Cathay Pacific

The review is to do with Cathay's customer service (CS) attitude and its business ethic during the COVID crisis. They lied and refused to help those who are in vulnerable situations. 12 Jul, I booked for 9 Aug flights 14 Jul, Australia drops incoming travellers quota further. Every week I would check with Cathay if I could still get to fly - its CS told me I was fine. I have also indicated that I'm on my 3rd trimester. I would be 33-week pregnant by the time I fly. Shockingly, Cathay only emailed me 3 days before the flight date with lies that flight got cancelled. Never got a phone call. Never got offered replacement seats. I knew the flight cancellation was a lie because my mum was still got her seat on the same flight. We book our flight together but because my mum was on a business seat, Cathay split her booking ID from mine. My mother is disabled and I'm her sole carer in Australia so this outcome was the worst. Because I would be stuck alone in Thailand giving birth without close family and Mum would also be struck alone in Sydney's quarantine and she could barely speak English. From Friday 7 to Sunday 9 of August, I chatted to Cathay's CS and called them over 5 times. They all said sorry but it was up to the "Revenue team" to review my case. I was surprised that the authority of this matter is in the hand of the revenue team which probably doesn't work on the weekend. After the first request, all I got is one cold rejected email on Sat morning. The CS said the earliest next flight for me is 2 September, way pass my 36-week of pregnancy (you aren't allowed to fly after). This is either a lie or an act of negligent. From social media, I found out later that other Cathay passengers who got bumped off their flights after my case got offered flights much earlier than this, even as early as 11 August. I relentlessly politely appealed to the CS and begged for their help and offers them many options they can do for us - 1) Reinstate my seat; 2) Allow me to take my mum place to fly (she can be cared for in Thailand while waiting for her next flight) and; 3) Refund both of our flights so we have our fund to try to fly elsewhere. Cathay reps politely but mechanically rejected all options I asked for. They said the option 3) will cost me a penalty fee because it would be my fault to cancel to my mum's flight. I sympathise all airline businesses in this trying time. However, Cathay has proven to stoop so low to even cutback its humanity. Sure the service onboard is great. It's airport staff in Thailand also super intelligent and helpful (Deepest gratitude to Ms Phattar... who saved us at the last minute before the flight were due) but I won't recommend Cathay to anyone if you have a choice.

Cathay's customer service attitude and its business ethic during the COVID crisis are appalling. They lied and refused to help those who are in vulnerable situations. They coldly kicked a heavily pregnant woman out of the flight and separated her from her disabled mother without taking any responsibility. Background: 12 Jul, I booked for 9 Aug flights 14 Jul, Australia drops incoming travellers quota further. Every week I would check with Cathey if I could still get to fly - its CS told me I was fine. I have also indicated that I'm on my 3rd trimester. I would be 33-week pregnant by the time I fly. Shockingly, Cathay only emailed me 3 days before the flight date with lies that my flight got cancelled. Never got a phone call. Never got offered replacement seats. I knew the flight cancellation was a lie because my mum was still got her seat on the same flight. We booked our flight together but because my mum was on a business seat, Cathay split her booking ID from mine. My mother is disabled and I'm her sole carer in Australia so this outcome was the worst. Because I would be stuck alone in Thailand giving birth without close family and Mum would also be struck alone in Sydney's quarantine and she could barely speak English. From Friday 7 to Sunday 9 of August, I chatted to Cathay's CS and called them over 5 times. They all said sorry but it was up to the "Revenue team" to review my case. I was surprised that the authority of this matter is in the hand of the revenue team which probably doesn't work on the weekend. After the first request, all I got is one cold rejected email on Sat morning. The CS said the earliest next flight for me is 2 September, way pass my 36-week of pregnancy (you aren't allowed to fly after). This is either a lie or an act of negligent. From social media, I found out later that other Cathey passengers who got bumped off their flights after my case got offered flights much earlier than this, even as early as 11 August. I relentlessly politely appealed to the CS and begged for their help and offers them many options they can do for us - 1) Reinstate my seat; 2) Allow me to take my mum place to fly (she can be cared for in Thailand while waiting for her next flight) and; 3) Refund both of our flights so we have our fund to try to fly elsewhere. Cathay reps politely but mechanically rejected all options I asked for. They said the option 3) will cost me a penalty fee because it would be my fault to cancel to my mum's flight. I sympathise all airline businesses in this trying time. However, Cathay has proven to stoop so low to even cutback its humanity. Sure the service onboard is great. It's airport staff in Thailand also super intelligent and helpful (Deepest gratitude to Ms Phattar... who saved us at the last minute before the flight were due) but I won't recommend Cathay to anyone if you have a choice.

Cathay has cancelled my reservation from HK - Sydney 3 days before the flight date with an email saying they are not accepting me to travel due to government restrictions. However, on their website, the flight status is still on schedule. I am not sure why they just cancel my reservation when the flight status is still on schedule! They cannot say what the reason was when I contacted their customer service.

My husband checked in two days ago on a flight from Hong Kong to Sydney. Before we went to the airport we knew we were about 3kg over on the check-in luggage. We were hoping the check-in counter staff would let him pass. We thought since it was only 3kg. No, that was not to be. The check－in counter staff requested us to take out some content to reduce the weight. We also couldn't use our aisamile points to add the luggage allowance. He was kind enough to check for us. My husband's mileage points were a few points just short of the required. I couldn't use mine to compensate the shortfall because he said I wasn't travelling with him so he couldn't use my points. In the end my husband had to remove some content to add to the already quite full carry－on luggage. The final check-in luggage weighed 1kg over and the counter staff allowed him through. All the work and time to reduce 2kg and the flight wasn't even full due to the travel restriction. I would have wished Cathay Pacific a bit flexible. I can understand the need to adhere to policy during a full flight but not when it is less than full. I rated a 4 star because although the counter staff was strict he was very polite and professional and also did try to help.

Cathay you have an amazing commitment to your passengers. Just flew home from Hong Kong to Sydney, during these Covid times. Couldn't get home on national airline Qantas, but so course I can rely on Cathay. Limited passenger numbers gaining entry to Sydney but still you keep on flying Cathay. There probable was about 1 crew to 2-3 passengers. Can't be economically for you but such a great commitment to doing your best to meet traveller needs.

Again I flew with Cathay Pacific from Sydney to Amsterdam and back. I cannot fault this airline and it is a pleasure to fly this long journey with them. My airline of choice on this trip.

Bought a ticket no problem. Have always had great experiences with them, great service in person on flight. This time I just wanted to make a simple change to my flight time and boy has that caused a mountain of hassle. So much for their great service when they put you on hold on the phone for over half an hour so you never get an answer. So much for helping you when the information they tell you does not agree with the information you read from their own website. They have managed to make one simple change with them a nightmare to deal with, spending multiple days just trying to get an answer that makes sense. All because they want to squeeze as much money as they can out of you. Dont trust what they say about refunds and flight changes, it's all lies that you'll only discover after you want to change you flight details. Waste of time, they've gone from my top favourite airline to my worst now. Do not recommend.

First long haul. Staff were great, enjoyed the food and although apprehensive found the whole experience great.

I am so comfortable here. the crew is more nice to the passenger then most airlines. There is western style food in the airline combine with Chinese food. the Hong Kong airport is also very nice.

Thay cancelled flight i asked for refund given within 4 weeks first class even with covid 19 issues thay were brilliant

Originally had flights in Feb to Taiwan (connecting through HK) that were cancelled due to Covid19, however Cathay Pacific only refunded the ticket fare and not the seat selection fees ($204). For the first two months after this, their customer service line just rang and rang - understandable given the circumstances, but what's incredibly disappointing is that by the time I got a hold of someone in May, she resubmitted my request for the seat fees and told me within 10 business days it would be refunded. I waited two full weeks and called again, the next rep told me it was processed and to wait a little longer because they were backed up and it should be "coming soon". I waited another month and then the rep told me it was already issued in February (meanwhile I was only actually ever credited for the fare and am still missing $204), but there was "nothing more they could do". Here's an idea - reissue the credit for services not rendered. Or maybe double check your books since it seems I'm not alone on this issue based on recent reviews. My credit card won't dispute a charge after 60 days, so now I'm stuck. If it was processed in Feb, then why couldn't the first two agents I spoke to who lead me to believe it was yet to come, why couldn't they see that it was "already processed"? I think it's a lie to cover themselves, a desperate plea to keep some revenue if they skim off each reservation. Or maybe a flat out mistake. Either way, this airline has not honored their refund commitment as stated on their own website, nor have they provided any resolution to this ongoing issue. I do NOT recommend booking through Cathay and will actively avoid their flights on future trips. The amount may not seem like a big deal, but it's the principle of how you treat people before they even step onto your planes that disgusts me. My impression of Cathay Pacific is that they're disorganized, inefficient, and definitely not service oriented.

