Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Celebrating New Year with Cathay

I will be travelling with CX for the first time in my life and looking forward that. I specifically wanted to try them as I have heard quite much good about them. Quite excited but I guess the service in Economy is not too much different from others (well, might be as I am used to SK and AY level of service).

It will be also first time for me to celebrate the Christmas Day and New Year's Eve at the airport and in the air. :)

Is there something I should be looking for or be prepared? Good tips for the completely new CX flyer? Can I ever fly with any other airline after experiencing CX? :D

Some regulars may disagree, but I don't think CX Economy is much different from other Asian airlines (although very different from, say, domestic US carriers). And I actually find Economy better on Singapore than Cathay. Cathay sets itself apart from the rest of the world in Business Class and First Class, especially on long-haul flights. That's where Cathay ranks among the best in the world: SQ, VS, EK, whatever you like.

As for New Year's Eve, Mr. Megatop and I flew Cathay HKG-BKK on the afternoon of New Year's Eve last year. It was no different from the flight we'd taken three days earlier BKK-HKG. That said, we landed in BKK around 4:30 p.m. If you're actually in the air at midnight, I've heard that the crew might mark the event somehow-- but good luck figuring out when you hit midnight whilst zipping across timezones (you may cross midnight multiple times!).

I'll be on CX 841 leaving JFK at 9 a.m. on the 24th of December, arriving in HKG at 2 p.m on the 25th, and I'll ultimately arrive in MNL 6:40 p.m on a connecting flight. That leaves me enough time to partake of leftover Filipino food.

I chose that schedule not necessarily because it'll have me on a plane on Christmas Eve/Day, but just to save a couple hundred dollars --- compared to leaving on the weekend before: 22nd or 23rd. At least I can add "Christmas on a plane", on my "Been there, Done that" list.

I'll also be on Economy class, so I won't expect anything special, though it's interesting to figure out when exactly the plane gets to cross over to the 25th in the local time zone. Or do we even get to do that at all, considering that we'll cross the IDL from east to west?

I'll be on CX 841 leaving JFK at 9 a.m. on the 24th of December, arriving in HKG at 2 p.m on the 25th, and I'll ultimately arrive in MNL 6:40 p.m on a connecting flight. That leaves me enough time to partake of leftover Filipino food.
Yummm, Filipino food. There should be plenty left over, judging from my Christmases past. Lucky you: I arrive in MNL one day after Christmas.

I spent Christmas Eve/Day on CX once (LHR-HKG). Business class passengers got a card and a nugget of chocolate after the second meal. The op-up was CX's Christmas present to me. :)

Some regulars may disagree, but I don't think CX Economy is much different from other Asian airlines (although very different from, say, domestic US carriers)..

As the OP is based in Europe and heading to Shanghai, I'd think CX fits the bill pretty well. A detour via Singapore or Thailand is a rather time consuming option.

JAL or ANA via Japan are also nice but prices sky high on the Europe - Japan - China routes. I got offered flex economy FRA - NRT - PVG for 4000 euros (5700 USD) from JAL last year. :p

I'm flying on New years day from HKG-NRT in FC, and so hope that they will do something on 1st January!

Btw, anything special to be expected if flying around lunar New Year? Or just grumpy FAs longing to go home...Have flights booked the week before the big hols.

Anyway, it looks like CX will become my main airline so looking forward to bring up more silly questions. :)

Btw, anything special to be expected if flying around lunar New Year? Or just grumpy FAs longing to go home...Have flights booked the week before the big hols.

Anyway, it looks like CX will become my main airline so looking forward to bring up more silly questions. :)


They normally give out some Chinese treats during Chinese NY period. (in all class) Obviously F and J Class gets better treats.

They normally give out some Chinese treats during Chinese NY period. (in all class) Obviously F and J Class gets better treats.

I remember i even had mooncake shortly before mid autumn festival in Y...

Hope you all get treated in the back better than what our cousin got recently (http://www.cathaytalk.com/showthread.php?t=3019).

Hope you all get treated in the back better than what our cousin got recently (http://www.cathaytalk.com/showthread.php?t=3019).
That is low. :td:

They normally give out some Chinese treats during Chinese NY period. (in all class) Obviously F and J Class gets better treats.

CX approved my status match request so maybe get a chance to taste a few mooncakes now...;)

CX approved my status match request so maybe get a chance to taste a few mooncakes now...;)

Congras, despite some people's comments ont eh downgrade of service levels of CX, I am sure you will still find it pretty good. BTW we don't have mooncakes during chinese NY, it is during Mid Autumn Festival!

YOu prob get Raddish Cakes, or Year Cakes.

Here I am killing time and enjoying the free wifi at HKG while waiting for my connecting flight to MNL on Christmas day afternoon. I took the CX 841 flight from JFK.

I overhead the guy attending to the line at check-in say to another passenger that it will be a full flight and that it was good that many passengers got in early to check-in. I was there a little bit past 6 am for the 9 am flight.

When it was my turn to check-in I was pleasantly surprised when the guy who processed my check-in said that he's putting me in J (instead of Y) for the JFK-HKG leg. I'll still be on Y for HKG-MNL. Not a frequent flier (last flight on CX was 11 months ago MNL-HKG-JFK), and not an MPC member, and I've only banked about 25k Asiamiles in my account, so getting the upgrade was definitely a surprise. I guess I just got lucky. I always fly in coach, and getting to fly in J was a great Christmas present from CX, making the 16 hour flight more comfortable. (Will I get to earn 125% Asiamiles for that JFK-HKG J upgrade, or will I still get 100% miles since I only booked and paid for Y?)

As to whether CX had anything special for Christmas, they did serve a "Christmas cake" after brunch, which was not on the menu.

nope, u get asiamiles according to your booking class

YOu prob get Raddish Cakes, or Year Cakes.

Holiday season flights are now confirmed, so looking forward to those and the rest of the usually great CX experience.

I got really lucky again yesterday. As I handed my Y boarding pass during boarding for the HKG-MNL leg, I was handed a different stub back with the seat changed to J.

As with the JFK-HKG flight they also had a chocolate cake and a small box with cookies served after the meal.