walkingtall

I have flown sectors on both within the last 5 days , please find my thoughts

KUL- LHR on BA

LHR - HKG on CX

To be honest the difference is astonishing , its a completely different level of product offered by Cathay

From the moment you set foot on the plane , CX makes you feel special

1) Escorted to the seat (Didn't happen in KUL)
2) Krug with a fresh Crab starter offered before take off (Only Juice and Water offered as BA dont pay the tax to serve Champagne in KL)
3) 100% Cotton Pyjamaa offered (larger size than BA ) (BA Standard One)
4) Drinks service directly after take off (We waited 30 mins)
5) Caviar Starter (Although its really not my thing) (BA dont offer now )
6) Lobster Salad ( Chicken Sate )
7) Sea Bass Main Course (Beef)
8) Cheese and Desert ( Although i didn't have ) I was offered either cheese or desert)

To be honest the main difference is the seat , its huge , and when flat , its the most comfy seat i have ever flown on.

Other differences are two toilets for 6 passengers rather than one for 8 on BA and the staff to passenger ratio , which is 33 percent better on Cathay .

Please dont get me wrong i like BA , it offers a reasonable product , but Cathay seems to offer on a completely different level, and the question has to be asked if your paying £5k+ would it be too much to expect this level of food and service

To be honest I am not saying Cathay is the best , The best i have experienced is Garuda which is completely over the top and luxury.

TravellerFrequently

Very interesting. Thanks for the comparison.

UKTraveller4Fun

The jump in product and in my experience (which is the variable part) service between them is huge. BA only redeem on the fact they can be cheaper and easier to get redemption seats! On comparison of the offering alone CX is worlds away from BA, but then so are Singapore and a whole host of others!

Grande Annee

I don't like the CX seat to sit in, I find it hard and uncomfortable for my back but in bed mode it is very very good. I much prefer the comfort of the BA seat to sit in.
LPGS is better than Krug NV in my opinion.

V10

There's the thing - for it to be a true comparison we'd need to know how much was paid for each ticket.

philthegreek

I suspect that if you compare like with like, i.e. the BA F from LHR to HKG the differences may not be so great.
1. I have always been escorted to my seat in F
2. I have always had as many glasses of champagne as I wanted pre take off
3. BA do two sizes of pyjamas
4. I have always ordered my after take off drink prior to take off and it has been there within 5 minutes of them getting the bell from the front
5, 6 and 7, can't make the comparison
8. Agree
On both the 380 and the 777 service to HKG, there are two washrooms for 14 PAX, so a higher ratio by 1. There are 3 staff for the 14 PAX, so 1 crew for every 4 and a bit PAX.
Can't speak for the seat.

My point is that you are making a comparison of service from KUL against LHR. A comparison of both on the same service makes a difference.

Grande Annee

BA don't serve pre take off champagne at KUL, not sure why or if any other airline do?

Flythe96flag

BA offer pyjamas in S/M/L, no?

1010101

I don't cross shop BA F and CX F. It's CX J v BA F, and obviously considering the price different it's a while since I've set foot on BA long haul. Outside the A380, CX J on the 777 is more than a match for any BA F product.

CX F is just a different level of product.

philthegreek

Flew Malaysia last week on four sectors including KUL twice and on none was alcohol offered pre take-off. I understood that the no alcohol on the ground at KUL was to do with the Muslim nature of the state and that the lounges have to have special permission to serve alcohol.

philthegreek

They may do but as a male with an ample girth I have only ever seen Medium and Large, and usually only large but now you come to mention it MrsPTG has been offered Small in the past

walkingtall

Both Paid by Miles one by On Business (51,000 miles) and the other Avios (120,000)

walkingtall

Malaysian dont offer any alcohol for flights under 3 hours , but Garuda and SQ both offer Champagne pre take off in KUL

walkingtall

I am not a small guy , so only seen large , which just about fit , but to be honest my comment was about the general quality of the garment , the one on CX is a much higher quality and better fit for me

walkingtall

I agree with this to be honest , in the upright position the BA seat is better but after take off i would prefer the CX one , once the seat is reclined a little