Cathay v JAL on 4h30 Flight
 

Hi all,

I know that since this is the CX forum there may be a little bias but ...

If I could choose between CX or JL business class for a flight HKG to Tokyo (4h30), what would be the best option?

Direct flights to Japan are tremendously expensive this summer but found a good deal to HKG, and would then burn 20.000 avios for a flight to Tokyo from there (guess it'd be worth it?).

Thanks

It depends on what you want. Hard product wise - both offer fully flat beds but only on selected flights. The regional product on other CX flights is...pretty nasty as most will agree here. Meals - JL can be thought of as better not only for Japanese but also Western choices. Timing - CX wins with more frequencies and better scheduling. Service - highly YMMV I love CX because I am a local but JL won't disappoint for sure. Lounges - no difference.

The flights with long haul (i.e. flat bed) config are CX548 and CX520. For JL its JL26 to HND.

One more thing, you can do part-pay (i.e. reduced avios and top up with [nominal] cash) for CX but not JL.

If I had no OW status, I would take JL.

Agree- JL all the way. CX Regional in any class is subpar- IMO JL Much better experience on Short and long haul this past year..

JL736 to NRT also has long-haul product. It's just previous generation angle flat seat.

I'd prefer the one with availability to HND. If you're seeing availability on both CX and JL there, assuming both are lie-flat, I'd lean JL.

I am not sure if any flight can beat CX 548 in terms of good timing and product, definitely not the 2 JL flights to Tokyo. So if OP is going for vacation (?) this could be a crucial factor. Or even for like business meetings for that matter.

But OP is OW Emerald and as far as I know JL doesn't do the ooh-and-aah like CX. However, this is not so likely as CX HND flights are easily elite-heavy (as in like 15 DMs 30 GOs etc)

I fly HKG-TYO a lot. Here is my personal take. Fares from HKG to Japan are really quite expensive all year round in all classes.

1. PEY for mileage burn I find the best value (at least using CX/AA Miles), therefore CX as JL does not have PEY on regional flights. Though for reference purposes JL's longhaul PEY beats BA/CX/QF hands down.
2. In business JL offers better than regional CX in terms of seating.
3. In economy, JL is not great, if you get a JL 767 it is not good at all, CX's economy is far better, though JL's Cantonese stewardess' are usually very good.
4. There is always the late afternoon Dragonair flight to Haneda. I find KA regional to be better than CX regional, though it is an A320 I think.
5. For food, JL is definitely better, though I personally loathe the smell of rice crackers.
6. Entertainment, CX wins in all classes quite easily.
7. For treatment as an OWE, again CX will 'recognise' you, but JL will barely notice your existence.
8. Watch out for seat selection. JL's systems do not seem to be able to talk to other airlines so getting an advance seat assignment is a pain in the arse. Well I find this to be the case as an AA OWE. CX is definitely better here.
9. Haneda is definitely the better airport and CX has a lot more flights into Japan than JL so more flexibility.
10. As you can use any of the lounges that will not matter, though the Sushi Bar in the JL lounge at Narita is great.

Hope this helps.

Nicc

A vote for CX because of better flight schedules.

JL offers premium Economy on HND-HKG, long before CX introduced that class of service. And it has wi-fi too. So IFE is not a sure win for CX depending on what you want.

It's an award redemption, OP will have no problem of seat selection with JL system.

Soft and hard products on JL Economy is better than CX even with 767 which is rarely being used on HKG-TYO. You get 34" legroom on 777-200ER. The Japanese CAs on JL are definitely better than those HKG based ones in terms on professionalism.

I personally like the afternoon timing as it usually means less HKG tourists on your flight and I can avoid the morning rush to HKG and the evening rush hours in TYO. To me going on a trip is more about relaxing instead of trying to squeeze out every single min in your destination.

Don't have high expectation on food on either airlines. Ex-HKG meals on JL are not up to the JL standard at all.

I take CX for the schedules. Fly into HND on the 77W and you are guaranteed a top notch product, better imo than anything JL have. Otherwise they are both perfectly adequate for a short flight.

By the way, be prepared for the sauna if you end up choosing JAL

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan...hot-cabin.html

As someone that prefers warmth over cold. JL/Korean carrier warmth is a very welcome change over the freezing cabins most Asian carriers use.

Just giving the data to OP so OP can make an informed decision. Personally JL cabin from time to time is a bit too cold for me :)

i dont see how cx 77w has a better cabin than jl anything.
cx has a better schedule, but besides that they are fairly equal.
unless you really enjoy being called by the name and get offered bad food, you dont have to fly cx. But you have the option. Have any star points? Mom said ana was better than cx in every single way except for frequency.