I decided to book my CX award in F after all, so I have a question about 744 F seats. I have to have a window seat, so I'm debating what the better option is for my wife and myself. Our routing is SAN-LAX-HKG-SIN-HKG-LAX with a stopover in HKG on the return. The HKG-SIN-HKG legs are in J (no 3 class aircraft when we want to fly).
Should I chose 1A/1K or 3A/3D? It looks like the 1AK combo will still allow us to talk and that way my wife gets a window as well (she has put up with my window preference all these years, but I know when she flies by herself, she has me get her a window seat). Are the 3AD seats that much closer together? My only CX experience in F lately was on a 343, and prior to that was on the old CX 801 SFO-YVR! BTW, my wife doesn't know about flying in F, she thinks we are in J the whole way.

Question 2...with the new CX schedule in place, how long do you think that CX will continue to have 2 night flights HKG-LAX? We are booked on CX 883 which used to be the daytime flight (and because of our SIN connection, we need to fly overnight), and that leaves at 2345 while CX 881 shows a 2330 departure-this is the Oct. 28 schedule-award seats were only available on CX 883, so I'm wondering if CX has a schedule change if they will either 1) reacommodate us on CX 881 or 2) give us a hotel for the night in HKG which I don't think too likely since we are on an award and schedule change reaccom not a rule 240 situation. Any thoughts?

The row 3/4 seats are closer together by about 2-3 ft. Not enough to make up for the bother of having traffic go between your seats. I'd go with 1A/K.

Some of the day time flights from LAX to HKG is being reinstated. Check which days it will fly. However, please note that CX will not give you a free night in a hotel even if you are on a revenue ticket. This is mainly due to the fact that you *DON'T* need to layover when there is a direct flight that can connect through to LAX from SIN or vv on the night flight.

In anyways, CX will not give you free accomodation when you are on an award ticket.

[This message has been edited by Guy Betsy (edited 04-17-2002).]

_I_ agree with Plato90s, but my wife does not. Before you book 1A/K, consider what your wife will think about being across an aisle, albeit small. I would catch hell for trying to pass them off as seats together...

ITN is still showing that there are no day flights, only 2 night flights. I'd like to see where GB is seing the day flight!

I had a very nice conversation with a stranger seated in 1K while I was seated in 1A. It is a natural distance for a conversation (but too far for whispering or holding hands). The window makes it interesting, especially as this is the only passenger window of any plane that gives a partial forward view (due to the angling of the nose). You get to see a bit more than other passengers do (sometimes interesting for airport ground operations).

I know you didn't ask, but...

...you might really think about changing your 744 seat assignments to one of the two center-section pairs, for a number of reasons:

The "window" seats in F are actually a foot or more away from the window, so you don't have a particularly good view from the window. (It's comparable to, say, a middle seat in 757 econ.)

It's dark for virtually the whole trip, unless the early afternoon departure is miraculously restored.

Your wife will be thrilled that you gave up your window just for her.

SOrry people....

I thought the daylight flight from LAX is being reinstated. It's the flight coming out from HKG that has both the day and night flight.

I guess CX saves on catering for the day flights from LAX as that flight is long and is daytime and hence people want to eat all the way to HKG!

Thanks for all of the advice/info so far. I've almost made up my mind to do the 1A/K combo for two reasons that were both mentioned in the posts above. 1) Less traffic, and 2) The forward view which I almost forgot about.

And just yesterday my wife was saying that she would really like it if we could get 12A/C. I told her that I would see what I could do.

I'm still concerned about a schedule change. I always take CX 881 because I can sleep very well on planes, even in J class. My actual hope is that CX would protect us on that one if they put 883 back into daylight.

1A/1K, hands down. CX has a couple of less seats in first, so you dont get the claustrophobic feeling like on some others. You also dont have a closet there, so you will be able to visually adore each other to your heart's content.

Maybe it is only a bad joke known to HK people, but I would still recommend you to take 1A/K and have your wife specifically have "1A".

it is a rumor that the wife of CEO of HK, Mrs Tung, always need to sit in seat 1A regardless any condition. One time when she board the flight which her assistant cannot "secure" seat 1A for her, when she boarded the flight, she "demanded" the "1A" passenger to exchange the seat with her and saying "you know who I am, I am Mrs Tung, and this is always my seat..." ...

to the positive side, you can say to your wife: "I "demanded" HK's "first-lady's" "reserved" seat specially for you!!"

Have a great trip and hope you enjoy HKG.

Actually Mrs Tung Chee Wah only gives this kind of attitude on the DRAGONAIR flights to BEIJING. I don't think she would be jetting off to LAX anytime soon.

I'm looking into flights in September from LAX and there are 2 flights. One leaving at 11:45pm and one at 12:30am. Am I safe to say that both will have the same food service? I.e. caviar?

Almost all of my CX flights have been flown with my significant other. 1 A and K are our preferred seats. It is almost like a private plane. No one else is in sight and we are still within a reasonable distance to have a quiet conversation.

But do give her 1A.

I'm sure both will have the same food service ... currently without caviar.
Only daytime long-haul flights get caviar. You'll get it on the HKG-LAX flight but not LAX-HKG. However this could change several times between now and September (most airlines are eliminating caviar from all routes). If you must have caviar, take the YVR-HKG flight which does have dinner service (while LAX-HKG is supper service).