RPRocket

Will be travelling to China via HKG in April and will route my trip to experience CX in J class.

Are there any routes or aircraft types that are better than others (eg., service, aircraft, etc...).

It looks like there are 3 flights ex-LAX and 1 ex-SFO. Does this choice matter - I can gear my feeder trip towards any of these 4.

Many thanks!

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

In terms of ariport services I would go with SFO.

LAx uses the Tom Bradley Intl Terminal with a poor lounge according to some reports and it can be a mess at times.

SFO uses the "new" Intl terminal and is very nice and airy ( not too many shops though). CX uses the BA Terraces lounge which is quite nice)

Do not know about aircraft but upper deck on a 747-400 ( BA has ome of its J class up there an is very nice)
Regards

TBS

Wilbur

The Banking Scot is correct, LA TBIT is a pit, and the levels of service (for all airlines, not just CX) are consistently poor.

On the other hand, SFO seems to experience more weather (fog) delays.

The other alternative is YVR - this is a stop on the JFK-HKG route, and it leaves at 3AM or something, but the service is good and I have had quite a large number of J-F Op Ups for some reason on that leg.

BearX220

The JFK-YVR-HKG service departs YVR at 320a or so. There's also a second dedicated YVR-HKG service that leaves YVR in midafternoon.

TiteG4

CX839 leaves YVR around 2:30pm. This is a 2-class A/C. So, no chance of J-F op-up there.

SanDiego1K

I prefer the afternoon flight from LAX, rather than leaving at midnight or 2am. The flight arrives at 7pm in Hong Kong, in time for me to have dinner and go to bed. The midnight flight gets in about 5am, a difficult time to check into a hotel and a challenge to make it thru the day.

1K-SFO

For just this reason, though, if you're going onward into Asia, the midnight West Coast departure (as ex-SFO is) is ideal, because if you're going on to ICN, say, you arrive there at 2pm and have less of a long day to make it through. I love the midnight departure, as I have a glass of wine in the lounge, board and fall straight to sleep, wake up 8 hours later to have a snack, then nap some more in advance of the 6am arrival. Transfers onto TPE, ICN, PVG, PEK, etc., are then a breeze after a pleasant stop at The Wing.

Rejuvenated

100% agree! ^

HKFlyer

As a frequent user of both LAX and SFO on CX, I agree completely on the choice to use SFO if you can feed into either.

LAX is a pit and CX's J lounge is horrid. The F passengers are fed into the Air France lounge which is quieter but also not ideal. Even though one can technically use the other OneWorld lounges at LAX (e.g. BA), the lounge staff usually resist letting non-BA passengers in because of strict the occupancy rules. (I know of BA passengers who end up not able to use the BA lounge once the lounge fills up?!?!).

SFO is the way to go....IMHO

If you HAVE to transit through LAX, stay in the Crown Room in your DL terminal as long as you can.

MrPaul0722

Can a Business Class passenger use the BA Lounge without club membership? I know they extend this in Asia... do they do the same in US? Flying out on CX873 March 6 and would prefer spending time in the lounge than the public bar. Thanks.

number_6

CX hires the BA lounge at SFO (they used to use the JL lounge instead), so at SFO it is a "CX" lounge during the time of the BA flight, and not a BA Oneworld lounge. So you automatically have access based on a J boarding pass (they will give you a lounge invitation coupon at check in). At LAX CX uses the former AF lounge as well as their own CX lounge; the BA lounge is separate and generally not accessible (even with OW Emerald status) ... in any case the LAX BA lounge is awful (not as nice as the CX lounge, which isn't saying much). While SFO is nicer than LAX for lounges, neither is very good (much better lounges at other cities outside of North America for some reason). I've heard that the YVR lounge has been greatly improved, but haven't seen it (I don't fly CX into YVR).

Rampo

HERE'S the SFO/BA lounge (with a link to the SFO business lounge)

RPRocket

Many thanks for all the help!

Just booked CX 873 and 872 between SFO and Hkg in J.

Was assigned seats 12A and 83K automatically. Aside from the preferred row 86 seats (which are taken or blocked), are these seats OK or should I change?

UncleDude

I prefer Close to the Front Upper Deck A seats then if you're right handed its easier to handle your drink.

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Cat..._747-400_J.php

CBrokaw

My experience has been that LAX gets the newer planes equipped with sleepers. SFO usually gets the old planes that aren't outfitted with the sleepers.