YUL-PSP via JFK and YVR?? Another amazing Cathay Pacific First Class experience
Mar 22, 2012, 4:21 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,589
YUL-PSP via JFK and YVR?? Another amazing Cathay Pacific First Class experience
It doesn't take much for me to lust for another CX flight, and with all my regular trips to the east coast, I've been trying to work in either the JFK-YVR or YVR-JFK CX nonstop without it costing an arm and a leg. Well, yesterday was the perfect storm. I was in Montreal for the day to visit my ailing dad, while Mrs. SFO had flown to Palm Springs for a few days with some girl friends. Since she was not scheduled to return until Friday afternoon, I figured that I had just been given a Hall Pass, or at least the travel version. 
And until my AA JFK-SFO HOLD upgrade cleared, I was plotting to see if I could get to CMB and then back to SFO by Friday PM. BTW, it is not possible. 
At 10:45AM yesterday, I had just landed in YUL on my AA Eagle flight from JFK, and saw a text sent 4 hours earlier from Mrs. SFO saying that her knee had given out again and she was in the ER in PSP. This was the same knee that she injured before our Australia trip, was scheduled for surgery last week, but postponed to next week so she could play in PSP. But I digress. By the time I talked to her, she was back at the hotel but now had to keep her knee immobile and generally restrict her movement, hopefully poolside. I had planned to say in YUL overnight and return to SFO this morning. Change of plans. Now the challenge was (1) to get to PSP as soon as possible to pick her up and bring her back to SFO all by tomorrow night, (2) do it in First or as much as possible and (3) not pay an arm and a leg.
Since AC was out of the question with my AC Elite expiring last month, late afternoon out of season westbound options x-YUL are few and far between. With most Thursday flights now showing F0 to F2 at best, upgrade chances were slim to none, and last minute fares were ridiculous. Then it hit me. Cathay to YVR. EF showed F3 with BA.com showing 2 F awards seats @ 37,500 avios miles and $32. Book it Danno. Now to JFK. AA's 5:25P YUL-JFK was too early for comfort, so for 4,500 avios miles I booked the 6:35P YUL-LGA Eagle flight. From Vancouver, OMG WestJet has a 8:25A PSP nonstop! With a last minute price of only C$320. Booked. And finally from PSP-SFO, was able to book two F seats on VX's 6:50PM PSP-SFO. With a plan in place and lots of connect time at each airport, time to see how my body would react to two consecutive nights of red-eyes. But the thought of CX First was all the adrenaline this CX junkie needed.
I bid adieu to mom, dad and my sister at 4:20P and headed into the typically horrendous Montreal rush hour traffic. Despite bumper-to-bumper traffic most of the way on the 20, I pulled into the Avis return lane at 4:55P, waited for my receipt and arrived at the AA counter at 5:05P. With NEXUS, I jumped ahead of the handful of other pax in the mostly deserted security and CBP pre-clearance facility and by 5:15P was at the AA gate where boarding for the 5:25P YUL-JFK was nearly complete. For a smaller AA outstation, I have always found the YUL staff to be outstanding and today was no exception. Friendly and accommodating AAgent gladly changed my ticket from the later LGA flight, even asking if I had a seat preference.
YUL-JFK
AA 4444
ERD
5:25P-7:10P (sked)
5:35P-7:25P (actual)
March 21, 2012
Our 57 minute flight turned into nearly 90 minutes as the spectacularly warm sunny day became overcast just south of Albany and in NYC, low clouds and heavy fog apparently never burned off all day. From near 80 degrees in Montreal to mid-50's in NYC. Wow. After long trek from 31-D to the AirTrain for the one stop over to T-7, I was at the CX First Class check in counter by 8PM.
Cathay Pacific Check-in
I had no time for seat selection earlier but noticed that 2A and 2K were the only two unassigned seats, so no worries. Pleasant CX check in agent told me that I had been assigned 2D. When I asked about moving to 2A or 2K, he checked the computer and gave me the usual CX song and dance about 2AK being reserved for pax with bassinets. Sure, two of those are going to walk up in the next hour and plunk down $4K for the one way to YVR or $10K+ to HKG. Figuring perhaps status might mean something, I gave him my EXP card and asked if he could try again, promising to move if two bassinets showed up. He called someone above his pay grade and got the OK to release either seat for a OW Emerald, although he first joked that they had refused to release. Just kidding.
BA Terraces First Class Lounge and Pre-Flight Dining
OK, I've been spoiled by some really nice lounges but this one is not one of them. Especially when I have 2.5 hours to kill. This place needs a major makeover, although there is probably not much incentive for BA since all their F pax are in the (presumably much nicer) Concorde Room.
The Pre-Flight Dining room is a great idea, considering the number of late BA departures. Nice looking selection of options. The curry chicken and seafood were both very good and took the edge off my hunger pangs before my real dinner coming in a few hours.
