CX A350 to Hong Kong, the Mira Moon Hotel, and a Run to Victoria Peak

[yflyer]

Our seats on this flight were the row 59 bulkhead seats.



These have A/C power under the seats...



These bulkhead seats have a fold out tray table.





The IFE screen is mounted on the wall quite far from the seat. This is a little further away than ideal, and also means that you have to stretch forward to use the touchscreen.



The bulkhead seats have a small controller which can be used to control the IFE.



No windows in the Y bathrooms.

[yflyer]

More pics of the safety video which blends animated characters with live action.





Seats on this 3.5 hour HKG-SIN sector did not come with pillows or blankets, but these were available on request.



Front camera view as the aircraft pushed back...





Tail camera view of push back...





A very quiet take-off...



Just over 3 hours flight time to Singapore today...

[yflyer]

Inflight service began with a round of juice or water...



I checked out the IFE...



Headphones were the headband variety...



However these were some of the worst sounding headphones I had used inflight, about as bad as SQ's earbuds.

The IFE system itself (Features and programs identical to what I covered in the J part of this TR) had excellent video and sound quality -- as long as you used your own headphones.

Once I used my own headphones, sound quality was far better.

[yflyer]

The bulkhead seats had very generous legroom.



Maybe too generous...other passengers kept using this as a walkway to get from one aisle to the other, especially since the restrooms were on either side of the bulkhead.

At one point, I plugged in my USB cable into the charging point below the IFE screen and had the cable running from the wall to my tray table, to form a make-shift barrier, which probably discouraged at least a few people from cutting across.



On this flight, a full hot breakfast was served.



There was a choice of either Western style eggs, or an Oriental noodle dish.



CX uses plastic cutlery in Y, but these were very stylish and of high quality.



My tray had pineapple yogurt, but Mrs yflyer's tray came with strawberry yogurt.



The noodle main course looked quite attractive...



...however the noodles were quite dry and a little tasteless. There didn't appear to be enough salt or soy sauce. And what do you know, CX didn't include salt/pepper sachets with the Y tray, so there was no way to add additional seasoning.

A slightly disappointing main dish. At least on this flight, the western egg breakfast might have been a better choice.

On the positive side, the dim sum and shrimp portions were quite generous and tasty. Too bad about the noodles.

Coffee/tea served in plastic cups without handles (Looking a little like cups for Chinese tea.).

[yflyer]

Overall cabin ambience was fine...





The 9-abreast A350 cabin feels more spacious than a 10-abreast 777 or a 9-abreast 787. Compared to either of those, the A350 Y cabin is clearly superior.

That said, it doesn't quite have the sense of spaciousness you find on a 9-abreast 777, or a 10-abreast A380 main deck.

[yflyer]

Let's talk a little more about the Y seat.



Overall, I was quite comfortable in the seat. It had decent recline, and no underseat obstructions. No complaints about seat pitch, armrest or the headrest either.

There is one aspect of the seat that needs to be explored and maybe validated by others: while seat comfort, recline and cushioning were good, if there was pressure from behind the seat, such as from knees, it could be felt quite distinctly in your back.

I have never encountered this on any other long haul seat, although I have noticed this on some short haul Y seats (e.g Vueling's Airbuses).

When I first sat in the seat, I thought: wow, this seat has very firm lumbar support. I could feel something firm supporting my lower back. It dawned on me that it was the knees of the passenger behind me.

Later, Mrs yflyer remarked to me "I can feel the person behind me in my seat back. He keeps moving."

I have always had the impression that there was at least a layer of hard plastic, or hard something, within the seat frame. Was my assumption wrong? Do new generation Y seats all have soft backs with no hard layer?

Maybe the seats are no different from any other Y design, and the person behind me just happened to push exceptionally hard with his knees.

It would be great to hear what others think of this topic.

Apart from that, the CX Y seat was quite a comfortable design.

[yflyer]

It was soon time to descend for Singapore...



With landing prep complete, the excellent cabin crew on today's flight took their seats for landing...



Final approach to runway 20R...



A smooth landing...





At the gate...



A peek into the cockpit through the large side windows...



A final look at B-LRK...

