jamienbaker

Just to be clear, CX can't issue tickets on Monday in HkG because it is Sunday in New York? The scenario in question would be taking place on a Monday in HKG.

jamienbaker

And of course, dates just beyond my travel date with F4 availability have had awards released in the past 24 hours. I'm tearing my hair out.

dkerr

My wife and kids were on CX845 last weekend... 2 in F and 1 in J (the flight was pretty full, although expertflyer never showed it go to F0 (was F1), CX never released another F award, so they were split between classes.

My wife and 9 year old were in row 1, the 12 year old was in row 11. All were fine with the arrangement, though the 12 year old found J seat "cramped" (was not the new CX J product). The 9 year old was on cloud 9 the whole trip. e-mailed me from 'The Cabin" in HKG about how wonderful it was. All the goodies she got made her backpack too heavy to carry! (PJ's, amenity kit, etc). They served her a real meal, turned her seat into a real bed, etc.

I'll be with them on the return flight in a couple of weeks... we have 2 F and 2 J, again rows 1 and 11. Wife and 9 year old will be in J and 12 year old and me in F (unless 12 year old agrees to swap with my wife). Return flight is currently showing as new J seats, but I kept them across aisles from each other rather then put them in center just in case CX swap equipment. I'm not even going to bother looking for 2 more F to open up. A curtain and one row of seats separating us is no big deal.

DAK

jamienbaker

Very, very helpful. I tend to agree regarding the curtain. I was able to get wife and her sister in 2A and 2K (despite 2K being bassinet) and boys in 11G and 11K. On the way home (no sister), I chose 2A for me, 2G for wife, as it is the new configuration meaning 11D and 11G were better for the boys (the new config is much better for couples). Anyhow, my concern right now is the catering in J. F is obviously dine-when-you-please, but I assume in J you have to eat when served, or limit yourself to mid-flight snacks. So my questions to you include:

1) Did the 12 year old come forward into F at any point, even to just briefly ask for assistance?

2) What were the approximate meal times in J.

Thanks for the guidance, I'm trying to relax about additional award seats, but we had SO MUCH FUN with the 4 of us in F last year that I really hope it happens again.

dkerr

1), Yes but I don't know how much as she has an unnerving knack for falling asleep immediately after take off and not wakening up again until landing. Irrespective of flight length, timezone, time of day, class of service. I wish I was so blessed. I expect the visits were mostly from F to J as the 9 year old is the complete opposite... wants to get up and visit others. I know that all three of them were in F before takeoff as I got a call from them at 1:10am as I was still driving home from JFK from my 9 year old wanting to tell me how cool F was. She already had her PJs and the 12 year old was with her.

2) I'll ask next time I speak to them.

DAK

dkerr

You might want to reconsider 2A... I believe that the left side of the G first suites are a wall, so you won't be able to see your wife and will have to walk around and through the galley to get to her. You want to be on the right side of the aircraft if traveling together in F.

DAK

jamienbaker

Your recollection of the F configuration is accurate. However, since the kids are occupying the middle section of J (new config), she & I each wanted aisle access to each of them. Otherwise, if she and I were in 2D and 2K, the kid on the port aisle would have to backtrack through the J galley in order to come up the starboard aisle and peek through the curtain should he need us. So I figured this was the best compromise. At that point in the vacation, my wife will be sick of me anyway.

I'm trusting traffic ex-JFK wasn't too bad at 0100? I'll be itching to get home at that late hour.

dkerr

You might want to avoid the Whitestone Bridge, if it is on your route. It was backed up both directions when we crossed at 11pm, thanks to construction work. So on my way home I chose the Throgs Neck.

JFK T7 departures was very quiet, but there was still activity at arrivals. Presumably the last flights in from LHR and HKG. Both economy and first/business checkins had no more than one person in line and there was no line at all for security. At this hour BA have packed up and gone home so CX845 is the only flight being handled.

jamienbaker

Good call re Whitestone, it is indeed on my route. I'll check to see what the construction schedule is. Was planning to arrive JFK around 2330, already checked-in of course.

dkerr

That is exactly when we arrived.

dkerr

A further update after consulting with the kids...

1) Yes, but not much. As I expected my 9 year old visited my 12 year old in J a whole lot more than the other way round.

2) It sounds like they do come round with a meal service shortly after take off. But as I expected my 12 year old pretty much fell asleep immediately and slept for about half the flight. When she woke up hungry she just requested something to eat then and got some sort of noodle dish which she says was yummy.

My spoilt 9-year-old is now trying to negotiate her way back into F for the return journey... trying to persuade my 12 year old that she doesn't really need to be in F coming home and could they please swap. I'm having nothing to do with that... if the 12-year-old doesn't want F going home, then the wife gets it. Somehow my 9-year-old doesn't understand why that should be so.

DAK

jamienbaker

Don't start on spoilt children. Both my kids are arguing to sit in F and have mom and dad behind them in J. As if! I have to explain, "you don't like caviar, you aren't allowed to drink...and your are 10 yrs old!" Good luck on your trip over to meet them, safe travels to the clan - Jamie

neuro0

Any luck getting your F seat yet?

untamed

Four days ago, I see some availability on flights between HKG-JFK for late august. However, they all disappeared since two days ago. Is there anything wrong?

I checked asia miles website and there are still lots of standard award availability. Are those for asia miles redemption only?

dkerr

CX award availability seems to fluctuate. The most reliable source for availability for non-asiamiles (like AA or BA) is the JAL Mileage Bank web site so you might want to check it (you have to enroll first). I find that you have to request round trip search, not one way, and also it doesn't work for flights within 7 days, for that you have to use CX asia miles web site which may show availability for asia miles members that are not available for partners.

DAK