Cathay Pacific heads to Manchester – new Avios routes to Asia

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• PGW says:

  11 Apr11 April 07:10

  Maybe it’s too soon but I haven’t been able to find a single redemption opportunity for this service on ba.com.

• James67 says:

  11 Apr11 April 07:24

  Qatar are reportedly going to go daily, and then double-daily out of EDI. Probably an attempt to counter Ethad who are also reportedly planinning flights from one, and possibly two, Scottish airports from next year. Just wish one of the far east carriers like CX would give EDI a go, even a one-stop service like SIN MAN route would be welcome. One of Thais most successfulroutes is Oslo so I’m sure Edinburgh could work for an Asian carrier too.

• Richie says:

  11 Apr11 April 07:49

  How does tax on a business seat with cathey from Manchester compare

  • Rob says:

    11 Apr11 April 08:04

    We need to see when the flights are loaded. Unlikely to be much better than Heathrow – if you want to save big, price up Amsterdam, Paris etc departures where you will be avoiding Air Passenger Duty.

    • richie says:

      11 Apr11 April 09:11

      To be honest i prefer upgrades to outright redemptions. i like the fact you still get the tp and avios.

  • Adam W says:

    11 Apr11 April 08:45

    Given that tax is determined by distance between capital cities of the origin and destination countries, there will be no difference in tax between CX flights (or any other airline for that matter!) to/from LHR/MAN and HKG.

    • richie says:

      11 Apr11 April 09:13

      there is a difference. if you price up cathey pacific flight on redemption out of LHR it is cheaper than the same flight with BA. coming back there is an even bigger difference.
      when i say tax i mean total charges on top of the miles . so fuel surcharge is probably the thing that puts tyhe price up on a ba flight

      • Adam W says:

        11 Apr11 April 16:21

        Sorry – when you said ‘tax’ I thought you actually meant ‘tax’.

        • John says:

          12 Apr12 April 19:36

          There are publicly and privately collected taxes…

    • James67 says:

      11 Apr11 April 09:15

      I think he means the other fees not the taxes themselves. For these CX is generally the cheapest of one world psrtners heading east if you ignore Air Berlins AUH routes.

• Czechoslovakia says:

  11 Apr11 April 09:59

  Good news Indeed. Might actually get to make a proper use of my Marco Polo Gold card.

• Paul says:

  11 Apr11 April 11:23

  Great news, especially after the experience in First on the BA A380 flight I have just had to Hong Kong. BA service on board was awful, truly 2nd division. I connected to CX in J at HKG but was able to enjoy their First lounge….outstanding on every level before my flight. I enjoyed their business class which in my view has as much usable personal space as BA First on the A380. It is simply light years ahead of Club world with it narrow high density seating crewed by charmless ill trained crew who see passengers as an inconvenience.
  Whilst the seat is a fabulous product it was the service; being called by name at every single interaction, the choice of superb food and getting my first choice, something that I again faled to receive not once but 3 times on BA in first on the same flight!
  So bring on the competition. It is the only way anything will improve for passengers on BA which is my view is heading towards being Bloody Awful as it was pre privatisation.

  • Percy Pig says:

    11 Apr11 April 12:05

    I have a French name (French grandfather) but the limits of my knowledge of the language is GSCE from 15 years ago. On a recent Cathay business redemption as the cabin crew looked through the manifest and noticed my name she came over, evidently delighted, to be able to use her French with me. Being English (and therefore valuing politeness above everything else) I failed to point out that actually I didn’t speak the language and just replied in my GCSE French (she had only asked how I was). From then on she continued to serve me for the entire flight in French and by that point it was too late to say anything. Meanwhile my wife was just laughing at me throughout. It was very silly. Great service though (even in French 🙂

    • Jenni says:

      11 Apr11 April 22:14

      OT, but I have a foreign last name, not Italian though! I recently phoned up to book a table in a local (Liverpool) Italian restaurant, and upon spelling my surname the woman on the phone shrieked in delight ‘you’re Italian!’ and went on to a tirade of Italian, I sheepishly had to say that I am not Italian and don’t actually speak any of the language so could she please repeat in English please. I’m actually considering not turning up for the reservation in case she’s there at the time…

  • CV says:

    11 Apr11 April 13:26

    Agree with comments, did a 4 hr flight on CX in Business and it was a pleasure. All the staff called me by name, my CX Gold status was acknowledged and they hoped I enjoyed ‘another pleasurable flight’ (it was actually my first time). Cant comment on BA, but Emirates could certainly learn a lot from the CS personal approach.

    Also the lounges at HKG were very good, including the food in the First class restaurant – cooked to order and apparently prepared by staff from the Peninsula hotel (access to First was due to a separate oneworld flight in First).

• Heather says:

  11 Apr11 April 16:35

  Fantastic news.

  If any airlines are reading this blog, Leeds and Bradford is a fantastic airport. Excellent transport links and a very large catchment of potential passengers.

  • sandgrounder says:

    11 Apr11 April 17:30

    Good one- I just choked on my Hilton peanuts! 🙂

  • TrollBasher says:

    12 Apr12 April 14:51

    Excellent links..? I feel like a song coming on… High on a hill sits a lonely airport… cramped facilities, short runway, fogged out or windswept more often than any other 2nd tier commercial airport in the UK. I’d rather endure the M62 than take a risk with LBA.

    Large catchment of potential passengers? That will be why Pakistan is leaving in May.. Hmmm.

    Sandgrounder, pass the peanuts 😉

    • Sandgrounder says:

      12 Apr12 April 18:28

      Well, I have hidden the rest of last night’s jar in a drawer, so hopefully I’ll get another one tonight! 🙂

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