I flew business class on the 12.5 hour non-stop flight from Hong Kong (HKG) to Milan (MXP). The seat and food were very good, but the attentiveness of the cabin crew staff members was less than average.

bad experience when we flew out of san diego last january 2019; our flight got cancelled without our being notified and the airport agent gave us a terrible alternative flight under american airlines flying coach instead for premium economy. tried to call cathay pacific and they were closed on that sunday travel date. on our return trip from cebu, our flight was delayed resulting our missing the connecting flight in hongkong. we had to reclaim our luggage and checkin an alternative american airlines flight. i will never ride cathay pacific again

Due to COVID-19 our flight to Thailand (connecting through Hong Kong) were cancelled free of any cancellation fees. We have reached out to Cathay 5 times to request outstanding refund of both 200.00 fees (that were to be waived per ticket) and refund of advanced seat purchase. We continue to call customer service on March 26th, April 10, April 27, May 8th, and again today May 18th, 2020 only to hear, its being processed check back in 7 business days. Thus far, it is nearly two months (48 days). This airline does not honor their refund commitment nor have provided any resolution to this ongoing issue. I do NOT recommend booking through Cathay nor purchasing Trip Insurance as neither are honored due to a Pandemic. very disappointed in this carrier. If you will refund my purchase I will update my review.

My flight was cancelled due to Covid. The time taken to resolve this was impressive. 1. Received an email about the cancellation, giving me the instructions on what I can do. 2. I used the chatbot on their website. Logged in, joined the queue for around 15min, chatted with the agent for <5min, and they agreed to a full refund. 3. Refund made in less than 2 weeks. They're not a fantastic airline onboard. But I can safely say they are efficient, and it's reassuring to fly with them knowing that they know how to look after their customers when things go wrong.

From the horrific Business check-in, which should have been a breeze, to the very average and hard to find Business lounge, I was actually disgusted with the state of the Business class cabin. Filthy and neglected and, unbelievably, half way through the flight I noticed that there was NO soap in the bathroom. How can this be? Especially in Business class. No more Cathay pacific for me ....

Booked a flight to return to the UK on 25/3/20 for 28/3/20 from AKL to LHR via HKG. Found out the same day that HKG was closed to transits and cancelled the flight within a few hours. Cathay Pacific took NZD 12,000 and are refusing to return this to me. I have been offered a credit for future flights, which is worthless. Totally appalling customer service and actions bordering on theft. Finally got a return flight with Qatar airlines.

They confirmed no extra ticket charges due to the current crisis yet when you call and want to reschedule the flight they cancelled, they want to charge the double of original price. Customer service is rude and not trying to help you.

