Which Airline to Oz??
Discussion
HKG security is very quick to get through, the only "lost" time is travelling around the terminal as it's vast but there are moving walkways that speed things up if you walk briskly along those but it still takes 15 mins to get from security to the Pier Business Lounge. When you get to the far end of the walkways from security the Bridge Lounge is immediately in front of you, turn right towards Gate 65 (it's between 62 & 64) and walk for a few minutes and you'll pass the Pier First Class Lounge on the left and just after you'll come to the Pier Business Lounge also on the left and down the escalator.
WyrleyD said:
HKG security is very quick to get through, the only "lost" time is travelling around the terminal as it's vast but there are moving walkways that speed things up if you walk briskly along those but it still takes 15 mins to get from security to the Pier Business Lounge. When you get to the far end of the walkways from security the Bridge Lounge is immediately in front of you, turn right towards Gate 65 (it's between 62 & 64) and walk for a few minutes and you'll pass the Pier First Class Lounge on the left and just after you'll come to the Pier Business Lounge also on the left and down the escalator.
Thanks
w8pmc said:
b
ks, that's £120 wasted then. Just spotted something online saying Tier points may not be awarded or could be reduced if booking through a Travel Agent & in my infinite wisdom i decided Expedia were a Travel Agent
Good point about the location of the Lounges & i will bear that in mind. I've no idea which gates i'll be arriving/departing from in HKG, but i do have a 3hr layover, so should be OK for time to visit the Pier. I'm assuming security in HKG won't be too much of an issue as i guess being Business they have some sort of priority line?
I don't know if they have changed the T&C's, but I got my tier points in Jan 2017 and Feb 2018, both CX flight bookings were via Expedia which were cheaper than on the CX website. ks, that's £120 wasted then. Just spotted something online saying Tier points may not be awarded or could be reduced if booking through a Travel Agent & in my infinite wisdom i decided Expedia were a Travel AgentGood point about the location of the Lounges & i will bear that in mind. I've no idea which gates i'll be arriving/departing from in HKG, but i do have a 3hr layover, so should be OK for time to visit the Pier. I'm assuming security in HKG won't be too much of an issue as i guess being Business they have some sort of priority line?
I got 140 tier points for each leg a round trip = 560 TP.
If you have only just booked see if you can get the difference in price back from CX (price match/promise), click on the link below.
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_IN/hidden-page...
Hopefully that £120 was paid by BA AMEX card to get 120 Avios points.
I've read very good reviews about the Wing, so if you are pushed for time (delayed in MAN) the Wing (Gate 1-4) and the Bridge (Gate 35) could be your best option unless your gate is near the Pier (Gate 65).
Ridealong said:
I don't know if they have changed the T&C's, but I got my tier points in Jan 2017 and Feb 2018, both CX flight bookings were via Expedia which were cheaper than on the CX website.
I got 140 tier points for each leg a round trip = 560 TP.
If you have only just booked see if you can get the difference in price back from CX (price match/promise), click on the link below.
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_IN/hidden-page...
Hopefully that £120 was paid by BA AMEX card to get 120 Avios points.
I've read very good reviews about the Wing, so if you are pushed for time (delayed in MAN) the Wing (Gate 1-4) and the Bridge (Gate 35) could be your best option unless your gate is near the Pier (Gate 65).
The flights were paid for using my BA AMEX.I got 140 tier points for each leg a round trip = 560 TP.
If you have only just booked see if you can get the difference in price back from CX (price match/promise), click on the link below.
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_IN/hidden-page...
Hopefully that £120 was paid by BA AMEX card to get 120 Avios points.
I've read very good reviews about the Wing, so if you are pushed for time (delayed in MAN) the Wing (Gate 1-4) and the Bridge (Gate 35) could be your best option unless your gate is near the Pier (Gate 65).
I'll leave the booking as is now i've selected my seats & got all the various confirmations & tickets, knowing my luck i'd lose the booking if i swap to Expedia
With a 3hr stopover both ways i may even get time to try out all 3 Lounges in HKG. Will aim for the Pier, but looks as though i'll not feel like i've lost out if i end up in one fo the other Lounges.
I tend to use Trailfinders as they have a physical shop near me, so can chat to them face to face about all of the options. Excellent service with full TPs and Avios and when I've checked, no more expensive than booking with CX or other airlines directly.
Pleased that you've got it all booked and I'm sure you'll have a great time.
Pleased that you've got it all booked and I'm sure you'll have a great time.
