Originally Posted by
jp12687
that connection was 40% cheaper than direct
Bingo! Even though this observation is about the pricing of a connection vs. nonstop, this is what likely should determine the OP's choice between UA and CX. While I may be unique on this board, (a) for business travel, my employer requires me to take the lowest fare, assuming similar routing and travel time; (b) for leisure travel coming out of my own pocket, 40% (or even 10%) savings on a J fare is real money; and (c) there is just not enough difference in flight quality between major airlines to justify a significant premium.