Thanks for all the suggestions. CX seems still carry good reputation, even my experiences with them has been average on board and below anything on ground. And my OW Saphire status seems not to give me any other benefits with them than lounge access (which I will have time to use only if the flight is late). But my experiences has been somewhat limited: just few HKG-LHR flights and between HKG and some China and Malaysia destinations last year, maybe alltogether around 15 legs.

As for FF program... Seems I need to do a bit more searching to decide my preferred airline. Just realised that CX actually does not give any miles to partner programs if flying any discounted eco fare... so I will loose my OW Saphire status anyway end of this year.

Maybe I just need to forget the FF programs for time being and start flying with AirAsia or whichever happen to offer the best deal

Chinatrvl: I noticed you are "Ctrip Platinum VIP". what benefits that gives you - and how to reach that? I can not find the information at Ctrip website (BTW: I love their service. Good english, fast response, friendly and pro service).