ual744777sta

Amuse bouche will be cut as of 01Feb17.

elg26

Cut everywhere...all routes?

RA-wannabe

Yup... as per IFS, all amuse bouche will be cut from ALL first class route in FEB 17 as part of cost cutting.

jayoxd

how expensive could they be...

percysmith

Monkey see monkey do July's "enhancements"

Similar to BA adopting 10-abreast and CX prior adoption of Club Points (tier points)

380Flyer

They may as well shut down the airline! If not for all the fuel hedging losses, they would have been highly profitable but now to cover their mistakes, they are punishing the customers for their wrong decision!

The current management just can't get anything right!

HarbourGent

This is pretty pathetic stuff on Cathay's part.

beckoa

Next flight is in April...alas.

SFO777

If we're talking about that awful chilled salmon mousse thing, hallelujah!

Fly Me To The Moon

Just took HKG-FRA today in F.

I think they have discontinued the hand-written card for Diamond (and First) members. Another "cost cutting" measure?????

SilverChris

If they need to resort to doing away with something that costs barely a few cents apiece, CX must be in an unimaginably dire state

QRC3288

interesting you say that.

personally I could care less about the cards, but I think you might be right?...on 2 long-haul J in December, one long-haul F in December and another long-haul F in January, I didn't receive one on any of the times. Could also just be bad luck.

Although to be fair, I really don't care about the cards. I'd prefer the service to be good.

I do like the amuse bouche, and to SFO777's point above, it's not always salmon - the dish varies by flight # and port. I suppose it's indeed a little gimmicky, but I thought it was a nice move when they added it a few years ago. It's definitely in the "not necessary" category, I agree with that. But hey, is caviar really necessary on all these F flights? Most aspects about F aren't really "necessary". Anyway, count me in the camp that did think the amuse bouche was a nice touch and I'm sad to see it go (although I won't stop buying CX F tickets on account). One of the rare increases to F soft services in recent years. Bummer to see it go.

[I will add, the first issue below is something that has made me think twice before buying a long-haul F ticket on CX. I've actually changed my flight number a few times to avoid the long daytime flights when I saw there was only one seat left on the seatmap. Which, predictably if you're buying a cash ticket at the last minute, is 1D or 2D anyway...]

IMO, the issues with F are as follows, in order:
*6/6 just does not work with only 2 FAs. Especially on day flights when the other passengers are "enjoying" F, and 1 FA is off duty. The problem is when the crews do their alternating rest groups, especially if the ISM is in that group, you have a single FA serving 6 F pax. Sometimes everyone decides to eat at once. I've had times where service is brutally slow (CX830 comes to mind) with 6/6, up to 2 hours to get through a few courses by myself. This is extreme but it happens. Even with 5/6, and obviously with fewer passengers, you feel the difference. Of course there are variables here like how needy the passengers are....at the extreme end are folks who just sleep, which is great for other passengers....but in general I find myself most dissatisfied with F on full-house flights, particularly daytime. It's just too much strain on the FAs when you have 6 passengers expecting prompt, attentive, excellent service when there is 1 FA available. Even when 2 are on-duty, if the ISM isn't helping out and all 6 passengers want things it *can* be painfully slow, although killer crews can make 2 FAs work for 6 hungey pax. I just don't like the staff:crew ratio on 77W, undeniably the B744 was much better after new F got installed because even on crew rest time, you always had at least 2 FAs to maximum of 9 pax. So the worst it ever got was 4.5:1 pax:crew. Obviously on 77W it can get to 6:1.

Especially if you get unlucky and fellow pax are in the "let's maximize F" mode, and they spend hours eating, talking and laughing together. This was CX830 for me back in August, nonstop talking and eating for what seemed like the entire flight. There's really nothing to be done CX invites companion dining with the buddy seat but it definitely means those who like quiet don't get it if that's the pax profile that day.

6/6 is less of a deal on late-night flights or ex-Europe departures because mostpassengers, if they're eating, seem to cluster their eating behavior either at the beginning of the flight or the end. The patterns are more "normal" and both F FAs are on duty during meal rush hour. I find myself less concerned with a full house on night flights. Of course, maybe I'm just too tired I usually sleep the whole time. But daytime flights when I'm awake, I notice the delays, and I'm sure other pax too...everyone is expecting the same thing! Prompt, attentive service.

*Poorly constructed wine list. the wine list is constructed for the lowest common denominator: bling-name Champagne and a bling red (usually too-young) brand-name Bordeaux, and everything else doesn't matter. (of course, I've read somewhere that CX doesn't pay nearly close to rack rate for Krug from LVMH). Anyway, sometimes there isn't even a serviceable white on the list. 7+ years ago there was always a solid white Burgundy.

*Limited F food choices. I just wish there was more on many flights. The number of appetizers and entrees have declined in the decade I've been regularly flying CX F, and the Chinese dinner/lunch option has also been reduced by 1 each flight. Obviously, the Balik Salmon went away years ago as well.

I will say, with all the whinging CX F is still a no-brainer for most flights when available. Sadly (looking at the mirror here), I've been whinging about the wine list for 5+ years but the poor list honestly hasn't changed my ticket buying patterns. What annoys me and HAS affected my purchasing decisions before is when service is painfully slow and thus I can't work or sleep at the cadence I want. While I can't predict this, I just look at daytime flights and see if there is only 1 F seat left. If so, I've skipped...although I think in the two times I did this I just rearranged some meetings and flew at night, also on CX F. I've used SQ in F to SFO a few times, but where Cx is really losing my business is in J class. I have actively moved a lot of my J business away from them. I hope this amuse bouche cancellation thing isn't the sign of more cuts to come in F.

TurtleEyes

Looks like they are adopting BA's model.

SW7London

Card received on cx255 Jan 16.

Only 4 passengers yet the ISD was helping the 2 crew out. Excellent flight, me and another pax both asked for the temp to be turned down after dinner and it was the best sleep I've ever had on a plane.

Was quite chilly though during breakfast so they had turn the temp back up!

tfung

Don't really care about the amuse bouche... could have it or not have it... but the food in F has already gone downhill so much, I can already see the quality and selection is going to be declining even more pretty quickly...