BNE-HKG no longer a350?
#1
formerly smoaky
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 303
BNE-HKG no longer a350?
Looking to book a ticket from Brisbane via Hong Kong and onwards to the US. Noticed the flight there uses an a330. From what I can tell this route is currently service by an a350. I'm booking nearly a year off, March 2020. Would have loved to try out the A350 as the flight onward to JFK isn't on one either. Anyone know if they are switching the planes used on the Brisbane route?
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
no change....
Looking to book a ticket from Brisbane via Hong Kong and onwards to the US. Noticed the flight there uses an a330. From what I can tell this route is currently service by an a350. I'm booking nearly a year off, March 2020. Would have loved to try out the A350 as the flight onward to JFK isn't on one either. Anyone know if they are switching the planes used on the Brisbane route?
BNE has 2x daily flights....1x daily = A350, the second 3-4x weekly frequency is (and always has been) A333. You can just check the CX Flight timetable on their website:
Cathay Pacific Flight Timetable
and our Google doc we maintain too:
Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon Fleet, Route and Configuration Guide. You'll see in the matrix both 33K and 35G service BNE; and that the 33K serves CX150/155. (or you can just search for "BNE" in that spreadsheet).
Fyi both 35G and 33K are a similar long-haul Cirrus J product, although admittedly the A330 doesn't have WiFi and has an older IFE screen and interface. BNE is a guaranteed long-haul J product though no matter which flight you choose.
Perhaps we can get the title of the thread changed?
#3
formerly smoaky
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 303
There is no change.
BNE has 2x daily flights....1x daily = A350, the second 3-4x weekly frequency is (and always has been) A333. You can just check the CX Flight timetable on their website:
Cathay Pacific Flight Timetable
and our Google doc we maintain too:
Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon Fleet, Route and Configuration Guide. You'll see in the matrix both 33K and 35G service BNE; and that the 33K serves CX150/155. (or you can just search for "BNE" in that spreadsheet).
Fyi both 35G and 33K are a similar long-haul Cirrus J product, although admittedly the A330 doesn't have WiFi and has an older IFE screen and interface. BNE is a guaranteed long-haul J product though no matter which flight you choose.
Perhaps we can get the title of the thread changed?
BNE has 2x daily flights....1x daily = A350, the second 3-4x weekly frequency is (and always has been) A333. You can just check the CX Flight timetable on their website:
Cathay Pacific Flight Timetable
and our Google doc we maintain too:
Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon Fleet, Route and Configuration Guide. You'll see in the matrix both 33K and 35G service BNE; and that the 33K serves CX150/155. (or you can just search for "BNE" in that spreadsheet).
Fyi both 35G and 33K are a similar long-haul Cirrus J product, although admittedly the A330 doesn't have WiFi and has an older IFE screen and interface. BNE is a guaranteed long-haul J product though no matter which flight you choose.
Perhaps we can get the title of the thread changed?
#4
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
Ah, thanks. For whatever reason (guess it was booked) the other flight didn't come up in my searches. The a350 flight leaves just before 1AM so you end up with a 12 hour layover if you're catching a later flight out of HK to the US (at least in my case). That's a shame, as I don't think the a350 is worth such a long layover...
The A350 is definitely newer and in working condition, I would prefer it for the BNE flight, especially if the A330s don't have Wifi by next year. But the A359s also have a lot of dumb seat and bathroom things broken which still, 2 years into deliveries, aren't fixed. In J class you're always about 20-30% chance to get something annoying or ghetto on the A350 (think duct tape in the bathroom, toilets that don't look 2 years old but rather 20 years old, cracked mirrors, seat screens broken, armrests broken, side tables broken, etc.). The 33K / 33E (CX's longhaul A330s) don't have the seat issues and are a perfectly comfortable ride too.
#5
formerly smoaky
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 303
In 2017, CX publicly said the B777s and A330s would get WiFi "starting in mid-2018". While this came true for the 777s (B77Ws almost halfway converted w/ Wifi), no A330s have been converted yet I don't think. However, since your flight is so far away it's possible the conversions will be underway by then.
