Some observations from a recent flight
 

I somewhat recalled (but not 100% sure) seeing somewhere that GO are no longer greeted as per CX new SOP, though some crews still choose to do it.

I have mostly flown long haul Js since regaining GO last year, but in my limited Y short/medium haul experience I think I get greeted around 60-70% of the time.

Found it after some searching...

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...o-anymore.html

I was one of those who doubted the value of GO too...

As a GO, at Y there has been <20% of the time that I was greeted on KA flights (and each was done in a robotic manner - no smile, <15s :p), but on CX >75% I was greeted. On some CX flights, crew members even greeted me after taking off (as they were too busy beforehand). A very major service inconsistencies between the two. Sometimes, nitty-gritties matter to me :) At J, in my experience, everybody was greeted on both KA & CX. Having said so, food quality is more important than (robotic) greetings. It is sad to see the food and service on KA flights have been deteriorating in the past few years.

Back to your observations, perhaps a GO bag tag doesn't mean that he/she is a GO this year? Not updated about Singapore but in many destinations SL/GO/DM are in J line. That's why the line can be long...

I agree KA flights have been deteriorating, but I'll add the greeting is probably very route dependent and probably not statistically relevant here. If you're flying HND on CX with 50 Diamonds on CX548 on a Monday morning, as a Gold you're also just not going to get greeted. Same goes for many SIN flights, etc. Just sayin, if those short-haul elite heavy routes are your only data points on CX, you might end up with a different conclusion.

Whereas a much higher % of KA's seats are dedicated to PEK and PVG, and they are 2 of the top 3 or 4 CX+KA elite routes across the entire network. I went to Hongqiao a few weeks ago with, drumroll, 28 Diamonds, in J class alone! On a non-full flight! The ISM didn't tell me the precise # in EY just to say the total amount on board was "more than 40" with a laugh. I was traveling with a friend who is GO sitting next to me, no greeting for her. For example if you're flying CX368 on a Monday or Tuesday morning, I also suspect as a Gold you will rarely, if ever get a greeting. That's one of those 50+ Diamond flights.

There is also the fact that KA has zero longhaul routes. Even if an ISM has 30 or 40 Diamonds + Golds to JFK, that's easy to greet everyone. (Golds are definitely not required anymore in the SOP for a greeting, but encouraged if time permits). Whereas if the ISM is flying a full A330 to Xiamen, or Guangzhou, or TPE, or HGH, or wherever with tons of people on KA, it's unlikely time will permit the 70+ greetings that might be necessary for Diamonds, OWE + Golds. Easier to do on longhaul routes.

AFAIK, the SOP is identical for the two.

But I still agree KA has fallen from grace. Ironically, I blame CX completely for that, not KA staff. Mostly it's the lowering of KA catering standards and the regional J seats.

I am GO and I flew to/from Hongquaio in Y with KA recently. I was greeted on the outbound as I had reserved a special meal.

On the return journey, with no special meal booked, I flew with my boss who is also GO and was sat behind me. The purser came by and said Hello to me but not to my boss! My boss is a local chinese lady so she was a bit miffed about it all! ;-P

Agree with QRC3288 in that greetings are very route,time and ISM specific. In the past 2-3 years since becoming Gold I've flown to: YYZ, MNL, LAX, HND, DPS, TPE, BKK, with the YYZ flights making up at least 2/3 of all flights. I've flown in Y, PEY, J and F, and have been op-uped at times. I don't keep track but I've definitely been greeted more often than not being greeted. It's such a mixed bag that for me it really has become 'nice' if it happens, but 'whatever' if it doesnt. I recall recently to BKK (in Y) I was greeted and addressed by surname throughout the flight, but no greeting or surname aknowledgement on the return. Sometimes to YYZ (in J) my order would be taken and I would be served first, other times my mealchoice would be reserved but I would be served at the same time as others and there were times where I wouldn't have any advanced meal choice at all (full flight or not).

I was actually suprised on my most recent return from YYZ flight in PEY, I was greeted by the ISM (almost rarely happens regardless of my destination) and she came back shortly after with a bottle of Evian. There was another Elite in PEY, but I saw her give him the standard Naya (Canadian) water (which they distribute to everyone eventually).

As I stated above, it can be nice to have a greeting and some sort of aknowledgement, but I get it that there are tens of thousands with more 'loyalty' compared with me. All I really care or hope for is being treated better than OWE...;)

I suppose I must have been lucky to get greetings 100% of the time when I was Gold.

Some additional observations from the return flight, PEY remain having closed curtains, and evian was distributed to all OWE. Interestingly, our middle seat (between two OWEs) was not blocked but it was also not occupied for an otherwise completely full flight.

I'm AY OWE and just now sitting at Y in CX FCO-HKG flight and waiting for the departure. No greetings, no water or anything. Just only one Y passenger among others.

Fortunately there is free seat next to me what is more important than greetings or water.

Don't fully get the greeting by name by someone whos' doing so because of a workplace process... I prefer not getting additional attention and abs worse is when "small" talk is expected.

Just thinking: Flight 1 as Gold, get a whole heartily welcome by name, Flight 2 (back a few weeks later) FF status changed to basic and no warm whole heartily welcome by name. Both are fine, but grumpiness breaks loose if FLights 2 (still as gold) no welcome by name given :-o

This said, my first CX (my fav airline) flight coming up as OWE (AY+) in J and I hope it's going to be a quiet affair :-)

Are you crediting this flight to AY?

Yes.