Letters to the Editor

Passengers are getting a brand
new home away from home with
the opening of The Bridge, the
Group’s sixth lounge at Hong
Kong International Airport, in late
October.
The Bridge was built to meet the
need for more lounge capacity in
Hong Kong as the airline continues to grow, according to General
Manager Product, Toby Smith.
“And because we have now
have six different lounges in our
Hong Kong hub – compared to
other airlines that may just have
one or two big lounges – we are
able to offer our passengers more
choice. Choice not only in terms of
location, so that they can always
have a lounge close to their departure gate, but also in terms of
style and environment,” says Toby.
The result is a 2,567 square metre space designed by Foster +
Partners, the architectural powerhouse behind flagship lounge The
Wing.
“While The Wing is very expansive with open ceilings, and The
Cabin has a more vibrant, youthful feel, we wanted The Bridge to
be more residential, with a warmer
atmosphere,” says Toby.
This is evident in the choice of
materials. Floors are lined with
wood and plush carpets, while
walls are decked with warm
bronzes and coppers. The furnishings are what people might expect
to find in a home, such as comfortable sofas and armchairs, display
cabinets and table lamps.
The lounge’s signature feature is
The Bakery, where specialist chefs
bake bread, pizzas and pastries
on the spot. “This will likely be
a very popular feature with our
guests, especially with the smell of
fresh bread permeating the area,”
says Toby.
Toby’s personal favourite spot
is The Long Bar. “Behind the bar,
there’s a fantastic view of the
apron, with the view of aircraft taking off against the backdrop of the
hills of Hong Kong,” says Toby.
“At sunset the area is flooded with
golden light – a perfect spot for
an early evening drink before a
flight.”
Other features include The Coffee Loft, a self-service dining area
called The Bistro, an IT zone and
nine shower suites.
“Initial feedback from passengers has been very positive, and
I would like to thank everybody
involved for enabling us to meet
the very challenging time frame,”
says Toby.
The Product team now targets
to renovate The Pier near gate 62
to 66 starting the third quarter of
2014. First and Business Class
renovations are expected to be
completed by the second quarter
of 2015 and 2016, respectively.
A simple swipe of an iPhone or iPod touch is now all it takes to get to your flight.
On 7 November, CX and Dragonair made the Mobile Boarding Pass service
available through Passbook on iOS, enabling passengers to scan their device
without having to use any other mobile app.
After checking in online or through the mobile site or app, passengers simply
click on the “Add to Passbook” button to store their Mobile Boarding Pass.
Integration with the location and time-aware functions of iOS devices means
customers will see their boarding passes pop up on the mobile device’s “lock”
screen when they get close to the originating airport and time of departure.
“Mobile will be one of the most important channels for us in 2014,” says Manager
Digital Retail Cathy Hornby (left). “Having migrated our infrastructure to a new
platform, we’re able to start innovating and improving the customer experience.
“Passbook is one of the first ways we’re adding new elements to the experience.
Many customers are migrating from paper-based tickets to digital boarding passes
and we want to ensure their experience is straightforward and user-friendly.”
The development of the Passbook function for CX and KA was the result of a
close collaboration between the e-Business team, Information’s Management’s
Innovation Centre and ITM back-end staff.
Sing Jet Kerosene
ICE Brent
Take a guided tour
with Toby now!
CONNECTIVITY COUNTS: The project team from ECX/IMT is working hard on
improving the customer experience on mobile.
The long-awaited cargo peak finally kicked
in at the end of October – about three weeks
later than expected and still not as strong as
forecast.
CX began ramping up its freighter schedule – particularly on transpacific routes – as
products started move in greater numbers
out of the key manufacturing centres in Asia.
In the week ending 2 November, the airline
operated 35 freighters to North America – up
from 29 a month earlier – and that number
was expected to climb to 39 in subsequent
weeks.
Freighter capacity to Europe has remained
at a steadier level – 10-12 per week – which
is a long way behind the 20-plus freighters
operated each week during the 2010 peak.
“It’s been encouraging to see some pickup in demand, and we expect it to carry
through to the second week of December,”
says Mark Sutch, General Manager Cargo
Sales & Marketing.
“However, while we have certainly moved
into a year-end peak, it is a softer peak than
in recent years and the overall air cargo market still remains highly challenging – weak
demand and overcapacity continue to affect
the entire airfreight industry.”
IT products ranging from new iPads to the
Microsoft Xbox have been the main driver of
the recent increase in demand, with a boost
in exports out of manufacturing centres such
as Western China and Hanoi in Vietnam.
Charters and extra sectors to the US, Eu-
rope, India and Australia have been mounted to cope with the rush.
Business is getting a boost from the annual shipment of Beaujolais in mid-November
with 1,600 tonnes of the wine being carried
this year, most of it bound for Japan.
Four freighters will be diverted from New
York to help carry the wine, travelling eastwards to France and then on to Hong Kong.
A further surge is expected later in the
month as Christmas mail begins to move,
particularly from the UK to Australia.
Mark says that CX will be helped by the
strength of its networks for both freighters
and passenger aircraft bellies.
“The recent addition of Guadalajara to our
transpacific network is already looking encouraging, opening up a new market out of
Mexico,” says Mark.
“Together with Miami, which acts as a hub
for freight into and out of Latin America, we
now have a much stronger presence in this
growing region.”
Mark says that CX will continue to “chase
the cargo” while the overall market remains
soft and is actively looking into adding more
destinations in the Americas, Southeast Asia
and South Asia.
The four-times-weekly service to the
Maldives successfully got off the ground
with the first flight, CX601, welcomed
with water cannons at the airport in Malé
on 27 October (pictured left).
All arriving passengers were treated
to a Bodu Beru dance performance and
served traditional kurumba (coconut
water). Passengers were also given
souvenirs and certificates.
VIPs present included Minister of
Tourism Maldives Ahmed Adeeb,
Ambassador of the People’s Republic
of China Yu Hongyao and CX GM
South Asia, Middle East & Africa Charlie
Stewart-Cox.
We are getting close to the end of
what has been quite a challenging
– but at the same time productive –
year.
The economic turnaround that we
were all hoping for has yet to fully
arrive though things on the business
side have at least remained stable.
The anticipated cargo peak has
finally materialised – though it’s a
softer peak than what we’d hoped
for. Our weekly cargo revenues
remain some 25% lower than
they were three years ago. Our
passenger business, meanwhile, has
been a positive for much of the 2013.
While the traditional autumn business
travel peak has not quite hit the
highs we expected, revenue growth
continues to outpace capacity
growth, and that is a good thing.
Astute revenue management has
played a big part in keeping our
passenger business buoyant, as
has the addition of new destinations
throughout the year. Most of the new
routes added by Dragonair have
been performing well and last month
saw two routes launch on the same
day – Malé for CX and Siem Reap
for KA. Initial indications are that
both these routes will make a good
contribution to the business.
