JFK to LHR by CX - true ?
 

It has been reported that Cathay Pacific is close to securing fifth freedom rights to operate up to twice daily London-JFK flights from October although there has been no confirmation from the airline.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2024/07/02/cathay-pacific-confirms-relocation-to-terminal-6-at-jfk/

Really ?

This is fake news.

1. CX already secured LHR-JFK fifth freedom 20 years ago, while UK carriers could operate HKG-Australia flights, in part of UK-HK bilateral agreement. Compared to 20 years ago, the trans-Atlantic market is more concentrated to several JVs, and I don't see any edge of CX jumping into this market.

2. LHR slots are very valuable and if CX could obtain extra slots at LHR, I will say they will add another daily HKG-LHR flights without any hesitation.

3. CX already confirmed 5 daily HKG-LHR round flights during the winter season.

Having 5th freedom between JFK and LHR was probably much more useful back in the day when it was nearly impossible to fly nonstop JFK-HKG without a huge weight penalty. Now with the newer planes like the A350, flying nonstop is very routine..And as Reply1984 mentioned, even if the slots are available at LHR, I'm sure CX would rather put an extra flight between LHR-HKG than doing JFK-LHR where the market is so saturated already.

Though one can indeed dream of CX flying LHR-JFK... the current options are awful.

Since Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, CX has been requesting landing rights to the US authorities for their US-HK flights with various stopovers in Asia (notably TPE, TYO etc.). It doesn't mean CX is actively seeking 5th freedom rights and it isn't something new. It's just merely a "Plan B" in case they can't overfly Russia for whatever reasons. I suspect the writer of this article misinterpreted these requests as CX's intention to fly JFK-LHR.

One can only dream

CX would certainly be a step up from any of BA, VS, AA, or DL, but I wouldn't characterize any of them as "awful" in any class of service.

I would.

That old chestnut!!!

:D :D :D

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...y-lhr-jfk.html

An idea with timeless idiocy.:D

Sorry I would deem them as awful! Never consistent service. Never know what you would get. I would welcome CX or even other carriers like QF, QR or EK to fly this route. Will take them in heartbeat.

May have to agree to disagree, but even VS - considered to be the best transatlantic option - is a world apart from Cathay.

I frequently fly BA and AA transat. They are absolutely atrocious compared to CX. My best experience on this route lately has been B6.

B6 is okay enough until they hose you, which is pretty much guaranteed over (a short period of) time. The AA/BA cartel, on the other hand, is great wrt its most important job (getting you there).




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