Cathay to cut worldwide capacity by 30% [Now 96%]

[tomlee1986]

The airline is not the management, whom I expect had very little choice anyway.



Exactly.

The airline did have a choice... in 2019, they could choose NOT to sack the staff who was on the side of hkers during their free time (NOT in uniform, and being peaceful) against the tyrant HK government at the time, but they did sack them! - don't say it is government owned, as CX is a publicly listed company which at the time was NOT owned by HK government in any means! the airline is run by Swire group as majority shareholder. Swire group btw is also NOT a government run company either. They run the airline... not HK government. Now with the pandemic downturn, and the trade tensions.. hkers would NOT stand alongside with a company which betrayed its values to hkers to support the tyrant government of mainland china and Carrie Lam (CE of HK!)

 

[tomlee1986]

I'd wait a couple of days. They could very well reinstate the flights just like that other airline.

This is hk government decision... nothing to do with our travel cap

 

[jb747]

The airline is the people who make it up. The workers, in other words. Management, are, in most cases, nasty transients who are there to maximise their own benefits. They are not the airline.

 

[tomlee1986]

The airline is the people who make it up. The workers, in other words. Management, are, in most cases, nasty transients who are there to maximise their own benefits. They are not the airline.

Hate to bust this myth of urs...like every industry, there are some bad apples, but in this case of Cathay pacific, some of the staff actually colluded with CCP and hk government to hand over passenger who wanted to leave hk to get them into NSL... (HK National security law) - and these passengers are NOT wanted criminals either... they also attempt to make a very tough time for hkers whom wanted to use BNO passport BEFORE end of year last year to go to UK in order to help the CCP and mainland China! That’s why hkers would be celebrating the day this airline goes bankrupt...

why I feel so deep is because I am born from HK, grew up there with Chinese heritage... this affects me more deeply than others in this forum

btw... these are the front line staff that was helping the CCP at the check in desk... NOT management!

 

[straitman]

The airline is the people who make it up. The workers, in other words. Management, are, in most cases, nasty transients who are there to maximise their own benefits. They are not the airline.

Agreed. A good friend is a retired CX B747 captain and he will no longer fly with them by choice.

Hate to bust this myth of urs...like every industry, there are some bad apples, but in this case of Cathay pacific, some of the staff actually colluded with CCP and hk government to hand over passenger who wanted to leave hk to get them into NSL... (HK National security law) - and these passengers are NOT wanted criminals either... they also attempt to make a very tough time for hkers whom wanted to use BNO passport BEFORE end of year last year to go to UK in order to help the CCP and mainland China! That’s why hkers would be celebrating the day this airline goes bankrupt...

why I feel so deep is because I am born from HK, grew up there with Chinese heritage... this affects me more deeply than others in this forum

btw... these are the front line staff that was helping the CCP at the check in desk... NOT management!

It’s not a myth and you didn’t bust it. What jb747 says is correct. The difference is that a few employees have sided with the CCP and management however the vast majority do not subscribe to that doctrine.

In any case this thread is/has wandered a long way off topic so let’s move forward discussing the threads topic.

 

[kamchatsky]

Hate to bust this myth of urs...like every industry, there are some bad apples, but in this case of Cathay pacific, some of the staff actually colluded with CCP and hk government to hand over passenger who wanted to leave hk to get them into NSL... (HK National security law) - and these passengers are NOT wanted criminals either... they also attempt to make a very tough time for hkers whom wanted to use BNO passport BEFORE end of year last year to go to UK in order to help the CCP and mainland China! That’s why hkers would be celebrating the day this airline goes bankrupt...

why I feel so deep is because I am born from HK, grew up there with Chinese heritage... this affects me more deeply than others in this forum

btw... these are the front line staff that was helping the CCP at the check in desk... NOT management!

CX was between a rock and a hard place. China threatened to shut the whole Chinese airspace off CX if they don’t comply. So it meant all of their China and European flights would be impacted.

Now that the government owns part of CX, it will not be going back to the old days, just like HKG itself. They will comply with NSL. Like a lot of HKers, the only option is to leave HKG and never return.

They will also avoid flying CX in the future, even in fifth freedom flights.

 

[tomlee1986]

Getting back onto topic - the staff has reason NOT to do these flights now is basically not wanting to stay away from home for over a month... and I agree with them in a way, thats why the company would not have enough crew to run many of the flights on HKG routing

CX was between a rock and a hard place. China threatened to shut the whole Chinese airspace off CX if they don’t comply. So it meant all of their China and European flights would be impacted.

Now that the government owns part of CX, it will not be going back to the old days, just like HKG itself. They will comply with NSL. Like a lot of HKers, the only option is to leave HKG and never return.

They will also avoid flying CX in the future, even in fifth freedom flights.

I agree with you there... many hkers would not use this airline anymore and leave HKG forever because of what happened since 2019

 

[kamchatsky]

Getting back onto topic - the staff has reason NOT to do these flights now is basically not wanting to stay away from home for over a month... and I agree with them in a way, thats why the company would not have enough crew to run many of the flights on HKG routing


I agree with you there... many hkers would not use this airline anymore and leave HKG forever because of what happened since 2019

Another reason is that the FA's salaries has been significantly cut last year to just above the minimum wage, with all the living away allowance cut off. This arrangement meant that FA would be earning just above minimum wage and get locked down for months. No one really wants to do that. They may as well change careers.

 

[prozac]

I have 2 J seats booked in May. I will be trying to move these to sometime next year. I hope it is not too bad by then.