Another important development on
the passenger side in 2013 has been
the rapid rollout of Premium Economy
Class, which will be available on all
85 of our long/medium-haul aircraft
by the year end. The take-up for PEY
has met expectations, with more and
more passengers finding value in
taking the incremental step up in the
travel experience. Loads for Premium
Economy have been hitting 90%
on routes such as Frankfurt, which
shows that if the product is good,
passengers are willing to pay. This
has had a positive effect in terms of
boosting passenger yield in the back
end of the aircraft.
The next step for PEY is the
regional rollout, which began in
earnest at the end of October.
Having now reached a critical mass
in terms of aircraft with the product
flying around the region, it makes
good sense for us to tap into this new
business segment. The initial take-up
has been on the slow side but efforts
are being made to promote upselling
as the benefits of a more spacious
seat and cabin become clear even to
passengers flying short-haul.
John Slosar
3
Last month’s article talked
about how PSS Phase 2
will transform the business
through business process
re-engineering (BPR).
With BPR nearing
completion, the next step for
PSS Phase 2 is to analyse
what the impact of the new
processes will be for staff and
the business.
When managing a change
of the size and magnitude of
PSS Phase 2, it is important
to use effective change
management processes,
tools and techniques in order
to achieve a successful
outcome for the business.
One of the most important
ways these changes will be
managed is through the role
of the PSS Phase 2 Business
Change Leader (BCL), who
will be responsible for leading
the change in their respective
business unit.
Right now, all of the
different types of change
impacts are being analysed
by a team of change analysts
in PSS Phase 2 who work
closely with the BCLs and
their teams to develop
change plans for each
impacted business unit.
Ports will also have change
plans to help implement
new changes at a port level,
and will be managed by the
Airport Services Manager.
Eventually, each impacted
business unit and port will
have their own change plan
to help them implement
their changes smoothly with
support from the PSS Phase
2 team.
This is an important tool
for managing all the changes
associated with introducing
new processes that will then
need to be communicated to
staff at the right time.
See the PSS site on
IntraCX for information
on your Business Change
Leader.
Tuesday has become a red letter
day for cost-savvy CX and KA fans
ever since the launch of “fanfares”
in October last year.
“fanfares” once again became
the talk of the town when the two
airlines rolled out “Birthday Bonaza” offers in late October to celebrate the promotional platform’s
first anniversary.
These include a “FanVan” that
tours the city to give away 200 free
tickets over four weeks, as well as
Asia Miles and hotel giveaways.
For fans of the airline, the best
surprise came last – “fanfares”
tickets were priced at merely
HK$50 across the board!
Over the past year, the “fanfares” website has attracted over
nine million site visits, with more
than 140,000 sectors sold. A total
of 71 destinations in 25 countries
across the CX and KA networks
have been covered by “fanfares”.
These impressive figures show
how “fanfares” is a win-win initiative for both customers and the
company, according to Manager
Digital Retail Cathy Hornby, who
looks after the project.
“It is very encouraging to see
that ‘fanfares’ has been selling
very well. Many travellers consider
it as the first port of call when they
are looking for travel packages of
great value,” says Cathy.
The success of “fanfares” is reliant on the cooperation of many
departments at CX, including
Hong Kong Office (HKO), Revenue Management Operations
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(RMO), Marketing and Corporate
Communication (CCD).
HKO plays a key role in presenting week after week of bargains
for customers while ensuring that
fares are competitive in the market.
“HKO works closely with the
RMO team to identify the destinations and patterns that suit the
needs of different travellers,” says
Alan Lui, Manager, Passenger
Sales Hong Kong.
“Sectors to regional hotspots
such as Japan, Korea and Thailand are always sold out in the
blink of an eye. Long-haul offers
tend to be booked up quickly too,”
says Alan. “Some niche markets,
such as Phnom Penh, are also
gaining popularity.”
Meanwhile, Marketing staff are
busy drumming up excitement
about what “fanfares” has to offer.
“The ‘fanfares’ core team came
up with the ‘FanVan’ idea so that
locals from different corners of
Hong Kong can participate in
our celebrations,” says Grace
Cheung, Manager, Marketing
Communications.
“The game’s simple but the
prize is big,” she says. “To win free
tickets, all pedestrians need to do
is to keep an eye out for the van,
flag it down by striking a unique
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throughout, attracting crowds of
hundreds ever since it took to the
streets.
It is also a hit on social media,
with videos and Facebook posts
attracting more than 528,000
views.
The van has made rounds in
Kowloon Tong, Causeway Bay,
West Kowloon and Shatin, among
other locations.
pose, and answer an easy question correctly.”
Meanwhile the CCD team held
a media kick-off event and other
press gatherings to spread the
word
Since the kick-off, the celebration has attracted more than 40 articles in newspapers, magazines
and online platforms.
“FanVan” was a success
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Award have been received left, right and centre in recent months. Here’s a roundup of Cathay Pacific’s latest wins:
In October, CX took
the “My favourite
aircraft seat design
(First Class)”, My
favourite inflight
entertainment” and
“My favourite service
team in the skies”
accolades at the U
Magazine Travel
Awards.
CX was named “Inflight
Retailer of the Year” at the
2013 Frontier Awards in
October for demonstrating
product innovation, effective
marketing and professional
service.
CX took the “Award for 10,000
Hours of Volunteer Service” from
the Social Welfare Department’s
Volunteer Movement for recording
more than 12,000 hours of
volunteering in 2012.
CX took the “iCMG Architecture
Excellence Awards” for defining
the right processes and
governance mechanisms in IT
architecture.
The “Always Game” HK Sevens
campaign won a “Special Citation
for Outstanding TV Campaign”
at the HKMA/TVB Awards for
Marketing Excellence in October.
Penang switches to KA
The careers section of the official Cathay Pacific website is now sporting a
fresh new look.
The new website serves as an integrated platform for the recruitment
campaigns of pilots, cabin crew and
ground staff.
“We have a clear employer brand
direction across different job groups in
the revamped website,” People Development Manager Jesse Lui says.
Insightful details about office jobs
on the ground are a key feature of the
new site.
“We’re one of the top brands for pilots and cabin crew, but in other fields
such as IT or finance, an airline may
not be the first thing that pops up in the
mind of jobseekers,” says Jesse.
The new website is designed to
make it easier for CX to find the right fit
for less well-known ground positions.
The revamp was also driven by the
need to attract the younger generation
that CX targets to hire.
“Our careers website has been the
top channel for Hong Kong job seekers to seek CX career information
and to make job applications, and the
younger generation is a lot more tech
savvy,” says Jesse.
To engage younger audiences, the
new site features videos and testimonials from colleagues across the whole
The Penang route will switch
from CX to Dragonair with effect
from the 2014 summer schedule. The change is being made
for commercial reasons.
From 30 March, KA will take
over the flights to and from PEN
using an A330-300 aircraft.
