ermen

are opups treated as second class citizens?

HaikalS

I was op-uped once and I certainly didn't feel treated like second class. Though I suppose that's not much more than just one data point

blum81

I wouldn't say so. My opup rate between HKG-MNL/MNL-HKG is quite high and I honestly don't notice a difference in service.

Only a GO not DM thought.

kaka

ernestnywang

Never happened to me.

Cambo

Thank you for correcting me and let me stand corrected (though I didn't sort out immediate renewal aspect, I assume you are right).

The reset itself would only delay the upgrade to the next level, not block the upgrades (correct me, if I am wrong).

Assuming CX-new-customer does immediately start with a flight intensity, resulting in 1200 points in one year, it would delay reaching the DM status with 9 months (being 3 months to become silver (300 points), then subsequently 600 points in 6 months to become gold, and then another year to get the 1200 points for DM) . All assuming the normal CX rules are followed (Am I correct with this ?).

From the CX perspective, I can understand the reset after upgrade to the next level, to avoid, CX grands DM status in a year and subsequently see this customer not fly CX, but still have 3 years of CX benefits, the lounge access (ie gradually degrading to green in the fourth year after reaching DM). That's not going to work out fine for CX.

When CX-new-customer starts regularly flying CX, this person quite likely did have a past flying history and probably reached a GO/DM equivalent elsewhere. Which opens the option for a status match request at CX, which, with several flights booked, may become GO. And from there, it's only a 1200 points to become DM. Referring the above example, the whole being just a few months longer then without reset-after-upgrade.

A yearly reset of accumulated points seems logical to me too, since what is relevant for CX, is the amount of flights per year, not accumulated over many years.

I myself experienced CX being pretty generous handing out GO status: Without signing up for MPC, I got invited for GO, with only 2.5 returns I/D class EU-BKK flown (with another 1.5 returns already booked, though). So who knows, what is possible.

Maybe we all should realize, the MPC is there to give a benefit to CX, through some (addictive) benefits (as less as possible) for the frequent flyer. No more, no less......

Feel free to correct again

Oh, and when flying J or higher, the SILVER/GOLD benefits are pretty low, given the perks that come with the flight class. Lounge invitation and overweight luggage (hauling around 50 kg!) might be interesting, that's about it.

ernestnywang

I think you are right theoretically, that is, if the person flies very regularly and accrue ~300 points per quarter. If the flying pattern is seasonal or irregular, it might prolong the way to reach DM.

On the other hand, I don't think there's an official soft landing policy, though this I'm not 100% sure. You can check https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...-landings.html. MPO certainly gives soft landing in many cases, and I myself and one of my parents have experienced it, although my other parent didn't. A DM who got ~500 points might have a good chance of being soft-landed to GO "as a goodwill gesture," but I doubt it would be the case for a DM who has little or no activity.

I agree with you that SL means almost nothing when flying J and likewise for GO if no companion in a lower cabin. Don't think a DM flying F without companion will get that much extra, either.

triplefives

I think they're still blocking seats for DM even in PE. One check-in agent let me look at the seat map to see what was available in PE on a flight when the section was about half empty. I noticed there was blocks next to certain seats on the display which were most likely blocked seats next to DM's.

Cathay Dragon 666

Seat blocking for DM is definitely true because a DM friend of mine that flies exclusively R/Y told me most of the time as long as the plane isn't full the seat next to him is blocked. I don't think it's a given like in years past.

Cathay Dragon 666

For those that are ignorant about what I'm talking about (and pretends to know better). I'm not talking about the official passenger manifest printout. Seasoned Cathay fliers will know the cabin crew usually has a tac note stick in the crew area, and on the tac note are hand-written information usually in this format: Seat number - status. Example: 17A - DM, 32B - DM, 44C - EMD.

In the past I've seen tac notes that only has DM and GOs seat numbers written down. But like I've said in my OP, now it's DM and EMD with no GO, and a good chat with the crew reveals they are no longer trained to treat GO well.

Arbeysix

This is just not true. I have to say this thread is somewhat baffling. If CX GOs are truly feeling hard done by, I suggest they take a moment to travel (as GO equivalent) on 90% of the other airlines out there and compare the experience.

fast03

Agree. I travel almost on a weekly basis and most of the time with my work partner in regional Y who is GO and could say that crew treats him almost the same as me. Small difference is I get the usual ISM greeting while he occasionally gets them (SP greeting maybe 90% of the time), when I op-up to PEY/J he 80-90% of the time gets upgraded too etc.

I have never demanded anything outside of what they can in Y though and so does he so I couldn't vouch on that aspect.

Cathay Dragon 666

I think it's always hard to accept cuts from a business that used to offer so much goodies. Cathay used to treat DM and GO so well that we have gotten used to it, and expect it, and now when that same level of services are starting to become inconsistent, and in the case of GO do-away with, it is hard to swallow.

The argument is not how is Cathay compared to other airlines, but how is Cathay compared to its former glory.

CXZRHaddict

I have been a gold member for the last three years. Greetings and op-ups have indeed become a rarity recently. I got more op-ups and greetings with my previous status which was silver. Interestingly I have received the most greetings on shorthaul intra-asian flights while on longhaul flights - where one might assume that there is more than enough time for such a gesture - they seem to have vanished completely. Thus I can only speak for the Zürich to Hongkong and Hongkong to Zürich flights as I am a regular on this route.

triplefives

It's hard to associate op-ups and status because if the flight isn't that full, there won't be any op ups. Unless flight loads are also tracked, it would be difficult to say that GO's or SL's are getting less op ups.