QRC3288

At last! We North American fliers have finally discovered the true value in our J class ticket prices, which are 2x+ more expensive than the European ones.....

...an extra course for breakfast from CX's world-famous catering. Totally makes the price difference good now!


Back to being serious, what you're asying implies something which isn't really true. First, every North America distance with the exceptions of YVR and MAD as outliers are farther than every European one...as most know. Most of them, considerably farther. Minus the exceptions, each N. America westbound duration > European westbound, N. America eastbound > Europe eastbound.

Then, comparing the "long" way Europe flights (westbound) to the "short" way N. America flights (HKG-N.A), you still have about half the flights to North America (the "short" way) are always longer than HKG to Europe (the "long" way) no matter the time of year. For example: YYZ (2x daily), ORD (1x daily), EWR (1x daily), JFK (3x daily), BOS (1x daily) are virtually always longer. Okay, maybe there are exceptions a few times a year but this is basically always true.

HKG-SFO and HKG-LAX are indeed shorter than HKG-EUrope every single year, for a few months each year as the winter winds are strongest. But for the majority of the year when winds aren't as strong, the "short" way to these ports is still at least equal if not longer than HKG-Europe.

HKG-YVR is the exception where it regularly can be shorter than HKG-Europe flights.

But anyway, I just think for splitting these differences it's not worth it to CX. They would have to make even more menu changes and add costs....which does not seem like something they're in the mood for right now. However, I do feel you Europe fliers - the N. America breakfast is good because of that extra course, and how robust it is. Basically, you can skip CX's virtually-always crappy entrees and eat yogurt, or a smoothie, or cereal, fruit, etc. Even though it's a small difference, I far prefer the style of CX's J breakfast catering ex-N. America than ex-Europe. I never go hungry and there is variety. And if I am in the off mood for a savory, over-salted, re-heated casserole dish, there's always that. The bircher museli on the Europe flights does not appeal to me. It reminds me of the CX staple ex-HKG to Europe: the grassini sticks with radioactive-colored dips.

anabolism

My partner and I flew HKG-DFW in J on AA a few days ago, and the food was inedible. Really dreadful. Chicken main had a nasty taste, I think it had spoiled, and was oversalted, perhaps in an attempt to kill the bacteria. My partner said a few of his pieces were OK, but most of his and all of mine were really atrocious. Breakfast was rubbery dried out eggs swimming in grease from some nasty bacon slab.

frankyguy

That's a pity, I guess I've been lucky on six transpacific AA flights in the past few months (or I'm just inured by dozens of average meals on CX). I certainly hope you told the crew that you believe your meal was spoiled or at least wrote to AA afterwards.

carrotjuice

Took HKG-SIN again on A350, with identical menu as the previous fortnight.

Stewardess saw that I had barely touched my tarragon chicken, and asked me why. There opened the floodgates... told her how inedible it was... hard, overbaked, tasteless with unevenly cooked carrots (some strips were cooked while others were raw), barely cooked beans and almost raw yam. She explained that crew were supposed to follow heating instructions but the instructions don't appear to sync with the performance of the onboard oven!

Also complained that the previous week's wonton noodles was lukewarm - to which she had an explanation. Apparently for soups, the liquid is loaded into the cabin in a thermos and crew don't have heating capability onboard to reheat the soup. So with less than boiling soup, poured over albeit warmed bowls and noodles, the dish still came out disappointingly lukewarm.

When asked why ex-HKG food is always more terrible than ex-SIN, she admitted that customers have always complained about that - because CX uses their own caterers in HKG. Absolute shame for a HKG based airline!

And finally... are the nuts supposed to be served warm as well? Notice they have been rather cold when presented in those tiny square bowls nowadays. Or is this due to the absence of onboard heating equipment again?

carrotjuice

FWIW after my recent onboard complaint about inedible food on 2 J flights, I today received a cut and paste email from MPC with an offer of 7,000 Asia Miles.

percysmith

Can we have that as a cut and paste complaint?

Porky Speedpig

Flew Cathay J on 350 LGW HKG yesterday - food excellent both lunch and breakfast, very large portions, my choices were braised ox cheek for lunch and frittata for breakfast. Nuts seemed warm!
Later had second breakfast also on 350 on a regional flight albeit different menu so had had plenty of eggs by lunch time. I may have been making this up but although the seats were identical in the two ships I am sure the soft furnishings were different colours/material types which seemed odd for a small fleet. Did I imagine this?

FlyPointyEnd

Cathay Pacific is launching a new menu in collaboration with The Ritz Carlton From 1 February to 30 April 2017, the promotional menu will be served to First and Business Class passengers onboard selected Cathay Pacific flights departing from Hong Kong to a variety of long-haul destinations, including Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.

not sure how good it would be...

boybi

So it already started. How are the meals so far?

G-CIVC

Sigh, I wish there were less of these (recurring) BS with XYZ brands and they actually try to improve the presentation, portion and quality.

percysmith

Agree, but that means they actually have to increase ongoing costs...

gpia

Let's see what the RC splashes into our beloved casseroles...

TPJ

In C:

LHR-HKG - beef cheeks were good

HKG-SYD - if memory serves it was lamb and it was very average

miuk

Flew CX881 LAX-HKG on Feb-9, meals pics attached. Followed by CX723 from HKG-KUL for a second round of Cathay breakfast.

Dinner: bone marrow crusted USDA beef tenderloin, root vegetables, yukon mash potatoes and Bordelaise sauce

Snack: shui gaw in noodle soup (best meal of this flight)

Breakfast #1: smoked baby Swiss egg souffle, applewood smoked bacon, veal sausage, tomato and red bliss potatoes

Breakfast #2: corn and spinach fritata, chicken sausage, braised beans, vine ripened tomato and roasted new potato

clazza

https://www.businesstraveller.com/ai...don-hong-kong/

“Food is one of the main drivers for people to book an airline,” said Colin Talbot, head of catering at BA. “We know that if we get that food right on all of our flights, it’s the number one driver for bringing people back. We spend a lot of time trying to get it right and for our customers, food is an emotion and a passion.

Obviously CX dont agree