ben63 - you're lucky then

I've been "inconvenienced" by HX twice - once when I'm not flying, once when I was with my SO.

With SO - 15 hour delay to HAN. Arrived at airport after T8 on 30 Jun last year, all outbounds HX or otherwise look like they're leaving on time but saddened to see at gate our flight went tech to 9AM next day (15 hours). HX staff a little scarce at first but eventually sorted us out with a shuttle and a room at Park Lane (even though we're HK residents and could've simply gone home). They also had to park a Vietnamese tour (who needed a Visa to get back into HK) in Plaza Premium Lounge night rooms.

Whilst I don't enjoy going tech and wasn't given meal or any other comp, I think it wasn't handled too bad overall. My SO was mad that we stayed one night less at the fabulous Sofitel Metropole (the other night was fabulous) and blacklisted and bad-mouthed HX ever since.

The other was not because I was delayed...but more important people were. One of my bros was about to be married and the girlfriends/wives went off on their hens in TPE on HX. We already had our bucks but we decided to try and double-dip across the PRD.

When stepping on the ferry I already had flightstats on and showed to the groom our SOs will be delayed, quite badly. He asked what we should do. I said we better make sure we all have enrolled into local ringtone for roaming, but still safe to carry on.

Halfway across the PRD one of my bros phones started ringing. I knew where we were and told him to pick it up - we're still in HK waters and network coverage so we're still fine - better to do it now and save up on roaming. But I was immediately countermanded and two other bros rugby-tackled him to his seat until the call rang out.

After the phone rang out I asked why on earth they'd do that? One bro said "they'll hear the jetfoils!"

We're so busted at this point. All of our phones started ringing and we couldn't answer them. Eventually after we disembarked on the M side my bro rang his stranded SO to say one bro is in the dance pool in Magnum and I've drunk too much and passed out outside.

The SOs were still on the ground (eventually they got off at 3am, a 4 hour delay): "really? [The groom] had a Chinese ringtone there for a second..." Shxt! I realised the operator saying something about it taking 2 hours to enrol local ringtone for him, must have done it too late (as our ferry was departing).

We got the next ferry back and the groom fessed up after the bride returned from TPE. HX is now blacklisted by all the SOs and the bros...I suspect much more bitterly by the bros.

After the boys incident I did some digging of HX...apparently they are only rated for CAT I approaches even though their planes and the airports they fly to are rated for CAT II or better http://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread...1#pid321379150 . I dunno if they have CAT II rating now but it does seem to explain why their on-time performance is so crap.

To HX's credit my other flight with HX arrived and left on time. But in light of the above I don't think I'll be given the chance to fly with them (double blacklist).


P.S. I went tech again this year on 1 Jul, again with SO...maybe it's not HX, it's some jinx on us...