Why is booking flights nowadays such a feckin lottery?.
After weeks of investigation & looking at pretty much every option for this MAN-MEL trip, Emirates send me an email today notifying me they have a sale with 20% off Business Class fares, booked before 10th Dec & Travel before the end of March/April 2019. With this discount they now come in £300 cheaper than the CX flights i've booked.
On the plus side i get Avios & BA Tier points with CX (will lead to Silver being achieved this Membership year), but on the downside the Emirates overall travel times are the quickest (albeit by only 1hr outbound d& 2hrs return) & all 4 legs would be on the A380 so i'd get the benefit of the onboard bar, plus i'd have got free Chauffeur transfers to/from MAN & MEL.
Rang Cathay to see if my ticket was cancellable given it was only booked in the last few days, but a £400 cancellation charge would be payable so net/net i'd be paying £100 more for Emirates
After weeks of investigation & looking at pretty much every option for this MAN-MEL trip, Emirates send me an email today notifying me they have a sale with 20% off Business Class fares, booked before 10th Dec & Travel before the end of March/April 2019. With this discount they now come in £300 cheaper than the CX flights i've booked.
On the plus side i get Avios & BA Tier points with CX (will lead to Silver being achieved this Membership year), but on the downside the Emirates overall travel times are the quickest (albeit by only 1hr outbound d& 2hrs return) & all 4 legs would be on the A380 so i'd get the benefit of the onboard bar, plus i'd have got free Chauffeur transfers to/from MAN & MEL.
Rang Cathay to see if my ticket was cancellable given it was only booked in the last few days, but a £400 cancellation charge would be payable so net/net i'd be paying £100 more for Emirates
w8pmc said:
Why is booking flights nowadays such a feckin lottery?.
After weeks of investigation & looking at pretty much every option for this MAN-MEL trip, Emirates send me an email today notifying me they have a sale with 20% off Business Class fares, booked before 10th Dec & Travel before the end of March/April 2019. With this discount they now come in £300 cheaper than the CX flights i've booked.
On the plus side i get Avios & BA Tier points with CX (will lead to Silver being achieved this Membership year), but on the downside the Emirates overall travel times are the quickest (albeit by only 1hr outbound d& 2hrs return) & all 4 legs would be on the A380 so i'd get the benefit of the onboard bar, plus i'd have got free Chauffeur transfers to/from MAN & MEL.
Rang Cathay to see if my ticket was cancellable given it was only booked in the last few days, but a £400 cancellation charge would be payable so net/net i'd be paying £100 more for Emirates
I have to say I would never fly CP again, ok it was premium but awful. The food on the return flight I just said no thanks. Of course it is not based on the food, overall the service. After weeks of investigation & looking at pretty much every option for this MAN-MEL trip, Emirates send me an email today notifying me they have a sale with 20% off Business Class fares, booked before 10th Dec & Travel before the end of March/April 2019. With this discount they now come in £300 cheaper than the CX flights i've booked.
On the plus side i get Avios & BA Tier points with CX (will lead to Silver being achieved this Membership year), but on the downside the Emirates overall travel times are the quickest (albeit by only 1hr outbound d& 2hrs return) & all 4 legs would be on the A380 so i'd get the benefit of the onboard bar, plus i'd have got free Chauffeur transfers to/from MAN & MEL.
Rang Cathay to see if my ticket was cancellable given it was only booked in the last few days, but a £400 cancellation charge would be payable so net/net i'd be paying £100 more for Emirates
David Beer said:
I have to say I would never fly CP again, ok it was premium but awful. The food on the return flight I just said no thanks. Of course it is not based on the food, overall the service.
That's not great to hear. All other feedback above tended to suggest that Cathay would be the better option for this trip.Well, my last 10 flights to Asia/Australia/NZ have all been in Business Class with Cathay and have not had a bad one yet, there was a problem with the on-board catering for inter-Asia destinations a while ago but the supplier was changed and I haven't heard of any problems since then. If you want warts and all opinions then head over to Flyertalk here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cathay-pacific-mar... I wouldn't be concerned if I were you, every airline has it's good and bad points/crews.
WyrleyD said:
Well, my last 10 flights to Asia/Australia/NZ have all been in Business Class with Cathay and have not had a bad one yet, there was a problem with the on-board catering for inter-Asia destinations a while ago but the supplier was changed and I haven't heard of any problems since then. If you want warts and all opinions then head over to Flyertalk here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cathay-pacific-mar... I wouldn't be concerned if I were you, every airline has it's good and bad points/crews.
Thanks.Issue was more that now Emirates have their Sale on & the price even with the CK cancellation is more or less the same, i was questioning myself if i should change carrier. Was a while ago when i last flew Emirates Business Class out of MAN & to be fair although was on the A380, the cabin (excluding the on board bar area), looked a little tired & the leg flight lengths are favourable on CK as can sleep on the first day with less worry for the 2nd day, whereas on Emirates the 1st leg is the shorter one.
Guess i'll just wobble my head & think of the BA Tier uplift to Silver, along with the Avios which i wouldn't get with EK.
w8pmc said:
Anyone in the know aware of when Cathay introduce the A350-1000 on the MAN-HKG route?
Cathay are saying it's Feb/March but can't give a date. Currently booked to be flying on the A350-900 for 3 of the 4 legs, with 1 being on the 777-300.
Having just flown it, it’s already the 350-1000. Cathay are saying it's Feb/March but can't give a date. Currently booked to be flying on the A350-900 for 3 of the 4 legs, with 1 being on the 777-300.
The 777 flight you’ll be on will be a -300ER.
Testaburger said:
Having just flown it, it’s already the 350-1000.
The 777 flight you’ll be on will be a -300ER.
Excellent & thanks.The 777 flight you’ll be on will be a -300ER.
Clearly CP haven't updated their website yet as it still says A350-900.
The 777 flight is HKG-MEL so a fairly long leg, however not the longest & it's a day flight so shouldn't be too bad. Seat config looks weird as appears to be 2-3-2 in Business on Seat Guru & a seat rather than a lie flat bed, but the CP Manage my Booking shows 1-2-1, so i'm hoping it's the latter.
w8pmc said:
Excellent & thanks.
Clearly CP haven't updated their website yet as it still says A350-900.
The 777 flight is HKG-MEL so a fairly long leg, however not the longest & it's a day flight so shouldn't be too bad. Seat config looks weird as appears to be 2-3-2 in Business on Seat Guru & a seat rather than a lie flat bed, but the CP Manage my Booking shows 1-2-1, so i'm hoping it's the latter.
As an indentured servant of Cathay, I can mostly advise you to take their IT with a pinch of salt!Clearly CP haven't updated their website yet as it still says A350-900.
The 777 flight is HKG-MEL so a fairly long leg, however not the longest & it's a day flight so shouldn't be too bad. Seat config looks weird as appears to be 2-3-2 in Business on Seat Guru & a seat rather than a lie flat bed, but the CP Manage my Booking shows 1-2-1, so i'm hoping it's the latter.
Yes, your MEL flight will be an ER, as mentioned, and therefore it’ll be 1-2-1.
If you’re not familiar, it is a very good product. The 350 version is essentially a modified version, with slightly nicer soft-touches and features. Also the routes to/from MAN will feature the new dining product which is far better - you place your order pre-flight, and they plate it up for you. Some options you can choose when you want to eat, too, and fill out a brekky card. So, I find the experience a good step-up.
Enjoy your trip!
Testaburger said:
As an indentured servant of Cathay, I can mostly advise you to take their IT with a pinch of salt!
Yes, your MEL flight will be an ER, as mentioned, and therefore it’ll be 1-2-1.
If you’re not familiar, it is a very good product. The 350 version is essentially a modified version, with slightly nicer soft-touches and features. Also the routes to/from MAN will feature the new dining product which is far better - you place your order pre-flight, and they plate it up for you. Some options you can choose when you want to eat, too, and fill out a brekky card. So, I find the experience a good step-up.
Enjoy your trip!
Massive thanksYes, your MEL flight will be an ER, as mentioned, and therefore it’ll be 1-2-1.
If you’re not familiar, it is a very good product. The 350 version is essentially a modified version, with slightly nicer soft-touches and features. Also the routes to/from MAN will feature the new dining product which is far better - you place your order pre-flight, and they plate it up for you. Some options you can choose when you want to eat, too, and fill out a brekky card. So, I find the experience a good step-up.
Enjoy your trip!
Testaburger said:
As an indentured servant of Cathay, I can mostly advise you to take their IT with a pinch of salt!
Yes, your MEL flight will be an ER, as mentioned, and therefore it’ll be 1-2-1.
