Just a reminder that airlines make more profit flying a kilogram of freight vs a kilogram of live human flesh!

CX sends 77K to CTS during the low season.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2b882f9c89.jpg

I want to say it was 10x weekly 77W last summer?

They still send 77K to CTS now? Surprising ngl

Update: this goes daily as of June 15.

I will probably get hate for saying this in the CX forum but after flying QSuites for the first time last week, very much preferred it over the new Aria Suite..think I saw someone posted previously that Aria is more hype than substance, I'll say that's true in my experience.

Sure, the tech is newer on the CX, but the QR overall felt more spacious. Food-wise CX was better, service wise QR actually exceeded my expectations and was better than any CX flight I've been on in the past.

Anyways, just my 2c. Regardless of which airline, still beats flying in Y ;)

Ditto on Qsuites.

Flew it two times in May for 10+ hours each way and they were very good but mine and another passengers seat had an electrical failure on the first leg of the journey 7 hours in. Both of us sat upright for the remainder of the flight so I do question the reliability of the suites and it seems like a common issue.

J Lounges:
CX > QR

Long haul J catering:
QR > CX only because of all day dining.

Amenity kits:
QR’s Diptyque undoubtedly. All my eight bags were quickly gobbled up by Miss Eclipse and my sisters.

I’d still favour CX holistically due to its stellar safety record, company culture and consistency.

Very surprised that you find CX J food better than QR. I have flown extensively on both and I don't think that the introduction of Aria changed catering.
Some challenge for QR is those early morning or middle of the night flights that last 6/7 hours or so. QR menus offer both an extensive breakfast and All-day-dining or Late-night-dining with fewer options than the typical dinner menu. But it is still extensive. Hard to really compete on breakfast. On my DOH-CDG 8am departure yesterday, I chose to all-day-dine with: 1) caviar and balik salman, 2) butter poached lobster, 3) cheeses, 4) caramel and almond cheesecake. Lobster was fabulous. WOuld never get that kind of grreat food on CX. Same for the wines. QR always has a Grand Cru classe Bordeaux, far better than CX rather-cheap offering.
DOn't take me wrong. I enjoy CX. But not F&B-wise.

Rotations >> everything else. What aircraft is available, and making use of available aircraft is key. Especially for CX that uses LH aircraft for short flights inbetween the long flights. Planning will take the view that it is better to have an inferior product on a flight to SIN than to decide to not have the flight at all. Or not have a problem sending a LH Aria aircraft to MNL if it means not having to buy an extra A330/A320 to do the flight instead

How come there's enough aircrafts with Aria Suites to get CX888/865 daily ? B-KQX (expected 6th Aircraft) is still not yet flown.

B-KQX delivery is scheduled for delivery 'soon'

Also, seeing the financial report of Cathay group, there will be 1, 4 and 1 B777-300ER with lease expiring in 2025, 2026 and 2027 respectively. The Aria Suite installation may further cause insufficient planes to (1) operate existing routes (2) keep First Class for flagship routes like LHR, LAX, JFK.
So, seeing some airlines like JAL, is retiring B777-300ER gradually, can Cathay Pacific buy some second hand B777-300ER and install Aria Suites as supplement to planes that are lease expiring, like the buying of second hand B777-300 from Emirates in 2018, with registration B-HNS, B-HNU, B-HNV, B-HNW, B-HNX ?

think CX would be making a long haul aircraft order soon, it was mentioned before, and the paris airshow is coming soon, so maybe the fleet strategy might be for that. if they don't order soon, the wait for new planes might be over 6 years.

and there MIGHT be a chance the 777X gets certified next year, but I'm not too sure....

in my years of flying J class with QR, never have I been served caviar and lobsters.

Agreed the one tray breakfast on CX J is an embarrassment with fruit plate smaller/worse than what is served in some economy class meals, they really need to enhance that and also the 2nd arrival meal on day time flights. I also had the caviar, butter poached lobster and steak on a QR J flight last week, the lobster was amazing.

The more interesting observation is that the QR crew despite galley limitations still managed to deliver the usual intricate service on the ex-CX 77Ws on HKG flights despite having half of the galley space than usual. So CX can’t complain that they can’t enhance service because of galley limitations because the competition is exactly doing that just fine on former CX 777s.

Back to the topic of Aria for taller/larger build figures I think QSuite may feel tad bit claustrophobic and may appreciate the slight extra knee space on Aria (marginally better than QSuite I believe). But interesting to see if anyone tried both Aria and the Starlux J seats because JX seats looked bit more spacious than the CX version?