Originally Posted by
QRC3288
I'm not sure what CX's technical protocol is, but from experience that's the ISM's gametime call. Some ISMs try to keep service very quiet on late-night flights. Count me as someone who appreciates it when they do. I CX fly ex-US every ~6 weeks, mainly on late night flights and I prefer the minimalist service in J as I'm usually trying to sleep. I will have already eaten dinner in SFO, LAX or JFK, and usually pass on food unless I'm in F.
Fyi, a full service in J on a normal flight can go up to 2.5 hours after takeoff, and is tough to complete before 90 minutes have elapsed after takeoff. And a fast service full service is a loud service, plus the cabin lights must be kept on during the service. It's a matter of preferences but I suspect I'm not the only one who prefer the lights off and quiet as fast as possible.
On CX, the crew expect you to use the flight attendant call light for servicing needs. It was an adjustment that took some getting used to when I moved from the US - where use of the call light seems to be shunned - to HK, where you are expected to use it proactively for your food and drink needs. It's not considered rude or impolite to use the call light, rather on a flight like yours the crew is probably fully expecting pax who want a little more to bang away at it.
Now...if they would only stop the droning announcements in multiple languages during turbulence...but that's another issue.
I definitely hear you on keeping disruption minimal and sleeping on red eye flights. But CX 845 isn't a typical red-eye flight. Its a 15+ hour flight and passengers seeking to adjust quickly to Asia time should stay awake as long as possible on that flight. I tend to make it until 5 a.m. before I have to succumb to sleep and then pop my ambien to get a full 8 hours. A full dinner service on that flight would be appreciated to give passengers something to do to try and stay awake as long as possible. This isn't JFK-LHR with a flying time of 6 hours or something where passengers often want to sleep from take off to touch down.
Noted about the call button. I am used to the American FA's disdain for it. That said, that doesn't make the service standard ok. Just like the salt and pepper.
To the poster who asked if I asked for wine, I didn't. I assumed when my tray was dropped off that wine would soon follow. Instead no one showed up for 20 minutes until the mains came. I was in 11K so there were no FAs passing my row either.