The schedule will include the
daily KA692 morning departure
from Hong Kong, returning as
KA692 the following day, and the
three-times-weekly KA633/634
turnaround flight.
range of the airline’s operations, from
Marketing to Engineering.
“We have produced one-minute videos of some 30 staff scouted by Personnel or nominated by department
heads, plus longer video features that
explainour employer brand and diverse job opportunities in more detail,”
Jesse says.
The videos were shot without scripts
to authentically capture the perspectives of CX staff.
The new site also connects to a
number of micro-sites that focus on a
younger audience and entry-level positions, such as cadet pilots, management trainees, flight
attendants,
customer service
officers and interns.
All videos are
concurrently
available on CX’s
official YouTube
channel to maximise exposure.
“We hope the
new
website
will give job-seekers a clearer picture of what our airline
is all about and some of the exciting
careers we offer, ultimately attracting
more people to work with us,” Jesse
says.
Bruce Lee tribute
CX pays tribute to kung fu
legend Bruce Lee in November,
marking the 40th anniversary of
his passing.
The airline is celebrating
Lee’s achievements with an
inflight selection of his iconic
works including films such as
The Big Boss, The Way of the
Dragon and Fist of Fury, the TV
series that made him famous,
The Green Hornet, and two
documentaries.
Read stories on how Lee
achieved global stardom in Discovery magazine and visit the
website www.cathaypacific.com/
discovery for more in-depth and
exclusive features.
Bright Ideas campaign
Cathay Pacific is launching an exciting new IT trainee programme
for university graduates to build
up the local talent bank.
The programme, scheduled to
start in September 2014, will see
10 trainees rotating through a
range of IT disciplines as well as
spending time with business units.
They will also be mentored oneon-one and supported to develop
their technical skills.
After graduating from the programme, successful trainees will
be well placed to work their way
up the career ladder depending
on their performance and the opportunities available.
“We are launching the IT trainee
programme to build for the future.
People are our most important asset, so it’s important that we build
up our own talent pool through
on-the-job training,” says Director
Information Technology Joe Locandro (right).
“We have also observed a general shortage of IT talent in Hong
Kong, with university enrolment
in IT diminishing over the past
few years in favour of finance and
banking,” Joe says. “As one of the
home brands of Hong Kong, it’s
part of our responsibility to develop the local IT industry by expanding the number of jobs available
for graduates.”
Programme content will be devised to attract candidates of the
highest calibre.
“There will be breadth and
depth to the challenges that trainees face, because we’re a large
and complex industry,” says Joe.
“We support everything from on
the ground to in the air, from catering to cockpit communications, so
there’s a lot of scope and technology involved.”
Trainees will have the chance
to work on all the technologies
changing the face of IT in the aviation industry today, such as cloud
computing, mobile apps, RFID tag
technology and web-based activities. They’ll also learn about good
practices and project management.
Feedback so far has been positive, with hundreds of students
indicating interest at career fairs
and talks held at local universities.
Online applications began on
1 November and will close on 12
January 2014. Interviews will commence in February and March of
next year.
Applicants have to possess
right of abode in Hong Kong and
hold a Bachelor’s degree in IT, Engineering or related disciplines.
Visit www.jobsatcathaypacific.
com/itgraduates now!
CX has begun trialling an
exciting new idea suggestion
tool, Spark, as a means to drive
innovation within the company.
This crowd-sourcing platform
allows users to gather in an
online community, from where
they can see challenges, submit
ideas, comment on other people’s ideas, “like” suggestions,
and provide feedback to the
community.
The Spark platform is being
opened up to a companywide
challenge this month, with ECX
calling for innovative ideas for
the Mobile Aptitude Challenge.
iPad Minis and other prizes
will be on offer – see Daily News
for details.
Asia Miles relocated
CNAC House, adjacent to Dragonair House, is the new home
for Asia Miles Limited.
The whole team relocated on
28 October and the move was
celebrated with a pig-cutting ceremony on 6 November attended
by senior management.
The new AML address is 1/F
CNAC House.
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Letters to the Editor
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The crew of CX162
came to the rescue
when a passenger lost
her engagement ring
inflight.
A passenger was en route to
Sydney from Hong Kong on 29
August when she accidentally
dropped her engagement ring.
“I was anxious and stressed
throughout the flight, thinking
that I wouldn’t find it,” the
passenger says. “But the
amazing crew didn’t give up!
They started crawling on the
floor searching for the ring after
other passengers had left.”
When they came up empty
handed, the determined team
called an engineer to dismantle
the seats, where they ultimately
located the passenger’s ring.
“The relief I felt was
indescribable. I can’t thank these
people enough!” the passenger
says. “It reminds me of why we
have been loyal to CX for the
past six years.”
The couple later took to
Facebook to express their
gratitude.
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On 25 August, a passenger with
a young child travelled from
Osaka to Hong Kong, only to
find that the child had left his
backpack at the airport.
Prior to boarding, the
passenger beseeched CX airport
staff to keep an eye out for the
bag, which was found before the
plane landed in Hong Kong. The
Osaka team quickly arranged to
send it over on the next flight.
The HKIA Baggage Services
team couldn’t locate the
passengers at the airport but
finally were able to relay the
good news by phone. The
passenger returned the next day
to retrieve the backpack.
The child showed his delight
by giving the team – David Tang,
Jeffrey Tang, Kenneth Kam,
Henry Wai and Tony Tong – a
sweet thank you letter and a
smiley face brooch.
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The efforts of the
Baggage Services
team impressed a
young passenger.
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6
Short-changed?
Some of our fleet still feature the “vintage”
Business Class seats, with manual recline
and leg rest, as well as non-AVOD inflight
entertainment. As cabin crew who operate in these cabins, I often listen to passengers complaining about these seats.
Some of them feel that they are shortchanged having to sit in these seats instead of the newer ones. One incident on
my flight was having the seat back drop
twice on a Marco Polo Gold passenger’s
knees when the person in front was trying
to recline his seat.
When will these seats be changed, if
ever? We have encountered five changes
(two regional and three long-hauls) and
these seats are still around. Also, is there
a difference in price when passengers fly
with these old seats?
Lastly, is it possible to notify the passengers in advance what kind of seat
they’re getting so they won’t be surprised
when they get on board?
ISD staff
Manager Product – Premium Cabins &
Ground Rachel Khong, replies: Thanks
for your feedback. The new Regional
Business seats are being progressively
retrofitted across the fleet and we expect
this to be completed by the end of 2014.
The new seat offers an extensive recline,
extended legrest and innovative cradle
motion. The seat pitch has been increased
from 45 to 47 inches, and each seat is encased in a fixed shell ensuring that passengers’ living space is not encroached
upon by the passenger in front. The seat
features independent electronic controls
for recline and the legrest.
As for price, our fares are market driven. Finally, notifying passengers about the
type of seats they’re getting will be challenging, given inherent changes to aircraft
rotation and deployment plans.
The winner of the CX World Star Letter wins a pair of decidedly quirky Quarkie earphones from the UK.
Quarkie earphones were created by a British and Asian design team of music lovers, marrying
striking sound with eye-catching designs.
This month’s winner wins a pair of Viper Head earphones featuring British studio-monitor sound
quality.
Find Quarkie at Sogo, HMV, CD Warehouse and other outlets in Hong Kong.
What a
waste
Can the Environmental Services
team do something to promote a
better commitment to recycling
at Cathay City?
Even though we have recycling bins on The Street and in
lift lobbies and pantries, I’ve noticed that most staff continue to
dump paper, cans and plastics
in the nearest waste bin. This
means that all those materials
that could be recycled instead
end up in Hong Kong’s landfills,
which are already close to full.
Hong Kong is way behind
many other Asian countries in
terms of its recycling efforts. CX
staff can do more to help, but it
would seem that a bit more education is needed.
Hong Kong ground staff
Evelyn Chan, Environmental
Projects Manager, says: Thank
you for writing in on this issue.
Indeed, we have also noticed
stray cans and plastic bottles
in the general waste bins that
could be better treated in the recycling bins for these materials.
Since the time when we
moved into CX City in 1998, we
have been tackling the issue
of waste in a number of ways.
From the get-go, the Property
Services Department has been
working closely with the Environment Team on an appropriate recycling strategy, designing and installing CX’s office
recycling bins. As soon as glass
recycling became available in
HK, this was promptly added
to our recycling scheme both
inflight and in our offices in
2012/2013.
Although the bins are currently labelled with photo examples
of what types of plastic, metals
or paper can be recycled, we
agree there is room for more
clarification and awarenessraising amongst staff. We are
actively looking into different
ways of achieving this. Watch
this space!
Hey operator
Why can’t CX have an operator
-manned
telephone
directory
service that can assist people who
are calling? It is really annoying
and troublesome that both staff
and visitors alike are unable to
pin down the phone numbers of
certain individuals or departments.
Surely we can have staff who are
on modified ground duty due
to sickness/injuries perform this
function so there is no additional
cost to the company.
Hong Kong ground staff
Simon Sing, Assistant Manager –
Facility Services, replies: Thanks for
your suggestion. Visitors to Cathay
City should be prepared to know
the name and direct phone number
of the CX staff they are visiting.
CX City is not a public place
for touring unless visitors have
made appropriate appointments.
All our staff direct lines are not
supposed to be revealed unless
the staff disseminates this directly
beforehand. The CX corporate directory is
r
available on IntraCX to allow staff
to search for up-to-date contact
information of their colleagues. An
Interactive Voice Response System
is also available on 2747-5000 to
direct calls of customer to various
service functions at CX.
Lights off
The lights on the morning Kwoon
Chung buses are always on and
I think it is a waste of fuel and
energy. It also creates unnecessary
heat and makes the air conditioner
less effective. Are there regulations
which mandate the lights to be
on? If not, can we consider turning
them off?
Hong Kong ground staff
Johnnie Lau, Transport Services
Superintendent, says: Thanks for
bringing this to our attention. There
are no regulations that involve
turning on the lights of Kwoon
Chung buses in the mornings.
The fact that the lights are on
is most likely an oversight on the
driver’s part – they may not be
aware that the lights are on, or
have simply forgotten to turn them
off after working the night shift.
When this happens, staff are
more than welcome to remind the
driver to switch them off to avoid
energy wastage.
Don’t fix it!
A quick comment on the First Class
bathroom upgrade on the 777 fleet.
Who came up with this design? The
cheap, fake wood-grain trim looks
very out of place and extremely
dated. The old product was neat,
clean and very stylish in my opinion. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
FOP staff
The latest addition to the Dragonair fleet, a
brand new A330-300, took off from Toulouse
on its inaugural flight to Hong Kong on 26 October.
B-HWM is Dragonair’s 20th A330, bringing
the total Group fleet to 41.
KA has been a pure Airbus carrier since
1993, when the airline acquired its first A320
aircraft.
The new A330 comes with a two-class
configuration with the latest Business and
Economy class seats. StudioKA, the airline’s
brand-new inflight entertainment system, is
also fitted in all seats.
“We are very glad to welcome the new A330
to our fleet. This combination of new aircraft,
new products, and an increasingly strong net-
work will bring us ever closer to one of our key
visions – to be the world’s best regional airline
serving China and beyond,” said KA CEO Patrick Yeung during the delivery trip.
Also joining the trip were a handful of 2013
Betsy Award winners, outstanding KA staff, as
well as winners of the CX Engineering Awards.
The party toured Airbus’ impressive final
assembly line and dropped by some popular
tourist attractions.
The delivery went according to plan and
the new aircraft landed at HKIA on the morning of 27 October.
“I would like to thank our delivery team for
their hard work in bringing the new aircraft into
the fleet, and congratulate our award winners
for their fantastic dedication,” Patrick said.
Dragonair Second Officer Jeff Yu is good at
working out optimum distances – not only
when he’s doing a flight plan, but also during
javelin throwing.
“Following my father’s footsteps, I threw
my first javelin when I was 15 years old,”
says Jeff. “The sport is all about pursuing
perfection. In order for the javelin to go great
distances, the athlete has to run at maximum
speed with his javelin aimed at the right
angle.”
Jeff was a star on the field and became
a representative of the Hong Kong team
in 2006. In the same year, he achieved a
distance of 57.25 metres – a Hong Kong
record for six years.
Over the years, Jeff participated in a
number of competitions, including the
Macau 2007 Asian Indoor Athletics Invitation
Tournament and the Asia Junior Athletics
Championship.
“However, I consider myself a beginner
compared to athletes from other countries,”
Jeff says, humbly.
Jeff joined KA this year, manoeuvring
aircraft full time. He still feels closely
connected to javelin throwing, because
the profession shares similarities with his
favourite sport.
“Flying an aircraft is about managing four
forces acting on the aircraft simultaneously
– lift, weight, drag and thrust,” Jeff says. “In
fact, similar mechanics applies to javelin
throwing.
“For a successful throw, you have to build
up enough momentum in the javelin with a
run-up and release it at a high speed with
the right ‘angle of attack’. The angle of attack
is actually a key concept in aerodynamics,
referring to a certain angle the aircraft should
point to for maximising lift,” the athlete says.
Manager Product – Premium Cabins & Ground Rachel Khong, replies: Thanks for your comments. In
conjunction with the First Class refresh we have improved the design
of the lavatories to address known
functional issues.
The lavatories were also given a
new look to complement the material palette adopted for the refreshed
First Class suites. The wood grain
trim being referred to is the same as
that adopted for the in-suite tables to
inject a touch of warmth.
7
Since its 2011
launch, the Cathay
Pacific Charitable
Fund has benefited
36 causes in more
than 11 countries
worldwide.