The A350 is definitely newer and in working condition, I would prefer it for the BNE flight, especially if the A330s don't have Wifi by next year. But the A359s also have a lot of dumb seat and bathroom things broken which still, 2 years into deliveries, aren't fixed. In J class you're always about 20-30% chance to get something annoying or ghetto on the A350 (think duct tape in the bathroom, toilets that don't look 2 years old but rather 20 years old, cracked mirrors, seat screens broken, armrests broken, side tables broken, etc.). The 33K / 33E (CX's longhaul A330s) don't have the seat issues and are a perfectly comfortable ride too.
The A350 is definitely newer and in working condition, I would prefer it for the BNE flight, especially if the A330s don't have Wifi by next year. But the A359s also have a lot of dumb seat and bathroom things broken which still, 2 years into deliveries, aren't fixed. In J class you're always about 20-30% chance to get something annoying or ghetto on the A350 (think duct tape in the bathroom, toilets that don't look 2 years old but rather 20 years old, cracked mirrors, seat screens broken, armrests broken, side tables broken, etc.). The 33K / 33E (CX's longhaul A330s) don't have the seat issues and are a perfectly comfortable ride too.
Too bad to hear the shape things are in on some of the a359s; I'm sort of more interested in trying one out for the first time, and definitely wouldn't mind the better altitude for at least part of this 24 hours in the air back to JFK. We'll be in J so I'm not complaining, just a shame to have both these flights and neither be an a350. The rewards gods won't allow it this time.
#6
formerly smoaky
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 303
I was just looking at some reviews of this route and it appears some flights stop in Cairns on the way to HKG and everyone has to get out? Not the end of the world, but hadn't seen that on the itinerary. I notice the a330 flight is about a half hour longer than the overnight a350 one.
Edit: plus, while I'm here, what's the exact route the HKG-JFK flight (which I will connect to) takes? Most direct would take it over the arctic but the flight tracking sites show it more going over the north pacific.
Edit: plus, while I'm here, what's the exact route the HKG-JFK flight (which I will connect to) takes? Most direct would take it over the arctic but the flight tracking sites show it more going over the north pacific.
Last edited by nycflyer17; Apr 11, 2019 at 11:52 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,482
That would vary day-by-day due to the wind conditions, but in general eastbound flights will fly south of the great circle route to take advantage of favourable tailwinds - you'd see the same over the Atlantic.
#10
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 116
However, based on a quick Google search, the flight from BNE-HKG (A350, CX156) is scheduled to land at 7:30AM, and also frequently lands 15+ minutes early. There is an HKG-JFK flight (CX830) that leaves at 9:15AM. This is a fairly connection but I would imagine it's quite doable and people frequently make connections that are just as short or even shorter than this. Not sure why this didn't show up but you might want to check it out (flight not be available due to your fare class). All flights to JFK are currently on the 4-class 777-300ERs with 9-abreast, but when you fly all the 777s will probably be retrofitted by then. Hope this helps!
#13
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
In 2017, CX publicly said the B777s and A330s would get WiFi "starting in mid-2018". While this came true for the 777s (B77Ws almost halfway converted w/ Wifi), no A330s have been converted yet I don't think. However, since your flight is so far away it's possible the conversions will be underway by then.
The A350 is definitely newer and in working condition, I would prefer it for the BNE flight, especially if the A330s don't have Wifi by next year. But the A359s also have a lot of dumb seat and bathroom things broken which still, 2 years into deliveries, aren't fixed. In J class you're always about 20-30% chance to get something annoying or ghetto on the A350 (think duct tape in the bathroom, toilets that don't look 2 years old but rather 20 years old, cracked mirrors, seat screens broken, armrests broken, side tables broken, etc.). The 33K / 33E (CX's longhaul A330s) don't have the seat issues and are a perfectly comfortable ride too.
