Dave Marsh

I am surprised so many hard CX fans here haven't posted anything on the 207 new inflight service offerings. So I will be the first one to report on the following:

Pictures (incl the AA arrivals lounge in LHR):

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&x=0&y=-jgbsbf

New offerings (from my F Class experience to LHR):
(not in any order)
1) No more cardboard coasters - just a grey tissue type napkin
2) Wine Glasses have all changed (no more CX logo on the top of the glasses (more subtle - on the base of the glass) and no more pattern on the top, just smooth)
3) New Menu Cards and Wine Cards
4) New Menu Offering - Extended Chinese courses (like the SQ Chinese new offering from last year, except not 10 courses. There is a chinese soup course, then a chinese cold dish, then a chinese main dish, then a chinese vegetable dish and the steam rice). ALL served on new tear drop dishes (keeping the existing motif but different shape ) - All presented like a Mini kaesaki.
5) No more Red/Burgandy plastic towel,tea and meal trays. All changed to a dark drown lacquered wooden tray (and used in conjuction with 4). Unfortunately this tray does not have the same magentic stickiness like the old trays so becareful when using it! - didn't eat the noodles, so don't know whether they changed the bowl as well??
6) Chinese Tea cup with the lid - GONE! replaced with just the tea cup is a slughtly different style (refer to pictures)
7) Extended bread selection
8) the Tea cookies have been replaced with chinese almond cookies
9) New Pralines selection - Damn no more Green tea chocolates!
10) New blankets (not the duvets, but the old GREY woolen F Class ones) have been placed with a thinner woolen blanket. which did the trick, but I prefer to old one (Refer to picutre) - I think J Class also has a new blanket whenb I sneaked back to the J Galley for some snacks!
11) New Square plate (with the same motif) used for accompaniments during breakfast
12) new SHT PJs as I described before - new colour trims and new slippers
13) New amenity kits (victroinix) - Refer to the Discovery magazine this month as they did a full feature on it
14) New changing seats in the bathroom?? Were they there before? I don't seem to recall it
15) Well this might not be a change, but I thought the fragrance or the spray they used for the towels is different? It has a different scent? BUt maybe just me.

One thing for sure - Same friendly service and I fortunately escaped the LHR based crew

Also in terms of the sitting, it is the first time I am in Row 1 on the 744 with CX! I must say it is the BEST seat (coupled with 1A!) It is not castrophobic like BA or QF (as you don't get jam into one corner!) and no noise, no light no disruption!!

I thinkt he worst seat is definitely 4A and K because of the proximity to the galley and u have to endure people like me kepp on walking back to the galley, J/Y Class cabines, toilet, magazine racks etc....!

Also on the side there are PLENTY of space to spread out your stuff so u don't need the bassinet space on 4A and K!

number_6

CX makes changes like this every year. Not sure it merits 3 NEWs and 4 exclamation marks. Sometimes these changes are improvements, sometimes they are not (I still like the pre-Shanghai Tang pjs better, for example). The "signature" dishes are regularly rotated, sometimes CX features Hong Kong restaurants (many of those dishes were not too successful mid-air) and sometimes "dishes from our crew" which had some really great recipes (all submitted by CX staff). About 5 years ago (pre-SARS) CX had some fancy chinese dishes, they got cut somewhere between SARS and Avian Flu.

Dave Marsh

Well if u see the picture u will know what I mean! so wait!
I must say some of these changes are quite different to the past!!!!!!!!!

sxc

Are these changes heralding the imminent arrival of the newly refurbished premium classes?

Regarding the blanket - is this in addition to the duvet or replacing the duvet?

Ann Tyrol

Nice pictures Dave (sad that I'll never be able to fly F but it's nice to see what it's all about).

Two things:

1) Do the FAs ever look at you funny when you take loads of pics of the food and surroundings?

2) Plastic cutlery still?

pacificboot

Well one thing is new.. the Chinese choices are now served in three dishes, with rice and soup served seperately, instead of everything in one plate! This should have been earlier, as KA/CI/BR have done so years ago. That is the true way to serve Chinese food...

kchika

I was on CX251 in J a few days ago and I still have the Dermalogica kit. Anyways, good observations to the OP.

Guy Betsy

The grey tissue as - a - coaster is used when aircraft is on ground. Did the crew continue using it inflight?

Everything looks lovely-except for the plastic cutlery !

mattm199

Sounds like a lovely trip, and thanks for sharing such fine photos. I hope to experience the delights of F one day.....

.....Oh, and it's harder to take photos down the back, as you're just too close to the tray to focus, arent you?

AndyFlyer

Thanks for the great photo gallery! I had five CX F sectors right up to the end of the year, and it was all the same old, same old everything, so it could be the start of the new service in advance of the new seats. Not sure I like the glassware...I was quite fond of the nice cut glassware they used to use...and those cardboard coasters were good - they didn't stick to your glass! Only three pax in F from LAX - HKG...boy did we have great service!

joeytay

GREAT pictures OP - everytime I have been in F on CX I have been on an airbus so I have wondered just what seat 1 was like on a 744 AWESOME!!!! CX should fly everywhere - I think this airline is thee one to aspire to hands down. ^ I got full just viewing the pics from all that food.

Cheetah_SA

Had the "new F" experience from JNB last night. When I commented to the FA she said it had been in place about 3 months. Some "improvements" I didn't like. The SH Tang pj's now button (actually clip) all the way to the bottom; makes them untidier. Also the quality of the piping seemed poor on mine. And beware the sizes - they are now western and capacious.

Loved those almond biscuits!!! Really like the Vicorinox bag. And the fact that the armrest is put down when you board (have they always done that?). To answer a Q: yes, the silver paper napkins were used throughout the flight.

I am jinxed with CX food. My fish was hopelessly overcooked - totally dried out. And the salad was not fit for an elite cabin. Not to mention the mustard dressing which was piped (that's how thick the consistency was) and looked like it had been scraped off a baby's nappy. But there is so much else to eat I just ignored the bad bits.

Crew was fantastic. Loads of eye contact, anticipating wherever they could. Only 3 pax in F but I often find the lack of pax enourages crew to hide away and natter. Not this lot. ^

Connected to BKK and had another superb crew so feeling very positive about CX right now.

Pickles

I'm getting nauseous just visualizing this mustard dressing you speak of.

sxc

I wonder if westerners would like those chinese style Almond biscuits? I suspect not.

agmhkg

well some westerners prefer having chinese tea with milk and sugar .....