Originally Posted by kaka (Post 28267211)

how does SWISS make any difference HKG-ZRH on swiss is even earlier.

Originally Posted by QRC3288 (Post 28270096)

Technically there is a somewhat better OW connection, on QR via DOH. There is a flight that leaves HKG around 01:20am, and I think the best connection would get you to ZRH around 1pm.

And it's totally possible one of those two flights were full.

All-in, I'd say CX did a pretty decent job here, except for denying the taxi fare (which was definitely just wrong information passed, for sure you could've gotten that refunded), and saying come back at 5am (this sounds bizarre to me, considering the check-in counters aren't even open then). Maybe there was some miscommunication. The CX flight accomodations via LHR were pretty good actually, considering the situation. Middle seat sucks though.

That's a tight connection ex-mainland China and I can't say I'd ever recommend it.

Regarding flying Swiss, to the folks dismissing it....I think you're kinda over-exaggerating here. Lufthansa owns both Swiss and Austraian. I've had Lufthansa re-route me on Swiss before. I imagine if the Austrian flight was going the next day with seats, the OP would've been re-routed via VIE to ZRH and had a similar if not slightly worse situation than he received with CX via LHR. Anyway, I don't think it's as bad as some are implying...Swiss = LH Group.

CX does itself a disservice by not putting a warning up about the flights from China or requiring longer connections, especially in the late parts of the day when inbound flights are more likely to be delayed due to system delays throughout the day.

Originally Posted by garykung (Post 28270660)

If I am correct, booking on LX means XMN-PEK-ZRH.

Originally Posted by kaka (Post 28270785)

OP flies economy. QR Y checkin closes at 60 minutes. OP does not have sufficient time to checkin.
(Assuming the delay wasnt known until late in his XMN departure.)

Originally Posted by mxr (Post 28270599)

I didnt know that the Austrian flight leaves so early in the day, so I was only considering the two midnight departures on LH/LX, midnight departures on SQ via SIN or possibly daytime departures on any star alliance flight departing China. But then OP would have had to switch too many planes, I'm sure he wouldnt have enjoyed that given that he was angry about his connection through LHR.

I once had the situation the other way around, where I was flying LX MXP-ZRH-HKG and my MXP-ZRH was delayed. Upon arriving at the service counters in ZRH they offered me LX 24h later or LH with connection in MUC/FRA but also with a 24h delay.
I kindly asked them to book me on SQ ZRH-SIN-HKG which left before noon, thus I arrived a good few hours before I would have. It also gave me the one time opportunity to fly SQ J with an LX J ticket that only cost me 1800 Euros.