. No cabanas at the Pier.

I was at the Wing's F section, all for myself. Very deserted. CX could even close this section and put all the customers to the business section.</font>

Maybe they should take different approach by allowing all customers to the F-section. It would be one small encouragement to fly on CX Biz at this difficult time.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fakecd:
Maybe they should take different approach by allowing all customers to the F-section. It would be one small encouragement to fly on CX Biz at this difficult time.</font>

As a paying F PAX, I would love that - lets crowd everyone in and make those few of us flying really mad.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B Watson:
As a paying F PAX, I would love that - lets crowd everyone in and make those few of us flying really mad.</font>

Ummm - "crowd everyone" and "those few of us"? Is this like the restaurant that's so popular, nobody goes there anymore? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Right now, it sounds like they could put all of their F, J and Y pax in the Wing and you'd still have trouble finding a foursome for bridge.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by JHunter:
Right now, it sounds like they could put all of their F, J and Y pax in the Wing and you'd still have trouble finding a foursome for bridge.</font>

This is indeed the case at the HKIA lounges now. Last week a colleague of mine was at the Pier and he had the lounge to himself.

While I do not have strong objections to CX closing down the Pier due to lack of passengers, the consolidation should prompt an improvement in service at the Wing.

On the brighter side, there certainly will not be an overcrowding at the Wing during the late night departure hours.

Seems like closing a lounge is among the easiest cost cuts for CX to make -- little effect on pax (inconvenient for someone making a connection both to and from a far-out gate, but otherwise not a problem), and some reduction in costs. Problem is, I would think, that the amount of money saved in this way is very very small compared to the overall hemmoraging at issue.

Putting all the pax in the First side of the Wing does sounds like an opportunity for further cost-saving if pax loads are truly as low everyone says... You know what they say about desperate times and desperate measures...

Crowd in the Pier? Last time I was there 4 weeks ago - only 4 pax's in the entire open seating area.

I did not see a big difference between the Pier and the Wing sections of the lounge.
Somehow you were suppose to feel better that you were in the First Class lounge. I was just as happy in the Wing.

Better the Wing, then nothing at all. It still beats 99.9% of the other lounges.

R&R

You have misunderstood. The Wing and The Pier are completely separate pairs of lounges at opposite ends of the airport. Each of them has two sections - one "first" and one "business".

And if you didn't see a big difference between the two parts of The WIng then you should have looked harder! (The First section has a full service restuarant and the Cabanas, and the Library.

Putting all the pax in the F section of the Wing may well have overcrowded the place. I went through the business class section on my way to the flight from Gate 2. There were some pax in the business class. The Wing's F section is not that large.

I think the point of having the Pier is its location -- close to all those gates far from the Wing esp. in the 40s-60s.

But since flights have been reduced significantly, CX may not be using those far from the Wing gates as often as they did.

I just took BKK-HKG in Y and HKG-JFK in J. I didn't see any changes in Y on that short haul.

For HKG-JFK in J, I did notice no hot towels (instead you get wet paper towels in plastic bags). Entree choices are not coming on a wagon. Either they take your order beforehand and bring it to you personally in a square dish that you see in most other carriers (not those large flat square dish CX uses). Accompaniments, condiments are not offered, though they were on the menu. They don't fit into those small plate apparently.

At YVR, for a stopover, coffee and tea was offered in the waiting lounge but nothing else. (I thought they used to have juice and pasteries.)

What's driving me nuts is that there are no pillows now. I've been flying coach for the last few weeks, because the planes are so empty that it's more comfortable (and cheaper) back there than in J (no F in most of the flights I've taken over the last month or so, except one from ICN to HKG that had the new biz class). But no pillow makes it hard to get a snooze in the 4-5 seats to myself.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Chiangi:
For HKG-JFK in J, I did notice no hot towels (instead you get wet paper towels in plastic bags). Entree choices are not coming on a wagon. Either they take your order beforehand and bring it to you personally in a square dish that you see in most other carriers (not those large flat square dish CX uses). Accompaniments, condiments are not offered, though they were on the menu. They don't fit into those small plate apparently.

