Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - choice of F in half empty 77A vs mostly full 74A

For a flight this week I have an option of taking 77A with 3 seats taken in the cabin out of 6 (incl myself) or 74A with 8 seats taken out of 9. Numbers are from EF and seatmaps.

My general feel is that an emptier cabin is always better so I am leaning towards 77A even though I like jumbos - am I right on that?

Also does CX process upgrades, non-revs etc at the gate - I don't want to take 77A only to see it fill up at the last moment.

For a flight this week I have an option of taking 77A with 3 seats taken in the cabin out of 6 (incl myself) or 74A with 8 seats taken out of 9. Numbers are from EF and seatmaps.

My general feel is that an emptier cabin is always better so I am leaning towards 77A even though I like jumbos - am I right on that?

In general that is true, but I have seen many, many cases that seats being available or taken in the few days before departure.

Also does CX process upgrades, non-revs etc at the gate - I don't want to take 77A only to see it fill up at the last moment.

If you have enough Asia Miles (or enough Asia Miles with top-up), you can do instant upgrade at check-in. I have never done upgrade in the lounge or at the gate, but I suppose that is possible. It is better to do that at check-in as the gate agents are normally very busy.

You certainly cannot predict which will be the fuller cabin.
The 3 seats on the 777 could easily be filled a day before departure.
The seats on both aircraft are the same, basically.
The 747 feels much more spacious and business class won't be directly behind you (the galley will), however.
You really cannot see much of anyone else whilst in those seats anyway.

You won't see non-revs filling up the F cabin on CX - this is not United Airlines.

While I've not taken the 77A yet, I can tell you that with a (mostly) full F cabin on the 74A - the service can be very slow. Depending on the crew, it may take up to about two hours. I quite fancy the nose of a 747 as well, but if given the choice, I may just take the 77A instead if there's a full cabin.

IIRC, the 77A has the same number of crew as the 74A serving F class, but the FA to pax ratio will be much better (1:3).

For a flight this week I have an option of taking 77A with 3 seats taken in the cabin out of 6 (incl myself) or 74A with 8 seats taken out of 9. Numbers are from EF and seatmaps.

My general feel is that an emptier cabin is always better so I am leaning towards 77A even though I like jumbos - am I right on that?

Also does CX process upgrades, non-revs etc at the gate - I don't want to take 77A only to see it fill up at the last moment.


Take the 747. The F cabin is so much nicer in the nose of the 747 than where it is in the 777. Given the through foot traffic you get on 777 (galley in front of cabin) even at full vs half full, the 747 could easily feel more private than the 777.

No brainer for my way of thinking 74A 74a do not pass go pick the 74A. I like the jumbo and being in the nose and that the pilot is sitting behind you and the list goes on and on....luv it! Enjoy and send us a trip report with pics. Luv those new F seats ^

For a flight this week I have an option of taking 77A with 3 seats taken in the cabin out of 6 (incl myself) or 74A with 8 seats taken out of 9. Numbers are from EF and seatmaps.

My general feel is that an emptier cabin is always better so I am leaning towards 77A even though I like jumbos - am I right on that?

Also does CX process upgrades, non-revs etc at the gate - I don't want to take 77A only to see it fill up at the last moment.


I am going to assume you are flying to/from LAX, because of the B77A/B74A combination, but don't count on F load being what it is on the seat map. To my experience, it has always been fuller than what you see during on-line check-in. CX is heavily overbooking Economy Class, and that is op-uping a lot (may I add: too much) customers into Business, which sometimes spills into First. So I would expect the F cabin will be full, and service does suffer a little bit on a full B74A cabin.

Take the 74A - the bathrooms alone are worth it.

Another vote for the 74A. Try to get row 1 or 2. Quiet, not many people walking by. Much better for sleeping.

Depends what you're looking for...most people here fancy the 74A, and I agree the nose of 747 is clearly superior to 77A - IF it's not completely full. If 8 or 9 seats are occupied, however be prepared for painfully slow and hurried service thanks to CX cutting the third FA in F. I've heard CX employees tell me and see people comment here how the ratio is "nearly the same" as it was with on the old 774 with 3 FAs for 12 pax on F, which is complete BS since someone must stay in the galley preparing tea, placing food, heating stuff, etc. In my opinion the ratio used to be 2 serving FAs for 12 pax (1:6), same as the 77A, whereas now it is 1 serving FA for 9 pax (1:9). That said, I would take the new 74A and 2 FAs over the old 744 with 3 FAs in a heartbeat :cool:

I have been disappointed with the service levels with as few as 7 pax in 74A, despite hardworking FAs. If you don't mind waiting 2 hours for your breakfast to be done, then 74A overall is better. But be aware, if you're expecting F service that doesn't feel like a production line at meal time you should choose the plane with the lighter load.

I've noticed the J load can also affect the 74A F service...if J is also packed, the J FAs and ISM are less likely to help out speeding the F service along.