The A350 is definitely newer and in working condition, I would prefer it for the BNE flight, especially if the A330s don't have Wifi by next year. But the A359s also have a lot of dumb seat and bathroom things broken which still, 2 years into deliveries, aren't fixed. In J class you're always about 20-30% chance to get something annoying or ghetto on the A350 (think duct tape in the bathroom, toilets that don't look 2 years old but rather 20 years old, cracked mirrors, seat screens broken, armrests broken, side tables broken, etc.). The 33K / 33E (CX's longhaul A330s) don't have the seat issues and are a perfectly comfortable ride too.
The big reason I would go for the A350 is that you feel less tired on it after long haul. I dreaded coming back to LGW at 5.30am but apart from a short nap in the afternoon I hardly had any jetlag. Same in Brisbane. Be great if the morning flight also became an A350 at some point! And the LHR flights! I don't want to fly 10 abreast!!
#14
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
The flight no longer has a stopover. Their old flight to/from Brisbane used to be HKG-CNS-BNE-HKG, a triangular route, so when I flew to Cairns I had to fly down to Brisbane on the way back. This service has now ended and has been replaced by non-stop flights to Cairns and additional non-stop flights to Brisbane.
However, based on a quick Google search, the flight from BNE-HKG (A350, CX156) is scheduled to land at 7:30AM, and also frequently lands 15+ minutes early. There is an HKG-JFK flight (CX830) that leaves at 9:15AM. This is a fairly connection but I would imagine it's quite doable and people frequently make connections that are just as short or even shorter than this. Not sure why this didn't show up but you might want to check it out (flight not be available due to your fare class). All flights to JFK are currently on the 4-class 777-300ERs with 9-abreast, but when you fly all the 777s will probably be retrofitted by then. Hope this helps!
However, based on a quick Google search, the flight from BNE-HKG (A350, CX156) is scheduled to land at 7:30AM, and also frequently lands 15+ minutes early. There is an HKG-JFK flight (CX830) that leaves at 9:15AM. This is a fairly connection but I would imagine it's quite doable and people frequently make connections that are just as short or even shorter than this. Not sure why this didn't show up but you might want to check it out (flight not be available due to your fare class). All flights to JFK are currently on the 4-class 777-300ERs with 9-abreast, but when you fly all the 777s will probably be retrofitted by then. Hope this helps!
#15
formerly smoaky
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 303
The flight no longer has a stopover. Their old flight to/from Brisbane used to be HKG-CNS-BNE-HKG, a triangular route, so when I flew to Cairns I had to fly down to Brisbane on the way back. This service has now ended and has been replaced by non-stop flights to Cairns and additional non-stop flights to Brisbane.
However, based on a quick Google search, the flight from BNE-HKG (A350, CX156) is scheduled to land at 7:30AM, and also frequently lands 15+ minutes early. There is an HKG-JFK flight (CX830) that leaves at 9:15AM. This is a fairly connection but I would imagine it's quite doable and people frequently make connections that are just as short or even shorter than this. Not sure why this didn't show up but you might want to check it out (flight not be available due to your fare class). All flights to JFK are currently on the 4-class 777-300ERs with 9-abreast, but when you fly all the 777s will probably be retrofitted by then. Hope this helps!
However, based on a quick Google search, the flight from BNE-HKG (A350, CX156) is scheduled to land at 7:30AM, and also frequently lands 15+ minutes early. There is an HKG-JFK flight (CX830) that leaves at 9:15AM. This is a fairly connection but I would imagine it's quite doable and people frequently make connections that are just as short or even shorter than this. Not sure why this didn't show up but you might want to check it out (flight not be available due to your fare class). All flights to JFK are currently on the 4-class 777-300ERs with 9-abreast, but when you fly all the 777s will probably be retrofitted by then. Hope this helps!
A final consideration is being able to see out the window in the day time. Judging by previous routes, looks like you can get some nice views of the West cost, then Indonesia and the Philippines. If there's no cloud cover!