Got my DM through the imfamous AMEX Cent program and just finished up my first flight as DM at TPE-HKG-LAX.

Biggest disappointment (irrelevant of status): Last minute plane change from 77D to 77A. Was looking forward to trying the new J seat since my booking last year. It was showing 77D until a day before departure. My return flight 881 now shows 77A, was 77D 2 days ago.

The service I received both on the ground and onboard was no different from my previous J flight as a GO. The F section at the WING was far too crowded, not to mentioned the long walk back to lower level and to Gate 4. I have the United Club membership, Priority Pass, Amex card, so lots of lounge choices. But I just wanted to stay closer to the gate. BTW, the food at the WING F was lousy...many choices, but not good at all, beef was stale.

When on the plane, no greeting, no extra care, no priority in serving meal. I was not expecting any, just that I was quite content with the way the J service was when I was GO/SL, and didn't really feel any difference now that I am DM. Maybe it is only one long+one short haul flight and probably needs more to feel a DM's worth.

On the ground, the check-in queue was definitely shorter for F counters, but so far the F lounges at both TPE and the WING are just not much better than the J lounges.

I'm surprised to hear there was no greeting...but I suspect the overall experience was just a fluke. Sometimes that happens, although it's the anomaly not the norm. I find I get "overlooked" or not-very-special experiences more frequently on a.) DM heavy routes, and b.) on LAX flights.

I'm fairly confident that there is, on average, a very significant experience boost after being DM over GO and SL.

Huge influx of DM/GO members due to the AMEX program, which leads to a decreased level of service...

Perhaps the greeting was done in the way they handed out your menu? Sometimes the purser of J will hand out menus etc... at the beginning of flight, welcoming each passenger onboard as he/she does so. This may have been your greeting, though you didnt notice it.

On my latest two trips in J class, I was not greeted going to HK, but was greeted on the way back to US. Ironically, although I wasn't greeted going to HK, but the ISM came by a few times to make sure I'm ok and if I needed anything else. On the return trip, when I was greeted, that's the last time the ISM took any interest of me. And her greet was rushed and disinterested (hi, my name is, good to see you again, bye, without even waiting for me to response.) So there is more to service than greeting.

Both trips the cabin leader in J took extra care of our family, sometimes I wonder if that will happen if I'm just GO and not DM.

I am confused. Do we fly to get somewhere? Or to be greeted hello?

Sample size also way too small, the greeting is not a published benefit and varies wildly from ISM to ISM, which is unfortunate. But when it comes to waitlisting and asking for special requests, I am sure you will feel the DM memberships worth.

Yes. Greetings are very low on my list of things that made me want to stay with CX. They can abandon it for all I care. Although I was just briefly a GO but I feel like DM there's no other. The personnel clearly knows who you are and some of them aggressively try to make your flight better, and others will not but will always respond if you have some kind of request. It goes with the personality of the person who's serving you.

Yes, I guess sample size was too small. I don't care about greeting at all, in fact, I am almost all on movies with headphones on all the time, so to answer greeting is trouble for me.

I got all my request taken care of nicely, extra duvet, light meal, snack etc. However, it has always been like that since I was a SL flying J.

When I made the booking I was GO, but when I fly I am DM already. And my BP shows DM.

Will see how it goes on the return flight.

diamond is the new gold maybe....

I haven't experienced any noticeable difference in the quality of service from Gold to Diamond. Occasionally I'll be completely ignored but the greeting is not a big priority for me; potential for upgrades is far more important.

Gold is the new Silver, Silver is the new Green, Green will be the new AM.

What will be the next Diamond? Platinum?

It's a nice touch that goes a long way compared to the "cost" of greeting elite members. Doesn't really take that much effort and it can really separate CX from the rest of the pack.

I believed it's crew dependent. Last week I had experienced the best CX crew ever in J. This Korean senior purser is super friendly and takes time to greet every one of us (I dont have any status). And when they are preparing for arrival, she came to everyone and say thank you and wish us have a plesant stay. Her service is impeccable.

Maybe on the passenger manifest it showed that you are DM via Centurion, so not a real diamond........