It depends, essentially the rule of thumb is that if it's longer away from a direct flight, the more economical it is. PEK usually has good value to Japan and ICN via HKG (and vice versa).

I don�t see the point of putting all the effort and expense in just to get to Diamond. Once you�ve achieved it, would you maintain it by adding so many status runs? There becomes a point where the extra lounge access and boarding in the first line (if they are operating) isn�t worth it. I�m Gold and compared with Silver, no difference apart from lounge access for 2 rather than 1. Never been upgraded since being Gold (was once as Silver) and although I get the onboard greeting, have never received the bottle of Evian, even after being stuck on the tarmac still at the gate with the doors closed for nearly 3 hours during the black rainstorm fiasco and almost fainting with poor cabin temperature. I had to ask for a snack and got a pack of nuts as would close to needing medical attention (diabetes).

I don�t think I�ll be pushing for Gold again. I might go for Silver which would require a return to Europe and back in business but again, when CX is significantly more expensive than competitors ex-HKG, I feel it might be worth it to just book C cabins when you really need them and with the best price.

So if you�re a few tier points short, go for it but if planning a whole Diamond membership based on manufactured runs to the US, save your money for a cheaper hobby!

I think most would concur pragmatically with your view. On other end people have passion for that green Emerald logo, similar way to why someone buy expensive watch/car etc. Thus if organic flying takes you to say 95pct qualification requirements, getting out of way to "buy" DM for 1.5k USD may be worthy particularly more so if your organic flying pattern is based around Y or PEY where the enhanced travel experience may justify the investment.

how we each spend our hard earned cash is up to them. But i do appreciate forum's collective wisdom that made last 3 decades of my travel journey much more pleasant with these hacks. now that i am looking at retirement with lifetime sapphire attained i may switch back to cheapest to deliver. flying. I still never sat on CX F but flew more than comfortably during this time with no regrets.

CX Diamond doesn't seem to be worth it anymore. Access to an F lounge doesn't matter if you're not in HKG or LHR and the current food and wine offerings at the lounges in HKG are a far cry from its hey days.

As Diamond, the only upgrade I had was on my birthday and that was a move to PEY from Y. Flight upgrades seem to be far more rare these days as well.

Would be easy to take a mainland city if you already base in one otherwise you still need time to fly that leg. To my experience only TPE/XMN could sometimes beat the ICN fare but unfortunately the SP is lower given they are shorter routes.

Completely agree it makes no sense flying manufactured US routes just to get DM. I'm posting just for sharing purpose. After all one is at his liberty to spend his own money for hobbies others may not understand or value as much.

(The fragile ego who�s just been to CMN via PKX and about to retrace his footsteps agrees)

yep. I agree. Doesn�t plan to work for OWE as even the first class lounge in Tokyo has gone downhill. The only first class lounge worth visiting post covid is Qantas First in Singapore. Not sure if Qantas first is still as good in Sydney. But CX and JAl both dropped their balls on First lounge post Covid.

I am sitting at the Pier now on day 2 at an airport on a badly delayed mileage run having spent 12 hours last night sleeping at the Plaza Premium lounge at CGK after a badly delayed CGK-HKG flight. Onward flight today to NGO also delayed so I'll miss the airport limo bus and will have to pay for a taxi into town. Difficult not to be rethinking about my life choices at the moment... tho the Drappier 2013 is helping!!

Sorry to hear.

I just wrapped up Safar run/holiday (I qualified, I�m just waiting for the colour of my card to change).

I thought I had it hard going because of the heat in the Med. There were incidents like this https://www.reddit.com/r/Airbus/s/uFq39XqxFH . Plus my iPad is in a downtown Casablanca police station.

But at least I didn�t have to deal with disrupted itin. I have a small delay tonight from PEK but still expect to make last AEL (edit 16/8: everyone on my plane missed last AEL but N buses are still plenty from Ground Transportation Centre, I took one of those)

CX is officially on the hook for weather

Hong Kong authorities express concerns over Cathay Pacific cancellations
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...n=social_share

Sorry to hear that. For future reference the airport hotel at CGK is pretty cheap and probably a much better option for a sleep than the lounge, though I appreciate that may be more difficult if (as with my CX flight to China this week) it's a rolling delay that keeps getting incrementally longer rather than one clearly signposted in advance.

file a claim. CX may be willing to reimburse taxi. I was on a badly delayed HKG to PVG flight. Missed the last high speed train to city so took the slow train. They offered to pay for the taxi after submitting a feedback form. But there was no taxi. Next time, would take a taxi and ask CX to pay 🤣

to PEY and not to J? Even the birthday is now nerfed? That�s bad

CX is one of the least transparent airlines for upgrade, if not the least, imo.
One time I purchased a Flex Y fare of HKG-PVG. Requested upgrade by Asia Miles few days before my trip. No response at all (either approve or reject). I thought it would be a full J cabin as they would not care to take my Asia Miles for upgrade. But in the end it was pretty empty when I got on the plane (I sat at first row of Y I'm pretty sure I see so many empty seats before me, less than 50% occupied I believe).