I am Asian myself, and fly on CX quite often on all different classes depends on the destinations, never had any problems with the F/As. And 2 years ago before the 9/11 incidence, I was even invited by both the captain and the inflight manager for a cockpit ride during landing at HKG, granted I was one of the three passengers at first class from YYZ, and I was only 26 then.

I can think of few flights when the service was a little indifferent - hurried and bit like being processed. The last was a little while ago though, and even then was better than just about anyone else in the skies except SQ and BA on a good day. Activly bad or shoddy service on CX (like an F/A on AA chewing gum while serving dinner) - that'll be the day hell freezes over.

On the age debate, I'm 28 and have almost always found it an asset - I stand out from the crowd and get remembered! Though maybe being extra cheery to the F/A's helps.

Most of you are probably too young to remember but up until the early/mid 80s, CX had a terrible reputation among East Asian (at least Chinese) passengers and many actively avoided CX (daniellam's parents apparently prefer to fly JL and perhaps not only for cost reasons). The simple belief (and I wouldn't doubt it) was that Caucasian travellers received better treatment. For your own interest, you might want to ask your parents and elder relatives.

I still hear stories every now and then that South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis) are occasionally not treated well.

As for CX, I only fly them because of the AA miles. For the fare, I find NW WBC more than acceptable and very comfortable.

For many years and perhaps even now, the prevalent attitude in HK (airlines, hotels, restaurants etc) was that caucasians received better service. This might have something to do with the fact that it was a colony for a long time - whatever.

Racial factors aside, I have often heard and experienced better treatment of male passengers by CX. This I have noticed on SQ too and am told is prevalent in many asian airlines. At first, I had imagined that asian societies traditionally had males in nt positions but was told (and it seems clearly so too)that the real reason is that the FAs hope to *land* an attractive catch with a passenger in F or J - and thereby secure a handsome bread-ticket-for-life. They (not all but some) review the passenger manifest on F and J, assess their chances of hitching a good catch and accordingly turn on their charm. This is, I suppose, to be expected when Asian FAs are usually young and when there have been many publicized marriages/courtships that started with attractive bachelors or even stars being served by CX FAs as their first encounters. This might explain why some of the FTers here were/are well treated! In that regard, relative youth might be a plus factor if it signifies that the man is yet to be attached. I have had female friends complaining that they were treated as if they were transparent on board CX whereas we men get all the attention, although we fly in the same class. In fairness, sometimes this seems to be so although the favored half would be less likely to realise the disparity. I have even witnessed amusing flirtation in the F cabin a number of times, details of some of which are not exactly appropriate for general publication.

Some years ago, there were quite a few of my friends who had in fact been *solicited* (or put mildly, given the *come on*) by FAs. One friend had the name of a hotel at landing port and FA's telephone number scribbled on the boarding pass which was, in accordance with practice, left in his jacket pocket when it was hung by the FA). What else could this have meant?

Originally posted by terenz:
[b]Most of you are probably too young to remember but up until the early/mid 80s, CX had a terrible reputation among East Asian (at least Chinese) passengers and many actively avoided CX (daniellam's parents apparently prefer to fly JL and perhaps not only for cost reasons). The simple belief (and I wouldn't doubt it) was that Caucasian travellers received better treatment.

B][/QUOTE]



[This message has been edited by IncyWincy (edited 02-08-2003).]

I vote to have IncyWincy's post listed above to be deleted.

SHADO

[This message has been edited by SHADO (edited 02-08-2003).]

I just flew on super long trip-TPE-HKG-SFO-HKG-NRT-in J class and one F and not one flight was with bad service. All the f/a's were nice and helpful, and several of them were multi-lingual and quickly adapted to my mixing of taiwanese, mandarin, cantonese, and japanese. Obviously I am asian and I did see that caucasians were being attended to better than asians but it was not discriminatory. Usually caucasians are treated better in large Chinese/Taiwanese cities as well.
In terms of age, I am not very respected by f/a's and many place at home because I am only 19. Many think it's bad at 25 and 22, but every purser stares at me and peek at my boarding pass onboard.
On the side, on my HKG-NRT a young f/a was hitting on me and thought I was very cute, so it isn't all bad!

[This message has been edited by tAiwaN_4evEr (edited 02-08-2003).]

On what grounds? It seems like a reasonable expression of opinion and reportage of experiences. Granted it is all a bit anecdotal and second hand, but I think we are all wise enough not to treat it too seriously.

In any case, I suspect most of us can only fantasise about CX FAs giving us their hotel and phone number. As a fat, balding middle-aged male it has never happened to me - I probably look married as well, although I'm not. I know for sure that if it happened I'd call the number if it was at all feasible to meet up.

But then I heard that a lot of the CX FAs in F/J seem to be married. (I was talking to one of them and she mentioned her daughter and how she had to work about 6 years in Y/J before getting to work the F cabin etc.)

It seems like that the younger FAs tend to be in Y.

I think the comments made by IncyWincy are designed to make the travel experience bad on CX. They are completely speculative, insulting and flat out wrong. If anything, I don't want this thread to become an idea gathering on how to pick up FAs on a specific airline. Nor do I appreciate the idea, in his comments, that the youth of females, seem to conspire a seating itineary to get a mate. Ridiculous!

Naturally, I'm smart enough to throw those comments out. But others may not be, nor does it sit well within a discussion of an excellent airline, with excellent service.

If Wayne Newton can marry a Japanese FA, then may we all find what's right for us.

SHADO

Nope http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Not at all. Please read the first post when thread started.

In any event, is FT designed only for acclaim (for CX but not others?), and not for negative comments? Is there room for dissent? Is there grace to accept it?

Certainly not speculative as a lot of what I have said came from my personal observation. There are comments which were related to me from reliable sources, including one of the well known tycoons in HK and also a scion of a well-known family in HK. Perhaps that was why they had the special treatment in F Class? To the extent that there is hearsay, please let me know whether hearsay is totally prohibited on FT in which case I will of course abide by such a rule. I will myself delete all hearsay from my own posts. One must of course remember that if such a rule exists, it must be enforced properly, to all hearsay, and not only arbitrarily.

i know of a few people in cx, jl, sq, and tg who take on this job just to look for a hubby.

Can we have their phone numbers? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Well also think it happens the other way around too, many passengers give the FA unwanted attention, as one friend who is HK based Taiwanese CX FA, she has male passengers trying to touch (unwated attention) her ect, and she says it happens a lot, she has no interest in passengers after experiences like this, other than to do a good job. She loves the travel, but it seems when they come to LAX, they don't travel far away from the hotel.

christep, which airline? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

all these 'unwanted attention' is unavoidable as most people think that all F/As are drop dead gorgeous, until they actually board the aircraft. it happens quite a bit and it is mentioned in forums for cathay, and dragonair F/As.

CX I think; maybe JL also. Certainly not SQ - I'm a bit of a wimp really and I find most Singaporean women scarily self-confident http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif