Run Out of Breakfast
 

My son flew to MEL last night on CX 105, arriving after midday today. They ran out of breakfasts in economy. He said that he was also surprised that the cabin crew was so glum and lazy. No attempt through service, food or decoration had been made to recognise that this was a flight on Christmas Day. He contrasted it to a flight he took with SQ some years ago when the crew wore paper hats, and there were Merry Christmas signs in the cabin. And yet Cathay has the nerve to state "Cathay Pacific Airways Limited is a premium lifestyle brand". I suppose that they have a sense of humour. HAHAHA.

I got a box of nicely packaged Christmas chocolate today. And maybe you can clarify they ran out of breakfast (meal) or ran out of breakfast (option)?

My son had been asleep. After he woke a lady near him asked for breakfast and was told that they had run out. She did not receive anything. He was still full from Christmas eve and did not want anything so did not ask. Was she asking for a second breakfast, a special breakfast? He did not say and I did not cross exam him. He just reported his feelings from the flight which were not positive apart from having an empty seat next to him on a pretty full flight.

Didn’t know that tia gongs can make it onto Flyertalk

Matter of comprehension

"You're paying a premium for everything We brand"

The feeling now I get for CX is one of those dated five stars hotels trying to hang on with minimal staffing and partly renovated floors. Where they can save money and increase revenue - they will do it.

I was on CX regional flights on Christmas' eve, Christmas' day and New Year day. I could not feel any efforts on the part of the crew to make it festive, except for a "rabbit toy" which I get from a KIX to TPE flight.

On a KIX to HKG flight, the toilet was disgusting with an unacceptable level of floor stickiness and faulty sink. The lamb option (designated as festive menu) on board a HKG to SIN flight tasted like a hamburger steak covered with salt.

The crew nowadays give me the vibe that "I am only here to ship you from point A to point B, we don't care anything else except to give bare minimum".

No matter how much we whine about it, CX is as it is under this management and economy. Any constructive opinion will only add to their costs of operation so it will never be taken.

Being the consumer, you always have the choice of picking another airline. For me, I am based in Hong Kong so it is simply more convenient to stick with CX.

I am going to read more into expectation management in 2024 so I can bear through any CX flights.

[/your right to complain about CX] Put up the four hours-half day more to travel with BR/CI/OZ/KE or grin and bear it.

I have only once encountered a festive Christmas atmosphere on flights and that was on BA where the FAs were wearing cheap reindeer hats and serving inedible turkey dinners.

You ex-HK guys should really try flying Western (especially American) carriers more and count your blessings.

Are you a DM?
As a DM, I have felt that all crew tried their best to make me happy in my several flights with CX recently.
From the basic greeting and small talks, priority order taking in Business and in Economy, to giving me both appetizers, reserving dinner options to serve me in 2nd meal, and when I found out the seat beside me was occupied (it was not when I online check-in), the crew came back with a list of empty rows for me to choose, and on another flight when the crew learnt I have a tight connection, they move me to PEY for quicker disembarkation.
Even when I'm in Economy, the crew addressed me by my surname when they took my order and served me meal, and they're super responsive to any requests I made across cabins. I certainly didn't feel the vibe that "they are just responsible for shipping me from A to B".

When HKers fly foreign airlines, they tend to be less critical and would have far less bixching.

You haven’t seen my posts on BA

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post35778685

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...d#post35180909

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...r#post35371777

I’ve had the break from work to do 6 legs on AA and AS as well - one transcon, four North America and one TPAC F. Didn’t really have anything remarkable happen to me on the first five. The TPAC (AA F) - I would say the service was curt, but otherwise ok <—- I guess my expectations were super low, and AA “beat the spread”.

Haha, what I meant was HKers tend to have unreasonably high expectation on CX and are mean to its crew but not on other foreign airlines.
I trust your criticism in your posts were well grounded.

The amount of 'cheap' free ticket HK government gives out pretty much increased unnecessary load to CX crew.

I don't see my criticisms (apart from delivering a festive feel) to be anywhere "bixching". Yes, they are not obliged to do anything about it being Christmas or New Year or Chinese New Year.

Faulty toilet not dealt with by crew and allowing it to deteriorate would be "unreasonably high expectation on CX and are mean to its crew". How about my criticism on crew looking as if not attentive? That could be something subjective and again, perhaps "mean".

I do where I can encourage the crew and engage in chat as I am thankful for what they do. I also understand the situation they are in. I think most of us here on the CX forum wanted to see the airline prosper and regain its place.

If the same would happen on a flight with JL, BR or CI, I would have made the same criticism.

Put fairly, not all of my CX flights in 2023 were bad and good for you to have come across the attentive services your shared on your flights with CX, maybe the next criticism is for them to deliver the same consistently?

It may also be the case that because I fly almost exclusively regional flights (less than 5 hours) so the SOP maybe different?

This "we run out of bkfast" has happen to me on several flights with CX. Usually when sitting in the bulkhead as they reverse the serving order from front to back for dinner to back to front for bkfast. By the time they reached the first road they would have run out of Y bkfast and offered a small pizza from the C bar.
I can recall SK Christmas's flights where the side panels where decorated with small xmass crown's every 2 rows or so... but that of course was on an MD87 or 82 with the 1990's SK. I doubt this is done anymore... it gave a very nice feeling...