First Class comeback
Jan 26, 2023 | 12:13 pm
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold Royal Air Maroc OW Emerald Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 22,549
I just got off CX 251 in F yesterday. The service was generally consistently as good as before, and the hard product is of course solid. I haven't tried the 'refreshed F service' (introduced in late 2019) so this was my first time for this, I found the food to be slightly downgraded from before (there was no steak / lobster / clay pot rice i.e. 'fancy mains' available for the main meal service after takeoff). But as my first post-COVID CX F trip, I can say that the downgrades while existent are minimal (compared to J class food and service nowadays, which has completely gone down the drain). The champagne and red on offer was Krug 2004 and Chateau Montrose St Estephe 2006.
My only gripe is that CX has made it insanely difficult to use DM1600 bookable upgrade certificates on their int'l FCL routes by making the A class inventory unnecessarily tight nowadays. Meanwhile they have been releasing more and more redemption award seats - even two at a time - although not to other oneworld partner programs.
Feb 5, 2023 | 6:54 am
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CDG
Programs: A bit of this and a bit of that
Posts: 806
Currently flying CX260, I can say CX F is back to normal.
Food, service and wines were on par with what first class used to(and should at least) be. Bedding is still IMO the best in the skies.
Food, service and wines were on par with what first class used to(and should at least) be. Bedding is still IMO the best in the skies.
Feb 26, 2023 | 9:36 pm
#48
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 15
any thoughts on when they might open the LAX flights up to award bookings? i'm dying to fly cathay first and was hoping to grab something right when they resumed LAX.
Feb 27, 2023 | 10:27 am
#49
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,218
I flew CX 261 last week, and just got back to Hong Kong on CX 260 today. To me, food is definitely not as good as before. Less choices, and as another poster said, the main courses in the Wellness Menu were just a repeat of the "normal" mains.
Feb 27, 2023 | 10:29 am
#50
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,218
Is there anyway to find out of A Class Fare existing for CX 251 on a particular day? I am perfectly happy to pay for J and then us an upgrade voucher to up to First. The day that I am checking, there are two F award seats available, so I would like to somehow confirm if A Class Fare also exists.
Feb 28, 2023 | 3:37 am
#51
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Soon to be nothing!
Posts: 416
Is there anyway to find out of A Class Fare existing for CX 251 on a particular day? I am perfectly happy to pay for J and then us an upgrade voucher to up to First. The day that I am checking, there are two F award seats available, so I would like to somehow confirm if A Class Fare also exists.
Feb 28, 2023 | 5:43 am
#52
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Mucci: Classe de la Luxe Eternelle
Posts: 920
Just booked my first ever CX flight, in F HKG-CDG in Jan 24 and so this is my first post on the CX forum
Does all F availability show on the BA website or should I call too? Thanks from a CX newbie!
Feb 28, 2023 | 7:36 am
#53
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,218
If you are able to ticket immediately ring them up to check whilst your are logged in and ready to pull the trigger on a J ticket. If you aren't ticketing immediately, for example because you have to go via a corporate travel agent, it is a bit of the lottery in my experience although I have persuaded them to hold the A seat for me for a few days on occasion (pre-covid).
Feb 28, 2023 | 7:38 am
#54
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,218
Can I ask, on 261, what are the F meals? Given the midnight departure is there still a full dinner service? And then breakfast I assume.
Just booked my first ever CX flight, in F HKG-CDG in Jan 24 and so this is my first post on the CX forum
Does all F availability show on the BA website or should I call too? Thanks from a CX newbie!
Just booked my first ever CX flight, in F HKG-CDG in Jan 24 and so this is my first post on the CX forum
Does all F availability show on the BA website or should I call too? Thanks from a CX newbie!
For breakfast, it was a (1) Full English breakfast, (2) cheese omelette of some sort, and (3) I do not remember. I did not like any of the breakfast choices, so I had already asked immediately after they distributed the menu after boarding to hold a burger for me for breakfast.
Last edited by Fly Me To The Moon; Feb 28, 2023 at 9:11 am
Mar 1, 2023 | 12:49 am
#55
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 2,155
Mar 1, 2023 | 6:13 am
#56
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 3,087
Mar 1, 2023 | 11:00 am
#58
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 7,243
Is there anyway to find out of A Class Fare existing for CX 251 on a particular day? I am perfectly happy to pay for J and then us an upgrade voucher to up to First. The day that I am checking, there are two F award seats available, so I would like to somehow confirm if A Class Fare also exists.
Code:
FQDHKGLON/ACX/CA/IX,L ROE 7.848514 UP TO 10.00 HKD 02MAR23**02MAR23/CX HKGLON/NSP;EH/TPM 5970/MPM 8391 LN FARE BASIS OW HKD RT B PEN DATES/DAYS AP MIN MAX R 01 AA99WEAR 88080 A - - - + 7 - 12M R 02 AB99WEAR 88080 A - - - + 7 - 12M R 03 AR99WEAR 103960 A - - - + - - 12M R 04 AT99WEAR 103960 A - - - + - - 12M R 05 AR99WEAO 67580 A - - - + - - - R 06 AT99WEAO 67580 A - - - + - - - R > PAGE 1/ 1
Mar 1, 2023 | 5:39 pm
#59
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,218
I think you are asking for A class availability, not A class fare. It is not as simple as your reservation's Point of Sale (POS) and flights before and after matter. If you have EF with the right POS, you can use that. Otherwise, there are A class HKG-LHR fares filed, so if your itinerary is just HKG-LHR and originates from HKG, you can try to see if there is A class availability for you to book that fare.
Code:
FQDHKGLON/ACX/CA/IX,L ROE 7.848514 UP TO 10.00 HKD 02MAR23**02MAR23/CX HKGLON/NSP;EH/TPM 5970/MPM 8391 LN FARE BASIS OW HKD RT B PEN DATES/DAYS AP MIN MAX R 01 AA99WEAR 88080 A - - - + 7 - 12M R 02 AB99WEAR 88080 A - - - + 7 - 12M R 03 AR99WEAR 103960 A - - - + - - 12M R 04 AT99WEAR 103960 A - - - + - - 12M R 05 AR99WEAO 67580 A - - - + - - - R 06 AT99WEAO 67580 A - - - + - - - R > PAGE 1/ 1
What I am needing to do is to book TPE-HKG-LHR // CDG-HKG-TPE in Business Class and then looking to use my Upgrade Certs to bump up the two long-haul sectors to First Class. Indeed, there would have to be A class availability for me to do that, so I would like to be sure before I purchase the Business Class ticket. Still deciding on the exact dates, though....
Mar 1, 2023 | 7:15 pm
#60
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: SFO, JFK/LGA, SEA
Programs: Alaska 75K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, *A Gold w/ TK M&S
Posts: 1,191
For anyone saying "Unfortunately I don't have ExpertFlyer": Just get ExpertFlyer. It's $99/year and that's far less than a single airline ticket between continents on Cathay or any other full service carrier. There's a 5-day free trial you can use for a one-time use case, but really, just get the subscription and if it's useful even a single time per year, you're going to get far, far more than your money's worth from it!