IAD Launch Confirmed and Schedule Filed
Dec 21, 2017, 5:25 am
#31
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Join Date: Sep 2005
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In line with what is being reported by Taiwanese media.
Dec 21, 2017, 6:02 am
#32
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
Polar routes - As long as JFK or even longer.
Fun facts for this route. I took a lot of DFW/JFK-HKG flights so I found this. Technically, JFK-HKG is always polar both ways, while DFW-HKG westbound is close to polar, but HKG-DFW Eastbound is usually through the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes you can get it done for 13.5 hours if the wind is your friend. This IAD route will always be in 16 hours range. I didn't notice any Eastbound routes take similar flight plans as HKG-DFW except YVR, SFO, and LAX. At least I didn't see that for ORD.
Dec 21, 2017, 7:14 am
#33
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Dec 21, 2017, 9:56 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Shame the timings are so late in the day (for my own purposes), but it's pretty obvious they aren't targeting transit pax.
The thing I find interesting is this will be the only direct HKG-WAS flight once launched, yet they're only doing a 4x/week service. There must be good demand for direct flights to Asia from WAS. Though I suppose it makes sense to start small and go from there.
Slightly OT, but does anyone know how BOS supports a daily HKG flight? It's a much smaller city than ORD (which barely supports 2x daily), but loads seem to be better than ORD these days. Who's flying that route? Biotech and (some) finance people? Is a lot of the traffic related to the various schools in Boston (Harvard, MIT, Tufts, BU, BC, etc)? I've only flown this route a couple times and couldn't get a good sense of the usual folks (since I was traveling on leisure-heavy days). Definitely different than the makeup of the HKG-LAX route.
The thing I find interesting is this will be the only direct HKG-WAS flight once launched, yet they're only doing a 4x/week service. There must be good demand for direct flights to Asia from WAS. Though I suppose it makes sense to start small and go from there.
Slightly OT, but does anyone know how BOS supports a daily HKG flight? It's a much smaller city than ORD (which barely supports 2x daily), but loads seem to be better than ORD these days. Who's flying that route? Biotech and (some) finance people? Is a lot of the traffic related to the various schools in Boston (Harvard, MIT, Tufts, BU, BC, etc)? I've only flown this route a couple times and couldn't get a good sense of the usual folks (since I was traveling on leisure-heavy days). Definitely different than the makeup of the HKG-LAX route.
Dec 21, 2017, 5:37 pm
#35
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Totally agree! OC and surrounding areas like Irvine are Asian central. However the length of runway is short and there are heavy noise restrictions at the airport. What about more routes to San Diego? I know it's further from LAX but there is a significant demand for Asia travel from San Diego I would think.
Dec 21, 2017, 5:47 pm
#36
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Instead of SNA or SAN, I think the 'wildcard' should be SJC instead. Sounds like a viable port for a 359.
(Well, 'instead' CX went for a 3rd daily SFO, no complaints there.)
(Well, 'instead' CX went for a 3rd daily SFO, no complaints there.)
Dec 22, 2017, 1:43 am
#37
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Dec 23, 2017, 3:07 am
#39
Join Date: Nov 2007
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My money is on BA.
Jun 4, 2018, 6:54 pm
#40
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I reckon that won't be known for months, if not right before launch. No big deal BA closes then....we have a long ways to go. 9 months. If history is any guide, CX has historically used OW partner lounges for North American ports. LAX was a shared OW lounge between QF/CX, now it's QF. JFK was BA prior to moving to T7, where they're now AA. SFO was BA prior to CX building its own lounge. EWR and BOS both launched with BA lounge, and fyi both lounge hours were extended specifically for the CX latenight flights.
My money is on BA.
My money is on BA.
My guess is BA with extended hours on the day of the CX flight. Since the Business cabin is the highest cabin - I would guess it will be catered same as a Business lounge with buffet food. Would be nice if they used Eithad Lounge - but I doubt it.
Jun 4, 2018, 8:22 pm
#41
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
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Cathay Lounges in Americas
Of course, the facts lean heavily in favor of BA. 3/6 of CX's current USA departures use the BA lounge (BOS, ORD, EWR). And previously, 5/6 have used the BA lounge (@JFK, used BA until CX moved to AA terminal. And @ sfo, CX used BA until they built their own CX lounge in 2011).
The final exception is LAX, which is currently the Qantas lounge. And previously CX used the OneWorld lounge before the TBIT retrofit. For as long as I've been flying CX to LAX (over a decade), there never has been a BA lounge to use at LAX so.....the only case where CX didn't use BA is the one USA airport without a BA lounge!
So anyway my money is strongly on BA.
Jun 4, 2018, 8:40 pm
#42
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The final exception is LAX, which is currently the Qantas lounge. And previously CX used the OneWorld lounge before the TBIT retrofit. For as long as I've been flying CX to LAX (over a decade), there never has been a BA lounge to use at LAX so.....the only case where CX didn't use BA is the one USA airport without a BA lounge!
Prior to the opening of these lounges, Cathay had their own lounge for their flights, but it was basically a lounge where they changed the sign, so at other times, other airlines had their sign on the door. At that time there was also a joint QF/BA lounge in TBIT, which closed a bit earlier than the second LAX evening flight.
I can't remember what lounges there were during the interim period when everything was under renovation.
Jun 9, 2018, 9:24 am
#43
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Confirmed to be BA lounge with extended hours, no buffet.
Jun 10, 2018, 8:40 am
#44
Join Date: Oct 2003
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British Airways does a buffet - so I guess if you get to the lounge early (say 21:30pm) you could get BA food. BA Lounge normally closes at 22:30 at IAD.
The CX flight departs at 1:20AM, so I guess CX takes over when the BA lounge closes at 22:30. Since CX is OW, OW J passengers and OW Sapphire and Emerald should be able to get in early. I don't think the lounge is restricted until CX takes control.
For Priority Pass - the Turkish Airlines lounge is another option - open until 23:00. The BA lounge is open to PP, but only until 14:00 daily. And PP has no food service. Only when BA takes over at 14:00 does food service begin.
I guess CX figures that since the flight is so late - no need to serve food at the lounge. I assume they would still serve food on the flight after take off. So not much of an airport experience for this flight.
The CX flight departs at 1:20AM, so I guess CX takes over when the BA lounge closes at 22:30. Since CX is OW, OW J passengers and OW Sapphire and Emerald should be able to get in early. I don't think the lounge is restricted until CX takes control.
For Priority Pass - the Turkish Airlines lounge is another option - open until 23:00. The BA lounge is open to PP, but only until 14:00 daily. And PP has no food service. Only when BA takes over at 14:00 does food service begin.
I guess CX figures that since the flight is so late - no need to serve food at the lounge. I assume they would still serve food on the flight after take off. So not much of an airport experience for this flight.
Last edited by cova; Jun 10, 2018 at 9:19 am
Jun 10, 2018, 10:00 am
#45
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,421
according to the CX website, it still hasn't been announced. Others may know what CX is thinking beforehand though.
Cathay Lounges in Americas
Of course, the facts lean heavily in favor of BA. 3/6 of CX's current USA departures use the BA lounge (BOS, ORD, EWR). And previously, 5/6 have used the BA lounge (@JFK, used BA until CX moved to AA terminal. And @ sfo, CX used BA until they built their own CX lounge in 2011).
The final exception is LAX, which is currently the Qantas lounge. And previously CX used the OneWorld lounge before the TBIT retrofit. For as long as I've been flying CX to LAX (over a decade), there never has been a BA lounge to use at LAX so.....the only case where CX didn't use BA is the one USA airport without a BA lounge!
So anyway my money is strongly on BA.
Cathay Lounges in Americas
Of course, the facts lean heavily in favor of BA. 3/6 of CX's current USA departures use the BA lounge (BOS, ORD, EWR). And previously, 5/6 have used the BA lounge (@JFK, used BA until CX moved to AA terminal. And @ sfo, CX used BA until they built their own CX lounge in 2011).
The final exception is LAX, which is currently the Qantas lounge. And previously CX used the OneWorld lounge before the TBIT retrofit. For as long as I've been flying CX to LAX (over a decade), there never has been a BA lounge to use at LAX so.....the only case where CX didn't use BA is the one USA airport without a BA lounge!
So anyway my money is strongly on BA.