If you’re not familiar, it is a very good product. The 350 version is essentially a modified version, with slightly nicer soft-touches and features. Also the routes to/from MAN will feature the new dining product which is far better - you place your order pre-flight, and they plate it up for you. Some options you can choose when you want to eat, too, and fill out a brekky card. So, I find the experience a good step-up.
Enjoy your trip!
How would one rate Cathay against the ME3? I very nearly booked them for a trip to Taiwan at the end of the month, but ended up failing back to Emirates (mainly because I fly into Taipei and then come back from Tokyo and I know EK are good at mixing arrival and departure points)Yes, your MEL flight will be an ER, as mentioned, and therefore it’ll be 1-2-1.
If you’re not familiar, it is a very good product. The 350 version is essentially a modified version, with slightly nicer soft-touches and features. Also the routes to/from MAN will feature the new dining product which is far better - you place your order pre-flight, and they plate it up for you. Some options you can choose when you want to eat, too, and fill out a brekky card. So, I find the experience a good step-up.
Enjoy your trip!
schmalex said:
How would one rate Cathay against the ME3? I very nearly booked them for a trip to Taiwan at the end of the month, but ended up failing back to Emirates (mainly because I fly into Taipei and then come back from Tokyo and I know EK are good at mixing arrival and departure points)
For business class, Cathay’s seat is way ahead (Emirates is very poor in the premium arena), but I’d rate Emirates’ service as better. Qatar has a better seat and better service than both, in my experience.
Testaburger said:
schmalex said:
How would one rate Cathay against the ME3? I very nearly booked them for a trip to Taiwan at the end of the month, but ended up failing back to Emirates (mainly because I fly into Taipei and then come back from Tokyo and I know EK are good at mixing arrival and departure points)
For business class, Cathay’s seat is way ahead (Emirates is very poor in the premium arena), but I’d rate Emirates’ service as better. Qatar has a better seat and better service than both, in my experience.
I’m lucky (or unlucky!) enough to be a Platinum member with Emirates so get treated pretty well by them, although I agree their business class seat, particularly on the Gen 1 A380’s, isn’t the best. However, the overall package is very good (chauffeur drive / good lounges / plenty of showers / on board bar etc).
I do want to give Cathay a go as I’ve heard good things about them and I need to rack up the tier points to keep my One Worls starts (I normally do my 4 domestic BA flights to qualify and then rack up the points on Qatar)
schmalex said:
I agree about Qatar. Their Q suites are outstanding and the overall product is excellent (the only blemish is that every time I’ve travelled with them, we’ve been bussed from the plane to the terminal at Hamad Intl.
I’m lucky (or unlucky!) enough to be a Platinum member with Emirates so get treated pretty well by them, although I agree their business class seat, particularly on the Gen 1 A380’s, isn’t the best. However, the overall package is very good (chauffeur drive / good lounges / plenty of showers / on board bar etc).
I do want to give Cathay a go as I’ve heard good things about them and I need to rack up the tier points to keep my One Worls starts (I normally do my 4 domestic BA flights to qualify and then rack up the points on Qatar)
I think the Q Suite is the best in the biz, personally. Along with Singapore’s new long haul offering - the problem with Singapore is they use their regional product on some fairly long flights. I’m lucky (or unlucky!) enough to be a Platinum member with Emirates so get treated pretty well by them, although I agree their business class seat, particularly on the Gen 1 A380’s, isn’t the best. However, the overall package is very good (chauffeur drive / good lounges / plenty of showers / on board bar etc).
I do want to give Cathay a go as I’ve heard good things about them and I need to rack up the tier points to keep my One Worls starts (I normally do my 4 domestic BA flights to qualify and then rack up the points on Qatar)
I’ve found (in only a limited experience) Emirates service excellent. My criticism is just that they have gone all BA and shoved several seats more in each row than the premium standard of 4. Deifinitelt a first world problem, of course, and as you say, the lounges, chauffeur etc combined with being a global connections juggernaut makes them a great choice.
Cathay’s UK flights, as mentioned are among the first to roll out the new dining product - which has long been the main criticism of the airline. The 350 product (and atmosphere- low cabin altitude and more humidity) is great. That’s Manchester and Gatwick. Heathrow’s 5 dailies are served by 777, so a slightly less refined package. That said, the new CX lounge in heathrow is excellent, as are the HKG ones.
Be interested to see how you get on. As an employee I probably shouldn’t say this; but some flights to/from Heathrow are operated by London-based cabin crew, and I find their service and demeanour superior to the HKG based crew.
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