The
Charitable
Fund
encourages
staff to take part in
projects hosted by
a charity, or initiate
their own charitable
project. Each project is
entitled to a maximum
funding of HK$50,000.
It was established with
a percentage of the CX
Group’s profits – close
to HK$1 million per year
– that went to the Swire
Group Charitable Trust in
the past. The Swire Board
of Directors for Cathay
Pacific decided to withhold
that annual contribution to
so that CX could set up its
own philanthropy act.
“The charitable fund was
set up to encourage staff
across the CX Group to
independently and actively
participate
in
charitable
projects, and I’m glad to
observe that it has gained
momentum over the years
in different parts of the
world,” says GM Corporate
Communication Cecilia Leung,
also the Convenor of the CCF
Vetting Committee.
“With the company’s funding,
staff are able to contribute to
causes close to their heart, from
starting up a food bank in Hong
Kong to reforestation projects in
the Philippines,” Cecilia says.
“We encourage staff to help
those in need and give back to
the society. We look forward to
receiving more entries from CX and
our subsidiaries.”
Here’s a look at how staff have
made a difference around the world
using CCF funding.
Marketing’s Rozana Lee used CCF
funding to contribute to Habitat
for Humanity’s general fund. In
August 2013, she took part in the
charity’s Mekong Big Build in the
impoverished Tien Giang province
in Vietnam.
The Mekong Big Build attracted
250 volunteers globally, and
successfully put together 25 new
houses for families in need.
She used the CX Charitable
Fund to fund programme
coordination and cover construction
costs for materials, security, local
engineers and technicians.
For the volunteers, the hard work
was real – they had to transport
materials, mix mortar, lay bricks,
bend steel, level floors, pour
cement and create roof beams.
“I worked on a house for a single mum who lives with her son.
The family shared a home that has raw soil, untreated wooden
columns and a leaky thatched roof. There was no sanitation facility
– the two used a fishpond toilet,” Rozana recalls.
The work was tough, but Rozana found it immensely rewarding.
“It think it’s great that the company is encouraging and supporting
our choice of charity,” she says.
“Going to Vietnam to build houses for the poor has been such
a fruitful experience, and I encourage other colleagues to give the
fund a go.”
Cargo’s Clifford Kwok (above, far right) used a HK$10,000 donation from
the CCF to fund activities held by Feeding Hong Kong, a locally registered
charity.
Founded in 2009, Feeding Hong Kong is the only food bank in the city
that redistributes surplus food to the needy.
The money was used to support “Bread Run”, a campaign that collects
unsold fresh bread from bakeries. Clifford personally took part in the
“Bread Run” by collecting bread and buns around Hong Kong, and
sorting out items that can be redistributed at a warehouse afterwards.
The Cargo Sales Development Manager has been actively involved
in Feeding Hong Kong from the get-go, taking advantage of his CX
connections to provide financial support and food donations to the
charity, such as organising food drives at CX City.
The charity also raises public awareness on poverty and promotes
healthy meals to less-advantaged communities.
Another campaign is “Breakfast Club”, which provides nutritious
morning meals to underpriviledged schoolchildren.
Feeding Hong Kong currently distributes more than 16,000 meals
to 4,000 people each month.
Visit www.feedinghk.org to find out how you can help!
With CX sponsorship, ISD’s
Angelica Malig was able to
contribute to a sustainable
forestry project in Agusan in
the Philippines.
CX funding made it
possible to construct a 700
metre pathway through a
near natural forest to access
an area where disabled people planted local tree species.
The Inflight Service Manager used her CX funding to cover the
costs of construction materials, labour and tools.
In March 2013, Angelica took part in backbreaking work that
included levelling the path and installing drainage systems for
erosion control.
“The project educates locals about sustainable forest
management in order to produce quality lumber in an intact
forest,” says Angelica. “Responsible planting improves the
habitat for local flora and fauna.”
“This activity also provides income for workers with disabilities,
who have to maintain the young trees,” she says.
Going forward, local charities are cooperating with local
schools to organise visits to the project site to cut grass and
monitor the growth of the newly planted trees.
A local cooperative is also setting up stations that educate the
public about the area’s ecological value.
“The project made an enormous impact on the community, so
thanks CX for their generosity!” says Angelica.
CX Cebu’s Connie Cimafranca (below,
second from left) applied to the CX
Charitable Fund to build a new library
for some 700 students at an elementary
school in the Philippines.
The HK$20,000 that she received
from CX served as the start-up costs of
the library of Po-o Elementary School.
Construction started in October and is
expected to wrap up in December.
“The new library will be equipped
with books in the first phase, while
computer units with Internet access and
recreational facilities will be ready for
use in 2014,” Connie says.
Po-o Elementary School, located on
Olango Island, has been the beneficiary
of CX Cebu’s philanthropic efforts since
2011. The team has painted classrooms,
refurbished roofs, donated school
supplies and a used office copier to the
school.
They also hosted a children’s party
and gave the students art lessons.
Sarah Jane Sagarino, a Grade 5
student of Po-o, says she and her
classmates will treasure the library.
“We can’t wait to see the new complex
where we can learn more, surf the
Internet and do exercises,” she says.
Other students from the island will
also be allowed to use the library.
CX volunteers rolled up their sleeves to
clean Tong Fuk Rocky Beach in the morning of 2 November.
Close to a 100 CX staff, family and
friends took part in the International
Coastal Cleanup initiative to remove the
trash and debris from the Lantau Island
shoreline.
Director Corporate Affairs Chitty
Cheung, Director Flight Operations Richard Hall and Director Sales & Marketing
Rupert Hogg also joined this meaningful
activity, along with frontline and back office staff.
The participants cleared a total of
400 kilograms of rubbish off the beach.
Among the day’s more unusual “finds”
were the remains of an old canoe and a
cage!
Chitty thanked all the helpers for their
effort, adding that she’s glad to see more
staff supporting the cleanup every year.
Sam Tse from ISD (bottom left) used the
funding he obtained from the CCF to
contribute to the general fund of Green
Action Charity Foundation, a Hong
Kong-based NGO.
Sam’s pet project is an afforestation
initiative in Shek Lau County in
China’s Shanxi province.
CX funding went towards the
seedling, planting and maintenance
of 30,000 trees on 2,100 acres of arid land.
The Inflight Service Manager visited the site in 2012 to
personally take part in the planting and learn about the
difference planting trees can make.
“After afforestation, sites with steep slopes thought
inappropriate for planting can now retain seedlings with a
good survival rate. This is essential for water retention and soil
erosion prevention,” says Sam.
“Older afforestation sites have developed into forests
with good soil coverage. We even saw new ground springs
appearing,” he says. “Newer sites are lush compared to areas
without afforestation development.”
“Ultimately, we hope to arouse the attention of the central
government and the general population to the importance of
ecological protection and afforestation,” he says.
