triplefives

After the UO purchase, it didn't make sense to have two full service brands plus one budget carrier under the same umbrella. KA contracts might have offered some staff savings (no idea - just a guess) but given that CX is only forecasting 50% capacity, it would make sense to fold KA.

djsflynn

I’d expect HK Express to remain as Cathay’s low-cost leisure arm, so this is pretty much a HKG version of Singapore Airlines subsuming its own regional SilkAir while retaining Scoot for LCC leisure.

percysmith

The axe falls

【最新】國泰航空包括國泰港龍航空將整體削減約8500個職位，未來數周將裁減約5300名駐港員工；國泰 港龍航空將即日起停止營運

https://news.now.com/urgentnews.jsp?...23&refer=Share

http://cablenews.i-cable.com/ci/videopage/news/38140

djsflynn

Snap summary

• Cathay Dragon "will cease operations with immediate effect."
• CX says "it is intended that regulatory approval will be sought for a majority of Cathay Dragon’s routes to be operated by Cathay Pacific and HK Express, a wholly-owned subsidiary."

What this means for the Dragon's two almost-ready-now A321neo jets, plus the 14 to follow, and the 16 after that which were earmarked for HK Express, remains to be seen...

sxc

English news report:

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...s-hk22-billion

feh

Question becomes which routes will they try to shift to UO and which to CX. For me, RGN, DAC, HAN and potentially KTM the key ones. Okay, HAN is a short hop. But the overnight return flights from RGN, DAC and KTM weren't exactly great on KA (in Y). If they go to UO without UO upping its game then I'll need to look at alternatives - and in doing so could well jeopardise my Marco Polo status (as I typically have a mix of CX and KA and an occasional trip on other OneWorld). If MarcoPolo status is lost, then there's little-to-no point in paying extra $ for CX - and I'd need a different airline/ programme to consolidate everything with.

And another thought - apologies if answered elsewhere but can't find it - doesn't look like UO gets you any MarcoPolo points?

garykung

IMHO - that should not even happen at all. The "Dragon" brand should be eliminated more than a decade ago.

I believe UO is still operated separately from CX.

Absorb them first. Then deal with them later - either sell them to companies like UA, or reassign them to UO.

carrotjuice

The KA brushstroke against red livery looks very elegant and imposing though, especially when aircrafts are placed side by side with the green livery of CX.

Arbeysix

A very sad day for KA and CX families as well as for many of us in the FF community :-(

Rain187

Very sad day for KA and will miss it.
Indeed, I always think and feel the services provided by KA is way much better than CX.

lixiaojuventus

Very sad indeed. KA was the only international airline in many Chinese airports for a long time. Definitely will be remembered.

djsflynn

The KA route split between CX and UO is one question I'll be posing at this arvo's media session, and will also ask your one about UO-MPC if I can.

Update: bugger, we had less than 30mins of Q&A and I didn't get any of my questions in, but I have sent them through to CX PR and will share answers here if/when I get 'em.

Update 2, Electric Boogaloo: no useful answers from CX PR. My own take on the KA carve-up would be that premium routes with solid margin are handed to CX, leisure routes with more price-sensitive travellers are handed to UO. Could be mix and match for some countries, eg Manila has premium travellers ex-HKG due to call centres, one reason there's a CX lounge there, so that might be handed over to CX; but Cebu might be far more leisure and low-cost, so it goes UO. Doesn't mean a city can't have both airlines, too – Manila has a lot of low-cost traffic so maybe some flights CX and some UO.

percysmith

sbs2716g

maybe they will do same as SQ/MI/Scoot. With same main cities served by both CX n UO.

neofung

All KA tickets are to be cancelled except PEK, SHA, PVG, TPE and DPS

https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_...assengers.html