Back from the dining room, my flight is now showing a 30 minute delay, due to either (1) additional security check on the plane or (2) the fog. Both excuses were given separately over the PA by the lounge dragons. The dragons did however a very good job of informing pax about boarding and delays. At about T-55, I'd had enough of this place and decided to head to the gate to get to 2A as soon as boarding commenced.
Special Note: I apologize for the subpar quality of the pics in this report. I had not planned on doing TR so I left the big dog Canon at home.
All the pics here are either from my old Lumix or my pre-4S iphone.
Coming up: CX889: One of my best flights ever!
And until my AA JFK-SFO HOLD upgrade cleared, I was plotting to see if I could get to CMB and then back to SFO by Friday PM. BTW, it is not possible. At 10:45AM yesterday, I had just landed in YUL on my AA Eagle flight from JFK, and saw a text sent 4 hours earlier from Mrs. SFO saying that her knee had given out again and she was in the ER in PSP. This was the same knee that she injured before our Australia trip, was scheduled for surgery last week, but postponed to next week so she could play in PSP. But I digress. By the time I talked to her, she was back at the hotel but now had to keep her knee immobile and generally restrict her movement, hopefully poolside. I had planned to say in YUL overnight and return to SFO this morning. Change of plans. Now the challenge was (1) to get to PSP as soon as possible to pick her up and bring her back to SFO all by tomorrow night, (2) do it in First or as much as possible and (3) not pay an arm and a leg.
Since AC was out of the question with my AC Elite expiring last month, late afternoon out of season westbound options x-YUL are few and far between. With most Thursday flights now showing F0 to F2 at best, upgrade chances were slim to none, and last minute fares were ridiculous. Then it hit me. Cathay to YVR. EF showed F3 with BA.com showing 2 F awards seats @ 37,500 avios miles and $32. Book it Danno. Now to JFK. AA's 5:25P YUL-JFK was too early for comfort, so for 4,500 avios miles I booked the 6:35P YUL-LGA Eagle flight. From Vancouver, OMG WestJet has a 8:25A PSP nonstop! With a last minute price of only C$320. Booked. And finally from PSP-SFO, was able to book two F seats on VX's 6:50PM PSP-SFO. With a plan in place and lots of connect time at each airport, time to see how my body would react to two consecutive nights of red-eyes. But the thought of CX First was all the adrenaline this CX junkie needed.
I bid adieu to mom, dad and my sister at 4:20P and headed into the typically horrendous Montreal rush hour traffic. Despite bumper-to-bumper traffic most of the way on the 20, I pulled into the Avis return lane at 4:55P, waited for my receipt and arrived at the AA counter at 5:05P. With NEXUS, I jumped ahead of the handful of other pax in the mostly deserted security and CBP pre-clearance facility and by 5:15P was at the AA gate where boarding for the 5:25P YUL-JFK was nearly complete. For a smaller AA outstation, I have always found the YUL staff to be outstanding and today was no exception. Friendly and accommodating AAgent gladly changed my ticket from the later LGA flight, even asking if I had a seat preference.
YUL-JFK
AA 4444
ERD
5:25P-7:10P (sked)
5:35P-7:25P (actual)
March 21, 2012
Our 57 minute flight turned into nearly 90 minutes as the spectacularly warm sunny day became overcast just south of Albany and in NYC, low clouds and heavy fog apparently never burned off all day. From near 80 degrees in Montreal to mid-50's in NYC. Wow. After long trek from 31-D to the AirTrain for the one stop over to T-7, I was at the CX First Class check in counter by 8PM.
Cathay Pacific Check-in
I had no time for seat selection earlier but noticed that 2A and 2K were the only two unassigned seats, so no worries. Pleasant CX check in agent told me that I had been assigned 2D. When I asked about moving to 2A or 2K, he checked the computer and gave me the usual CX song and dance about 2AK being reserved for pax with bassinets. Sure, two of those are going to walk up in the next hour and plunk down $4K for the one way to YVR or $10K+ to HKG. Figuring perhaps status might mean something, I gave him my EXP card and asked if he could try again, promising to move if two bassinets showed up. He called someone above his pay grade and got the OK to release either seat for a OW Emerald, although he first joked that they had refused to release. Just kidding.
BA Terraces First Class Lounge and Pre-Flight Dining
OK, I've been spoiled by some really nice lounges but this one is not one of them. Especially when I have 2.5 hours to kill. This place needs a major makeover, although there is probably not much incentive for BA since all their F pax are in the (presumably much nicer) Concorde Room.
The Pre-Flight Dining room is a great idea, considering the number of late BA departures. Nice looking selection of options. The curry chicken and seafood were both very good and took the edge off my hunger pangs before my real dinner coming in a few hours.
Back from the dining room, my flight is now showing a 30 minute delay, due to either (1) additional security check on the plane or (2) the fog. Both excuses were given separately over the PA by the lounge dragons. The dragons did however a very good job of informing pax about boarding and delays. At about T-55, I'd had enough of this place and decided to head to the gate to get to 2A as soon as boarding commenced.