At YVR, for a stopover, coffee and tea was offered in the waiting lounge but nothing else. (I thought they used to have juice and pasteries.)</font>

Sounds like a serious reduction to service to the already "barely sufficient" J service on CX long hauls.

I think they stopped seving entrees on a wagon because they are afraid of a possible virus transmission. They want to plastic-cover the plate. You get wagon services for cheese/fruits, desserts and drinks.

I certainly preferred choosing bits and pices of this and that to one of the three choices.

But even before Sars, when the load was light, CX used to take individual orders from pax in business class.

I don't see it as a significant reduction. I am still happier to be on CX than on UA/AA/JL/NH/SQ in business.

I do know the difference between the Wing and the Pier, since I used both the First Class and Business Class sections, when I went through HKG on CX in December on the way to BKK!

The difference is not really significant, other then the First Class section is smaller then the Business Class section. The Wing has enough food, booze, etc to keep anyone filled and busy during the time they spend there.

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

The difference is not really significant, </font>

Are you kidding!!!!!!??????

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Chiangi:
I think they stopped seving entrees on a wagon because they are afraid of a possible virus transmission. They want to plastic-cover the plate. </font>

that is the explanation i was given. all food is prepared in the galley and brought out individually and are covered in plastic. even drinks are brought to you with plastic covers and cans of drinks are brought unopened.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by R&R:
I do know the difference between the Wing and the Pier, since I used both the First Class and Business Class sections, when I went through HKG on CX in December on the way to BKK!</font>

I think you may still be confused-- The lounges you used, were they connected to each-other or at two opposite ends of the airport?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by miki13331:
that is the explanation i was given. all food is prepared in the galley and brought out individually and are covered in plastic. even drinks are brought to you with plastic covers and cans of drinks are brought unopened.

</font>

THis IS NOT a scale back in service but rather is intended to serve to desires and requirements of the PAX who are on these flights.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B Watson:
THis IS NOT a scale back in service but rather is intended to serve to desires and requirements of the PAX who are on these flights.</font>

i agree and as i have posted elsewhere in this forum i have not noticed a scale back in service.

now maybe they could do something in the wing to prevent passengers from picking up food with their hands at the buffet.

I was in the Wing April 5 then April 12 and I didn't find it that empty ( F section). It was even a bit "crowded" on April 12 (I was on CX261).
Business on the other hdans seems empty - well, I've never really paid attention before, but he Long Bar was deserted - not a single passenger, while F was "busy " (all areas of the F lounge had some pax, the restaurant was busy, the cabanas + showers were all taken).

Are they picking up food, that they don't take or eat?
Maybe it doesn't look so good after they pick it up and take a better look!

Is this in the First Class Lounge?

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

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by R&R:
[...]
The difference is not really significant, other then the First Class section is smaller then the Business Class section. [...]</font>
a significant difference is that you can use a guarded luggage store in the FC Section of the Wing and in the BC section of the wing you can only leave your luggage unattendly while you go into town.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by piet:
a significant difference is that you can use a guarded luggage store in the FC Section of the Wing and in the BC section of the wing you can only leave your luggage unattendly while you go into town.
[/B]</font>

Is it officially permitted to leave luggage in the BC section? I'd ordinarily fear that someone would might get concerned when they saw the suitcase there for hours on end. And I need to have a good and true story as to where my luggage is in case I am asked when going through customs etc.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bedelman:
Is it officially permitted to leave luggage in the BC section? I'd ordinarily fear that someone would might get concerned when they saw the suitcase there for hours on end. And I need to have a good and true story as to where my luggage is in case I am asked when going through customs etc.</font>

I would not do that either but that´s what they offered at the 'wrong' entrance of the Wing before they saw my FC BP.