Dear all,

My first post to the CX forum. At the weekend I am travelling in CX F to Sydney, connecting via HKG. Change of plane involved.

My question is basically what to expect and to seek hints and tips on how to make the most of the experience. I would really appreciate some general advice and tips based on recent traveller experience on this route.

Now for a a couple of specific queries. I'll be connecting to LHR from BA long haul arriving in T1, and will have access to the BA Arrivals lounge through BA status. The CX flight departs from LHR T3. Is it worth me travelling directly to T3 on arrival to experience the CX (F?) lounge, or better to spend some time in BA T1 Arrivals lounge, how do they compare etc?

When I connect in HKG, is it easy to find the lounge, do you advise to go directly to the lounge, prior to next flight? Do they make flight announcements?

Thanks to you in advance all for your advice.

Welcome to the CX Forum, jameslon.

CX's lounge in London is nothing much to boot. Better for you to stay at T1. But if you are just connecting, are you allowed to the Arrivals lounge? Of course you do have to clear immigration and customs and all that. If you are taking CX, then you'd have to eventually make it to T3. But if you're taking BA, then just stay where you are. Again, BA's F lounges in T1/4 are much better than CX's lounge in London.

CX's lounges however are a different matter in HKG where they are the epitome of luxury.

CX has 2 lounges aptly called the Wing and the Pier. You have free access to both lounges but people tend to use the lounge closest to the gate they are departing from. If you have the time, you may check either lounge but it requires a fair trek across the terminal.

For more information about the differences on the two lounges, please go to this website: http://www.cathaytalk.com/showthread.php?t=432 and look at post # 1.

They don't make flight announcements, but they have screens showing the flight timings and status.

As to how to make the best of the flights in F. Someone on here once told me 'Just say Yes to everything the FA offers'. It worked

While not of the same standard as The Wing / The Pier, I'd say that the CX LHR lounge is preferable to BA's, if only for the fact that the F section is much quieter and offers dim sum. BA lounges can get awfully overcrowded.

OK, here's the thing about LHR transit. If you want to access the BA Arrivals Lounge, you will need to clear customs & immigration and exit to the "landside" portion of the terminal. If you arrive on BA in J or F (which I assume since that's the only way to get in the Arrivals lounge), then you should get a "fast track" card to expedite you through passport control. Then you can use the BA Arrivals lounge, where you can shower and get a hot breakfast. Afterward, you'll have to head over to T3 for the CX flight. I know you can walk, it's about 10-15 minutes, there might be a bus too. You then have to re-clear security to enter T3, but there is a Fast Trak for premium passengers.

The alternative is -- upon arriving at LHR, proceed to the Flight Connections Center, where you will clear security again and take a bus directly to T3. No passport control, although lines at the FCC can be really really bad, and I believe FastTrak there is only for OUTBOUND BA passengers. Also, sometimes you have to wait a while for the bus. It could very well be faster to do the landside transfer, and since that's the better lounge option, I would probably reccomend that route anyway.

At T3 you can use the CX lounge, which has a separate F section with a slightly more robust food & drink offering than the J section. It's certainly a nice lounge (and I love the dim sum), but nothing that special, and definitely nothing close to the HKG lounges.

Actually the OP said he is entering the arrivals lounge based on status? So I presume he is a BA Gold or PRemier (as these are the exception cases whereby they can use the arrivals lounge).

I actually really liek the BA arrivals lounge, but do note the opening times. Also breakfast is stopped after I think 1130?

The CX F class lounge is pretty good. IMO better than the T4 BA F Class lounge.

The dim sums are just MSG loaded frozen Amoy brand, but for some reasons I find them to be good (as I find most WESTERN countries lounges, do not provide hot food, and this is most welcoming). The salads are not bad and the sandwiches and noodles are decent as well.

The greek salad at the CX F lounge is quite good -- bordering on excellent (also is a very unconventional greek salad). The rest of the food is OK to good (and better than the BA F lounge, but not better than the real BA F lounge, which is of course the Concorde Room). The 2 XO cognacs offered by CX in their F lounge are noteworthy (though I had to drain the last ounce of the bottle during my last visit).

