Leveraging UO too much on regional routes or even connection is not ideal. CX would be losing the non-LCC market if its own network is not extensive enough I reckon.

With a couple of exceptions, all flights to China are operated by CX with its usual benefits.
Regional flights outside of China are increasingly operated by UO.
That creates a problem for pax originating in Europe or America as they have to transfer to a LCC when you buy a CX ticket. This is a big letdown. Amazingly CX does not grant pax benefits during a transit in HKG when they fly a J CX ticket or have OW status.
I had a friend from Europe who flew on an expensive CX J ticket from EU and had no access to the HKG lounge during a long transit to DAD.

Maybe policy has changed and that experience is outdated.. If not, they need to do it as UO is getting an increasing role for these CX transit pax.
PS: I guess that is the same for SQ/TR but that does not make it right.

I just booked a flight with CX and UO metal ( CX-CX-CX-UO) through WhatsApp as I can't do it in the CX App/website. Flights are CX coded. On my last leg where I connect to the UO flight, won't I get my benefits as GO during transit?

It will be an overnight transit so I will be going out of the airport and stay in a hotel. If I will check another bag, do I check it with CX or with UO?

Also, surprisingly, I will get status points on my UO flight equivalent to my outbound biz class points.

One more thing to throw into the mix here is that China and India have just kissed and made up, so for the first time for quite a while Chinese citizens (including HK passport holders) are now again able to get tourist visas to India. So I imagine this should justify at least a little increase in frequencies to India.

For awhile maybe, but direct flights being reestablished between mainland China and India could potentially cut into HK as a transit hub.

Answered at https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/36879999-post29.html, but you are essentially double-posting.

UO.

Does anyone know if there still is a capacity limit between HKSAR and India and whether CX has maxed out?

Yes there is, open skies doesn't exist in this market pair and the agreement between India and Hong Kong is perhaps one of the most restrictive and outdated. I'm sure Cathay and Hong Kong would be very happy to see changes here as the Indian market has a lot of potential, currently the bilateral air services agreement stands in the way of any capacity and or destination increases beyond what was the pre Covid status quo.

I think it's a real shame that CX doesn't fly to IST. Depending upon one's definition of course, Istanbul is the largest city in Europe and for those who haven't seen it, the sheer size of the (relatively) new airport has to be seen to be believed. TK has an amazing route network for connecting pax but is *Alliance after all and I guess QR would like to see traffic fed via Doha..

HX got all the 14 new slots to Aus, 1 daily to Mel and 1 daily Syd. A bit surprised that CX got none, but it's good for consumers.

Hopefully, increased competition would drive the cost down. The J fares are eye-watering atm.

Changzhou Benniu International Airport (CZX) is located in Jiangsu province.
UO is hiring Supervisor - Airport Service from there, seems it will be a new port for Cathay Group (Not served by KA before)

https://careers.hkexpress.com/cw/en/...-czx-changzhou

I am not sure HX has much of a J class or whether it is remotely comparable to CX or even Qantas given the super worn interior and non functioning entertainment system in most, if not all of its aircrafts. So, maybe more competitions for Y fare passengers is the point.

Btw, except for CZX, in applications to the CAAC, UO has also applied for permission to NTG and XUZ. This does not mean those routes are confirmed to be launched, but they are routes with great potrntial to feed the Cathay mainline.

For the remaining Cathay orders for the A320 family, given the relatively low utilization of the Cathay mainline A321s, I wonder why Cathay didn't opt to have UO take all those aircrafts (which is expanding exponentially and in need for more aircraft)?

As i have mentioned many times.
This is not the same aggressive CX management as before.
They are happy to downsize and hand over share.

I suspect a sale to CA is soon on the cards.

HX is maybe cheaper competition. With a barely working IFE and other pandemic things still here, perhaps it's trying to steal Qantas passengers as it's also using a A333 in both routes, equally old, and HX has decent Asia connections. Either way this might be overcapacity.

I think it's unlikely CX would make a big response to this...

I think HX can potentially work with Skyteam members, in particular KE (with existing relationship with OZ and the upcoming merger), which has no direct Aus flights and AFKLM for Aus transfers to increase load factor, as well as it's existing partners, i.e. OZ and Eva.