Originally Posted by
MiamiPrep
I think CX is the best OW carrier. I find QF service hit-or-miss. The new CX lie flat B/C seat is superior to all others I have used (BA, SQ, AA, QF) -- not sure if this is the configuration on this route, though. (I had this new CX seat on 747-400 from JFK-HKG last month). QF service more "casual"??? Is that what you call it??? My last international QF flight took > an hour for drinks to be served, and after dinner the crew disappeared. They were as casual as a leisure passenger on that flight!!!
Downside to CX: They put mushrooms on many dishes -- yuck, I hate that fungus!
Mmm... I do like mushrooms though.
Especially sauteed ones for brekkies. None of that fungus for the QF brekkies I had this past holiday.
I am aware of QF's reputation for inconsistency. However I can only speak from experience and have never had a sub par experience on QF. When I said "casual" i meant that the service on QF is usually more light-hearted and informal. Whilst so far I am failing to see what is it about CX that everyone raves about. The CX FAs are far less engaging and usually a lot more business-like, and the obligatory interactions with the senior crew usually feel very 'forced.' "Robotic" if you will but I loath to use that cliche. The same accusation is usually levelled at SQ but at least their crews "open up" when you chat them up. There have been one or two CX flights that I liked (great SPs and ISMs) but these have been short regional ones (BKK-SIN-BKK). On the whole I find CX flights competent, but nothing really memorable about them. Unless the hard product on the competing oneworld carrier is significantly superior (eg flat beds vs cradle seats), I have made it a point to go for QF whenever possible on my trips (even overnighting in July on DPS-xHKG-MEL to catch QF30 the next morning; there's also the benefit of Sat night in Lan Kwai Fong but that's besides the point
).
YMMV, par the course.
Whatever thoughts one might have had on the service styles of both carriers, the clincher for the OP would be the hard product on that particular route - QF offers the Skybeds whereas CX has their regional config.