Or, just implement 3-tier boarding at every gate like they already do with PVG/PEK flights and some US flights. F/DM, J/MPC, and non-status.

Politely, I am not sold that it's Greens clogging up the lines. Boarding is an annoying process but for a few years now, I've tried to figure out who is in line with me. It's almost always SL, GO, SL or partners, not Greens! Like the lounges, CX most certainly knows who is clogging up the lines, but unlike the lounges - where CX makes plenty of revenue off those partners who enter, basically putting CX's incentives completely opposite to MPC members (who would prefer excluding partners) - CX doesn't exactly make a killing off Greens and I imagine if Greens were 20% or so of the J line that would've been axed a long time ago. I have no #s, but I definitely encourage folks to look around at who's in line with you in the F/J side...to me, it always seems like MPC members.

An easy way to fact check my suspicion is just ask...how crowded are the lounges? Everyone in the lounge has access to priority boarding, and nobody in the lounge is Green unless they're with someone who is higher status. Given how crazy the CX lounge crowding situation can be, I'd say it's a fair bet the priority lines are clogged up with Silvers, GO, DM and partners. Doesn't it follow that the priority lines are likely full of the same people who are jammed into the lounges? Which, by definition, aren't Greens?

I definitely see Greens in the lines, don't get me wrong. But I've never had the situation where I'm standing in line amidst what it seems like a sea of green - it seems like I always see AA, or CX GO, or whatever with me. Higher status. The flights I fly are obviously not Greens - check out a line to PEK and PVg, where you can have easily 40 Diamonds and 40 Golds (each) on a flight. I do not often ask, but one notable time I asked the ISM how many elite passengers. This KA ISM was going to greet every DM, OWE, GO and Sapphire member. She looked down and said she had to make 120 or something introductions (I can't remember the exact #, but it was over 100). Or to JFK, where you might have 15 Diamonds, 15 more partner Emeralds, 20 Golds, and lord knows how many partner Sapphires and CX SL. At least the flights I fly, there are heaps of status pax above Greens on board who are filling up those lines. That's why I've never understood the vitriol against Greens. I was only Green for a month or so many years back, but I guess I don't express the same distaste towards them. CX could easily fix the situation without canning them. Heck, let them board with Premium Economy, after J/GO but before Y. They should get something at least.

I am a 10 year diamond and never fly in J or F. I fly short haul in Y and long haul in Premium.
Cathay are not the cheapest airline but thats OK because i get benefits which others have mentioned such as V class tickets, upgrade inventory, no deadlines and general helpfulness from the MPC.
If these benefits go then I would simply buy tickets based on price and schedule. I can use lounges through credit cards and I can check in online.

Like all airlines its easy to disregard Y travellers but frankly we have all seen the failures of business class only airlines.

We shouldn't get emotional about this, its a pure business decision, Cathay need to realise that we can all make a similar decision (not to fly with them).
Frankly Cathay will survive whatever they do, but they should be careful before they turn their backs on the Hong Kong public who keep them going.

You are obviously a lot more travelled and experienced in the matter.
No vitriol against green or any colour. I am a peasant. If it is 20% it is a already a sizeable cut. Plus, what is possibly more so, it is in line wiith CX's point of making sure the right elites, the deserving ones are served. Bad enough that the lounges are packed. Does it help if true elites come to the gate and find another maddening line? And for what?

Enforcing different lines may be a problem, according to CX, due to space problems and I imagine, can create some confusion among the not too savvy.

What about this - if space permits F/DM, J/MPC Gold/SL, and GR/PEY then the rest of the world.
Otherwise, F/J/DM/Gold and SL/GR/PEY then the rest of the world.

I travel far less than the experts here. Probably 4-8 long hauls a year, as many short hauls plus a few sectors along the way, almost always in F/J. Only instance in Y would in fact almost always be in one-class carriers which have nothing to do with HKG or CX. 98% of the time I do not use the lounges in HKG and I don't mind / expect whether I have an upgrade (very very rare). For some reason I seldom queue. I board towards the end but not too late. There is never a problem with storage as I travel pretty light and in front. I do not mind whether ISM comes over although invariably he/she does. I do not require seat block. I would like better award availability but that doesn't happen and I am just about resigned to it. What to me is good about CX is that:

There is really nothing that compares in terms of hard or soft product in almost every way - Can't imagine BA, AF to Europe or UA or AA to USA. LH is marginally similar in front cabin but only to Germany. Emirates I tried ages ago and never warmed to them and the route doesn't suit me. JL has gone way down and route isn't convenient either.

Not to say there shouldn't be a program. Of course there should be, there has to be! There should be! So how?

Giving out upgrade vouchers and putting DM in empty seats will go the way US and other carriers have gone --- down, so no.

What about a sliding scale of mileage bonuses if you hit certain levels? For people like QRC3288, what about another 10%, then 15%, then 20% ... xx% bonus if you reach a certain level? Free car service?

I am of the hated CX SL group that shouldn't take up lounge and boarding space according to the DMs here, so bite me. :D

Typically I fly 5-6 times long haul from TPE to DXB or RUH, therefore
always around 5000 miles short of MPC Gold. I guess people like me who fly around 50,000 to 55,000 miles annually on CX but can never make GO will be some of the hardest hit when this new system hits, if lounge benefits will be taken away. Presently I still credit the 25,000 miles to CX despite the fact that it won't make me GO ever.

In any case, might be a good time to start looking for other airline or FFP to get me there.

Actually, this thread shows how stupidly, how very stupidly, CX is handling this.

Q - why is CX trying to change the program/s and at a cost of employing professionals etc? Presumably - To enhance its brand, profits and instil more loyalty where it matters, bring in more elites whilst keeping those already with CX, PLUS not to lose too much if any business / image / loyalty in doing so.

