Dear All:

i tried to look for the best thread to post this but this might be the best fit. my question has to do with whether Cathay today from NYC to HKG is every bit as high caliber (SAFETY, comfort, service) as they were before the pandemic? i'm talking about First Class only, but as safety has to do with any class of seats, the question really has to do with whether Cathay has deteriorated with the massive leasing of their larger aircrafts to other airlines? Is Cathay still very safety conscious, comfort/service oriented still?

prior to the pandemic, i've flown numerous times on Cathay First and they've all been fine flights especially considering how these are the quickest way to get from NYC to HKG as these are direct flights. then, with the pandemic, Cathay leased many of their newest and largest planes to various airlines, so i am now concerned if they are still the same caliber of an airlines or have they deteriorated substantially?

during the last several years since the pandemic, i've tried Korean via Seoul many times, and also Emirates via Dubai but i won't do Emirates anymore because it was an extremely long total trip time - something like 25+ hours door to door! downright uncomfortable to the max. Korean via Seoul had a problem as well: as my First Class tickets were code shared with Delta, during the transit at Incheon Airport, they REFUSED to allow me to use the First Class Lounge despite the fact that my tickets are clearly First Class tickets. they simply said: code share tickets are not allowed in the First Class Lounge. none of my transit time at Incheon was favorable - all just tolerable.

while my gut tells me that Cathay direct from NYC to HKG roundtrip first class would be the best option, i'd like to ask the good and experienced folks here to see if Cathay is still the same Cathay as i remember it to be, or has it changed over the pandemic into a different type and caliber of airlines?

thank you in advance. hoping for some helpful responses to help me with my decision.

my alternatives would include ANA and JAL via Japan, which would necessarily include a stop in Japan, and thus longer total time to arrive at my destination.

thank you!