Focus Group
 

Hi all. I've just been asked by CX if I'd take part in a focus group next week in Admiralty. Whilst I'm not normally the sort who would take the time to do this, my travel on CX seems to be rising exponentially (20+ flights booked for the next couple of months in all 3 classes), so I thought I'd go along. I don't know much about the format, or whether it's on a specific issue or CX generally. If there is an open floor, I'll probably speak out against the NRBC seats and for better wines on J! Any other things you'd like me to mention?

In terms of the NRBC - good on CX for trying (those regional seats do need refreshing) but the design of the seat they've chosen... :td:

And having F back on the AKL route would be nice too, but I'm guessing that'll be wishful thinking.

The terrible business class lounge at LAX!
Thanks for garnering some feed-back.

I agree with the other posters. My 2 biggest complaints are the terrible CX lounge at LAX and the business class "playground slide" seats. Perhaps they could issue us velcro suits.

Although its true that their J seats are flatter than some of the competition (think AA), that's also the problem. You don't typically slip out of a chair because it is not flat. If they want a flat seat then it needs to be more horizontal.

A third complaint would be the departure time of the later flight from LAX to HKG. I don't want to stay awake in the lounge for a 2AM flight.

Bad J seat!
 

I must agree with the criticism of the J seat. It almost reclines enough, yet just misses the mark. I found myself sliding down to the end or laying on my side so as not to. So close. If the footrest were raised another inch, it would solve the problem. Also, ISMs should ensure that their crews give the expected, standardized Cathay service, and should be more solicitous of the pax about the satisfaction beyond the random one survey they seem to do. The service varies widely.

I have no complaints about the J seat. I don't find myself sliding.. maybe it's beacuse I'm using it right? I find it much more comfortable than most other airlines' seat.

Asking CX to do something about the LAX lounge is ridiculous. Everyone has bad lounges at Tom Bradley Terminal and there's really nothing much one can do about it.. perhaps demolish Tom Bradley terminal and build a new one?

Bring back a-la-carte dining to long haul Business Class!

Yes! Please do! LAX is a disgrace of an airport, only to be matched by JFK (but at least JFK has good lounges). LAX is not going to see any improvements any time soon, unfortunately.

Agreed!

At least the amount of food served in all classes. Some of us go hungry very easily on CX flights....

A personal bugbear is the quality of vegetarian catering in FC - it really needs to be improved. I always pre-order vegetarian food, but I have had a number of meals where the vegetarian meal skipped certain courses, and on numerous long flights they have not catered vegetarian snacks. The menus also change very infrequently, so on the routes I fly regularly I eat a lot of the same things. This is probably irrelevant to most people, but I thought I would take the opportunity to mention it.

Do please let us know how the Focus Group goes.

I would emphasise that it's the poor design of the New Regional Business Class seat I'd like to see improved. I have no issues - yet - with the 'flat' New Business Class seat on longhaul routes.

I second (or are we up to thirding?) Guy Betsy's "bring back a-la-carte" for long haul J and also more frequent menu cycling! For outports (even in F and J) inbound to HKG CX are running THREE month menu cycles which gets pretty damn repetitive after a few flights!

It's a while since I did economy, but surely you cannot be serious about business or first? For example, I have just done short-haul business HKG-SIN and the food offered was as follows:

1. Nuts with aperitif
2. An appetizer of a large piece of hot smoked salmon served with chutney and garnish
3. A side salad of mixed leaves with cheeses shavings
4. Bread (as much as you want) with the above
5. A main course with a choice of beef with rice, sea bass, or a mushrom ravioli.
6. A selection of cheese
7. A selection of fruit
8. A dessert, being a choice of cheesecake or Haagen-Dazs
9. Coffee with chocolate(s)

I respectfully suggest that if you are still hungry after that lot then you need to consult your doctor since you must have worms or something!

Really? That isn't my experience, or that of most other people here - I find it far more consistent than any other airline. I'm basing my observation on an average of about 30 segments a year over the last five years, which I would have thought would be enough. I will admit though that there does seem to have been a trend in the last few years for some of the ISMs to get a bit aloof and not seem to be as in to the job as they used to be. I fear CX is creeping towards the US airlines problem of ancient, burned out and bored cabin crew since CX removed the mandatory retire-at-40 rule a few years ago.

I absolutely agree, in fact this consistency is one of the hallmarks of CX. The other is incremental improvement ... almost every time I fly CX I notice some small change and it is almost always for the better. Those 2 attributes are the key characteristics of a great airline (or any kind of business for that matter). Somehow very few other airlines are doing that this year.
As for the food, given the ample food available pre-flight in the lounges ex-HKG that can't be an issue. I suppose the complaint is from YVR-HKG which has no food or drink worth consuming in the lounge at YVR and then has the smaller supper service on-board (similarly for the late LAX-HKG flight). The real solution would be to stock the lounges at LAX and YVR with a few hundred dollars worth of food (but they don't).

Glad you've taken the time for some feedback. Just realised the focus group is not next week, but the 24th...crikey, my jet-lag must be getting worse!

I have to agree with B-HXB and GB regarding the J seat. I've got no probs on long-haul (at least since they tinkered with it), just the new regional one. Actually, I think it's a bit cheeky that some of what I would class long-haul flights are classified as regional eg the Middle East. Maybe that's just me...

As for the cabin crew - I've got no complaints. In fact I think they're wonderful, and well deserved of the praise they generally seem to get on these forums.

I'm doing BKK this weekend - down on Y and back on J, so I'll have the chance to refresh myself of their respective merits. I'm dutifully noting all your comments anyway - you still have another fortnight for more...

Whoa!
 

Didn't mean to incite a riot. Constructive comments were requested. Yes, my experience is based only on a handful of JFK-YVR-HKG RT flights, but in those FEW flights I've been disappointed in that the first flight out was perfection, and the rest paled in comparison. The return crews were less-than-American-carrier average. The inflight crew was inattentive and dismissive from HKG to YVR. The water bottles weren't replenished without asking multiple times. The crew onward to JFK was generally unseen; when they did make an appearance, they were quite surly. As for the seat, when I first sampled the seat, it seemed like heaven, until sleeping, that is. I still feel, as did my colleagues, that a scant extra inch of elevation of the footrest would create a restful position. One extra comment for focus group: the need for a better YVR holding cell, and improved attention to priority baggage tags at JFK.

Cheers.