Originally Posted by
ermen
My theory now is that
1. Family was ticketed in PEY all the way (or really maybe only PEY + Y on DPS sector, but did not realise that it was sold as mixed class). But then again, if it was the latter, staff wouldn't say "equipment swap", they would rather say that it was booked as Y.
2. FWIW in the FB post on the Hong Kong Mums forum, it clearly showed the family checking in at the J queue (blue signs) in MAD. So it does give some credence that one of them was a GO/DM at least (unless PEY can check in at the J counters?)
Interesting, I am keen just to solve this for curiosity purposes...
So I went back on FlightRadar24. It does look like there was a swap! B-KPQ, flew as CX320 on July 28. That is right around the time presumably the OP had her problem. According to our sheet, B-KPQ is the only new "77A" config (formerly 77H). It could make sense for CX to swap a 77A config to MAD instead of the 77H if they downgauged from 77G, because 77G has more Y capacity. And at least 77A has more than 77H. But what doesn't make sense if this is the day thy flew is, of course J, F and PEY have more seats on 77A/77H, and presumably you're not forcibly
downgrading paid PEY pax when you have more J and F seats to work with? Plus B-KPQ has two
extra PEY seats versus 77G/77K.
Also, interesting about the J class check-in, but at MAD there are only two J class check-in counters. In the one time I've departed CX ex-MAD, they filter people from the PEY and Y lines to J if nobody is standing at the J counter. So I don't think that confirms definitively they're DM or GO, but still an interesting observation.
I still don't understand what happened. But these are another piece of the puzzle. Anyone else? Are there any other clues from their pictures on the forum?
Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon Fleet, Route and Configuration Guide