Here - at least a year before the new scheme is implemented, elites (including those qualifying via sectors on KA, those flying ex-tpe and even those who can qualify a few times over on expensive HKG-JFK tickets like QRC3288) are (thinking of / about to be) ducking for cover, finding new carriers, program/s from which they may not ever return, at least not certainly or entirely.

How crazy is this?

If I were CX, I will try to pacify my loyal members in the meantime. Otherwise, what "loyalty" remains for there to be a loyalty program? What is the point of the overhaul? Is it to enhance or to distance.

Is some 無間道 playing a trick on CX?

Well is it in QRC3288's immediate interest to shift to some other program (such as AA)?.

Bear in mind he still currently gets DM benefits by crediting to DM. If he jumps to [AA] (even if hypothetically status matched to [AA EXP] level immediately) and credits to it he is treated just as any other OWE and not as a DM.

Isn't his optimal break point the time when CX actually cuts the benefits (and he immediately status matches)?

Or he makes DM and then credits to other airlines thereby becoming their elite and / or be a free spirit suiting himself and his wallet.

If he can status match, he should do it later to avoid maintaining two overlapping status.

If he can't then he should accumulate now as soon as he makes DM

Bear in mind if CX does go through with the changes there may be other programs working to poach dropped members like QRC3288 with targeted status matches, challenges and other offers.

My change, which started when I saw this thread and thought about what it means, is right now starting to put some of my incremental revenue and business elsewhere until this tides over and I figure out what CX's plan is. In the last 10 days I have receipts on SQ and BR to prove it (as well as KA....no point in avoiding the best carrier to China IMO), and both those BR and SQ trips - to the US and Singapore - would've been CX's business if I didn't think they were about to upend the ship. I figure I should start accumulating miles in another program, because maybe my AM will be worth even less than they already are in the future and why should I keep accumulating a currency that is going to continue to downgrade, especially when I have zero incentive to do so as a DM who resets early and the soft benefits I value (...seat block) disappearing. The truth is I simply don't know - maybe this change will be to my benefit!. Truth is, my op-up rate has increased under this SEC system, not decreased. But I will admit that, despite really enjoying my time with CX the last many years, service has declined, the award availability, earn/burn, ease of confirmation even as DM is absurd, and competition has increased. none of these together are a deal killer but ultimately we as customers do have a choice and why not exercise them. So if CX is even hinting about making "changes" to the MPC program, which in my experience is consultant speak for an overall downgrade, then I should just do the logical thing during my reset period and spend my money elsewhere.

I have plenty of time until I need to start re-earning DM anyway. Normally, in this period after I reset, I'd still loyally give my business almost entirely to CX/KA whenever possible. But right now, I figure it's time I start spreading my business around until I know a little better what CX's changes are. Doesn't hurt me to start now...I have a while until I reset DM anyway.

Precisely why I wrote post 260 above.

OIC. I thought you may be still taking CX flights (being ex-HKG we don't have a choice a lot fo the time) and just simply crediting the miles to another OW program.

If you're still mainly still on CX and value DM benefits optimally you'll keep flying CX and crediting to DM til the new changes come in.

But you're not valuing DM and happy and able to jump over to the other side, then I see why you're starting now.

Incidentally (you should know I'm not a CX employee or consultant or agent or anything, just a nosy busybody) what *A program are you crediting to? I doubt it'll be KF cos of their SQ J/F-only rules too.

+1! I can't agree with you more here. I am in a similar situation with you - I usually hit DM reset around 5-6 months within the 12-month membership year after that I would still fly CX/KA (or Oneworld) primarily. Whilst I really enjoy CX hospitality especially as a DM flying primarily in J and sometimes F, the F/J offering however is on an apparent and consistent decline over the years. With cost cutting exercise being so obvious (don't get me started on this! haha) and that the uncertainty on the potential change on MPO it gets me thinking twice on spending my money wisely. Other carriers like BR is catching up quick both in soft/hard product and I am happy to give them a try for my US trips (LAX/SFO). A few years ago I would not even think about other carriers but with CX's ridiculous ex-HKG pricing, consistent downgrade in F/J offering (and I am sure even worse in Y), MPO benefits fading slowly and the potential revamp on their loyalty programme, I see no reasons why I should (or anyone) be blindly loyal like I have been the past 18+ years.

As my TA can attest, I used to fly a mix of MU, CI, J-class intra-China/Taiwan/Hong Kong, but then I've decided to put all my nest egg in CX DM preciously because their lounges are superior, and I get superior service onboard.

However, if CX is telling me I don't deserve to use their top lounges, and I don't deserve such high quality of services onboard (I'm guess all the 'personal touch' onboard will be redirected to "Titaniums" and no longer applied to DM, or in theory still applies to DM but crew will simply ignore that policy, just like in theory GO should get the same superior extra services onboard, but according to many GOs here that is not the case), why should I bother to keep the revenue stream only going to CX?

Say I go to AA, becomes AA EXP, force to fly AA metal, but unlike with Asiamiles/MPO I can rack up 400,000 points easy per year with AA with bonus points, credit card purchases, etc.; and use it to redeem CX F class. Is that how CX wants us to do? Force out DMs to go to another program, give them the revenue, only to see them come back and hoard your premium cabins with points that are not even yours?

....

Well would you really fly more AA? Or simply credit CX flights to AA.

And if they think they are giving too many premium seats to partners they can easily do something about that.

So I guess for those like me who get status by buying ex-TPE business class seats (and for me, all my flying is for leisure and out of my own pocket), should we start cashing in our miles and redeeming tickets now?

My guess is that I'll probably drop to SL after the changes - and perhaps more difficult to secure award seats.

Hmm... I've already redeemed 3 business class tickets to Europe for 2015 ... perhaps I should redeem some more!