[yflyer]

My impressions of CX Economy on the HKG-SIN sector?

Overall, good IFE and overall economy cabin ambience, and a decent seat.

Cabin crew were very good -- friendly and responsive.

Final thoughts?

I thought the CX A350 was very impressive in Business Class, and Premium Economy looked good too.

For A350 Y, I had a comfortable flight, and while some aspects of the flight were not perfect, I was quite happy overall with the CX A350 experience in Y.

Other positives were the superb CX lounge in HKG, and a very good experience with ground staff and CX's online website and mobile app as well.

If reading this has whetted your appetite for A350 TR's, here are several more below:

DUS-SIN on SQ in Y
SIN-JKT on SQ - PEY cabin
SIN-HEL vv on AY Y
SIN-DOH on QR Y
DOH-SIN on QR J

Thanks for reading!

[loldude333]

Thanks yflyer! Yet another great and informative TR! Regarding the QSuite, i believe alian has that one covered. It certainly does look a lot like the Etihad Business Studio, with some modifications.

Interesting to note that CX's earphones seem to use the standard 3.5mm jack (i can't be 100% sure from the photo).

Compared to SQ's A350 Y cabin, which might you prefer?

[GR1]

That's an amazing and very informative TR, awesome work @yflyer!
I am also curious as to whether SQ or CX is better for Y and J class travel respectively, taking into account the hard product, service etc. Since I am now based in this region - China/HK - this would help me consider if I should start splitting my travels and start making my way up The Marco Polo Club, since I have already obtained 50k miles for KF this year. MPC Gold is apparently very valuable for Y flyers, whom are treated with frequent upgrades to PEY and J. Though looking at the outdated and inferior regional products aren't really worth it, which is why I've been loyal to SQ.

[SINFJ]

My impressions of CX Economy on the HKG-SIN sector?

Overall, good IFE and overall economy cabin ambience, and a decent seat.

Cabin crew were very good -- friendly and responsive.

Final thoughts?

I thought the CX A350 was very impressive in Business Class, and Premium Economy looked good too.

For A350 Y, I had a comfortable flight, and while some aspects of the flight were not perfect, I was quite happy overall with the CX A350 experience in Y.

Other positives were the superb CX lounge in HKG, and a very good experience with ground staff and CX's online website and mobile app as well.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for the extensive review on the Y cabin. I have booked to fly Y on the A350 a few times but have almost been lucky to get op-upped or double op-upped so have never got to try the Y seats. I am booked to fly it again next Saturday so let's see if I can help you test the "deep lumbar".

I also noticed the armrest being thinner than their older cousins on other pane types. In terms of seat width and the overall space around the seat, would you feel like there is an actual loss of space?

[yflyer]

Thanks yflyer! Yet another great and informative TR! Regarding the QSuite, i believe alian has that one covered. It certainly does look a lot like the Etihad Business Studio, with some modifications.

Interesting to note that CX's earphones seem to use the standard 3.5mm jack (i can't be 100% sure from the photo).

Compared to SQ's A350 Y cabin, which might you prefer?

Thanks, loldude333!

Yes, the CX A350 headphone jack in Y is the standard 3.5mm jack, so normal headphones will work fine without an adapter.

For the A350 Y cabin, both CX and SQ have a good Y seat and cabin ambience. I marginally prefer the SQ A350 Y seat, though. On the catering front, SQ Y is noticeably better than CX Y. IFE on both are great.

I've only sat on the CX PEY seat for a few moments, but based on that initial impression, I prefer the CX PEY seat to the SQ PEY seat on the A350. Referring to the seat only, not the catering etc, as I've not done a full flight on CX PEY.

That's an amazing and very informative TR, awesome work @yflyer!
I am also curious as to whether SQ or CX is better for Y and J class travel respectively, taking into account the hard product, service etc. Since I am now based in this region - China/HK - this would help me consider if I should start splitting my travels and start making my way up The Marco Polo Club, since I have already obtained 50k miles for KF this year. MPC Gold is apparently very valuable for Y flyers, whom are treated with frequent upgrades to PEY and J. Though looking at the outdated and inferior regional products aren't really worth it, which is why I've been loyal to SQ.

