First Class: BA or Cathay Pacific?
 

Hi I am flying Club World on BA to LHR from IAD and on a return from DXB have an opportunity to fly first. Now I have the choice to fly BA back in First Class or I can fly Cathay Pacific. I know Cathay will be longer to get back but I am in no rush at all to get back. I am just looking for the better First experience. Cathay has better seats, food and entertainment it seems from research but not flown either airline before. Also I think I will get the jist of BA from my outbound in Club World. What would you choose in First BA or Cathay?

CX without even thinking

CX by a country mile

Win-win. CX and more miles.

CX F is orders of magnitude better experience in every dimension.

I genuinely can't think of an area where BA F has it beat.

So if you don't care about more flying, go for it!!

CX food isn't great, but I prefer over BA. And food is the CX weakest point.

Having just flown both BA and CX long haul in F over the last week again - CX by any measure that I can think of.

CX F.

CX every day

CX but a mile. I prefer CX's food over BA's anytime. If you like Chinese food, there's always freshly cooked steamed rice!

If you're going in paid F, why don't you try something different from the OneWorld alliance and go for EK F? You get free limousines transfers!

Note however if you're flying east from DXB on CX you're likely to be in J as far as HKG. If finances/conditions permit, I might try to ride EK F (in an A380? Ooh) to HKG and switch to CX there.

CX is way better

Better Champagne
Better seat
Better IFE
Better Flight attendants

Its just different

If you have ever flow Delta - well Delta BC to Club world is less of a gap from BA F to CX F

CX F is far superior to BA's F. Las January I flew BA F, and later CX "J" - other than BA having more space in F that CX in J, the experience in CX J was better that BA F.

You will love CX F.

I'd rate CX food in F about a 8+, but the Balik Salmon Tsar Nikolaj and high-quality Caviar are worth the price of admission.

Plus, the Krug and Lynch Bages Bordeaux rock!

Rule #1 - When considering international air travel think CX F always - it is thee best hands down.

Rule # 2 - when deciphering deciding debating other carriers, refer to rule # 1 always!

For BA vs CX, sure !

But I'm not sure it's fair to say that CX F is the best always.

E.g. I'd definitely take TG F for BKK-CDG, Thai's F ground service is best in the world IMHO (wonderful spa) and that route is serviced by the Jet Airways 777s with true suites (doors).

And while I haven't flown the new NH F, that should be better than CX F since the food on NH is so much better than CX.

Still, I love CX F. I really love that F seat, best I've ever slept in. Just wish the food would be a little better, and they could certainly improve the ground experience (think LH FCT, TG spa, or at least escort from check-in to lounge, lounge to aircraft).

^ on the salmon and caviar. Perfectly happy with the wine. But overall the food is not above average for int'l F. I'd rate food on NH, OZ, SQ to be better.. even food on LX, LH as well but that may be a more controversial claim.

Hey, I will never turn down CX F!!

But I don't think we should let everything else wonderful about it cloud judgment about the food which outside of a couple of high points is really quite average.

Agreed.

When I rated CX food at 8+, the rest of my comparison in F is:

OZ - 9.6
SQ - 9.4 (ex NRT, it's 9.6)
JL - 9.4
NH - 9.3 (used to be 9.8)
LX - 9.2
BA - 8.6
LH - 8.4
UA - 6.5
AA - 6.5

I am flying on Oneworld Miles so I have to make due with CX the whole way from DXB. I have always wanted to fly one of the premier Asian Carriers in F whether it was SQ or CX. I am not a picky eater and eat everything so to me I am sure the food will be amazing! I am interested to see the service and hospitality factor as well.

Sorry to upset you CX Fans...but on this routing BA wins Hands down....Unless you want to endure awful timing schedules on CX from DXB...No First Class...No Caviar...Terrible Regional Seating...Third Rate Business Class Food...Average to Poor Cabin Service...3 Sectors versus 2 with BA... Possible RJ Coach Only for final USA Domestic Sector...US Immigration, Customs and re-check Bags Farce at US or Canada Gateway

At the moment one of the 2 DXB-LHR is designated to be operated by New First and around 40% of the other 777 is likely to be New First.

CX Regional Business IMHO is Very Poor and for 8 Hours DXB-HKG I would never even consider it.

The only downside flying 2 stop BA is IAD Immigration and Customs but if OP is a US Citizen even this is endurable.

Finally if Caviar is important to you, buy some at LHR the BA Crew will be delighted to open it for you.

And the final deal breaker OneWorld awards would require 230,000 Miles against 157,500 for All Partner AAwards J to DXB and F Returning with BA. Although possible OP could change from OW AAward to All-Partner and potentially still endure 8 Hours in CX Regional Business Class.

I am fairly sure that CX uses long-haul Business Class on DXB-HKG on both the A330 and B747 flights, which should be perfectly comfortable for that stage length.

Happy Travels.

You must have caught those two on good days.

;)

+1, CX731/8 (33B) is guaranteed to have the New Business Class (herringbone) while for all 74A operated flights, it's also guaranteed.

I was being generous.

Being served crAApy food by grumpy 65 year old FAs totally sucks.

CX, and by a country mile. I would go out of my way (and have) to fly CX F.


I completely agree with Macabus. And if F isn't full, they'll keep dishing out both the salmon and caviar, as much as you like, until they run out. My record is two servings before the main meal, then another as a mid-flight snack. That salmon is like butter.

I've posted this elsewhere on FT, but I've been the only F pax HKG-LAX on 884 twice in the past few years (both times before the conversion to the Olympus product). Once I drank a whole bottle of Krug (I know, Mac, I'm still an amateur compared to you!!) and the FAs, seeing how much I enjoyed it, gave me an unopened bottle as I was deplaning.


I was unimpressed with the food a few months ago on LH, Gleff, but on my January trip I'm taking NH over and OZ back. Can't wait to try them!!


Sorry, can't agree with you on that one. I'd give CX LH F food a B+/A-, and but for one nearly inedible shrimp dish, it would have been A/A- consistently.

If time really is of no importance then flying DXB-HKG-(presumably)-JFK-IAD will get the CX experience and for sure the F experience is wonderful. Maybe it's my memory as it's been four years since I flew BA F and I managed CX F a couple of times this year on very long flights... but I would not rate CX F so much better that I would go 5000 miles out of my way and add an extra hop likely on some crappy RJ to take it over BA F. I really quite like BA F, though I am a Brit so maybe the ability to get a proper cup of tea and a Full English sway it for me :) And while the CX bed is certainly very comfortable, well if you're gonna be asleep may as well just come back the easy way :)

Actually if I was going DXB-IAD I'd try to do United. Their new F looks pretty good and it's one way direct!!!!

Gasp!
 

Heresy!

:D

LOL. I knew that would throw the cat among the pigeons on the OW forum :)

Well I ended up choosing CX after all...DXB-HKG on the 11:55 PM flight which I think has the new business class. I get into HKG at like 11:40 and then my CX flight leaves for JFK at 5 PM. I am excited to get to enjoy the Wing lounge at CX and get to fly CX for the long flight. I am going to stay over in NY that night with some friends then catch the first flight to DCA. Actually what the deal breaker was BA was going to charge like over $750 in taxes if it was all on BA while flying with CX is only around $200. So I don't mind at all flying out of my way to save a good amount of money and getting to fly CX!

Thats probs cuz uk air pax duty is priced stupidly.

Talking about which thats a price to pay for using concorde room...

No, probably because of BA fuel surcharges, which are included in "taxes and fees" as if somebody was imposing them besides BA.