QRC3288

This is true.

But as sxc mentions, and I point out above, SQ's regional product is much better than CX's. Both hard and soft. And on short-haul regional flights, I can predict what I'm going to fly on SQ. With CX I can't. (You can book SQ long-haul products to HKG, PVG and PEK, the three regional routes I use SQ for the most, like clockwork).

So there's arguing and then there's reality. The reality is I spend my money based on the way I call it on here, and many others do too: CX loses a good amount of my short-haul / regional business as a result of what I describe, and I'm not the only one. CX's crap yields in recent years aren't an accident. CX doesn't have quite the corporate captive expat market they used to, where all these former British-run companies would sign-up with Swire just because. Times have changed. This dynamic definitely affects their yield, and likewise their bottom line.

It's a frequent "break the ice" meeting conversation piece to start a meeting maybe chatting about the airline you flew over, and plenty of my peers and folks I interact with have the same feelings I do about CX lately. Soft product is terrible and regional business class is very uncomfortable. This isn't groundbreaking! And most of these people dictate where they spend theirs or their company's cash. SQ is my preferred carrier to SIN for these very reasons I mention, despite my overall loyalty to CX. Their J class rack rates are similar to CX fwiw. Plus, you can guarantee F / Suites when you want it. Predictability in product matters, and CX's regional biz is behind both SQ's long-haul and regional product. Aka, if I choose CX I can end up on the worst product between the two. The only area where SQ is worse relates to WiFi; the rates are generally extortionary and speeds slow. CX A350 is far better.

It's definitely kudos to CX for straightening out their medium haul++ flights. In years past CX also did the swap-a-regional-aircraft game to the Middle East and even Australia, and my that was bad. But they fixed that 5+ years ago and they deserve credit for sorting it out.

Yup.