Thanks, GR1! Glad you enjoyed reading it!

If you travel in F/J and Y, then if you can get to PPS, it might make sense to stick to SQ, however if you travel only Y, then I would say, yes, it makes perfect sense to also split travel on CX/OW to get status on Marco Polo Club or Oneworld.

What I have found is that on SQ, KF Gold gives you the basics (Lounge access to many lounges (But not SQ's own in SIN), priority check-in, priority boarding etc), but upgrades are few and far between. My impression is that SQ really focuses on PPS, and less so on KF Gold. In fact you might be treated better on other Star Alliance carriers as Star Gold than SQ.

For J travel, there are many others here who are better qualified to comment, since I travel mainly in Y, but from the limited experience I have on CX J, I believe the long haul J product is comparable to SQ, but the regional J hard product is quite average. I would say that the CX lounges in HKG are among the best I have visited.

Even as Oneworld Sapphire (And previously Emerald), I occasionally get upgraded on CX. I suspect Marco Polo club upgrades their premium FF's a lot more than SQ does, so that in itself may be a good incentive to sign up.

As for the concept of "loyalty"...I have a slightly cynical view. In the business world, airlines value how much you spend with them, I have yet to experience any airline that understands "loyalty". I used to fly 150K-200K BIS miles a year on SQ as a "loyal" customer but never got beyond KF Gold, even after writing in to SQ. After a while I figured it didn't make sense, and instead of travelling 100% on SQ, I began splitting my travel between SQ/Star (30-40%) and Oneworld (60-70%), and usually travel enough to get to both Oneworld Sapphire (or Emerald) and Star Gold in one year. I've been very happy since then, since I can fly whichever alliance I want, and still gain points and benefits (and choose the cheapest tickets) from whatever carrier I pick.

Thanks for the extensive review on the Y cabin. I have booked to fly Y on the A350 a few times but have almost been lucky to get op-upped or double op-upped so have never got to try the Y seats. I am booked to fly it again next Saturday so let's see if I can help you test the "deep lumbar".

I also noticed the armrest being thinner than their older cousins on other pane types. In terms of seat width and the overall space around the seat, would you feel like there is an actual loss of space?

Thanks, SINFJ!

Great to get upgraded so often! And thanks for your help checking out the seat back (Assuming you don't get upgraded again...).

Yes, on the newer planes, the armrest is quite thin. I guess that is "progress"...I can't say I like the slimline armrests, but I'm not too bothered either.

On the CX A350 (And other A350's) the Y cabin is 9-abreast, so the seats should be similar to what other airlines offer on the A350. Measurements are one thing, but a lot of it is probably perception as well. I've done several long haul flights on A350's with SQ, QR and AY and I was quite happy with the seat width and cabin ambience. Since CX also has a 9-abreast layout, I don't think the experience will be vastly different, but I would reserve judgement until I actually do a long haul flight on the CX A350.

[GR1]

Thanks, GR1! Glad you enjoyed reading it!

If you travel in F/J and Y, then if you can get to PPS, it might make sense to stick to SQ, however if you travel only Y, then I would say, yes, it makes perfect sense to also split travel on CX/OW to get status on Marco Polo Club or Oneworld.

What I have found is that on SQ, KF Gold gives you the basics (Lounge access to many lounges (But not SQ's own in SIN), priority check-in, priority boarding etc), but upgrades are few and far between. My impression is that SQ really focuses on PPS, and less so on KF Gold. In fact you might be treated better on other Star Alliance carriers as Star Gold than SQ.

For J travel, there are many others here who are better qualified to comment, since I travel mainly in Y, but from the limited experience I have on CX J, I believe the long haul J product is comparable to SQ, but the regional J hard product is quite average. I would say that the CX lounges in HKG are among the best I have visited.

Even as Oneworld Sapphire (And previously Emerald), I occasionally get upgraded on CX. I suspect Marco Polo club upgrades their premium FF's a lot more than SQ does, so that in itself may be a good incentive to sign up.