Special Note: I apologize for the subpar quality of the pics in this report. I had not planned on doing TR so I left the big dog Canon at home.
All the pics here are either from my old Lumix or my pre-4S iphone.
Coming up: CX889: One of my best flights ever!
Last edited by SFO777; Mar 30, 2012 at 8:24 am
Mar 22, 2012, 7:16 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,589
JFK-YVR
CX 889
777-300ER
11:00P-1:55A (sked)
12:35A- 2:55A (actual)
March 21, 2012
Booked 4/6
Seat 2A
OK, I'll just come out and say it. One of the best flights I have ever had on any airline at any time!
Boarding was typical JFK chaos with the usual array of gate lice, but once on board, it was 7 hours of seamless and flawless service, and the most blissful travel experience one could ever hope for. What set this one apart was being wonderfully pampered while still at the gate, being the only F pax on board for more than a hour as we waited for inbound connecting pax. Perhaps it was the entire bottle of Krug that I polished off before push-back.
Take that macabus! Sometimes you just really click with the cabin crew. Well lead First FA Carrie and I just clicked, especially when I started taking cabin pics and she found out that I was a CX "regular" and had just been to Hong Kong and flown CX from SFO. Others with more SQ/CX flight experience have remarked about the differences between the SQ and CX FAs, with SQ being more robotic and CX more personable. I finally get it.
The first of many glasses of Krug.
And the second, or third, or fourth...
And the usual tour of the best First cabin in the skies...
Although boarding commenced at 11:00P, the doors were not closed until almost 12:30A. Apparently, the last 30 minutes of the delay was due to CX holding the flight for two F pax inbound from MCO.
Finally discovered the live camera which was pretty cool.
Wheels up into the heavy blanket of low lying fog...
CX 889
777-300ER
11:00P-1:55A (sked)
12:35A- 2:55A (actual)
March 21, 2012
Booked 4/6
Seat 2A
OK, I'll just come out and say it. One of the best flights I have ever had on any airline at any time!
Boarding was typical JFK chaos with the usual array of gate lice, but once on board, it was 7 hours of seamless and flawless service, and the most blissful travel experience one could ever hope for. What set this one apart was being wonderfully pampered while still at the gate, being the only F pax on board for more than a hour as we waited for inbound connecting pax. Perhaps it was the entire bottle of Krug that I polished off before push-back.
Take that macabus! Sometimes you just really click with the cabin crew. Well lead First FA Carrie and I just clicked, especially when I started taking cabin pics and she found out that I was a CX "regular" and had just been to Hong Kong and flown CX from SFO. Others with more SQ/CX flight experience have remarked about the differences between the SQ and CX FAs, with SQ being more robotic and CX more personable. I finally get it.The first of many glasses of Krug.
And the second, or third, or fourth...
And the usual tour of the best First cabin in the skies...
Although boarding commenced at 11:00P, the doors were not closed until almost 12:30A. Apparently, the last 30 minutes of the delay was due to CX holding the flight for two F pax inbound from MCO.
Finally discovered the live camera which was pretty cool.
Wheels up into the heavy blanket of low lying fog...
Last edited by SFO777; Mar 23, 2012 at 9:42 am
Mar 22, 2012, 7:46 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 1,028
the BA F lounge at JFK is pretty poor. Made the mistake of spending way too much time there last may. Will be there again in 2 months and will definitely shorten my stay. It also has the slowest wifi on the planet.
I also experienced top notch personal service in CX F, JFK-YVR. Not quite as personable going YVR-JFK
I also experienced top notch personal service in CX F, JFK-YVR. Not quite as personable going YVR-JFK
Mar 22, 2012, 8:10 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale
Posts: 2,949
Great planning to get an incredible value.
I'll keep this flight in mind for the future...
Cheers,
M
Mar 22, 2012, 9:22 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: LAS
Programs: DL PM, UA PS, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,904
You haven't even gotten to the heart of the TR and I'm already convinced to make my next JFK-LAX transcon into a JFK-YVR-LAX CX/AS trek. I might just transfer 25K MR to BA right now ...
I think he posted one part from the PSP-SFO flight.
The timings are close. Makings of another great one, SFO777 ^
I think he posted one part from the PSP-SFO flight.
The timings are close. Makings of another great one, SFO777 ^
Last edited by amolkold; Mar 22, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Mar 23, 2012, 9:16 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: HKG/YVR/NYC
Programs: AC 75K, A3*G, AS MVPG, AA LT Gold 1MM, JL/JGC (OWS) , Marriott Titanium, Hertz 5*, Avis PC
Posts: 3,697
I was wondering how SFO777 could message me when he was having the 3rd glass of Pre-Departure Krug, lol
Me and jfkeze will make you proud in 2 weeks!
I'm waiting for the bombshell you'll drop later on, hehe
Me and jfkeze will make you proud in 2 weeks!
I'm waiting for the bombshell you'll drop later on, hehe