CX F service is full of small details. And rather refreshingly CX offers ultra high end non-alcoholic drink options (teas that cost >USD 100 per pound, to go with their wines that cost that much). My favourite service element, and how you can instantly tell the FA quality, is the CX approach of putting the glass down with the CX logo facing the pax; the better crews do this in one fluid motion, every time; the less good crews have to fiddle with the glass to get the logo facing in the right direction. I guess Feng Shui dictates that champagne tastes better when the CX logo is visible to the passenger.

Had my worst CX F crew ever onboard LHR-HKG the week before last. Could tell the moment I boarded when the IFM didnt welcome me onboard by name and just said "second aisle turn left!" when there were FAs ready to do the F class ushering (it was the awkward A346). Cabin crew in F were not welcoming and service throughout was sloppy and forgetful. Had to actually use the bell several times -- was told that many service items are "now on request" only. This is UNUSUAL! but I tend to agree with "expect nothing" as you will then be surprised!

Two days later on HKG-BKK had the best J crew in a long while ... just goes to show that CX is best at inconsistency .. service and aircraft. When they are good, they are very good. And when it is not so good ... well .....

I had a chat about this with CX at LHR recently; it seems loads out of LHR are very high on CX (despite CX now running 28 flights per week -- I was surprised to hear that; and NZ, QF, Oasis etc. starting HKG-LHR service). Business is booming, and they don't have to try very hard on this route to compete. There are something like 12 744/equivalent flights per day LHR-HKG (just Oneworld has 6x744 and 2x343/346 daily!).

On CX 253 3 weeks ago in Y, the flight attendant on our aisle did not come up and down with the tray of water or juice for 5 hours. (The FA on the other side was up and down every 30 minutes with a tray). It was impossible to nap with the barrage of call bells being rung, and aggitated passengers. When I did get the FA, she told me all snacks and beverages are "now on request". Luckily after the crew change when she went for a nap, service picked up to normal, and return flight was good. Maybe there is one rogue "now on request" FA terrorizing all cabins ???

CX has about 6000 FAs - however good they are at training, one or two less good ones are bound to slip through. I think the answer is to "name and shame" - from what I've heard even a single politely written letter from a passenger to Customer Relations about a named FA gets the FA in question a talking to; more than a couple and they are on the way out. On the other hand, positive letters also apparently have a significant impact on an FAs promotion prospects, so don't forget to recognise the outstandingly good ones too.

Personally I think over 8 years of regular CX flying I have praised about 8 cabin crew by name to Customer Relations, and only felt the need to name 1 in a negative way.

Indeed, my experience is that if you have to deviate much from that type of ratio, one shouldn't be flying that airline. And I make it a point to always follow through on the positive ones. One the negative ones...I always wait a couple of days before I write anything to make sure I'm really sure I want to do that.

Steve

My experience in CX F has been excellent. If you're not familiar with the lay-out on whatever planes you're flying, go to seatguru.com to check out the options. Window seats are generally much better than those in the middle because of the added privacy.

I started a thread on the AA board fairly recently about how lousy it is to connect at LHR, given the disorganized, ad hoc nature of the arrangements there, I guess in response to security concerns. Sorry I don't have the hyperlink handy, but you can find it be searching threads I've started there within the past few weeks. Many of those who posted subsequent comments on LHR agreed, with at least a couple suggesting going landside--that is, going back and forth throught immigration, using Fast Trak. In either event, to be on the safe side I hope you have at least two hours to make sure you make your connections there.

As for Hong Kong, I've only been to the CX F lounge at the Wing, but it's great. (The C lounge is also great, just not to the same degree.) Ask about the cabanas--semi-private rooms where you can lay down, shower, etc. They may have them at the Pier also, but I'm not certain.

In HK you arrive on one level, pass through security and go up to another level--there's only one terminal. It's pretty quick and easy, but if you've never been there before it may not be absolutely obvious where you go through security to go upstairs. But there are plenty of people to point you in the right direction if you're confused.

Have a great trip!