ISD’s Mallette De La Riva obtained funding from
CX for the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation
to organise six play days for 95 orphaned and
disabled children in Xinjiang and Qinghai in
August 2012.
“Children with disabilities, especially those
living in orphanages, have little chance to go
outside,” says the Inflight Service Manager.
“These play days, held in parks and botanical
gardens, allow these kids to enjoy playing in
sunshine and fresh air,” she says.
The play days also allows other park users to
better understand disabled children.
“Some parents said they’ve never seen such
happy faces on their children,” Mallette recalls.
“It was an unforgettable moment for the children
and their families.”
She also personally raised HK$70,000 to get
the project off the ground by running 250km
across the Gobi Desert for seven days earlier
in the year.
This year, she’s looking to complete the
Oxfam Trailwalker and four 100km races, also
in the name of charity.
9
Qatar Airways officially became
part of the oneworld alliance on 30
October, marking the occasion with
one of the biggest ad campaigns in
its 16-year history.
QR becomes the only one of the
major Gulf carriers to join any of the
global airline alliances and brings
to
oneworld
more than 20
destinations and
five countries –
Ethiopia, Iran,
Rwanda, Serbia
and
Tanzania
– that are new
to the alliance
map.
Qatar’s addition will strengthen
the alliance’s customer offering,
providing
routing
alternatives
across many hundreds of city pairs. For
example,
passengers
flying between Asia and Southern
Europe or between Asia and Africa
will now have convenient onestop connections not previously
available.
Qatar Airways’ Chief Executive
Akbar Al Baker said: “Becoming
a member of oneworld will
strengthen our competitive offering
and give our customers what they
fully deserve – more choice across
a truly global network served
together with airline partners who
include some of the best and
biggest in the world.”
Qatar, which serves more than
130 destinations in 70 countries
across the Middle East, Europe,
Africa, North and South America,
Asia and Australasia, is oneworld’s
second member airline based in
the Middle East. In addition to launching its new
ad campaign and TV commercial,
QR is also running a special double
miles offer for cardholders of all
oneworld member airlines’ frequent
flyer programmes – including those
of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club.
oneworld marked the addition
of Qatar Airways by launching
its latest consumer fare – the
Visit Middle East pass – offering
attractive flexible fares on flights to
the region.
Cathay Pacific hosted the 7th CX-CA Summit in Beijing on 16 October. The meeting was
co-chaired by CX Chief Executive John Slosar and President of Air China Cai Jianjiang.
In his opening speech, John said that by pooling together the two airlines’ resources,
management capability and innovative strength, CX and CA will lead the China aviation
market. This is being achieved through strategic cooperation and concrete planning.
John added that the relationships and knowledge that the two airlines possess will allow
them to take steps that competitors are unable to.
At the summit, both parties agreed that encouraging progress had been made in
various areas of cooperation. A few future collaborative projects were identified as part
of the two airlines’ continuous effort to strengthen their long-term strategic partnership.
The Spirit of Hong Kong campaign, which kicked off in
July, has been a fantastic success, attracting more than
5,200 entries and more than 400,000 website views.
The 10 “champions” of the campaign, together with a
hundred “top winners” selected by a panel consisting of
senior public relations and media executives, will have
their silhouettes painted onto the livery of a CX aircraft.
The last part of the campaign is the unveiling of the
livery in December.
Director Corporate Affairs Chitty Cheung thanked the
people of Hong Kong for their fantastic response and
the high calibre of the entries.
“The participants share characteristics such as perseverance, being accommodating, solidarity, creativity,
having a human touch and cultural integration, all of
which are qualities shared and valued by most of the
people in Hong Kong,” Chitty says.
The campaign’s champions have another commonality – riveting back stories. Here are some of the winning
images of the campaign.
Amateur photographer Lam Kin-fai was impressed by a scene
at a marathon in Hong Kong: a wheelchair-bound athlete
struggling alone up a ramp for the disabled. “The adjacent
lane was filled with general participants, creating a striking
contrast,” he says. “I think the spirit of Hong Kong is striving
for goals regardless of tough conditions.”
Siu Sin-mei used five popular varieties of bread to create the
two Chinese characters representing “concave” and “convex”.
“The characters convey an important value of Hong Kong –
accommodating diversity. We can rid society of prejudices and
dilemmas through love, respect and acceptance of different
backgrounds,” she says.
Cham Chui-shan’s winning work was inspired by the unique
nature of traditional bamboo scaffolding. “Bamboo scaffolding
is flexible, efficient and inexpensive. But to make it work, there
must be a group of skilful workers prepared to work under
extremely tough environments,” she says.
Solicitor Shani Chan’s winning photo shows him
seemingly flying on a broom. “Taken by my younger
sister some time ago, I think it’s an excellent example of
how creative and adaptive Hong Kong people can be,” he
says. “When Hong Kong was less prosperous, the masses
invented imitation shark fin soup to sell on the streets.”
PEY mini-site
A new mini-site is using an innovative approach to promote CX’s
newest product offering employing user-generated content.
The “My Premium Economy
Experience” website is categorised by different traveller types,
from individuals and seniors to
families and businesspeople,
presented in the form of articles,
photos and videos.
The new mini-site serves as a
one-stop platform for all PEY-related information with a full
breakdown of product information
and interactive elements such as
an online poll and the chance to
win 5,000 Asia Miles by submitting feedback.
Find the mini-site through the
CX website homepage.
Green pledge
CX is taking part in a programme
that showcases how improved
technology, practices and air traffic
management can reduce the impact of aviation on the environment.
Asia and Pacific Initiative for the
Reduction of Emissions (ASPIRE)
was founded in early 2008 by a
group of Air Navigation Service
Providers – the people who provide
air traffic control services and regulate traffic flow – hoping to minimise
aviation’s environmental impact collectively.
Airlines around the Pacific Rim
participate by operating flights
that demonstrate how advanced
technology, processes and aircraft
capabilities can optimise fuel burn
and reduce emissions.
ASPIRE programme procedures
cover all phases of flight from gate
to gate, but a key element is more
flexibility for pilots.
“On ASPIRE flights, pilots take
advantage of weather and wind
to determine the shortest route, as
opposed to the defined routes that
CX currently flies – a sailing boat
approach, rather than a highway
approach,” says Manager Line Operations Neil Phillips. “This saves
time for everyone on board and
helps conserve fuel.”
The “shortest route” approach is
made possible by better technology in air traffic control and avionics.
For example, a move from radar to
satellite surveillance means better
communication between the aircraft, its pilots and air traffic controllers, reducing aircraft separation.
After almost four years of negotiating with ASPIRE members, CX
is making a grand entrance to the
ASPIRE programme by conducting four demonstration flights on 20
November. These include CX111
to Sydney, CX135 to Melbourne,
CX872 to San Francisco and CX094
to Anchorage.
