Dear All,

I am off to SYD next month and for a change booked flights with CX in F (LHR-HKG-SYD).

Any tips to maximise the experience as the last time I flew CX was over 10 years ago in Y when I was a mere House Officer! I am on the flights to/from LHR that should have the new F product (but I understand that often this gets changed at the last minute).

Anyadvise and thoughts would be most welcome.

Thanks,

FD

As far as I am aware the new F product doesn't fly HKG-SYD and there are no plans to do so - it is being downgraded to a 2-class route over the next year or so. Are you sure about that bit? And even the remaining planes with old F not infrequently get switched out to 2-class (maybe even with regional business class). If you want to be sure of a decent F experience I'd switch the HKG-SYD bit to QF128 if your ticket permits.

The HKG-SYD is ticketed in F but I take your point. I'll see what I can do esp. with regard to changing to the QF 128.

FD

Throughtout April F will still be avaliable at least once a day to SYD on CX. Note that it will not be the new product however. Subject to aircraft substitutions of course.

What is a House Officer?

Have you never seen the TV Program/Programme House?

http://www.fox.com/house/

Sorry. A House officer was the most Junior Doctor in the NHS hospital hieracy. They had less than 12 months experience and had just finished at medical school. They do not exist any more and are called FY1 (Foundation Year 1).

This was many years ago for me!!!!!

I am pleased to hear that there is at least one flight to SYD with F (presumably the one I am booked on). I had also heard that ultimately there will only be J from HKG to SYD with CX. I am surprised but I guess that there just isn't enough money in it!

FD

More like CX is short on planes and some routes had to go. Also it is likely to be temporary. YYZ lost F years ago, and CX appears to be bringing it back this year, and that is a lower yield route than SYD. For a long time SYD had about 80% of the CX F service to Australia, when QF gave up that market. Now QF is much more interested (owing to its HKG-LHR service). For a long time CX and QF acted like adversaries rather than allies, maybe they have reached an accomodation and QF has won the F market.

CX will probably still keeping the F on 1 flight out of the 4 as per current practise, but not a NEW F though...unless more 77A comes into the fleet, it's not easy to rotate a 77A to SYD, and i highly doubt they will put a 744A on the route too

Since no-one has answered the OP's original question (maximizing the F experience) here are some points (lots more in past threads)....

- chinese tea (really superb though maybe an acquired taste, also quite an expensive tea as it sells in US for over USD 100 per pound)
- caviar service varies considerably by route and season, but HKG-LHR is usually a lot better than LHR-HKG (and it might not be offered at all HKG-SYD-HKG)
- CX flagship wines are their red wines. Well aged Lynch Bages was the CX F trademark for many years, along with Krug. Now these come and go and aren't quite as reliable (I think CX drank the LB stock dry).
- stationary kit used to be quite nice (not sure currently, I keep forgetting to ask for one)
- save room for desert, they are remarkably good at times (except for the midnight departures)
- both port and XO are good quality and free flowing
- use the duvet as a pad (under you) and a blanket as a cover. Much more comfortable and more than warm enough (SQ does this, providing 2 duvets, which is where I got the idea).
- eat whenever you want. Unlike some other airlines, CX really lets you dine upon request, without fuss and with gracious service. Not so important on your routes, but on LAX-HKG I often don't eat after take-off and go to sleep right away, and then have the first meal about 6 hours into the flight. CX manages to do this without disturbing the other pax (who are typically sleeping then).

Thanks for all this adivce. Yes the dine when you want facility often isn't much use (I fly BA mainly and really only use it sometimes outbound to the US). It may be handy on the SYD-HKG sector at this is a day flight.

If you're doing the two sectors back to back then I'd be using it on LHR-HKG as well - my strategy is always to get on to the timezone of the destination as son as I get on the first plane, so if you are taking an evening departure from LHR I'd be trying to sleep during the day preceding and then take breakfast as the first meal on the plane (morning Sydney time), stay awake (AVOD, etc) then take dinner a couple of hours before you land. Sleep HKG-SYD (maybe quick supper after takeoff) and arrive in the morning.

I've been to Australia before. I always feel terrible for the first day and then I get into things. I might give this a try though as I have never tried this way of organising the meal times before.

FD

Enjoy CX. Old or new seats, its still in F class, and the product in the air is one of the best around.

10 years have passed. Many things have changed. But changing airlines just because someone told you that a certain product isn't available might be a but too much.

I find that when flying straight through to Australia from the UK, my jet lag actually adjusts better without a stopover going there. On the way back, you migt want to consider a stopover in HKG and see what the Chinese have done to the place since 1997!

Not if they do what they did last time I flew SYD-HKG which was to swap the plane out for a 2-class plane and put the F passengers in regional business.

I would expect significant compensation for that.

FD