Cathay Pacific has long been lauded for its soft products. I do agree. Given that my flight was departing from HKG (i.e. the home port of CX), I could enjoy their top-notch services and products to the fullest extent, in particular their flagship First Class lounges. Let's start with the check-in bit: First Class passengers are given a "Courtesy Channel' voucher, issued by the Hong Kong Airport Authority, for fast-track security. It did save me some time. But as most frequent travellers may notice, there’s rarely a long queue for security in HKG, compared to LHR or JFK. The benefit is literally nothing but mere “courtesy”. The lounges One can quickly locate "The Wing” immediately after passport control. “The Wing” is one of two CX First Class lounges in HKG. It’s a lounge with much open area, illuminated by natural light. The lounge is heavily decorated with black and white marble, which create an ambience of modernity. The cabanas is the highlight of “The Wing". Each cabana comes with a large marble bath tube and a day bed. With no time limit for enjoyment, the waiting time in a busy day can be more than 2 hours. I didn't have enough time to wait for the cabanas. Instead, I took a quick shower in the "shower suite" at “The Pier”, the other CX First Class lounge in HKG. One caveat to everyone: although they call it a “suite", it's nothing more than a shower room… But anyway, one thing makes it stand out from a business class shower room: a janitor is always ready to press your shirt while you are having a shower. Normally it will take around 15 minutes. So by the time I finished my shower, my shirt was ready. Cathay also came up with a genius design: a "valet cupboard” is installed in each shower room. The cupboard has two doors: one can be opened from the inside of the room; the other one can be opened by the janitor from the outside. Once the janitor has done with the press, she will hang the garment in the cupboard. So one can collect it from the cupboard without opening the room door. Table dining service is an essential in any First Class lounge. “The Wing” is no exception. A la carte dining is available at the "Haven restaurant". They are efficient: meals are served within 15 minutes. They serve both Chinese and international cuisine. Dishes are not as fancy as what you may get in an Etihad flagship lounge, but they are tasty and served in delicate utensils with decent presentation. The portion is more like a starter rather than a main course. To me, that is good coz I can sample more dishes. A buffet with salads, cold plates, desserts and fruits is aldo available, both inside and outside the restaurant area. For those who in a hurry, they may grab a quick meal there. So what about “The Pier”? Well, “The Pier” has a modest but homey design, which resembles that of a spa/wellness facility. Just like “The Wing”, “The Pier” has a bar and a restaurant. I had a second meal and a message treatment there. Noteworthy is that the two lounges served different dished. I really can’t tell which restaurant is better, but the homey atmosphere of “The Pier” appeals to me more. Compared to the cabanas in “The Wing”, the massage treatment in “The Pier” requires a relatively short waiting time - an average of 1 hour. The treatment lasts 15 minutes. One may choose between foot massage and back massage. Foot massage is preferable, because for back massage, one has to sit on an ottoman stool, holding a cushion in the emergency “brace” position, which is apparently uncomfortable. They really should introduce a massage chair if not a lie-massage table for back massage. The flight CX First Class is nothing fancy but cozy. Don’t expect electric window shades or “suites” for “mile high club". Speaking of electronics, it’s just disappointing: there is only one USB port in each First Class seat. Worse still, one simply can’t reach it with his arms. And it doesn’t support fast charging, thanks to its low power output. The IFE system is just terrible. How come First Class seats are equipped with a touch screen display of lower resolution than that of Economy Class, not to mention its wobbly and unresponsive interface. Despite a facelift in 2013, such hardware still falls short of the expectation of any traveller in 2019. The only good news is that they provide decent matress and duvet. Yet, the streamline design of the cabin does deserve compliments. First Class seats on Lufthansa, ANA or Swiss are like rectangular cubicles. Frankly speaking, sleeping in such unaesthetic seats just makes anyone feel like he is sleeping in a coffin. What is also appreciated is the generous headroom in CX cabin. In absence of overhead lockers, the cabin is more spacious than usual. Of course, the 1-1-1 seat configuration also contributes to the roomy setting of the cabin (Don’t take the 1-1-1 configuration for granted! See BA First Class!!). One must not lose sight of the soft product before giving their verdict. CX's soft product is literally impeccable. Passengers in First Class are served by the most experienced flight attendants, who are attentive, courteous, and more importantly, flexible - e.g. the FA suggested serving me and my girlfriend breakfast in an empty seat, so that we could immediately return to our own seat for a nap afterwards without the hassle to make the beds again. The flight attendants were familiar with the menu, which includes a wine list with plenty of choices. I have no expertise in wine tasting, but I love champagne so badly. CX has been serving Krug Grande Cuvee on First Class for years, and they now began to serve vintages of various producers. This time they served me Cuvee Amour Deutz 2009. It’s good, but I expect more choices for champagne. Taking Singapore Airlines as example, they serve both Krug and Dom Perignon in First Class. CX First Class meals are scrumptious. Caviar and steak are the basics. I am also impressed by their Chinese soup and fishball noodles, which had the authentic Hong Kong flavour. I’ve got a lot more to say about the meals. So I’ll probably write another review for it.

Hong Kong to Vancouver. I am a million - miler business traveler and have flown practically all major airlines. One airline I had not flown with was Cathay Pacific. I decided to try them primarily because of schedule restrictions and demands. My checking in process was slow but it went OK. The problems began when I got situated in my seat. First I discover that my entertainment system didn't work. I called the flight attendant for assistance, but she acted as if I was bothering her and treated me as a complete nuisance that was imposing on her iphone chatting. The wonderful experience continued with an announcement from the captain who sounded half-asleep and completely disinterested in talking to the passengers and it continued with half-hearted cabin service, terrible food, cheap wine and crackling sound from the semi-operating entertainment system. I'll spare you the details of this great experience by advising you to fly a hot air balloon before you think about spending your hard earned money on this parody of airline.