“For CX flights to Australia, the
best practice approach saves 4.5
minutes to 12 minutes per flight,”
says Neil. “We operate 13 flights to
Australia a day. This leads to substantial savings of 750,000 to a million kilos of fuel per year.”
The similar principle applied on
South African routes will shave one
to two minutes off each journey, saving 100 to 200 kilos of fuel per flight.
“The more demonstration flights
we do, the more we can apply this
for our normal day-to-day flights,”
says Neil.
CX will be the first airline to operate four nearly simultaneous ASPIRE flights not demonstrated before – multiple flights, a cargo flight,
the first 747-8F flight and the first to
Anchorage.
“This is an impressive effort, because we have to negotiate with
multiple parties spanning a huge
part of the world and work with multiple types of aircraft frames,” says
Neil.
‘The aviation sector represents 2
- 3% of global CO2 emissions, so it
is important for airlines, the industry
and governments to work together
to reduce aviation emissions on a
global scale,” he adds.
Director Corporate Affairs Chitty
Cheung joined celebrities Vivian
Chow and Leo Ku and other
HKIA stakeholders at the pledging ceremony for “Go Green
Monday @ HKIA” last month.
In line with HKIA’s commitment to be the world’s greenest
airport, the six-month campaign
promotes vegetarian, low carbon
dining at HKIA.
CX is supporting this initiative
by promoting vegetarian menu
choices at the Cathay City and
KA House food courts - see www.
greenmonday.org.hk.
Senior discount
Former colleagues were saddened to hear of the
passing of Robert Ernest Atkinson, who held senior
positions in Cathay Pacific up to 1998.
Robert passed away on 18 October at the Royal
Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, England,
following a battle with cancer. He was 63 years old.
His funeral took place in Winchester on 30 October
attended by many former CX and Swire friends.
After joining Swire in 1979, Robert began working
for CX in Hong Kong in 1981. He was in London
from 1985 to 1988 and then moved to the Industries
Division of Swire Pacific.
In 1989 he returned to the CX fold and was in
succession General Manager Cargo Distribution
Systems, GM Middle East & India and GM Pacific &
South Africa Routes before moving back to Swire in
August 1998.
CX is adding popular holiday destinations
Koh Samui and Krabi to its network through a
codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways.
The CX code will be placed on Bangkok
Airway’s daily flights between Hong Kong
and Koh Samui and Bangkok and Krabi/
Chiang Mai.
In exchange, Bangkok Airways’ “PG” code
will be placed on CX services between Hong
Kong and Bangkok.
“CX and KA have demonstrated significant
commitment to the Thailand market with 31
additional weekly frequencies to Bangkok,
Phuket and Chiang Mai from the summer
of 2012 to the winter of 2013,” says Country
Manager Thailand Leslie Lu.
“Koh Samui is a popular leisure destination
for travellers from Hong Kong, Mainland
China and other parts of the world served by
CX, so we’re excited that our passengers can
now fly directly from Hong Kong to Koh Samui
on our code-share flights,” says Vickie Yue,
Head of Alliance & Airline Partnerships.
“It’s also fantastic to have the code-share
connecting Bangkok and Krabi for
us – the latter gaining popularity as a
sun and sea destination,” she adds.
“My sincere thanks go to the
Alliance team, the CX Thailand
Team and other supporting teams
for the teamwork and dedication to
overcome various challenges along
the way,” Leslie says.
The first codeshare flight started
on 4 November. The CX Group
now connects to five destinations
in Thailand with flights to Bangkok,
Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and
Krabi.
Senior citizens are once again
being offered a special discount
on tickets in celebration of Senior
Citizens’ Day, which this year falls
on 17 November.
A 30% discount is being offered
on Premium Economy Class tickets while a 25% discount applies
in all other classes – including
First Class for the first time – for
Hong Kong and Macau residents
aged 65 and over. Details at www.
cathaypacific.com.hk.
Another oneworld award
Readers of Premier Traveler magazine have voted oneworld “Best
Airline Alliance” in the magazine’s
Best of 2013 readers’ survey.
This latest honour gives
oneworld an unprecedented
clean sweep of the premier “best
alliance” titles, with seven “best
alliance” trophies presented in the
past year.
Community focus
It’s a fishy
business
in the Indian Ocean
The main focus of the launch of CX services to
the Maldives is carrying passengers to and from a
sun-kissed holiday in one of the world’s most exotic
destinations.
A smaller but still significant slice of the business
on the new route will be in the cargo holds of the
A330s flying out of Malé – and all of it will be seafood!
“There will nothing other than chilled fish or live fish,
kept fresh by a special product ex-Malé – fish bins
equipped with compressed oxygen,” says Kapila
Santhapriya, Cargo Manager Sri Lanka who also has
responsibility for the Maldives.
Kapila explains that seafood is the only export
commodity out of the Maldives, “and it’s essential
that we provide immediate connections beyond our
hub to North America, Australia, Japan and Taiwan
in order to secure regular volumes on our four-timesweekly flights.” October to March is the peak season for seafood
out of the Maldives though Kapila says that volumes
will be there year-round.
Competition is fierce, with leading Middle Eastern
and Far East carriers vying for a slice of the seafood
market.
“Our big advantage is the CX network and reduced
transit times for special products such as edible fish
to Japan, Taiwan and Australia,” Kapila explains.
“Also, the early arrival into Hong Kong means we
can connect the same morning to all Far Eastern
destinations in addition to same-day arrivals at other
ports around the world.”
Demrik International is the agent appointed to
handle cargo sales and operations in MLE, with CX
CMB’s Warnaka Wijerathna based in the Maldives to
oversee everything.
Kapila is also focused on the Colombo operation,
where volumes have increased since the first freighter
was launched in December last year.
“We are now averaging 30 tonnes per freighter in
addition to 8-10 tonnes on the passenger flight on
freighter days, and 15 to 20 tonnes on other days.
Here also we have the advantage of an early arrival
into Hong Kong that gives us the edge over other
carriers, especially for sashimi grade tuna to Japan.”
A second weekly freighter was recently added to
CMB, again shared with Mumbai and Chennai, which
has grown inbound and outbound volumes by an
average of 30 tonnes each way.
Around 60% of the freight, much of it garments for
high-end fashion lines, is bound for the US market.
Kapila is bullish about the prospects for Sri Lanka
The third Toronto “I Can Fly” programme kicked
off in late October with an educational session
hosted by Toronto Sales Manager Ross Cronin.
The 15 lucky participants (right) were chosen
from more than 200 applications. The Toronto “I
Can Fly” runs weekly. Over an eight-week period
students will get an inside look at different jobs
in the industry, ranging from airport services to
catering and cabin crew.
The Greater Toronto Airport Association will
also host a behind-the-scenes airport tour.
Earlier this year, the fifth “I Can Fly” wrapped
up in Vancouver. More than 100 students have
benefited from the programme in Canada so far.
