YoungKev

Hi guys. 1st post on FT...not sure if such questions violate the FT forum etiquette.

I'll be flying to the States this summer on CX888 in Y. What are some of the particulars to be expected on this particular red-eye, 1-stop HKG-JFK flight? Is it true (according to rumours) that there are only 20 meals loaded on CX red-eye flights nowadays?

Also it's my 1st time transiting through JFK... T7 to T8 in fact, for an AAEagle flight. Connection time is ~5hr. Any suggestions as to things to do and the amount of time that can be spent around the terminals before re-checking in?

thanks a lot!

Cathay Boy

I took this flight a few times. There are two full meals like any other long-haul flights, and a bag of snacks will be provided (water, an apple, a bag of healthy cookie.) And at the middle galley on the right side there's a "snack bar" which have Kit Kats, cookies, etc. with a bottle of water and some cups for your enjoyment. You can also order Cup of Noodles between meals, but asking them too early or too late will invite the FA to make excuses not to give it to you.

You will be coming out of T7. 5 hours is overkill and more than enough time to make the transfer. Come into the customs, depends on your luck the customs can be 15 minutes or up to 45 minutes wait. Pick up your luggages (if you don't have Business priority you can wait up to 20-30 minutes for your luggages.) Exit. Go our of the doors to the outside. Go straight. Head up the elevator that take you to Air Train. Go to Terminal 8 (next stop), and check-in there. Very easy.

ernestnywang

Unless it got changed recently, CX888 should have 3 meals instead of 2. the HKG-YVR portion would have 2 meals and the other one is provided during the YVR-JFK portion.

By the way, if you have checked bags, you can drop them at T7 (after clearing customs, make a right) to avoid the hassle of taking them to T8.

midlevels

No. They'll load at least one meal per passenger per meal time. You're guaranteed to get meals (as another posted said, one meal for JFK-YVR and two meals YVR-HKG).

However, no guarantee that you'll be able to get your meal choice if it runs out before they get to you.

JeffS

Do the JFK-bound passengers clear US customs during the YVR stop? Or do we just sit around at the gate, and then clear US customs at JFK?

RA-wannabe

They will lock u up in a chicken pen in YVR while you wait. You clear US customs only in JFK. Enjoy your chicken pen experiences in YVR.

JeffS

Do we at least get some chicken scratch thrown our way?

Seriously, thanks for the response.

Cathay Boy

In my opinion this is way better than the HKG-bound when they forbid you to get off the plane and you are locked up in the fuselage instead.

Lockz

I'd much rather the HKG-bound in that case; I took that flight (CX 889) in April and enjoyed the extra sleep I got on the ground, even with people walking around and stuff going on. Helps that this happened in the middle of the night so easier to sleep although it was disturbed by having to sit up for landing and take-off.

Surgee

I'm flying CX888 (in F!!!) HKG through to JFK tonight, and for the purposes of Duty Free shopping, I want to confirm this.

I should do my duty free shopping in HKG, yes?

I will not be allowed to do duty free shopping in YVR, yes?

I will not have an issue in YVR with the large bottles of liquid I buy in HKG when continuing on to JFK, yes?

Now if only the KA flight from HAN-HKG takes off before the pending squall here in Vietnam!
Thanks!

coalharbour

Hi awpeters, not sure if you are already enroute by now.....

Yeah, you won't be able do duty free shopping at YVR. Last time I flew YVR-JFK, the transitting passengers waited at the holding area of gate 73, and they were not allowed to walk around the airport terminal. New passengers from YVR entered through gate 75, then through a corrider to gate 73 to board the plane, kinda neat arrangement I think!

Re the large bottles of liquid, I don't think there will be any issues as you do not clear any security at YVR.

bpk6h

i never buy duty free alcohol so not 100% certain but i had thought that due to the secondary security check at the gate, duty free purchased bottles are not allowed on flights to the US?

from CX.com:

Surgee

Thank you both for the responses last weekend. Turned out that my inbound flight to HKG was very delayed and I only had a very quick connection. No time for duty free, and all the shops were closed at that point anyway (roughly midnight, as CX 888 departs at 00:30).

That said, for future reference, cannot shop at YVR, truly a "holding pen" and for the HKG-YVR-JFK flight everyone must get off the plane. For JFK-YVR-HKG you can stay in your seat and sleep. The FA explained that to be in accordance with US regulation, security actually comes on board in YVR and searches the plane before you can reboard and fly to the US. However, when reboarding in YVR there was no additional security screening, so this struck me as interesting. I wonder if its an immigration issue--they want to make sure there isn't an extra passenger or that someone who was cleared to enter Canada can't freeload into the US by not getting off. For the flights leaving North America, HKG obviously just doesn't care as much... If I had been able to purchase it, any bottles I bought in HKG I would've been able to bring back on and bring to the US. YMMV, of course.

JeffS

I don't know if it is always like this, but the best thing was arriving at JFK passport control and almost no one in line.

CX888 arrived JFK at about 6:40 AM. I was connecting to Amtrak at Penn Station via Air Train and LIRR and was there by 7:45 AM.

Connecta

Comes maybe a bit late: But when flying Y, then obviously always try getting a seat at the front of the cabin/segment. That's where they usually start to serve with full trolleys.

That allows as well to finish meals first and put the tray aside if you have the urge for a bathroom break and want to beat the unavoidable crowd after everyone has finished their meals. Yeah, I'm risking that too many will do the same, but guess sharing is better.

Alternatively, order a special meal from CX if you can tolerate leaving out something (e.g. CX offers no-beef meal, but all other meat etc. allowed) - that gets served even earlier than everyone else and is helpful if you board a red-eye flight and want to start sleeping as early as possible. But a matter of taste/preference obviously.