Originally Posted by
Rivarix
Ha! It comes down to one issue: competition. SQ is competing with ME3 (QR, EY and EK) in its main markets so it doesn't really have a choice but to keep improving (across the board) to remain competitive. CX doesn't have that issue (to the same degree as SQ) and until it does, there's no reason (unfortunately) for CX to do what SQ is doing. So don't hold your breath.
ugh, good logic on SQ unfortunately. totally agree. SQ is just in a different geographic market being 3 hours south of HK, without (until recently) nonstops to the US. The Australia/New Zealand traffic was so important for SQ longhaul and the ME carriers just decimated it. Even when SQ's nonstops arrive in greater #s with the A359ULR, connecting will still be popular...those planes are only going to visit a limited # of destinations, and even then the time saved isn't nearly as great as for a shorter flight. 16+ hour nonstop LAX-SIN vs 19+ hours connecting in HKG/ICN/NRT/etc isn't even 20% faster.
i'd argue folks BR and CI, and to a lesser extent KL, OZ, JL and NH have become more relevant competition for CX, given the massive changes these carriers have gone through in recent years. BR in particular has massively stepped up their game and grown their North American route network since they took 77W deliveries, while JL and NH have added a bunch of new NA destinations in the last 5+ years. Personally I've put a good chunk of business to BR lately, and some to JL. It's right on the way to North America and it's nearly as easy for me to arrange business or personal things in Taiwan and Japan as it is Singapore.
To keep on the topic here which seems to be PEY + food, those guys I mention in the last paragraph have
superior catering in J to CX, hands down. This includes both F&B, IMO.