Well CZ/MU/CA does not have the wide coverage of cities as CX. So for places like ADL/PER/BNE/CNS, pax would still need to transit at SYD/MEL even if their flights from China are direct to Australia. Or those pax can transit at HKG. At least the Mandarin language issue would not be a problem when transitting at HKG on CX all the way. Would be harder at SYD/MEL and catching connecting flight on QF or VA.

Also there are people living in smaller cities in China which does not have direct flights to Australia, and instead of transitting at CAN/PVG/PEK they can transit at HKG.

Finally CX definitely has better service than CZ/CA/MU ....

CZ flies to both BNE and PER (as well as SYD/MEL).

Yeah, but not MU/CA though. So people living on the middle/northern China would still need to transit at CAN with CZ service, or they can transit at HKG with CX service.

Well that may be the state of affairs right now but any reasons the PRC majors can't do more flights?

Can't imagine why CX can grow its LH routes at its current speed but the PRC majors can't match - they have the runway, the money and the manpower!

Oh PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!

There is indeed a small F market for Australia (mostly SYD) which QF walked away from. But like CX, QF's F-equipped aircraft are utilised on their long-haul destinations. So it just depends on who can make a business case of flying F to a mid-haul destination instead of long-haul one.

For CX, there doesn't have to be a reduction in capacity though if they introduce F. The A330 flights can be replaced by the A350 or the 3-class 77W to make up for the lost capacity with the 4-class bird. Not all flights need to have a F cabin.

I'm still thinking it's a bad idea, given the proportion of northern transit traffic on the Aus flights.

I guess Ivan Chu has the best view of these potential F traffic to SYD. There are more and more Chinese b/millionaires buying Sydney properties over last 3-4 years, so Ivan may think they may get all these people to fly F to SYD.

Also I noticed that some airlines use F to "glamorise" their airline, almost like a marketing ploy, to get people to fly in Y/Y+/J with them. e.g. EK, EY, SQ etc. Maybe CX thinks the same.

Not sure - my last three trips to Aus are in the front of the plane and I don't notice many transit passengers joining me there.

I suppose if you're a 老总 the last flight you want is an indirect.

Also CX F doesn't have show-off value - not compared to a private jet. Or the best value (given CX pricing!).

At risk of stereotyping the typical transit passenger is not singular - frequently a large group (I always admire how they organise the whole extended family to take trips), sitting at the back and has rollaboards.

But CX isn't much of a "bling" airline so impact of introducing F for bling value is limited.

I've been told that they would do it as long as the CX F (or whichever F) they get is perceived to be better than the one they get with their own airlines. However, that might also just be some airline executives being delusional.

Am I the only one who read Ivan Chu's comment to mean "no F to Australia" in corporate speak?....he was talking to an Australian aviation magazine! Of course he has to say "maybe". You cant just rain on a a parade in front of the home crowd.

His tone certainly didnt sound like it was going to happen any time soon. "In time maybe we will.....BUT....".

My impression was the author was the one presenting the question in the first place! But then, the author titles the headline as clickbait "Cathay open to considering F..." (despite this being the author's own ruminations)....and voila, you suddenly have a 'credible' rumor!

I wouldn't like to try and sell CX F as-is to a 老总. Changes I believe will be helpful:

1. Make the flights direct (not going to happen)

2. Buy the A380 and put wifi in it for weibo

3. Rip out the current decor and replace it with EKs. Except to include even more gold trims.

4. Make the seat look more like a bed when laid into bed mode.

5. Replace the wine list with Lafite and Dom.

6. Keep the separately tinned Calvisius caviar. Restore the Balik, in branded container if they can make one.

7. More bling food - abalone, lobster, oysters. Perhaps throw in 果子狸 if you can get around destination quarantine laws. Pierre Herme for the mistresladies.

8. Brand everything you can think of. TV should be branded. So should the bedding. Even the controls.

9. Replace the Aesop amenity kit with something with a flashier brand name - QR's Armani is one way to go. I wonder can we beef it up to a goodies bag they can take away.

10. More staffing. Perhaps the FAs should offer feet messages like JL or perhaps there should be a full-time messeuse on board.

11. EK's shower. Or even if they can manage to engineer it, a jacuzzi.

12. I don't think the 老总 will go for a bar but a sitting area for a few of them to blow water will be nice.

13. On the subject of (12), restoring smoking will be a big plus (again, probably impossible due to HK law).


Essentially, think Galaxy/City of Dreams/Venetian/Lisboa and move it into the front section of a 380

Now after all these 土豪 changes to CX F, how many of us will still like to sit in it?

Also for PRC-Syd, wouldn't SQ be competition on the route? It's 2 hours extra flying sure but they've 380s and Suites.

Yes, but quite short sector times... SIN-Australia can be just that little bit too short to have a good sleep.