Return of Cathay First Class
Jul 3, 2020, 11:21 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
Jul 4, 2020, 7:52 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 37
The F cabin had 4 (empty) seats, the biz had 40 with only 4 occupied and yes it is CX I'm talking about - love that airline. I've taken this route over 20 times. Yet I've still rarely seen anyone up front and the time they bumped me I was alone up there. (I didn't mind, but thought geez, wider seat for double the price - BFD)
Jul 4, 2020, 8:13 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
Both, or all three - lol
The F cabin had 4 (empty) seats, the biz had 40 with only 4 occupied and yes it is CX I'm talking about - love that airline. I've taken this route over 20 times. Yet I've still rarely seen anyone up front and the time they bumped me I was alone up there. (I didn't mind, but thought geez, wider seat for double the price - BFD)
The F cabin had 4 (empty) seats, the biz had 40 with only 4 occupied and yes it is CX I'm talking about - love that airline. I've taken this route over 20 times. Yet I've still rarely seen anyone up front and the time they bumped me I was alone up there. (I didn't mind, but thought geez, wider seat for double the price - BFD)
In the past 2 decades I guess, there were aircrafts with 8, 9, 12, and 18 F seats. To my knowledge, in the past 2 decades, CX has never had any plane with an F cabin of just 4 seats.
FYI, all current CX aircrafts that have an F cabin have 53 J seats, but I guess if you only did a rough count or if you missed the forward mini cabin, you could have thought that there were only 40 seats.
Jul 6, 2020, 7:52 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 15
It looks like Cathay has updated their august schedule and removed all first class from august - at least from us flights. Sept 1 & onward still shows F availability as sept hasn’t been updated yet.
interestingly, aircraft types on these routes still show 777-300er and seat maps still show f. It’s just not bookable. So perhaps they’re keeping the option value open to start running 777s in aug.
interestingly, aircraft types on these routes still show 777-300er and seat maps still show f. It’s just not bookable. So perhaps they’re keeping the option value open to start running 777s in aug.
Jul 6, 2020, 9:11 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CAN, LAX, TPE
Programs: AA, AS, CI, DL, UA
Posts: 2,897
It looks like Cathay has updated their august schedule and removed all first class from august - at least from us flights. Sept 1 & onward still shows F availability as sept hasn’t been updated yet.
interestingly, aircraft types on these routes still show 777-300er and seat maps still show f. It’s just not bookable. So perhaps they’re keeping the option value open to start running 777s in aug.
interestingly, aircraft types on these routes still show 777-300er and seat maps still show f. It’s just not bookable. So perhaps they’re keeping the option value open to start running 777s in aug.
Jul 7, 2020, 12:44 am
#21
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 37
All CX planes that have F have 6 seats in the F cabin. This has been the case for several years.
In the past 2 decades I guess, there were aircrafts with 8, 9, 12, and 18 F seats. To my knowledge, in the past 2 decades, CX has never had any plane with an F cabin of just 4 seats.
FYI, all current CX aircrafts that have an F cabin have 53 J seats, but I guess if you only did a rough count or if you missed the forward mini cabin, you could have thought that there were only 40 seats.
In the past 2 decades I guess, there were aircrafts with 8, 9, 12, and 18 F seats. To my knowledge, in the past 2 decades, CX has never had any plane with an F cabin of just 4 seats.
FYI, all current CX aircrafts that have an F cabin have 53 J seats, but I guess if you only did a rough count or if you missed the forward mini cabin, you could have thought that there were only 40 seats.
I thought the mini cabin of biz seats was behind the main one, so it shows what I know - lol
I've done Biz class over 20 times now PDX-CEB, and *thought* was paying attention, but.....
I've only gotten bumped the one time to F - but I was up there alone
I’ve got a late January F booking out of LAX and I am fully expecting it to downgrade to J. But truthfully being a US citizen, I’m highly doubting that we will even be allowed into S.Africa which is the final destination of my booking. So I guess all we can do is wait and see and hope for the best.
Jul 7, 2020, 2:08 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,552
I've rode/ridden that route SFO or LAX-HGK and on to PI ~25 times and think I've *maybe* seen someone in F once or twice?
They bumped me up there once, and I was alone. It's a waste of real estate. More than 4 times the price to get a wider seat? (Listed price used to be $17,500) double miles from Biz class IIRC
They bumped me up there once, and I was alone. It's a waste of real estate. More than 4 times the price to get a wider seat? (Listed price used to be $17,500) double miles from Biz class IIRC
SFO is Tech heavy and LAX is Movie heavy. Zero F seats occupied on 24 or 23 flights out of 25 makes no sense. Besides pax paying F, lots of J pax try to use miles to upgrade or OW pax try to get F awards.
I have travelled many times in CX F in past 5 years (including SFO once), and tried the miles upgrade or award route unsuccessfully many times. It happens, but it is rare to see an empty seat..
Dec 1, 2020, 9:08 am
#23
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 454
I'm working on booking summer travel for 2021. What are the odds that CX is running F to LAX and LHR in late July? (I know nobody has a crystal ball, just curious of your all predictions, assuming worldwide vaccine rollout goes fairly well and demand starts increasing by spring.)
Dec 3, 2020, 12:38 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: CX - DM; Hilton - Diamond, Marriott - Titanium
Posts: 542
I'm working on booking summer travel for 2021. What are the odds that CX is running F to LAX and LHR in late July? (I know nobody has a crystal ball, just curious of your all predictions, assuming worldwide vaccine rollout goes fairly well and demand starts increasing by spring.)
Dec 4, 2020, 12:47 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: SFO
Posts: 54
Just FYI CX has rostered 77W with F cabin to LAX, SFO and JFK in Feb 2021 as I am currently booked on two of the flights in F already (outbound to LAX and inbound from JFK). Of course this is highly subject to change and with what has happened this year so far I won't be surprised if they swap in A350 to fly instead closer to departure date.
I guess we will see how Feb ones hold up...
Dec 5, 2020, 7:44 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,552
Dec 6, 2020, 6:53 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,552
Frankly, no one knows, not even CX.
For the summer season (starting end-March), the full schedule with 3 daily flights, all with F, is a placeholder. Not all three will operate.
And JL schedule is no more assured. If HKG is your final destination, connection in Tokyo is currently very difficult/impossible.
CX841 is scheduled with F from February, so that is your best bet.
My own two cents. CX position is to be a premium airline. If they don't offer F to its major premium-heavy destinations (JFK, LAX, SFO, LHR..), they will destroy their image.
For the summer season (starting end-March), the full schedule with 3 daily flights, all with F, is a placeholder. Not all three will operate.
And JL schedule is no more assured. If HKG is your final destination, connection in Tokyo is currently very difficult/impossible.
CX841 is scheduled with F from February, so that is your best bet.
My own two cents. CX position is to be a premium airline. If they don't offer F to its major premium-heavy destinations (JFK, LAX, SFO, LHR..), they will destroy their image.
Dec 6, 2020, 7:07 pm
#30
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Bracebridge, ON
Posts: 341
Frankly, no one knows, not even CX.
For the summer season (starting end-March), the full schedule with 3 daily flights, all with F, is a placeholder. Not all three will operate.
And JL schedule is no more assured. If HKG is your final destination, connection in Tokyo is currently very difficult/impossible.
CX841 is scheduled with F from February, so that is your best bet.
My own two cents. CX position is to be a premium airline. If they don't offer F to its major premium-heavy destinations (JFK, LAX, SFO, LHR..), they will destroy their image.
For the summer season (starting end-March), the full schedule with 3 daily flights, all with F, is a placeholder. Not all three will operate.
And JL schedule is no more assured. If HKG is your final destination, connection in Tokyo is currently very difficult/impossible.
CX841 is scheduled with F from February, so that is your best bet.
My own two cents. CX position is to be a premium airline. If they don't offer F to its major premium-heavy destinations (JFK, LAX, SFO, LHR..), they will destroy their image.