Cathay Dragon 666

If you read my other posts I've shared how MPO have aggressively asked me to come back as DM, and how I did that, not that hard with my pattern of flying.

Cathay Dragon 666

I was hoping Cathay would just elevate their level of service across the board. Hate to be that from now on you only get good service when you know the team on board. I am a person with good memory and with the amount of times I've flown with Cathay over the last 20 years, I don't believe I have bump into the same team twice that often (or the same ISM). I especially remember the good ones, and not seen them since.

Ausriver

I've bumped into the same team quite a few times, just time your ex-HKG flights with their turn around flights so I meet the same team twice in 2 days. It is very easy to do with KA and I normally only required to be in China for one day any way. And every FA will smile to you (maybe they just thought I was ridiculers), every single time.

cxfan1960

It happened to me more than once. The oddest time was when I bumped into an ISM in November a few years ago (whom I met before) and then in December again. I flew two SFO-HKG-SFO those two months and he was the ISM in three out of those four sectors.

chfshifter

Called MPC earlier today to release a companion ticket from NRT to HKG in Feb. Cabin looks empty (I9, with only 20-30% seats selected). Agent was unable to release the seats even when I said I will pay the revenue ticket immediately once released. However, she said she can release a seat if I add my companion to my redemption group, as a DM and his/her redemption group has higher priorty.

Was the agent giving incorrect information?

Ausriver

As DM, you can remove someone from your redemption group for free, why not add him for now?

QRC3288

it seems this is a situation where "YMMV".

I've had them release to me, I've had them refuse me, and I've had them....after extreme persistence on my part....relent and give me a seat.

I wish it was back like the old days when we know how things worked...ideally with DMs being allowed to convert I inventory into seat availability.

I don't mind a corporation being profit-minded, that's how it should be! But what bugs me about the situation is CPLP is way smaller than it should be, IMO it's just a badly managed unit that could be making way more money. Asia Miles could sell chunks of more miles if they'd enhance MPC / AM, because right now MPC is still being picked off by partners. Alaska, BA, AA, etc., all have arguably better programs to utilize CX award tickets than MPC!

CX obviously is trying to sell more Asia Miles - look at the promotions they run in HK, the recent 30% bonus on transfers, etc. - but I can't say they're going about it very intelligently. The #1 most important thing is having an effective burn incentive, which causes people to demand more Asia Miles in the first place, and voila CX can cell more AM to partners. Having a strong MPC - particularly elite benefits say for SL, GO and DM who can "creatively" use their miles in better way - enhances demand for Asia Miles, which CX can sell for cash, usually well in advance of use.

The wait-list and upgrade awards are about the only two benefits for MPC, and even that is spotty because it doesn't work right sometimes (ahh the pleasures of being on the waitlist and then seeing your ticket appear on the BA redemption website...). But everything else: burn ratio still inferior relative to partners (hello CX! You realize we can book an Alaska J or F class one-way for 20-30k miles cheaper than your own program? Similar with BA on short-haul, etc.), no "benefits" if you're burning as an Asia Miles / MPC member vs partners (like preferred seating area, better availability not open to partners, etc.), no formal policy for conversion of cash inventory to award inventory, etc. etc. etc. By enhancing MPC and Asia Miles, CX can SELL MORE MILES!

percysmith

And at lower levels this segregation is quite extreme. Nobody in the MPO side knows how much an infant should be charged when travelling with a redeeming parent, I had to call revenue reservations for that one.

mxr

Just had my first long haul J class flight as DM and I got that little MPC greeting card during the meal service. I'm guessing that you only get it in J as on the outbound I was in Y and only got the greeting.

Does that happen every single flight or was this a anomaly because maybe the load of DM's was light or something? Entire plane was full in all classes.

QRC3288

I don't know what happens in longhaul Y, but my rough estimation for getting the card as a DM on longhaul flights in:

J: 50pct of time?
F: 75-80pct of the time?

Somewhere in there. My numbers might be a little off. It's not 100pct for either, but WAY more consistent in F than J. I'm not familiar with longhaul PEY or Y.

G-CIVC

I am so jealous...

mxr

I'm guessing PEY falls in the Y category of 0pct then?

Surprised that its not 100pct of the time for F.. So far I've had 3/3 as GO in F but it wasnt the MPC greeting card, just a "bon appetit" card.


Of what?

sscywong

PEY and Y is 0 pct for sure

So far got 2 in F... One was my (iconic and guess not re-performable now) Y-W-U-Z class flight HKG-LHR... Another was J class op-up to F HKG-TPE... And these represents 100 pct my flight in CX F

QRC3288

I don't know....I actually haven't tried .!!

jerrywu

Greeting card issuance is not consistent at all. I received 1 out of 5 long haul flights during past two-month period, in business class. At one point in time, I was under the impression that this card was being "enhanced".