 

[OATEK]

Agreed. A good friend is a retired CX B747 captain and he will no longer fly with them by choice.


It’s not a myth and you didn’t bust it. What jb747 says is correct. The difference is that a few employees have sided with the CCP and management however the vast majority do not subscribe to that doctrine.

In any case this thread is/has wandered a long way off topic so let’s move forward discussing the threads topic.

The CX management have done what they can to keep the business a going concern, both during the unrest and the pandemic. But in doing so they have compromised the airline by their actions.

I have sat in HKG around midnight, being told repeatedly that the CX flight to Europe could not board because the mainland ATC would not give permission because of congestion/airforce manoeuvres etc The two times it happened to us it was over an hour delay, the second time close to 2 hrs, and the crew said it was very common. Meanwhile the AY flight took off on time, one of the reasons were first switched to them (although yes, price played a part also)..

So the airline has been under pressure for a few years, but the damage done to their reputation with some travellers is IMHO terminal. We, like the ex-747 pilot, have made the decision we will not fly CX or transit HKG for the foreseeable. It is a matter of considerable sadness, as we have loved our time travelling with CX, and our visits to Hong Kong over the years, beginning back in 1990.

 

[jb747]

I have sat in HKG around midnight, being told repeatedly that the CX flight to Europe could not board because the mainland ATC would not give permission because of congestion/airforce manoeuvres etc The two times it happened to us it was over an hour delay, the second time close to 2 hrs, and the crew said it was very common. Meanwhile the AY flight took off on time, one of the reasons were first switched to them (although yes, price played a part also)..

All airspace over China is owned by the air force. Delays, route changes, refusal to allow weather avoidance, etc, is operations normal.

 

[tomlee1986]

The CX management have done what they can to keep the business a going concern, both during the unrest and the pandemic. But in doing so they have compromised the airline by their actions.

I have sat in HKG around midnight, being told repeatedly that the CX flight to Europe could not board because the mainland ATC would not give permission because of congestion/airforce manoeuvres etc The two times it happened to us it was over an hour delay, the second time close to 2 hrs, and the crew said it was very common. Meanwhile the AY flight took off on time, one of the reasons were first switched to them (although yes, price played a part also)..

So the airline has been under pressure for a few years, but the damage done to their reputation with some travellers is IMHO terminal. We, like the ex-747 pilot, have made the decision we will not fly CX or transit HKG for the foreseeable. It is a matter of considerable sadness, as we have loved our time travelling with CX, and our visits to Hong Kong over the years, beginning back in 1990.

As a HKer and Australian citizen, I would like to welcome u back to HK when things get better in the future... not just with the pandemic, but with the political situation improves. (When it will happen? we will not know for a long time to come)

 

[tomlee1986]

I have 2 J seats booked in May. I will be trying to move these to sometime next year. I hope it is not too bad by then.

I dont expect you will be travelling until late 2022 to be honest

 

[prozac]

I dont expect you will be travelling until late 2022 to be honest

I know a Qantas pilot who's been told he is unlikely to be back at work before 2023.
I recently accepted a job in Europe ... interesting. Funnily enough I seem to be making acceptable progress working online. It might be like this for a while.

After reading comments above I am now reticent about flying CX, but that is what I am stuck with for time being.
@OATEK, how do you find AY?

 

[OATEK]

I know a Qantas pilot who's been told he is unlikely to be back at work before 2023.
I recently accepted a job in Europe ... interesting. Funnily enough I seem to be making acceptable progress working online. It might be like this for a while.

After reading comments above I am now reticent about flying CX, but that is what I am stuck with for time being.
@OATEK, how do you find AY?

@prozac, I have enjoyed AY very much. Its an extra stop if flying to UK/EU via HEL. The J product feels very close to CX, although a little less room. Enjoy the food and the crews. Mostly we have gone via HKG at least one way from SYD, but will look to SIN and BKK as our connecting point in future.

We have stayed in HEL several times, and enjoye4d Finland. Even done a side trip by train from Helsinki to St Petersburg which was a fabulous experience.

 

[prozac]

@prozac, I have enjoyed AY very much. Its an extra stop if flying to UK/EU via HEL. The J product feels very close to CX, although a little less room. Enjoy the food and the crews. Mostly we have gone via HKG at least one way from SYD, but will look to SIN and BKK as our connecting point in future.

We have stayed in HEL several times, and enjoye4d Finland. Even done a side trip by train from Helsinki to St Petersburg which was a fabulous experience.

Thank you.

 

[AIRwin]

Equivalent to 3x B737 domestic flights in Australia?
Cathay Pacific Flies Fewer Than 600 Passengers a Day on Average

 

[QF029]

Does anyone know the authorative place to check CX flights out of Australia? It look like I have to return to London (have been working remotely for over 12 months). I have plenty of AA points so a CX J redemption seems to best way to get back.

QR are on the banned list and not flying to London. The only other option seems to be to pay for SQ Y and hope the loads are sparse.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I can see sporadic availability on AA, flying CX to SYD-HKG then BA HKG-LHR.

It's probably a case of beggars can't be choosers, so take what you can get. Though I have no idea of what you need to do, if anything, in order to be able to transit HKG.

 

[dajop]

QR are on the banned list and not flying to London. The only other option seems to be to pay for SQ Y and hope the loads are sparse.

On SQ, all flights out of Australia in Y are sparse, out of Singapore , the day flight (morning departure to London) is very sparse - but evening not so.