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New Business class service - from July 2018 - Experiences and Discussion

New Business class service - from July 2018 - Experiences and Discussion

Old Aug 10, 2018, 9:24 am
  #91  
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Just off CX807 with the new business class meal service. What a huge disappointment. I can’t believe CX is trying to position this new meal service “more like first class” or “restaurant style dining”. It’s basically big cut backs in meal service and choices disguised with a marketing spin and PR campaign. But at least they can say they put it on plates, even if those plates are too big for the basically coach meal they now serve in business.




I was struck by how sad the CX meal service was, not just compared to the Middle Eastern super star airlines, but even to smaller second tier airlines like Xiamen. We took Xiamen recently from LAX to Xiamen and I can honestly say IMHO their meal service and business class product was so much better. They even had complementary WiFi on their planes.




The CX meals are served on plastic trays with no cloth or paper liners. Most certainly a cut back. It’s a coach quality meal on a plate.




Besides the cut back in food of so so quality, it was nearly impossible to get drinks. It’s clear this new service stretches the crew. They probably should reassign someone as a runner in the business class cabin. Our flight was not even full.




Other than the pre- meal drink and the drink with the appetizer course that comes already on the tray, don’t expect to get a refill or be able to switch wines. Once the tray is down the crew is gone. It takes a long time (20 minutes) to get your tray picked up after the meal as well. Another cut back is no crackers with the cheese plate. Who serves cheese without crackers or bread? And it’s a choice now of cheese, fruit or desert. Don’t expect more than one of these.




As small and limited as the meal portions are now, I don’t think CX could be spending more than $5-7 USD per passenger for each meal.




It’s truly sad to see how far the CX business soft product has fallen. For that matter, CX in general. Once CX offered such a wonderful product in business and first. It’s sad to see this brand I loved in such decline. Next time I’ll just fly American Airlines to Hong Kong.




As a side note CX was in such a rush to board the plane, which arrived at 2 pm in Chicago for our 3:30 departure that they announced in the lounge boarding was underway at 2:40 pm and all passengers should go directly to the gate. We waited at the gate until 3:05, when they started boarding first and business class, only to have us all stand on the hot jet bridge until 3:20pm when they let us board the plane. Not a good experience for a “premium” airlines. So many signs of the stress CX is under.


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Old Aug 10, 2018, 9:44 am
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by MADBOB



Thanks for your report.

I think this pic of your main dish alone has pretty much said it all!!!! What a disgrace!
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 9:54 am
  #93  
sxc
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Another cut back is no crackers with the cheese plate. Who serves cheese without crackers or bread?
The photo in a previous post showed crackers with the cheese. There must have been a mistake made and they forgot to add the crackers.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 9:58 am
  #94  
 
Join Date: May 2017
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Originally Posted by MADBOB
Just off CX807 with the new business class meal service. What a huge disappointment. I can’t believe CX is trying to position this new meal service “more like first class” or “restaurant style dining”. It’s basically big cut backs in meal service and choices disguised with a marketing spin and PR campaign. But at least they can say they put it on plates, even if those plates are too big for the basically coach meal they now serve in business.

The CX meals are served on plastic trays with no cloth or paper liners. Most certainly a cut back. It’s a coach quality meal on a plate.
Besides the cut back in food of so so quality, it was nearly impossible to get drinks. It’s clear this new service stretches the crew. They probably should reassign someone as a runner in the business class cabin. Our flight was not even full.

Other than the pre- meal drink and the drink with the appetizer course that comes already on the tray, don’t expect to get a refill or be able to switch wines. Once the tray is down the crew is gone. It takes a long time (20 minutes) to get your tray picked up after the meal as well. Another cut back is no crackers with the cheese plate. Who serves cheese without crackers or bread? And it’s a choice now of cheese, fruit or desert. Don’t expect more than one of these.

It’s truly sad to see how far the CX business soft product has fallen. For that matter, CX in general. Once CX offered such a wonderful product in business and first. It’s sad to see this brand I loved in such decline. Next time I’ll just fly American Airlines to Hong Kong.
Is it even news that CX catering is appalling and cabins are forever under-staffed? Their food in all cabin has always been a cabin class below, but dressed up. The plates are way too big for the food on them, they don't even fit on the sad hospital tray. It really feels hospital-like flying CX JCL, with 'patients' in bed being dumped trays of unappetizing food by stressed out disgruntled staff.