As for the concept of "loyalty"...I have a slightly cynical view. In the business world, airlines value how much you spend with them, I have yet to experience any airline that understands "loyalty". I used to fly 150K-200K BIS miles a year on SQ as a "loyal" customer but never got beyond KF Gold, even after writing in to SQ. After a while I figured it didn't make sense, and instead of travelling 100% on SQ, I began splitting my travel between SQ/Star (30-40%) and Oneworld (60-70%), and usually travel enough to get to both Oneworld Sapphire (or Emerald) and Star Gold in one year. I've been very happy since then, since I can fly whichever alliance I want, and still gain points and benefits (and choose the cheapest tickets) from whatever carrier I pick.

Thank you very much yflyer for your detailed response and suggestion, much appreciated. I predominantly fly in Y and hence obtaining PPS is not possible at the moment. I have been giving this a thought for a while now and couldn't agree more with what you have mentioned.

Since you are QF Gold/OW Saphire - would you be able to shed light on the qualification tiers for MPC? From what I have understood - you need to obtain Silver by earning 300 club points, then another 600 club points to reach Gold, i.e. total of 900 club points in the first year in order to become Gold. Is this correct? And is the same true for all OW carriers?

[SINFJ]

Thank you very much yflyer for your detailed response and suggestion, much appreciated. I predominantly fly in Y and hence obtaining PPS is not possible at the moment. I have been giving this a thought for a while now and couldn't agree more with what you have mentioned.

Since you are QF Gold/OW Saphire - would you be able to shed light on the qualification tiers for MPC? From what I have understood - you need to obtain Silver by earning 300 club points, then another 600 club points to reach Gold, i.e. total of 900 club points in the first year in order to become Gold. Is this correct? And is the same true for all OW carriers?

Yes you do 300 to get to SL, reset to 0 and then climb 600 to GO. Other OW carriers have their own qualifying criteria.

It really depends on how much traveling and where you travel on each class. Bear in mind that MPC changed from distance/sector based to revenue/sector based so the same flight will net you different club point levels based on the ticket bucket you book into. I fly Y monthly to HKG for personal, 2 or 3 trips to the US and a smatter of PVG and MNL for work on CX. With this I just push to make GO, so datapoint for you to consider where you wanna bank into. There are other cost sensible options for OW to get to the same status but I feel it will not be polite to hijack yflyer's thread for. Please PM me if you will like more information.

[yflyer]

Thank you very much yflyer for your detailed response and suggestion, much appreciated. I predominantly fly in Y and hence obtaining PPS is not possible at the moment. I have been giving this a thought for a while now and couldn't agree more with what you have mentioned.

Since you are QF Gold/OW Saphire - would you be able to shed light on the qualification tiers for MPC? From what I have understood - you need to obtain Silver by earning 300 club points, then another 600 club points to reach Gold, i.e. total of 900 club points in the first year in order to become Gold. Is this correct? And is the same true for all OW carriers?

Hi, GR1! The QF system for elite status looks quite different from MPC...it is based on status credits which you get on QF and Oneworld partners. The status credits vary depending on distance, class of travel, and also type of ticket (They distinguish between discount economy and regular economy tickets for example).

As for the tiers themselves Qantas Silver maps to OW Ruby, Gold to OW Sapphire and Platininum to OW Emerald, which really got me very good treatment, including access to CX, QF and BA F lounges and a couple of upgrades on BA and CX to J.

QF has a status even higher than Platinum, called Platinum One. I've never gotten that far but I have friends who have, and they are treated REALLY well.

Yes you do 300 to get to SL, reset to 0 and then climb 600 to GO. Other OW carriers have their own qualifying criteria.

It really depends on how much traveling and where you travel on each class. Bear in mind that MPC changed from distance/sector based to revenue/sector based so the same flight will net you different club point levels based on the ticket bucket you book into. I fly Y monthly to HKG for personal, 2 or 3 trips to the US and a smatter of PVG and MNL for work on CX. With this I just push to make GO, so datapoint for you to consider where you wanna bank into. There are other cost sensible options for OW to get to the same status but I feel it will not be polite to hijack yflyer's thread for. Please PM me if you will like more information.

Thanks for the explanation of how the MPC status works, SINFJ! Useful info! Not hijacking the thread at all.