Cathay First is overrated

Definitely my least favorite First Class experience - both lounges in HKG and in-flight (CX888) were very poor comparing to other airlines. Non-exciting airline with below average service.

Would you mind elaborating a bit?

If you are going post a hit piece, at least add details and explain the service failures. Otherwise, you're just another crank to be ignored.

Don`t even know where to begin with, everything was just below a decent F.

The lounges (I visited The Wing and The Pier) had non-existent service (girls stood in bunch of 4-5 minding their own business-no welcome, no help with carry-on, never asked me if I needed anything, just took my plate and glass-those The Peninsula folks are not trained somehow, and so on...) The Pier had a room which looked like a party just crashed into it and left a huge mess -leftovers were sitting under the lights melting and spoiling. A guy stood at the entrance to that room, so I suppose it was normal appearance (disgusting - if you ask me). The Noodle Bar (which served decent noodles in April) went down the hill - a canteen with awful noodles - couldn`t even eat it. Can`t think of anything positive or put it on the same scale with SIN Private Room or LH FCT.

Flight experience was bad on HKG-YVR leg - the worst service (unfriendly flight attendant - stiff and not welcoming despite she was from Canada with Shanghai-born mother, fake and indifferent manager who cared less about passengers). Food was bad on that leg as well, limited wine selection (1/2 of the wine list). Krug? Ok, but SIN has two Doms in addition to the same Krug, and JAL has the most amazing wine selection among all airlines.
The leg from YVR to JFK was pleasant-much better food and much better caring service (based in Vancouver as well, but one was Japanese and the other was born in HKG).

Other little things such as no toothbrush or other products in the bathrooms is so out of date-nowadays it is not acceptable for F and other Asian airlines have those items even for J. One PJ per person on two leg flight? Too cheap. Asking didn`t yield another one...

And that`s just a few things...

Sounds like a dreaded YVR crew....

I am sorry to hear your experience in CX F. My last time with CX888 was wonderful in two legs.

1. In Pier, did you ask the attendants in the restaurant what you wanted to eat/drink or whatever they could help...?

2. They must do a better job to clean up the mess. That's for sure.

3. I really cannot remember when there was service to help with carry-on. In 4/5-star hotels, yes, but in First class lounges? I know JAL, CX, BA, SQ, TK, LX, KL, AF. I don't think it's fair for you to even expect help with luggage.

3. How exactly the food was bad in HKG-YVR? What food was bad? Perhaps the food was not to your liking?

4. You knew where the attendants were from. Apparently you had a conversation with the FAs. In your opinion, how much more do they need to do? If you want a longer/more personal conversation with the FA, how about going to the galley and talk to them? CX888 is also an overnight flight, both legs. One really cannot expect to have an FA sitting next to their First class suite enjoying the wine while others are trying to sleep.

5. Why do you need two PJs when you are taking the same direct flight? I think they are very reasonable - Giving PJ to HKG-YVR flight, or even YVR-JFK flight. Some folks were just flying F for the second segment, and they still received a set of pajamas. I really can't consider that as cheap.

6. At the end, if you truly think some of their services are not up to your expectation, write to the customer relations. At the end of the flight, try to ask for an opinion/comments card, and write to express your concerns. Last time I wrote, I saw the ISM read it while I was going to the lavatory. Shortly after I went back to the seat, she came over and apologized for some deficiencies at the airport/in the flight, and promised they would do better. Next time I was in the HKG-US flight again, the new ISM recognized me, and immediately followed up with the concerns I gave them in previous flights. They mentioned they had records of my previous flights, so they knew how to reasonably improve their service.

Good luck to your next flight.

I don't know who's cheap here? CX not providing two PJs on the same flight or someone sitting in F wanting two PJs on the same flight (??)

No toothbrush? You have the amenity kit and in the bathroom they stock Aesop product. So I am not sure if your 'complaint' is even valid???

Sounds like the OP had a bad day to begin with, and was grumpy so everything that didn't right to him/her, just escalated into a bad experience. If things are not right , then make it right by being intereactive... smile, say thank you.. instead of sitting there thinking that you're the king / queen of the world. A simple gesture goes long way.

I think CX F has gone downhill in the last year or so, and I agree CX F may be overhyped. I prefer JL F.

However, CX is still excellent in the grand scheme of things, and I think some of the criticisms are somewhat unfair. There is a toothbrush in the amenity kit. Why do you need two pajamas? CX crews are reactive, unlike SQ crews, and you have to learn to push the call button. CX food has never been its high point, especially the western mains, but the Chinese options and snack menu are decent--so knowing what to order is key. Not having 1/2 of the wine list is indeed unacceptable, as well as the messy lounge.

Ultimately, is CX F perfect? No. Is it overhyped? Perhaps. Is it still a top notch F product? I think so.

I don't understand who is hyping it?

CX F is, IMO, the best bed in the sky. It improved - not declined - following the cosmetic F refresh a year or two ago. Other carriers offer nice products, but I haven't flown another F product on offer with a hard F product that beats CX. (Fwiw, I haven't flown that new etihad F with the bedrooms or whatever on the a380, but have flown most others).

CX F F & B are behind competitors. No doubt about it.

The Pier F is, IMO, now one of if not the best F lounge globally. On this gripe, it sounds like the OP had a bad experience but I cannot disagree more with his conclusion. One trip doesn't spell reality. At least in the nearly 10x times I've been in there so far, I havent had such a problem.

CX ground services do not offer all the bells, whistles, hand holding and bling as competitors. Some of this argument is fair - I think buggies for deplaning F pax would be a nice gesture from far gates. But some of these complaints are nonsense, IMO. HKG offers what is perhaps the most efficient all around ground experience of any major global airport. For CX to offer the amount of extras like LG at FRA or TG at BKK, IMO, is unnecessary. FRA and BKK can be horrific airport experiences without fast tracks and premium services. HKG just never has that issue.

I would share some opinions with the OP.
- Food and wines are clearly inferior.
- HKG lounges do not match the service and F&B of the lounges dedicated to F-pax only at LHR, FRA/MUC or SIN.
- On any airline, one can always get a FA team that has a bad day.
- I would add that no buggy at HKIA is a shame

But CX hard product is wonderful and the overall experience is excellent.

The funny part of the post is the request for 2 PJs on a one-stop flight.

+2. It was upon reading that part that I had to conclude the OP was having a bad day.

+1

Or expecting toothbrushes throughout the aircraft.

I last flew on CX888 (YVR-JFK) in F a few months ago, and I find this claim hard to swallow. The CX888 YVR-JFK menu was extremely limited. Not that I wanted to each much anyway - boarding in YVR, I just wanted to sleep - but just noticing. IIRC there were 2 appetizers (a small but lovely seafood appetizer, and soup), 1 western main and 1 Chinese offering, and a few desserts. At least CX888 HKG-YVR has a more broad menu; 3 course Chinese offering, caviar, more mains, etc. I suppose it could come down to the options but I hadn't flown the YVR-JFK leg in F before, and was shocked at how limited the menu was. I've flown most CX routes in F; the previous winner for limited options was CX F to TPE and MNL. Yet even that has an equal or larger menu than YVR-JFK on 888 (to be fair, the seafood appetizer from YVR was of high quality. Just menu was limited). If I had been flying through from HKG en route to JFK, and my time clock was off, I would've been bummed given the limited selection.

Some of airlines, say SQ, keep the toothbrushes in the F bathroom. I will give the benefit of the doubt to the OP and assume he didn't realize CX's toothbrush is contained within the amenity kit. Maybe he couldn't find it?