Rejuvenated
Jan 15, 05, 11:39 pm
Just got off from CX839 last night. This was my first ever experience on board CX's J cabin and I was very impressed. The seat was the most fascinating highlight of this trip as it had a generous recline that allowed me to fully straighten my back for most of the 14hr flight. I really was taken by the meal tables (What ever that darn thing is called) that can be stored in and out of the armrest area.
I was seated in the upper deck of the 744 and can understand why many people prefer it to the lower deck. On the upper deck I felt there was more privacy and less crowdedness because none of the 380+ Y pax passed by your seating when it came to their turn to board. All but one seat on the upper deck was occupied. The only downside with the upper deck is the limited amount of roof height. Every time I climbed out of seat to stretch, head over to the lavatory, or retrieve something from my bags on the overhead compartment, I just had this feeling that I'm going to nip my head on the ceiling :D (Didn't happen BTW and I’m 5 ft. 11in.).
I really liked the timing of the meal on this flight. Unlike the daytime flight from JFK where there were reports of breakfast being served as the second meal prior to the evening arrival, we were served with Dinner as our second meal option just as the sky outside the window darkened and were 2 hrs away from landing into HKG. Lunch was served not long after takeoff from YVR while snacks such as noodle soup, ice cream, and sandwiches were plentiful throughout the flight. (I had one bowl of noodle and 2 ice creams). Really crafty of FAs to present the meals in a flat trolley. And as noted by others earlier, real knives are indeed back.
The only downside of CX’s business class product is the IFE. Portable remote controls and few extra channels were the only difference I witness from the ones available in Y. Game selections were relatively weak and the size of the PTV were not much bigger than those in Y. I would even conclude that SQ’s Y class IFE is better. After realizing that there was really nothing to enjoy on the PTV, I just switched over to the flight path channel and watched that literally for the rest of the journey.
I hardly slept throughout the duration of the flight (as I rarely do anyways) as I wanted to tire myself out to the point where I can crash into bed immediately after arriving well into the evening to my home in HK. I also did have the opportunity to look at the bar which in my opinion was a nice addition to the environment of the business class cabin but was really nothing in my opinion other than an added decoration (I also wasn’t in the mood for any alcohol BTW despite it being constantly offered).The flight took us through the following route: Vancouver-Vancouver Island-Queen Charlotte Islands-Gulf of Alaska-Bristol Bay-Bering Sea-Kuril Islands-Hokkaido-Kyoto-Ryukyu Islands-Taiwan-Formosa Straight-Hong Kong. We arrived only 10 minutes behind schedule due to several turbulences around Alaska.
Overall I was more than satisfied with CX's J product and I would rate it 9 out of 10. Prior to the flight, I was indeed very excited with the opportunity to experience travel in a premium class. However, I did my best not to raise my level of expectations too high to the point where I might be disappointed if certain things were not met. As good as any business class an airline may offer, we must take note that even among the best of things, they will rarely be 100% flawless. I paid the price of an economy fare for this flight and used 60,000 Asia Miles to receive the upgrade; as a result, I am very grateful to CX and fortunate that I was given the opportunity of a lifetime.
I was seated in the upper deck of the 744 and can understand why many people prefer it to the lower deck. On the upper deck I felt there was more privacy and less crowdedness because none of the 380+ Y pax passed by your seating when it came to their turn to board. All but one seat on the upper deck was occupied. The only downside with the upper deck is the limited amount of roof height. Every time I climbed out of seat to stretch, head over to the lavatory, or retrieve something from my bags on the overhead compartment, I just had this feeling that I'm going to nip my head on the ceiling :D (Didn't happen BTW and I’m 5 ft. 11in.).
I really liked the timing of the meal on this flight. Unlike the daytime flight from JFK where there were reports of breakfast being served as the second meal prior to the evening arrival, we were served with Dinner as our second meal option just as the sky outside the window darkened and were 2 hrs away from landing into HKG. Lunch was served not long after takeoff from YVR while snacks such as noodle soup, ice cream, and sandwiches were plentiful throughout the flight. (I had one bowl of noodle and 2 ice creams). Really crafty of FAs to present the meals in a flat trolley. And as noted by others earlier, real knives are indeed back.
The only downside of CX’s business class product is the IFE. Portable remote controls and few extra channels were the only difference I witness from the ones available in Y. Game selections were relatively weak and the size of the PTV were not much bigger than those in Y. I would even conclude that SQ’s Y class IFE is better. After realizing that there was really nothing to enjoy on the PTV, I just switched over to the flight path channel and watched that literally for the rest of the journey.
I hardly slept throughout the duration of the flight (as I rarely do anyways) as I wanted to tire myself out to the point where I can crash into bed immediately after arriving well into the evening to my home in HK. I also did have the opportunity to look at the bar which in my opinion was a nice addition to the environment of the business class cabin but was really nothing in my opinion other than an added decoration (I also wasn’t in the mood for any alcohol BTW despite it being constantly offered).The flight took us through the following route: Vancouver-Vancouver Island-Queen Charlotte Islands-Gulf of Alaska-Bristol Bay-Bering Sea-Kuril Islands-Hokkaido-Kyoto-Ryukyu Islands-Taiwan-Formosa Straight-Hong Kong. We arrived only 10 minutes behind schedule due to several turbulences around Alaska.
Overall I was more than satisfied with CX's J product and I would rate it 9 out of 10. Prior to the flight, I was indeed very excited with the opportunity to experience travel in a premium class. However, I did my best not to raise my level of expectations too high to the point where I might be disappointed if certain things were not met. As good as any business class an airline may offer, we must take note that even among the best of things, they will rarely be 100% flawless. I paid the price of an economy fare for this flight and used 60,000 Asia Miles to receive the upgrade; as a result, I am very grateful to CX and fortunate that I was given the opportunity of a lifetime.