I have experienced a seat map that the day before showed only 2 seats taken fill up at boarding many times. Take the 747 - I fly LAX-HKG and always prefer the 747 in F (I like row 2) to the 777. Also prefer the upper deck of the 747 if flying in C.

I'd go for the 74A for the nicer environment. The trick with the meals is simply to plan so that you don't eat at the same time as everyone else. IME 80% of F flyers simply take the meals as written on the menu - one at the beginning of the flight and one at the end. But that defeats a lot of the point of F. Have a snack in the lounge before you get on and then just drink Krug and watch a movie or listen to some music until everyone else has had the first meal. Wait for everyone else to go to sleep and then have your meal when you have the undivided attention of both of the attendants.

I'd go for the 74A for the nicer environment. The trick with the meals is simply to plan so that you don't eat at the same time as everyone else. IME 80% of F flyers simply take the meals as written on the menu - one at the beginning of the flight and one at the end. But that defeats a lot of the point of F. Have a snack in the lounge before you get on and then just drink Krug and watch a movie or listen to some music until everyone else has had the first meal. Wait for everyone else to go to sleep and then have your meal when you have the undivided attention of both of the attendants.

Yea, I always tell myself that's what I'll do but then I just never can do it. For me it's frequently about scheduling...I oftentimes will fly HKG-JFK, then work back across the US and depart from the west coast. 74A services SFO and LAX, and late night LAX-HKG or SFO-HKG flights, which I fly often and prefer for the morning landings, are difficult for me to stay awake 3-4 hours until service has died down. I admit there is also the guilt element to it, because it wouldn't be too much harder to just tell them "bring me the caviar an hour after you start bringing everybody else's"

I guess I do mostly take the caviar with everyone else, but I generally delay the rest of it. Fortunately in this regard I'm generally travelling for pleasure these days so I can manage my time around the flights both for jet lag minimisation and maximum enjoyment of F.
(And having just done my first long haul round trip ever in Y (HKG-JNB-HKG) I can safely say that it isn't an experience I want to repeat any time soon!)

Take the 74A - the bathrooms alone are worth it.

I'd go for the 74A for the nicer environment. The trick with the meals is simply to plan so that you don't eat at the same time as everyone else. IME 80% of F flyers simply take the meals as written on the menu - one at the beginning of the flight and one at the end. But that defeats a lot of the point of F. Have a snack in the lounge before you get on and then just drink Krug and watch a movie or listen to some music until everyone else has had the first meal. Wait for everyone else to go to sleep and then have your meal when you have the undivided attention of both of the attendants.

Two pieces of excellent advice!!!

I guess I do mostly take the caviar with everyone else, but I generally delay the rest of it. Fortunately in this regard I'm generally travelling for pleasure these days so I can manage my time around the flights both for jet lag minimisation and maximum enjoyment of F.
(And having just done my first long haul round trip ever in Y (HKG-JNB-HKG) I can safely say that it isn't an experience I want to repeat any time soon!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2JKXbVGq7A :p

Thanks everyone. With 2A secured I'll stay on 74A.

...and late night LAX-HKG or SFO-HKG flights, which I fly often and prefer for the morning landings, are difficult for me to stay awake 3-4 hours until service has died down. I have to think that not everyone on the late night flights will even want to eat anything after departure, no? I did JFK-YVR-HKG last year on the 74A, and while F wasn't full, I do recall a lot of the pax just going straight to sleep after departing YVR. Granted I think that's an even later departure than the LAX/SFO ones, but do that many people really want to eat a full meal after midnight?

It rather depends on how they are managing jetlag. When I do long haul I try to function on the arrival zone time as soon as possible, and certainly from the moment I'm on the plane. Late night US west coast is mid-afternoon HK time.

I have to think that not everyone on the late night flights will even want to eat anything after departure, no? I did JFK-YVR-HKG last year on the 74A, and while F wasn't full, I do recall a lot of the pax just going straight to sleep after departing YVR. Granted I think that's an even later departure than the LAX/SFO ones, but do that many people really want to eat a full meal after midnight?

i see some caviar run opportunity! or is it run before breakfast? or it's on order as well?

I've had caviar etc as the starter for both meals on a number of occasions. I think I had it for a midnight snack as well once when no-one else seemd to be eating any! :D

No brainer for my way of thinking 74A 74a do not pass go pick the 74A. I like the jumbo and being in the nose and that the pilot is sitting behind you and the list goes on and on....luv it! Enjoy and send us a trip report with pics. Luv those new F seats ^

Actually...they are sitting directly above you. :p

I personally like Row 1....acutally gives a little bit of forward visibility. Pretty cool.

Happy to report a great flight in 1K. We ended up with 3 empty seats in F and service was great.
BTW they had both green (with gold trim) and blue (with orange trim) pajamas but only green was available in large size. I'd rather have blue - green has a military uniform feel to it.

