MH to join oneworld in late 2012. Effect on CX?
 

Read it all here:

Malaysia Airlines to join oneworld alliance

Not much effect on CX I expect. Can only add oil to the fire on the A380 discussion in a different thread and say that with MH they could pool maintenance etc :)

Im sure further codeshare on flights between HKG and Malaysia. If not all of the flights between HKG and KUL are code-share Im sure they might soon all be. there could also be codeshare to and from Penang and HKG. I think a codeshare is already in place with KA between HKG and Kota Kinabulu?

Maybe it could bring KA to codeshare a scheduled flight to Langkawi?

Should be early to join!
 

Y not early! This year I'm going MLE! Fr SQ, it's HK$7K HKG-SIN-MLE return the cheapest for no mileage at all!

I hope it means cheaper fares as there's now an additional alternative to Europe/Asia/Australia.

Definitely more choices for Oneworld members flying
Europe - Malaysia
Australia - Malaysia
Europe - Australia
Asia - South Africa / South America

Look forward to it, especially after they revamp their A330 and B737 aircraft.

collusion is the most likely result. Price-fixing instead of competing.

Well, CX will lose us as holiday J customers for South and SouthEast Asia. I can stomach HK$30,000 to JFK ex TPE, but not HK$15,000-20,000 for Singapore ex HKG. Cathay's product is second to none, but MH's price for product is good enough for short and medium haul, like the Maldives.

Try SQ. ;)

CX really need to fix their Y seat. Reading all the different airline review sites on the internet, and the Y seat is by far the #1 complain for all the people with negative reviews. I can't believe CX posts in their magazine, with a straight face, that "some people like the Y seats", who are they?

I prefer the CX longhual F to the SQ longhaul F seat. kchika - have you flown both to compare? Its a matter of preference, not that one is definitly better.

Not counting the SQ suite right... :p

I am comparing to SQ F on the 77W.

My reply in the another thread:
Yes, I've flown SQ F on their 388, 77W and 744. As far as I'm concerned, SQ (apart from their 77W F seat) blows CX out of the water in just about everything.

Especially on the regional J seat. SQ's new regional J seat makes CX regional J feel like Economy class.

Has anybody from CX management bothered to fly on the new SQ regional J to try it out? Or are they just ignoring the problem and hoping that nobody notices?

I really think CX isn't using SQ as a benchmark for competition anymore. CX is happy to be a great East Asian airline.

Was CX really happy to allow MH in?

Why not? There's not much representation within ASEAN and they could all feed ultimately to CX's North American destinations cos MH only flies to LAX. Besides CX already cooperates with MH on some routes.

How about segment runs like PVG - HKG - KUL - CGK and back? ;)

Best CX-related news all year for MNL-based pax

I do MNL-KUL & MNL-SIN frequently -- means I'll get Asiamiles for this now.

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Segment run on MH domestic flight should be interesting

Good point.

To me, the seat is the most important part of the product. I know others have different priorities.

It plugs the OW hole in S.E. Asia. But impact on CX should be minimal as all KUL HKG flights are codeshared anyway. IT'll also offer an alternative on Europe/Australia routes by flying via KUL instead of SIN or BKK, but CX doesn't really compete there either.

I suspect other N.E. Asian airlines do not do significantly better than CX on regional seats. That's because most regional flights for CX are not much more than 4 hours, with the exception of flights to India. So the business case for putting in wonderful seats is probably limited.

SQ needs good regional seats as a lot of its regional flights are 6 hours long - you need that much time to get to Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and New Delhi, and many of these flights are red eyes. It often makes me wonder why on earth so many companies choose to have their Asia Pacific HQ's here.

I agree in Y and regional J but am one of those who prefer the CX long haul coffins to the square SQ J seats, which I dislike as they are too hard and my legs keep bumping into the cutouts when I sleep. SQ's F&B is easily superior too. But when on the ground and/or in distress, there is absolutely no contest - I can rely on the CX front line to help me out effectively and SQ's to refer me to the supervisor's supervisor whilst telling me about their processes and problems (but not solving mine).

Wait till something goes wrong and you need the front line to step up and fix it - I think that's the acid test.

Any examples, KACommuter? @:-)

Sure. Was on PVG/HKG/SIN with 1 hr connection in HKG to the same flight as my wife and kids to SIN. Inbound flight delayed, arrived as the SIN flight took off with wife + kids on board. Was handed new CX boarding pass as I came off the jetway for next CX flight in 3 hours 45 mins. Went to MPC lounge and asked the girls for help. They said:
- No interline agreement with SQ, which had a flight leaving in 1 hr 45 mins.
- Would I mind buying another ticket (no). I said no.
- Oops, SQ flight sold out.

So I resigned myself to a 3 hrs + wait. Was having a drink, and they came back 15 mins later with a seat on the SQ flight I had hoped for:
- No charge.
- Sorry. no aisle seat.
- Please come with us to SQ check-in as there wasn't much time left.

Wrote to CX to compliment them, never received an acknowlegement. Have other cases like this.

Have recounted this and other stories to super SQ PPS diehards. All agree it is as pointless for one to expect this of SQ as it is to expect CX to match SQ's hardware.

Have to fly to MAA often and it's red eye as well - wouldn't mind them having better seats there.

Off-topic: The SIN government offers special deals to multi-national companies like tax rebates, etc. There are many companies who are relocating from HKG to SIN.

Not surprised. Hkg govt only sucks up to prc govt. N mncs wont give a dump to that.

can you please explain the acronyms?

+1

There is nothing like another trek to the Paragon Center in SIN to push the SQ Problem Boulder up Robot Response Hill to reduce your faith in humanity.

Whereas CX has never, in 30 years of flying, failed to recover their mistakes in a way that makes me like them better despite the fumbles.