Loyalty with CX - pays off
Aug 15, 2019, 9:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA Exec Plat, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 237
Loyalty with CX - pays off
Took a flight from HK to CTU yesterday and was taken by surprise. Was greeted at the boarding gate in Hong Kong by someone from Marco Polo introducing herself and thanking me for my loyalty & she offered me some bookable upgrades for my loyalty. She followed up later on with this email:
Great pleasure to meet you this morning at boarding gate before you start your day trip to Chengdu.
We are honor with your support since 1999 and having flown over X.X million miles with us.
As mentioned, we would like to present 04 bookable upgrades for Mr XXXX as additional courtesy.
I have asked my team to speed up the bookable upgrade issuance process and assist with the application.
Please allow them some moment and they will return to you in the soonest time.
I was truly surprised by this gesture and it really made me feel special. Loyalty does pay off it seems (I have been diamond continuously since 2001). Now only if they would bring back some kind of Lifetime status...
Very pleasant surprise indeed.
Great pleasure to meet you this morning at boarding gate before you start your day trip to Chengdu.
We are honor with your support since 1999 and having flown over X.X million miles with us.
As mentioned, we would like to present 04 bookable upgrades for Mr XXXX as additional courtesy.
I have asked my team to speed up the bookable upgrade issuance process and assist with the application.
Please allow them some moment and they will return to you in the soonest time.
I was truly surprised by this gesture and it really made me feel special. Loyalty does pay off it seems (I have been diamond continuously since 2001). Now only if they would bring back some kind of Lifetime status...
Very pleasant surprise indeed.
Aug 15, 2019, 10:54 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 565
That was good for you and well deserved.
Cathay has been taking its loyal passengers for granted, many including myself have reduced their loyalty and switched travel to other carriers and found them to be better, now it finds itself in a crisis and the airline's short-minded approach to loyalty and customer experience in recent years is coming back to haunt it. Right now the airline needs all those high-paying HKG loyalists it has been price gouging and whose Marco Polo benefits it has been in essence reducing. Too late!
Cathay has been taking its loyal passengers for granted, many including myself have reduced their loyalty and switched travel to other carriers and found them to be better, now it finds itself in a crisis and the airline's short-minded approach to loyalty and customer experience in recent years is coming back to haunt it. Right now the airline needs all those high-paying HKG loyalists it has been price gouging and whose Marco Polo benefits it has been in essence reducing. Too late!
Aug 16, 2019, 12:12 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: HKG/HND/OOL
Programs: QF Emerald. SQ Gold.
Posts: 3,170
suspect more.of these to.come. in last economic turmoil they have renewed everyones status or made arrangements to keep members happy. i cant remember exactly when and what was offered... and in current climate i am certain CX is doing is best to keep you happy.
Aug 16, 2019, 1:29 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: HK
Programs: Qantas (Lifetime Gold), PAL (Elite), British Airways (now sadly blue), Cathay MPO DM
Posts: 647
My Diamond status definitely helped me this week. My flight was cancelled due to the airport closure (it was the last flight cancelled before flights resumed) and they rebooked me on the following day (same flight) - which was a rather silly thing to do. I tried to get onto an earlier flight by ringing up but no joy. So I physically went to the airport and spoke to the First Class check-in and they found me a seat on the first plane out (about 4 hours after I was checking in or 2 hours later than my original departure). By the time I was taking off, the check-in was over-run by protestors again.... Without my Diamond status, no chance of getting a seat.
Aug 16, 2019, 2:24 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: CX Life Time,TG,
Posts: 265
I had my 30 year anniversary last year having been diamond for about 28 years.I always fly BIZZO. I received an email congratulating me. An acquaintance in Manila with Silver membership received a box of chocolates for a regular anniversary. Shows how they value long term loyalty if you are based in HK. (I do however have the life time benefit. Ha ha. )
Aug 16, 2019, 2:30 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MNL
Programs: CX MPO DM, Le Club Accor Platinum, World of Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,284
I had my 30 year anniversary last year having been diamond for about 28 years.I always fly BIZZO. I received an email congratulating me. An acquaintance in Manila with Silver membership received a box of chocolates for a regular anniversary. Shows how they value long term loyalty if you are based in HK. (I do however have the life time benefit. Ha ha. )
Aug 16, 2019, 4:21 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MNL
Programs: CX MPO DM, Le Club Accor Platinum, World of Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,284
Aug 16, 2019, 10:41 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
During SARS they extended everyone's status by a year.
Aug 16, 2019, 10:43 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
Aug 16, 2019, 11:29 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, Marco Polo Gold
Posts: 1,084
Cathay has always been good to their Diamonds, although what the OP got was definitely awesome and unheard of. But I have realized I can fly C class at half price with other airlines and I can do away with the greeting at gate and bookable upgrades, and pleasantly surprised other airline's C class hardware and services are not as bad as I thought, especially East Asian flights, Cathay's regional C is still a ripped-off (unless one uses bookable upgrades...)