Fly Me To The Moon

This past Saturday, I was booked in J on KA 781 (CAN-HKG) and a short connection to CX 406 (HKG-TPE). Traffic restrictions departing CAN, and we arrived HKG one hour late, at 12:25. Obviously, I missed my connection on CX 406.

Got off the plane, and got a very rude customer service staff who handed me a boarding pass for CX 484 departing at 14:50, and in economy class. I asked her whether there were any seats in business, and she actually said to me "take it or leave it. The next flight with business class only leaves at 17:45". I took the boarding pass and told her that I would sort this all out in the Lounge.

Do note that I had not put my Diamond MPC number in the booking because I no longer needed to earn any more Club Points this membership year. Used my Diamond Card to get into the Pier First Class Lounge, and immediately spoke with a nice lady at the service desk. She made some calls, and confirmed that she could put me in business on either CX 400 "boarding now" (it was 12:45 when I reached the Lounge and the flight would depart at 13:10), or on CX 430 departing at 13:35 (boarding soon, and from the very close Gate 66). I took the latter option. When the flight departed, I made it a point of counting how many passengers were in business class; only 16 of the 24 seats were filled.

My question is: why couldn't CX have put me on CX 400 or CX 430 in business class, instead of suggesting that I take CX 484 in economy class? The CX 400 and CX 430 service would depart HKG much earlier, and also with J. I would not need to be involuntarily downgraded to Y on CX 484. Does presenting my Diamond MPC card make all that much difference, or did I just get a couple of lazy staff who allocated seats on a forward-enough flight which would have ample connection time, instead of a short connection?

CXFlyerBoy

First of all, no offense to the HK locals but English isn’t their first language for all and the way HKers express it may come across as brash.

Also when there is IRROPS, these agents are not the ones who dictate which flights to put you on. Airport passenger ops for CX does. They might have expected a longer than usual incoming delay for your CAN flight and put you on the later flight which might not have business already,

You did the right thing by seeking better options at the lounge as people in the lounge were able to help get you sorted. Perhaps airport control might have been able to help as well if you have your DM status added.

All things considered, citcumsttances did not work in your favor but do consider the overall situation

bhyq

cxfan1960

There are a couple of notes:
* CX400 was already below MCT when the incoming flight arrived. So CX would not consider that.
* CX430 was also very close to MCT. CX would not know exactly when the incoming flight arrived and tried not to scramble with the boarding passes once more.
* CX did not have enough time to check out all passengers and therefore assumed that all passengers had checked-in luggage.
* When they are sorting everything out, they would not know who liked to keep a J seat and assumed everyone wanted to get to destination ASAP.
* I suppose all CX781 passengers were transit passengers (with the exception of my wife). They had a plane-ful of passengers to handle within 30 min.

Fly Me To The Moon

I fully understand all of the replies, and indeed, all got sorted out in the end. Diamond MPC does make some difference in this case.

In regards to CXFlyerBoy's comment on English ability, I would clarify that the agent's words were in Cantonese and I am also fluent in Cantonese. No English spoken at all. Definitely, she was rude.

FlyPointyEnd

During weather and ATC disruptions I try to be as understanding as possible, the staff are working long hours meeting irate passengers who missed their flight and who would want something other than what the protection team has already provided. It's not the most ideal way to handle customers however we must remember that these front liners are people too.

Fly Me To The Moon

I was the second passenger off the plane, and if she was "irate" to me, I would hate to think how she would treat subsequent passengers getting off. I have been involved in the service industry for many, many years, and definitely, I would not show my emotions or frustrations towards passengers. I sympathize with whatever anxiety these agents may have had to prepare for the disruptions, but passengers are people, too. I cannot sympathize too much, but that's just me.

FlyPointyEnd

You're most likely not the second passenger she dealt with for the day and most probably you wont be the last, because after they finish with your flight, they walk to the next flight they are assigned to. As what many people have pointed out, the decision to move you to which flight is not theirs to make and at that time, my guess is she just wanted to get to the next affected passenger as possible. The last time something similar happened to me, I was informed to wait until all passengers have been taken cared off before one of the staff escorted me to the transit desk.

Anyway I agree its not the ideal way to handle customers just sharing that in these cases its best to try to be as understanding as possible to have the least amount of stress..

midlevels

I've had the same experience as OP, I was travelling on a CAN-HKG-ORD (CAN-HKG in Y, HKG-ORD in W) itinerary in back in the days when there was two ORD flights on some days. I knew that a one hour connection coming from CAN is dangerous (and I would never recommend it) but I also knew that there was a second daily flight leaving HKG at around 20:00 hours in case I missed CX806 due to late incoming so I figure I have a safety net. Sure enough, flight from CAN was late and upon disembarking (I'm was a Gold member at the time) I got handed two new BP from the ground staff, IRROPS staff decided it was best to send me to LAX on CX W and then take a AA connection in Y from LAX-ORD. I told her this rerouting is crazy and I will not accept it, and I argued with her about it. In the end she offered to take me to the transfer desk where I asked the counter staff to put me on the other HKG-ORD flight leaving later the same day. They accepted without too much fuss and I got a new BP in W class for the later same day nonstop CX flight. Flight was actually pretty full and I was op-up to J at the gate.

But this begs the question - why try to reroute me via LAX and subject me to the torture of LAX transit and an AA transcontinental flight in Y when there was such a more obvious and direct way to get me to ORD in the same amount of time on CX own metal.

sxc

FlyPointyEnd

Or the perception that they put you on the next available flight.

Fly Me To The Moon

Sure, I can be understanding. For me, the delay was not too big of an issue since I knew that there were numerous HKG-TPE flights I could fall back on later that day. But, "understanding" only goes a certain way if the other person is rude to begin with and rudely told me to "take it or leave it" for an economy class downgrade. It was the attitude that ticked me off, and not so much the downgrade. And, I guess "understanding" could go both ways. While I was seated in the plane and waiting and waiting for pushback, there were many other passengers in the J cabin worrying about their onward connections (some to LAX, Singapore, etc.). One passenger even called his travel agent to get moved to a later LAX flight because he knew he was going to miss his connection. So, most of these passengers would be stressed as well; fear of missing their flight and getting stranded in Hong Kong. An equally-valid statement would be for the ground agents to be "understanding" of the passengers who probably had to worry prior to and during most of the flight to HKG?????

midlevels

Yes - but only by around an hour or so, and assuming there was no misconnect/delay at LAX!

dkc192

I once missed a connection to CX806 due to ATC delays in KUL before they launched (and subsequently cancelled) the second ORD flight, and they gave me the same routing via LAX, except with LAX-ORD in UA Y. I did not want that, especially as someone without *A status, so I went to the lounge to inquire about getting put on CX806 the following day. It took a couple hours for control to sort it out, but in the end I got a seat the next day and a night at the Regal on CX's dime. I was a SL flying in Y.

FlyPointyEnd

I am not justifying her actions nor am I saying what the ground staff did was correct, but in cases like this I always remind myself to be the bigger person and find other means to achieve what I want. I have on numerous occasions experience this as a DM, while I appreciate the priority and extra mile accorded to me by virtue of my status, I also try to be as flexible and understanding because its not the first time nor will be the last time I will experience this kind of travel disruption.