I have to think that not everyone on the late night flights will even want to eat anything after departure, no? I did JFK-YVR-HKG last year on the 74A, and while F wasn't full, I do recall a lot of the pax just going straight to sleep after departing YVR. Granted I think that's an even later departure than the LAX/SFO ones, but do that many people really want to eat a full meal after midnight?

My experience is usually people on those flights have dinner (or at least a snack, maybe not the main course). My unscientific views of the cabin on SFO or LAX late night flights in F are that people are eating something and FAs have to go through the whole process of making the table, getting you drinks, out comes the bread basket, fiddling w/ the silverware depending on what you're eating, etc. Additionally, the FAs generally are under pressure to pull out the duvets and make your bed with that seat cover thing in new F.

I'm not sure how many others do it, but like christep said above I am one of the types who tries to adjust to the arrival city time when I get on the plane, which includes eating meals. By the time you're airborne on that SFO flight it's (almost) dinner time in HK. And even if I've already eaten dinner that night in SF, and I tell myself I won't eat on the plane...I don't have much self control. I'm staring at the menu, and the caviar+krug option is up on the top, and then they maybe have a salad or soup or something which I rationalize as technically not being "dinner", etc. etc. So I don't eat the main course but chow down on bread, krug, caviar, maybe a soup, some cheese, fruit, etc.

Happy to report a great flight in 1K. We ended up with 3 empty seats in F and service was great.
BTW they had both green (with gold trim) and blue (with orange trim) pajamas but only green was available in large size. I'd rather have blue - green has a military uniform feel to it.

Was recently op-up'd to F class, and was assigned 1K on a 747. I honestly didn't like it. The only positive was being able to see out the window due to the slope in the wall. However, the seat felt claustrophobic being so close to 1A, and it was almost impossible to open the cupboard when the bed is fully in place. I would prefer 2A or 2K to the seats in the first row.

Was recently op-up'd to F class, and was assigned 1K on a 747. I honestly didn't like it. The only positive was being able to see out the window due to the slope in the wall. However, the seat felt claustrophobic being so close to 1A, and it was almost impossible to open the cupboard when the bed is fully in place. I would prefer 2A or 2K to the seats in the first row.

Can anyone comment on the privacy of 3K vs 2K/2A? It appears that 3K would be even more private on the 747 seeing as how it is blocked from view of all the other seats. I am trying to decide where I should sit for next February, where I fly F one way on the 777 and return on the 747.

Can anyone comment on the privacy of 3K vs 2K/2A? It appears that 3K would be even more private on the 747 seeing as how it is blocked from view of all the other seats. I am trying to decide where I should sit for next February, where I fly F one way on the 777 and return on the 747.

Less traffic on Row 2.

But the FC suites are quite private (less so in Row 4) . Row 2 is my favorite.

Less traffic on Row 2.

But the FC suites are quite private (less so in Row 4) . Row 2 is my favorite.

Can you see the person in 2A? From what I can tell from studying pictures it appears that in 3K you cannot see anyone else in the cabin.

In general while I prefer the 74A cabin layout, I would not go out of my way to avoid the 77A in lieu of the 74A.

Can you see the person in 2A? From what I can tell from studying pictures it appears that in 3K you cannot see anyone else in the cabin.

I was in 2K last week in a HKG-SFO flight. IMHO, if you are traveling with a companion, 1A and 1K are the best. If you are traveling alone, 2A or 2K is the best. Either seat has the lowest traffic except for row 1, but you do not see the passenger opposite to you if you choose not to. In fact, I did not really see the person in 2A until I was getting off the plane. Row 3 is not really the best. There is an island between 3A and 3K and a FA is occasionally there.

Considering that was an op-up, I felt really lucky to be in my most favorite seat.

I was in 2K last week in a HKG-SFO flight. IMHO, if you are traveling with a companion, 1A and 1K are the best. If you are traveling alone, 2A or 2K is the best. Either seat has the lowest traffic except for row 1, but you do not see the passenger opposite to you if you choose not to. In fact, I did not really see the person in 2A until I was getting off the plane. Row 3 is not really the best. There is an island between 3A and 3K and a FA is occasionally there.

Considering that was an op-up, I felt really lucky to be in my most favorite seat.

What do you think about a seat on 77A? Im thinking 2A/K, but im worried about the noise from coach, and the inability to see out the window as it appears there is a window missing right next to where my head would be.

You won't hear any noise from coach because there is a big business class cabin between you and them! (And the individual cubicle nature of business class means that there is no noise from there.)

2A would be my preferred seat if travelling solo (1A/2A if travelling as a couple).

You won't hear any noise from coach because there is a big business class cabin between you and them! (And the individual cubicle nature of business class means that there is no noise from there.)

2A would be my preferred seat if travelling solo (1A/2A if travelling as a couple).

haha, wow, must have been a long night. That will be the day; when J is dropped in favor of an F and Y 2 class.

Thanks for the input.