AA J x CX J
 

I'll be flying from GRU to HKG soon in J.

I'm currently on AA all the way (mostly on their 77W) but there is a chance I may switch to a mix of AA and CX (both in their 77W).

I know about the lack of wi-fi in CX. But what about the food in J for both carriers?

Thanks!

Alex

AA J x CX J
 

CX J has gone significantly downhill in the last few years. Based on current products I find AA superior.

3 years ago, CX J would be a clear advantage. Now, not so much.

Food: CX is marginally better. Panda Express reheated week old food is still better than what CX is serving.
I just skip AA food most of the time.

Service: about the same now. Really sad because CX used to be very good.

Hard product: AA is slightly better.

Just go with one with better time or one that gives you more miles.

Other than wifi, in which way is AA J superior to CX J?

AA J x CX J
 

I'd go with CX unless you really need wifi. Seats are almost identical. But I think CX food is much better than AA. Crew is typically more professional on CX as well IME

Thanks, everyone.

That`s exactly my impression. I've made some flights in regional C with CX and I was quite satisfied. But people complain so much about CX food for long-haul J nowadays that I started to think what to choose.

In addition to the service, routing will be much more direct with CX.

That's interesting, because IIRC the AA (77W) and CX (long haul) J seats are the same seats from the same vendor.

The difference in food quality wouldn't be a deciding factor for me. The direct routing would outweigh that, for sure.

That said, I do find the midflight snacks, snack bar, and breakfast to still be usually better on CX, while dinner/first meal to be hit-or-miss (though I really enjoyed my cheese cart + dessert cart on CX last week). Beverages are also better on CX.

Have you considered QR? I've just done a bunch of long haul flying in QR J; and I found both the hard and soft products superior to AA and CX.

Well, I've got this from mistake fare AA had some months ago ex-BRA. So I'm a bit limited to their options (which of course always include a flight from Brazil to US as the first leg of the trip).

Yes, but the IFE programming is different (AA has fewer commercials than StudioCX, I haven't been on either recently enough to comment on available selections), and AA lends Bose QCs to passengers, while CX's headphones are just not as good. Probably the main reason for the "slight".

If it is a mistake fare then you would be foolish to try change it IMO. Better to fly on AA the whole way than risk getting your ticket cancelled and not flying at all.

Cathay also has the knee pad, AA has individual air vents... Lots of small differences. CX are more consistent in service. Despite the comment above I think the selection of inflight snacks on AA at the walk-up buffet area is FAR superior to CX

Personally I would choose AA, not least because of the warm nuts and the ice-cream sundaes!

I'm entitled to change dates because AA have changed the schedule of a GRU MIA leg on my ticket. The first AA attendant told me I was able to change to any AA flight, including code shares with CX hence I was searching for these options.

When I called to confirm the changes, I was told I can switch only to pure AA flights. Given the extremely cheap fare I paid for J ticket, in no way I'd complain! So AA it is the whole way.

For all I have read about these two options, it seems that they are very comparable, with slight differences here and there. I have never flown CX long haul but that's ok!

Each certainly has their benefits, but CX really seems to be able to bust out the meal services much quicker than AA can on the 773's. Seems like you are waiting forever on AA unless you are in the front of the cabin. CX has the person serving you, plus a "bar back" that can run back to the galley slave and expedite requests that are not already staged on the cart. Food quality has definitely slipped on CX, but it's still better than AA. And I'll take the wonton soup on CX over some of the snacks AA offers. No doubt that AA has upped their game, but CX still has the slight edge for me.