Just finished my most recent trip yesterday. Totally eight CX Y legs - four were short haul and four were long hual with no op-upgrades - Not sure if it's just me or others are feeling the same... I somehow feel there has been a noticeable improvement in terms of in-flight services to me as a GO.

1. I complained about the inconsistent services (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...ngs-cx-ka.html) a few months ago. However in the previous 8 legs I have experienced consistent greetings in every single flight. Well I guess all we care is not really the greetings but the perks that comes with it. It does make flying with CX in Y a bit more special than flying with others.

2. 6 out of the 8 legs, I could describe them as some humbling experiences as I never had this type of treatments before. I was greeted as "Mr XXX" by all FA/SP/ISM when they saw me and served me - I only saw this type of treatment applies to DM previously. When I previously got greeted in Y, my name "Mr XXX" were usually mentioned once by whoever that came to greet me... and probably no more...If it only happens in one occasion it's understandable - perhaps the ISM/SP are just nice to GOs... but when it happens in all my Y legs, I certainly feel the difference.

3. All these legs offered me choice of meal and priority meal serving regardless of whether the flight was full or not. When flying to LHR, I was even offered a fast-track arrival card upon my request - that's something I was not expecting but thought no harm to ask as it's been discussed here that only F/J pax would get them. When I asked, I was not only offered the fast track - I was also offered by ISM that if I would like to be sited in J just before the landing so that I could be the first one that get off the aircraft... although I didn't take this offer but as you could imagine, I was surprised and flattered.

4. Only two of the eight legs I was offered a bottle of water. No longer Evian - one was SYD-HKG where I was offered a bottle of Australia made SUMMIT and the other was LHR-HKG where I was offered a bottle of Scotland made HIGHLAND SPRING. I don't really care if it's Evian or not but in all my past flying experiences if the bottle of water was ever offered - it would be Evian. This might be a cost cutting initiatives?

5. In two of the legs where I was not offered a bottle of water, I was regularly asked by the FA/SP that if I need more drinks... in the leg of HKG-LHR, I was offered a can of diet coke to start with, when the can was finished, a FA came to collect the empty can and passed me another can, and then collect and offered another can... and four cans of coke before meal serving. My snack of peanuts doubled. Ice-cream doubled. Bread comes with the meal doubled too - it was a fully packed flight. In the leg of HKG-SYD, the Y meal I was served comes with three cups of drinks - one plastic cup of water, one plastic cup of soft drink and one plastic cup of red wine - that's a totally J meal setup but using Y catering and container.

I have no idea if what I write above are something considered standard to rest of you guys. It was certainly something that I never had before. Could this be a general improvement of in-flight services or I am just kind of lucky? I was also requested by ISM to fill up a customer feedback form at the end of a flight - I was more than happy to do so and write something really positive about her and her team - cos it was a heart-felt feeling of being looked after.

When flying from outports, the water is generally a supplier from the local country. I'm pretty sure that the water in J has been Summit for quite a few years ex-SYD.

Thanks for your update.

I've always found it ridiculous that they try to serve Evian....I think Evian has an odd, sterile taste to it and I far prefer cheaper bottled waters like Bonaqua or Watsons in HK. As someone said above, it's pretty normal at outports to receive water from that locale. Ex-USA often serve Crystal Geyser in both J and F. One of the last things I could care about is what type of bottled water CX serves, especially since I don't care for the taste! I'd much prefer they cut out Evian and add budget back to alcohol or better food.

Agree re Evian - I've always found it to have a flat, almost salty taste.

Closer to source = less transport = fewer emissions and lower transport cost. When flying ex-Australia, do you really need a bottle of Evian transported all the way from France? IME, 'Premium' water, like Evian and Fiji Water, is really overhyped - I presume they're only slightly 'healthier' than your average bottle of Bonaqua.

Highland Spring has always been CX's choice ex-UK...

You must be especially handsome as I've never been given a fast track pass when travelling in Y.

Sorry you are correct - I reviewed some ex-SYD in-flight pictures I made before and it appeared it's always SUMMIT. EVIAN only comes up when it's ex-HKG.

I personally love EVIAN's salty taste - just a preference.

Thank for the compliment (i.e. especially handsome) and I don't want to estimate how many people see me in person will second it...

I guess it's been a matter of luck. It depends on if they do have an spare one to offer too... I was told they were running out these fast track card (therefore can't offer me) in my previous flights to LHR.

Just got off CX806 yesterday..a couple of observations:

1. I noticed in the Y galley (by row 54) that they had a couple of stickies with names, seat numbers and MPC status for SL members and above in Y (there were three SLs including myself and two GOs). I found this strange; I thought they normally only take note of GOs and DMs? There was no special service (no greeting etc, but that was expected as SL) up until the second meal service, when a purser came to ask me for my meal choice, as they were going to start serving from the back (I was seated in 31A). This too was the first time I have been asked in advance for my meal choice as a SL! Unfortunately I don't think she ever followed up on it; I was not served my meal first, nor did the FA serving my aisle know my choice when she got to my row. I really don't care: as a SL I don't expect any of this extra service, and I still got my choice.

2. There was a thread about this a while back, but the moving map was turned OFF the whole flight (even on the ground in HKG).

3. During his pre-take-off announcement, the captain mentioned that passengers were prohibited from congregating in aisles, galleys and toilet areas, as this was a flight bound for the US. The ISM then repeated this during her post-take-off announcement. This was the first time I had heard such an announcement in my 10+ US-bound flights in the past two or so years on any airline.

Let's be fair - none in the Federal Aviation Regulation says such and such...

But it does have one that you need to obey the instruction of the crewmembers.

It is up to you how to read between lines.

I always hear the flight attendance announced at the beginning of the flight that do not line up in front of the lavatory on the US domestic flight and you need to wait in your seat.

If you want to continue your flights, do as told and get out of trouble. It is not an option to question, this applies to everyone without prejudice or class distinction.

Thanks for sharing. Even as a GO this happens to me in the past too - people came to offer me certain things, grabbed my consent/preferences and never came back to me again - if it's something not important such as choice of food (as I eat pretty much everything available), I don't really care. But I will follow up if it's something important to me such as a cup of water so that I can take my pills.

The fact that they had the stickers with our names were quite interesting to me... I never thought that's the case. Again, thanks for sharing.

It's somehow good to know... so that when we sit at the Emergency rows, which are usually next to the toilet, there will be less distractions from the waiting queue.

Not really stickers, but more like post-its/stickies. One for each cabin (front rows 31-49 and back rows 54-70).That was the first time I'd seen it too. Maybe because the elite load was light? Only two GOs and three SLs in Y.