Hi all,
Just to start a thread discussing your experiences with Cathay Pacific regional premium economy service! Please note we are focusing on the regional premium economy service, which is mostly intra-Asian flights. I am curious on your thoughts and maybe we can all share our thoughts and hopefully CX can improve on it in the long run!
I flew TPE to HKG on CX 469 yesterday! It was on B-HOP, a four-class Boeing 747-400. The premium economy seats were pretty good especially Row 30. 30A has huge legroom and additional legrest that can be extended. However it won't be too useful if you are taller than 5' 10"! I can report that "in-arm" PTV works. There was priority boarding before regular economy passengers. The luggage allowance is 25kg.
However, the on board experiences were no different from regular economy. As sxc the moderator pointed out, Cathay Pacific has already pointed out that these new regional products will only mean better ground service, slightly better luggage allowance and a better seat. Of course, noise-canceling headsets were still provided because of the plug issues... But catering is the same as Y.
I knew about it before boarding, but after flying it, I felt that CX needs to either drop the price a bit (not only random promos) or just give it a little enhancement. Something that tells people that it is an upgraded economy experience.
Start from something easy:
1. Have a dedicated premium economy F/A! Just have him or her greeting passengers and hanging coats!
2. Curtain has to be closed between PE and EY during flight! It is a different product and CX has decided to sell it this way, so the curtain should be closed after takeoff! Someone should make sure PE passengers deplaning first!
3. The mentality of the F/As need to be changed - that applies to long haul flights! I don't care how the F/As feel about it personally, but this is a premium economy product. So they need to see it that way. People are paying extra $$$ so you need to be more proactive in working that cabin. Not having a dedicated PE F/A continues to be an issue. Maybe CX can give a little incentive for F/A to step up to this position! Give them little extra $$$ or benefit! CX is never going to add one additional F/A to do the PE service, so give a little $$$ or benefit. As of this point, most F/As don't see PE as an additional revenue stream for CX and it might be the future for business flying. They see it as a nuisance and additional workload. They don't feel proud about this product.
4. Catering - for a flight between HKG and TPE, it is cheap to not even offer a tea and coffee service for the whole Y cabin. A pack of oolong tea is just cheap and it is such difficulty to offer maybe an option of offering mini bottled waters.
For PE, I think it will be nice to offer a full beverage service, or at least offer some choices of juices, soft drinks, and water. Or offer a hot tea and coffee service! Also add a biscuit/a piece of chocolate to the meal! (26 biscuits or mini kit kat bars will not take up too much space or add too much weight!) Something that is cheap and easy! For intra-Asian flight, I think offering a business class style entree is not too much to ask, especially CX J catering is not really particularly fancy. Steamed chicken with mushrooms is not fancy to begin with. Even if they don't want to do a J entree, just offer a little additional something - maybe bottled waters and/or some ice cream service after meals! It does not need to be Haagen-Dazs but a small tub of Movenpick ice cream or even a Dairy Farm ice cream cone will be nice! You have to remind passengers that you are flying PE! I just feel that if I am paying $4000-5000HKD oneway PE from HKG to Tokyo, I don't think I am asking too much for a bottle of Watson distilled water or an ice cream bar!
I have two more flights coming up and will report back!
Anyway, Cathay Pacific still has some touch-ups to do regarding its premium economy product especially in the regional sectors!
Hopefully this thread can help future potential CX regional PE passengers to make their decisions in future travel, and to share our thoughts in how to make it a bit better!
Carfield
Just to start a thread discussing your experiences with Cathay Pacific regional premium economy service! Please note we are focusing on the regional premium economy service, which is mostly intra-Asian flights. I am curious on your thoughts and maybe we can all share our thoughts and hopefully CX can improve on it in the long run!
I flew TPE to HKG on CX 469 yesterday! It was on B-HOP, a four-class Boeing 747-400. The premium economy seats were pretty good especially Row 30. 30A has huge legroom and additional legrest that can be extended. However it won't be too useful if you are taller than 5' 10"! I can report that "in-arm" PTV works. There was priority boarding before regular economy passengers. The luggage allowance is 25kg.
However, the on board experiences were no different from regular economy. As sxc the moderator pointed out, Cathay Pacific has already pointed out that these new regional products will only mean better ground service, slightly better luggage allowance and a better seat. Of course, noise-canceling headsets were still provided because of the plug issues... But catering is the same as Y.
I knew about it before boarding, but after flying it, I felt that CX needs to either drop the price a bit (not only random promos) or just give it a little enhancement. Something that tells people that it is an upgraded economy experience.
Start from something easy:
1. Have a dedicated premium economy F/A! Just have him or her greeting passengers and hanging coats!
2. Curtain has to be closed between PE and EY during flight! It is a different product and CX has decided to sell it this way, so the curtain should be closed after takeoff! Someone should make sure PE passengers deplaning first!
3. The mentality of the F/As need to be changed - that applies to long haul flights! I don't care how the F/As feel about it personally, but this is a premium economy product. So they need to see it that way. People are paying extra $$$ so you need to be more proactive in working that cabin. Not having a dedicated PE F/A continues to be an issue. Maybe CX can give a little incentive for F/A to step up to this position! Give them little extra $$$ or benefit! CX is never going to add one additional F/A to do the PE service, so give a little $$$ or benefit. As of this point, most F/As don't see PE as an additional revenue stream for CX and it might be the future for business flying. They see it as a nuisance and additional workload. They don't feel proud about this product.
4. Catering - for a flight between HKG and TPE, it is cheap to not even offer a tea and coffee service for the whole Y cabin. A pack of oolong tea is just cheap and it is such difficulty to offer maybe an option of offering mini bottled waters.
For PE, I think it will be nice to offer a full beverage service, or at least offer some choices of juices, soft drinks, and water. Or offer a hot tea and coffee service! Also add a biscuit/a piece of chocolate to the meal! (26 biscuits or mini kit kat bars will not take up too much space or add too much weight!) Something that is cheap and easy! For intra-Asian flight, I think offering a business class style entree is not too much to ask, especially CX J catering is not really particularly fancy. Steamed chicken with mushrooms is not fancy to begin with. Even if they don't want to do a J entree, just offer a little additional something - maybe bottled waters and/or some ice cream service after meals! It does not need to be Haagen-Dazs but a small tub of Movenpick ice cream or even a Dairy Farm ice cream cone will be nice! You have to remind passengers that you are flying PE! I just feel that if I am paying $4000-5000HKD oneway PE from HKG to Tokyo, I don't think I am asking too much for a bottle of Watson distilled water or an ice cream bar!
I have two more flights coming up and will report back!
Anyway, Cathay Pacific still has some touch-ups to do regarding its premium economy product especially in the regional sectors!
Hopefully this thread can help future potential CX regional PE passengers to make their decisions in future travel, and to share our thoughts in how to make it a bit better!
Carfield