Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Favorite Cathay Trip Reports

I’m looking forward to 4 long haul F Cathay flights in December. I’ve flown Cathay several times in F and know what lies ahead. Regardless, I’ve been dipping back into the trip report file to remind myself of the pleasures that lie ahead. Some FTers really have a magical way with words.

My favorites:

Techgirl: Bali Bound (http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ftpasttalk_forum/Forum81/HTML/002679.html)

Darren: You want to do WHAT with the duvet? (http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ftpasttalk_forum/Forum81/HTML/001678.html)
The Wing – or God’s Finger (http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ftpasttalk_forum/Forum81/HTML/001685.html)

What others can you recommend to me?



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Thanks for digging these up SanDiego1K !

I too am taking a CX F award to HKG and JNB departing on 12/25...only 22 days to go.

Reading these got me all giddy with excitement again. I can hardly wait for my amazing journey to begin http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Me will fly LHR-HKG on 8Dec.

The usual offerings .. except with my new dietary requirements , I'd have to cut out red meat, wheat and diary products. Guess I'll just have the rice thanks. Oh, caviar is fine too. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

B-HXB has written a couple of excellent very well detailed Trip Reports about Cathay Pacific's First Class. You certainly won't find any better:

London to Hong Kong (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003458.html)

Auckland to Hong Kong (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003464.html)

Actually, now that I think of it, tfung has written one or two as well, though I believe they're buried somewhere in archives by now.

Like you, I enjoy the anticipation derived from a good Trip Report. I'm booked to fly Cathay Pacific First Class JFK-YVR-HKG-JNB and back in September. I hope they still have First Class on the HKG-JNB route by then!

Seat 2A, have you written any Cathay trip reports? I remember your outstanding BA report where you leveraged one award into 3 long haul BA flights oneway. (I think I have that right.) I'd love to read your take on CX.

Don't forget ACfly's recent photo trip report:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/004106.html

Those are great trip reports. Thanks for bringing both of those superb writers to my attention. I poured over the pictures that ACfly took. I haven't been in the Haven yet, so it was great to read the review and see the pictures. And it looks as though I'll get a different set of pjs than the ones I now have on hand. My sense of anticipation just continues to mount!

The only downside are the inadequate lounges at Bradley in LAX - I get that out of the way up front, and then it's all CX CX CX.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SanDiego1K:
Seat 2A, have you written any Cathay trip reports?</font>

Alas, I have not. I have flown Cathay in First Class, but it was back in 1987 between Bangkok and Hong Kong.

This upcoming trip in September is dependent upon Cathay maintaining First Class service into Johannesburg. If they don't, I won't go. Instead, I'll do the BA First Class to Melbourne again (FAI-LAX-LHR-SIN-MEL (http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ftpasttalk_forum/Forum81/HTML/002544.html), take the stopover in London and buy an el-cheapo London - Johannesburg roundtrip fare. Either way, I can't lose but I'd sure like to check out Cathay's current First Class regardless. Maybe I'll take them to Auckland someday. HKG-AKL is a nice long flight. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I am scheduled to fly CX FC LAX-HKG-BKK on Dec 11. And haven't forgotten the same trip on CX, a year ago. But this year, there is less anticipation and more ambivalence. Don't know why, but perhaps the soggy weather here might change those feelings. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Do I assume, that not much has changed on the Flight compared to last December? That is, the seats, spirits, menu, and amenities along with the friendly attentive service .

Would prefer to leave LAX at an earlier hour, so it wouold be possible to go to sleep on the flight at a normal hour without having to digest a goumet dinner, etc.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by R&R:
Do I assume, that not much has changed on the Flight compared to last December? ... so it wouold be possible to go to sleep on the flight at a normal hour without having to digest a goumet dinner, etc.</font>You can have your dinner at any time you choose (I often go to sleep after takeoff at LAX and eat when I wake up 6 hours into the flight; it depends on the passenger mix, as I try to be considerate to my fellow travellers). The service has improved in F in several respects during the past year (plus some lateral changes such as the mandatory change in pyjama style and amenity kit contents). If you are ambivalent about this trip, what does excite you? Surely not those SINgapore girls? CX service is much better than that.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Seat 2A:
HKG-AKL is a nice long flight.</font>Better do it soon, HKG-AKL is one of the first flights to go to 2-class service (maybe as early as 04/04). It is a great flight, but twice I've been the only passenger in F on it (I took it on the way from LAX-HKG-AKL-SYD as a substitute for LAX-SYD), and another flight was only 3 pax(out of 8).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by number_6:
Originally posted by Seat 2A:
HKG-AKL is a nice long flight.</font>Better do it soon, HKG-AKL is one of the first flights to go to 2-class service (maybe as early as 04/04). It is a great flight, but twice I've been the only passenger in F on it (I took it on the way from LAX-HKG-AKL-SYD as a substitute for LAX-SYD), and another flight was only 3 pax(out of 8).

number6, may I ask where you got the information that HKG-AKL is "one of the first flights to go to 2-class"?

AKL always seems to have had reasonably strong F loads to me so I was quite surprised to read that other FTers have had light cabins. I must be travelling on the wrong days! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

How will we know when flights have gone 2-class?
I am booked HKG/JNB in April, will they just surprise us at the airport or will we get advance warning?
Will the J service be NBC?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BA Loyal:
How will we know when flights have gone 2-class?
I am booked HKG/JNB in April, will they just surprise us at the airport or will we get advance warning?
Will the J service be NBC?</font>

All the A340s have already been converted to NBC, so I would shocked if all the converted A340s did not retain NBC.

On the topic of favorite trip reports, may I be so presumptuous as to add my own from my RTW travels in August 2002?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003880.html

PresRDC, thank you for that link. I don't regularly visit the trip report forum, and I didn't do particularly well on using the search forum when looking for long haul CX reports. I'm really pleased to have gotten links to reports, as I've learned from each of them. Your report dealt with the late departure from the west coast, which is what we face. And this was completely unknown to me:

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">I changed into the pajamas in the special changing room that CX features on the 747s that have been converted to the new Business Class seats. This little room featured mirrors and seats and, best of all, one did not run the risk of putting one’s foot into the toilet when trying to wrestle into and out of one’s clothes.</font>

Thank you!

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I thought CX has been getting rid of those changing cabins on 747s?

Yes, the proposed changes have NBC being retained on all A340-300 aircraft, and moved forward to utilise the space left vacant by the removal of F.

Still, NBC is really no subsitute for F for those that are willing to pay for it. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

CX have spoiled me too much!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B-HXB:
number6, may I ask where you got the information that HKG-AKL is "one of the first flights to go to 2-class"?</font>From the CX office in New York. It came up casually in conversation before I heard about their plan to convert the A340s to 2-class (so it would seem to be corroborated). I think the problem with AKL is that the F demand is highly seasonal (and often tied to sporting events!). Otherwise all they get are the A fares.