Conclusion
First off, thanks for reading this far. It was fun to write this trip report as it allowed me to relive my vacation all over again. Now if only I could relive it in real life...
Couple of thoughts. If I manage to reaccumulate enough AA miles to do another trip on CX, I think I'm going to give J a try. With the new CX J seat, there isn't much of a difference between J and F aside from the pajamas and some food options. However, I really do want to try out the dining ottoman so if I'm traveling with someone, I'm going to spring for F.
The service was quite good, though my SFO-HKG crew simply could not be beat. They set a tough standard that no one else could match.
And thanks to the FT community for giving me the resources to fund this trip through CCs and mileage bonuses. This truly was a trip of a lifetime, at least until my trip in May in SQ A380 J, TG 77W F and SQ 77W F. :-D