JFK-HKG F v J
 

I'm booked in F on an award ticket coming up JFK-YVR-HKG. But award space on a more preferable day has opened up in J.

Is there really that big of a difference between the J product and the F product on this route going direct since I won't get access to the F lounge in HKG anyway, only the arrivals lounge that J gets too in HKG. Is there a lounge difference in JFK? The seats are both lie flat, and while the F seat is slightly preferable, I have sat in both and find them both very comfrotable.. Am I really missing out on anything that special by changing to J?

We can give you whichever answer makes your decision easier :D

I am no fan of JFK-YVR-HKG. Far prefer the non-stop and by no means would I change my date just to go F, especially on CX889. That said, F has the "Wow!" factor and dine on demand. If you rarely fly F (or are traveling with a companion), go with that. Dining together is great. However, it sounds like you've done F before...in which case I'd stick with the nonstop and/or preferred date in J. For whatever reason, I sleep better in J than F. Both of them are perfectly good for sleeping and resting and by no means is J inferior.

I haven't been to the J side of the JFK lounge in 8 years, but I can say that the F side is nothing to write home about. I probably visit 4-5x annually. It rarely is crowded IME, and this is it's strongest selling point. Usually quiet and peaceful. But nothing fancy.

Is it true that the 889 has no caviar service?

No caviar on the JFK-YVR segment
Caviar is served on the YVR-HKG segment

The F lounge in JFK is marginally better than the J lounge (better booze, at least), but some people find it rather gloomy and small. Also, Cathay F (unlike J) passengers can eat at Pre-flight Dining before departure: decent, but not exciting.

For a trip that involves sleep, I find the F seats far more comfortable than the J, with the mattress pad and the better duvet. I don't know that it's so much better that I'd take a less preferable date, but the longer the flight, the more compelling the increased comfort is...

Although many, including myself, are not fans of JFK-YVR-HKG, if you're booked in F, I'd stay with that. I've flown this many times, but if F opens up on the flight that leaves 2 hours later, book that, not J. Keep checking.

As for JFK's lounge, the BA Business Class lounge (IMHO) is better than the cramped F lounge. At least it's so large you can run laps from one end to the other. :D The food is the same, no difference (at least when I am there). The desk always directs me to the business class lounge anyway (when I was Emerald) cuz they know that F lounge is not the best. There's an Elemis Lounge too, but I haven't found any showers (which they should have 'cuz I love their shampoo).

The issue really is the JFK-YVR segment in F is terrific, but it doesn't last. Upon landing in YVR, you'll be forced to wake up in the PJs, sit up, watch security run through, more passengers load, re-welcome with a new crew, schedule the meal, then take off, sleep. But it's still CX F and that's where you want to be. ^

Upon arrival in YVR what happens? You just stay on the plane?

JFK-HKG F v J
 

On JFK-YVR-HKG you stay on the plane. On the reverse, you have to get off and wait in the sterile, walled-off boarding area.

Not to bring up a sore subject for some - but if redeeming AA miles, the J to F difference is small enough that it would have to be a big hurdle on the "preferred date" issue to "waste" the miles on J. For other schemes where it's a 50% difference, that hurdle may be less. In any event, nobody here can gauge what "preferred" means for you.

And of course there's always the possibility an F award seat opens on your preferred date.

I would stay with F since it's way better.

I would avoid the stop in YVR even if it means losing F.

Depends on what you're trading out F for J for., and if you've flown CX F before. If you havem't flown CX F, then stick with F, even with the YVR stop. CX F, to coin a phrase, is the stuff that memories are made of. And if the choice is between the 9-ish PM connection over YVR in F, or the 1-AM ish nonstop in J, go with the YVR flight. What are you really going to do in NY between 9:55P and 1:30AM? Might as well be on a plane drinking Krug.

On the other hand, if it's between the 9:55P and and one of the morning or afternoon nonstops, it's a tougher call. If you've flown CX F before, then you might want to flip to one of the earlier flights in J. I like those timings better But for me it would be a hard choice because flying F transpac is still special for me and CX does it so well. And the timing for the long hop from YVR to HKG is perfectly timed for a nice long sleep if you're on NY time.

There's a difference but not like Y to J. If you are paying cash, it is not worth $3000+ for a 24" wide hotel room with decent food when you think about what that would buy at the Peninsula in HK, for example.

For points it depends on the difference and what they are worth in money (to you, that is).

I flew CX F YYZ HKG a couple times when the J seats were the old style bathtubs, F was sold as A for around $7-9,000 or so, vs. old J in $5000-5500. Then they dropped F totally ex-YYZ with the new seats. They also saved me at least $3000 a trip. The $3000 is a lot better.

Stopping in YVR into a dog run is not so great either.

Hopefully F opens closer to the departure date I want. I don't want to downgrade to J because- and I didn't realize- AA wants to charge a re-issue fee of $150. So I'll stick with F, but it's interesting to note the differences on this route, which don't seem to be all that much.

Yes, I have flown CX F before and it is an experience in itself.

Its showing an F seat available on the day I want on one of the non-stops on the BA award search engine, but the AA agents don't see the seat, and say there's nothing available; I've called several times. It's very rare that phantom space for CX shows up on the BA site.

Is there anyway to get to the Wing on arrival in HKG if terminating there?

Legitimately: Nope.

That's because you can't contact the EXP desk who have more brains and pull. Keep trying. Eventually, it will be likely that a seat will pop up close to departure. Stick with what you have (in F) in the meantime---the YVR stopover isn't that painful. LOL. Good luck.