Cabin staffing will not increase with this new service (as told very firmly by management) and with this crew complement, that's all they can feasibly deliver. Management lives in this fantasy world that by paying staff less and less and putting more and more bums on planes, service will be better.

The crackers issue is probably crew forgot about them since they're located separately, not pre-plated with the cheese.

No drinks refill unfortunately is a necessary evil if you don't want your flight diverted due to crew not being able to go off to their mandatory rest, or a 5 hours long meal service when half the JCL crew goes off to rest mid service.

This new JCL service is a glorified cost cutting exercise. Lower your expectations, take your business else where. Literally AA is better with the same seats, same disinterested staff but with better bedding, entertainment and catering. You get the same lounges anyways, why cling onto CX?
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 11:43 am
  #95  
 
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Yikes. How sad. How Cathay Pathetic.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 4:07 pm
  #96  
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the easiest way for them to improve this mess ever so slightly is to do out with the trays and returning the old menus

but unfortunately, I don't this is something that the management would be likely to carry out
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 5:28 pm
  #97  
 
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Yikes, I just booked an ORD-SIN RT in biz for the family, thinking CX was an aspirational award.

Asspirational is more like it
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 8:21 pm
  #98  
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Originally Posted by jckl
You get the same lounges anyways, why cling onto CX?
Schedule, I guess.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 10:17 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by MADBOB

They should just invert the rice on the plate and call it a collaboration with Panda Express...I think Tsui Wah would serve better food than CX
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Old Aug 11, 2018, 1:03 am
  #100  
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Originally Posted by FlyPointyEnd
...I think Tsui Wah would serve better food than CX
+1
indeed Tsui Wah presents food more aesthetically
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Old Aug 11, 2018, 8:28 am
  #101  
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Majuki's CX807 ORD-HKG photos

Majuki's flight got the newspaper-style menu, so I presume new Business Class Service is in effect for him.



Bean curd noodles; CX 807 ORD-HKG





Beef cheek; CX 807 ORD-HKG



Fruit, omelette, and chocolate mousse; CX 807 ORD-HKG


Last edited by percysmith; Aug 12, 2018 at 7:22 pm
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Old Aug 11, 2018, 10:09 am
  #102  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyPointyEnd


They should just invert the rice on the plate and call it a collaboration with Panda Express...I think Tsui Wah would serve better food than CX
I think I can speak for everyone that if they serve Panda Express, people would be a lot happier. The crap they are serving has been horrific for at least 4 years, with each year progressively getting worse. CX has the right schedule and time for me, so I take it when I have no other options. I haven't eaten a meal on CX J in at least 2 years. I just bring my own food from the terminal.
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Old Aug 12, 2018, 6:30 pm
  #103  
 
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Originally Posted by percysmith

Fruit, omelette, and chocolate mousse; CX 807 ORD-HKG
When I shared this to a crew friend, they told me bread is not served on Brunch service on ORD...was it a new change? or they never served bread even on the old meal service?

I find it a bit ridiculous as Lunch and Supper service would have bread, even afternoon meal service between HKG and TPE/MNL have them....
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Old Aug 12, 2018, 7:22 pm
  #104  
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Originally Posted by FlyPointyEnd
When I shared this to a crew friend, they told me bread is not served on Brunch service on ORD...was it a new change? or they never served bread even on the old meal service?

I find it a bit ridiculous as Lunch and Supper service would have bread, even afternoon meal service between HKG and TPE/MNL have them....
Sorry, I got the lunch appetizer and breakfast photos mixed up (amended above). There is bread.
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Old Aug 12, 2018, 8:26 pm
  #105  
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#9134

https://www.ausbt.com.au/cathay-paci...s-meal-service

"You bunch of retards at office, offering a more intensive experience for passengers while the same set of crew remains the same. With more china plates to collect I can’t wait the passengers complain about the noise we are making while doing the service throughout the whole flight. Dear pax: Start minimise your rest instead of maximising it from now on. And please please don’t complain that about the so called noise. FFS!”

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