First class on 74A.. MAGNIFICENT
 

Just got off of HKG-NRT CX 504 in first. I must say that the new first class suites are just incredible. Way ahead of any other OW airline.. I use to think the AA FS and the QF suite were great.. but the CX suite blew my mind. Very wide seat.. incredible privacy..your own closet, ability to store TWO carryons under the ottoman, 17 inch IFE screen and probably the best KYO-KAISEKI meal I have ever had... I was so impressed that I thought all FT should know. Too bad the NA-HKG flights are still hit and miss regarding these new first class seats. Truly a step up in every which way...

CX F seat
 

I agree, although unfortunately my experience was at a CX reception in London this week rather than enjoying it on a flight.

Definitely a big step up from BA F, although I understand that this iseat is being reviewed at present.

I was impressed with the size, privacy without a door, storage space and comfort.

The J seat is also good and an improvement on the VS version that does not recline far enough, IMHO, before you have to stand up, flip it over and make it completely flat.

Any mention at the reception regarding any planned changes to the new J seat?

Not that I am aware, although I did not ask the question.

Are there problems with the new J seat? It looked good and whilst I am still not convinced with this type of seat compared to say BA and the forward facing seats, I did think it was comfortable. Good if travelling on your won, but not great as a couple as the partition is high, but not as high IIRC, as VS.

It is fully flat, so an improvement to the previous J seat I would guess, not that I used it.

It would be even more lovely if CX would stop CHANGING THE AIRCRAFT type a few days before the flight - this has happened to me several times.
Are they planning to convert ALL the 747s to the "new F class"?

Ha! You obviously haven't spent much time here reading the reviews of the CX J seats...
(FWIW, I agree with you, and I've actually flown both CX and VS versions...)

I echo the comments here, the new F suites on CX are truly magnificent. Just flew HKG-LAX in F on Thr last week and it blew me away. Have had the luck to fly upfront on VS, SQ and QF in the past few years, and this product on CX beats them all hands down. Travelled with a friend, both of us were in row 1 which I think are ideal for couples. Food, service, AVOD systems, all were perfect. And had no problems with power for my laptop, as others have commented about previously in this forum. Only slight annoyance was the fact that about an hour before landing, both bathrooms ran out of running water!

There is absolutely no way that two carryons approaching full carryon size (22"x14"x10") fit under that ottoman. You can get one in lengthwise, but it protrudes significantly out of the front of the ottoman, meaning that a second person can't comfortably sit there (important because the new layout doesn't otherwise permit couples to travel or eat together). Moreover, for people who are tall (I am 6'4") a bag so positioned gets in the way of your feet if you want to stretch out. This does have one advantage though - when the plane rotates and the bag starts to roll towards you (as it will do if it has wheels on the bottom) then you can hold it with your feet before it builds up enough speed to do some nasty damage when it hits you. Class? I think not!

By the way, how many people were in the F cabin? I can't imagine the reduced complement of two crew being able to do a decent kaiseki service to a full load.

Guilty as charged!

Better stick to commenting on BA - at least I know what I am writing about! :D

That's interesting. Even CX is stating that the 747s (which are all that fly to LAX currently) have no power in the new F suites. Could it be, perchance, that what you actually flew in was the old F?

Yes they are. The next route to become fully 74A is SFO at the end of June. FCO will still be the old 744 for all of summer (not suprisingly). Not so sure about CDG and FRA.

But the conversion of all 744 and 74J to the 74A should be completed by 2009.

I also found this interesting too...I have flown 74A F for like 4-5 times the past month, and the power was always NOT working...I didn't really check the registration of each plane I took, so maybe it's the same one etc...but it would be nice to know at least one of the 74A does have the power working !!

CDG will get their share of the New seats beginning September from HKG.

FRA will have their's by late July.

But don't take my word for it, as Cathay Pacific always makes final minute substitutions at HKG.

How do you guys know all this?

RTW4, would you say new CX F has the edge over old SQ F now? I found the food and service on SQ notably better last time I flew , about two years ago. Has that changed? There are many reports about quality of soft product in CX going further downhill....