<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B Watson:
I strongly believe that SQ out airport lounges are generally superior
Champagne - I can suggest NV options that are better than Dom - I like the Krug on SQ </font>
CX also serves Krug so it is same as SQ on that count; where they differ is SQ had Dom and CX has vintage Deutz, and the Deutz is better. Thus advantage to CX on champagne (admittedly a trivial factor in assessing an airline, but Deutz Cuvee William costs more than Dom and CX is willing to pay and cares enough about wine quality to choose it). Of course the killer wine on CX is the Lynch-Bages.
The SQ and CX lounges that I use for for comparison are SFO/LAX/NRT/TPE/SYD and in each of those cities it is either a tie (both CX and SQ are marginal) or CX is better. The CX TPE F lounge is excellent (there is even a noodle bar in the C lounge).
The SQ lounge in NRT is a dump. And the SQ lounges get mobbed by other Star flyers (as their airline lounges are even worse), while CX is not so crowded. And even though there isn't an F lounge at NRT the staff give special service to F passengers, sometimes too much service.
I get the impression that SQ gives you special service because you are Solitaire, and CX gives me special service irrespective of my FF status (it comes with that F ticket). I can honestly say that the air and ground service by CX has been better than SQ gives (and much better than QF or AA or DL give). BA sometimes is equal to CX (but maybe 10% of the time). The thing that I really like about CX as an airline is the planning that has gone into some of the things I see. And the attention to detail: for example, drinks are served in glasses with the Cathay Pacific logo etched in the glass ... and the glass is served so that the logo always faces the passenger. The good crews serve the glass in a single gesture (the less proficient turn the glass after it is put down). If an airline cares so much about how it places a glass upon the table, I bet it also cares how the mechanic tightens that screw on the engine......
I'm sold on CX, and am now going out of my way to fly them. They've earned my trust (and my business).