One of the most significant benefits of being an AA frequent flyer is the ability to earn and use miles on Cathay Pacific, thought to be one of the world's greatest airlines. I've always love flying CX, having flown CX extensively in F and J between North America and Hong Kong and throughout Asia. They have great aircraft, great cabins (the F suite is one of the best in the sky; and the new J seats, which I saw for the fist time today, look great), great lounges, great IFE (although they could use Bose headsets), and much-better-than-average food. But after the initial excitement of flying in CX F, the more I have flown on CX the more I have come to realize that their style of service just is not for me. And today, having flown BKK-HKG-JFK in F, I came to realize that CX's service just plain sucks!

Ok, so I recognize that my last sentence is a bit inflammatory, perhaps even a bit hyperbolic. But there's a particular style to CX service, one that clearly most people like, but that I loathe: it's extremely obsequious, oftentimes annoyingly so. On today's BKK-HKG flight, every time the FA who was serving me in the F cabin needed to speak with me, he would approach my seat very deferentially, get down low, and almost in a whisper begin the conversation by apologizing to me. Every interaction began with an apology, apologizing presumably for not being able to read my mind and forcing me to endure a conversation with him. The FA on the HKG-JFK flight behaved similarly, and spoke so softly I could barely make out what she was saying. Also, every time they ask a question, even if they obviously are interrupting what you are reading or watching on the IFE, it's never a simple question like, "Have you decided what you'd like to eat?" Rather, it always involves a long preamble of some sort, a welcome aboard, a how-happy-we-are-to-be-serving-you-today, a please-let-us-know-if-there's-anything-we-can-get-for-you, and, of course, at least one apology (and often more than one). Every single time. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

Look, I certainly recognize that this style of service pleases a lot of people. And it's certainly not going to keep me from flying CX. But I sure do wish flying CX didn't have to be so friggin' annoying!