In other news, October was an exciting month
for Canada cabin crew bases as they teamed up
to raise funds for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma
Society. Each base raised over CA$10,000 to
donate a combined total of over CA$20,000 to
this meaningful cause.
More than 80 staff participated in the charity walk “Light the Night”
in Toronto and Vancouver, joining thousands of other supporters with
lanterns to bring light to the dark world of cancer. Prior to the walk, charity
dinners were held at both bases with a 70s’ theme in Toronto and a
Halloween theme in Vancouver.
The true CX cabin crew Spirit shone through at the dinners and walks,
and the fundraising efforts rendered truly amazing results!” says Deep
Westacott, Cabin Crew Base Manager, Canada
Promoting Premium
Economy in Italy
The team in Italy spread the word about CX’s
Premium Economy cabin at one of the biggest fairs
in Italy recently.
Premium Economy took off from Rome on 6
November.
The TTG Rimini Incontri Trade Fair, held in Rimini
from 17 to 19 October, attracted 51 million visitors
from the travel industry this year.
Pictured seated are Sakes Executives Margherita
Rosa and Aristide Maina at the CX booth.
Earlier this year, the team also promoted CX’s
Premium Economy service out of Milan at the BIT
Milano Tourism Fair.
Nagoya takes a trip down memory lane
The Nagoya team recently celebrated a
landmark moment when they moved to
a new office building after 40 years on
the same site.
The move is more than just a
relocation – it tells the story of how
Cathay Pacific has grown over five
decades.
CX launched twice-weekly services
to Nagoya on a Convair 880 in 1966.
A few years after the service launched,
the local team moved into Meiji Yasuda
Seimei Nagoya Building, where they
would stay for the next 47 years.
Back in the 1960s, most offices were
not equipped with computers or CUPID.
In Nagoya, when agents phoned in to
make reservations, staff used passenger
record cards to jot down details before
sending the name list to the airport using
Teletype (punching tape) to secure space
and create a booking.
Before CUPID was installed in
Nagoya in the late 1970s and early
1980s, making reservations was a
laborious process – after customers
approached the ticketing counter,
Reservations staff had to return to
the back office to call the Osaka
Reservations office. Staff at Osaka then
lodged reservations in their CUPID
system.
This complicated process led to
long queues at the Nagoya counter,
and passengers occasionally became
impatient and angry.
In 2011, as the old building’s age
was starting to show, the CX Japan
and the Nagoya team decided to move
into Sakae 3-chome Building, which is
earthquake-resistant.
To celebrate the success of the office
relocation and bond with travel agents,
an office opening party was held on 6
September. Those present enjoyed an
evening of CX Business Class wines
while soaking in beautiful night views of
the city.
“I’d like to thank the former Marketing
& Sales Manager Japan, James Evans,
and our Regional IT coordinator, Philip
Chung, for their support in the relocation
process. Ganbarimasu!” says Agency
Sales Manager Miwako Kasahara.
Manila promotes
wine and dine in
Hong Kong
CX’s home city once again
promoted fine cuisines and
wines from around the
world during the Hong Kong
Wine and Dine Festival,
which ran from 31 October
to 3 November in Central.
The Hong Kong Tourism
Board jointly organised a series
of promotional activities in the heart of
Manila to give this event a push overseas.
The revelry started with a glamorous
Gatsby-themed evening event held at
the Greenbelt Park in Makati, attended
by Marco Polo Club members, business
partners, travel agents and local media.
The party of 80 enjoyed a four-course dinner that
featured wines and champagne from CX’s inflight
wine list. Veteran CX wine consultant Roy Moorfield
was there to introduce the food and wine pairings.
The local team launched a special ticket promotion
in time for the festival, and gave away a free tourist
SIM card for every ticket purchased.
“We are very glad HKTB has identified the
Philippines as a key market to promote the festival
this year,” said Martin Xu, Country Manager
Philippines.
Amsterdam says
The first Premium Economy aircraft to land in the
Netherlands touched down at Amsterdam Airport
Schiphol on 4 October.
To celebrate the occasion, the local
team gave away a flyer with
a small piece of cheese
attached to all arriving and
departing passengers.
The offer was made in
conjunction with The Dutch,
a Dutch cheese and wine
shop in Hong Kong that
opened recently. The small
gift got great feedback from
passengers.
Agus Wibowo, an Indonesian aircraft mechanic based in
Dubai, recently came to the rescue of a compatriot who
became ill inflight.
The female passenger was travelling from Jeddah to
Surabaya via Dubai when she developed a complication
involving her vital organs. The passenger and her
husband were offloaded in Dubai and rushed to hospital.
“I was not rostered to be at work that day, but decided
to visit the passenger anyway. She was in a bad
condition – bed-ridden, strapped to an oxygen mask
and stabilised with drips,” says Agus.
The engineer wasted no time in contacting the
Indonesian Consulate in Dubai, making sure someone
visited the couple. He also purchased a local SIM card
to allow the sick passenger’s husband to make calls.
“In the three months that followed, I visited the couple
in hospital around 10 times on my days off,” says Agus.
He also liaised with the Airport team to send their
luggage back to Surabaya, and arranged stretchers
and Business Class upgrades in case they wanted to
continue their trip to Surabaya.
The passenger finally woke up from a coma two
months later and her health improved on a daily basis
thereafter.
“This is a great gesture of Service Straight from the Heart.
It’s encouraging to other Engineering staff to see they can
also make a difference in taking care of our passengers,”
says Country Manager UAE & Qatar Brian Yuen.
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Assistant to General Manager Southeast Asia O’Neal Qin
became passionate about diving following a Christmas
trip to Mombasa in 2008.
“I got the chance to try scuba-diving and fell for the
world underneath the sea right after my first dive,” he
recalls.
Since then, O’Neal has visited various diving sites across
the globe to experience the beauty beneath the seas.
“I have travelled to Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, the
Seychelles, Turkey, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Philippines, Thailand and China for scuba-diving,” he
says.
“It’s a great experience to visit these places and meet
people from completely different backgrounds … each
time I get out of the water after a dive I feel I have gained a
new perspective of the world we are living in.”
Qualified as a dive master in Bali, O’Neal not only
teaches how to dive but also highlights the importance of
conserving the natural world.
“To me, diving is all about forging a friendship between
humans and the vast ocean. Nobody can survive without
the oceans, and that’s why we have to take good care of
them,” he says.
O’Neal always reminds himself and his students about
the potential risks involved.
“Like many other sports,
scuba-diving
involves
risks and difficulties,”
he says.
“Although
you
can learn to avoid
risks through regular
practice, the real trick
is to know one’s limits
and not to go beyond
them,” he says.
Jenny Chan, Assistant
Manager Cabin Crew
Relations
1. Can you tell us more
about your responsibilities
at CX?
Cabin crew communications,
consultation and engagement.
I also take care of the popular
promotion booths in the Crew
Lounge.
2. How long have you been
with CX?
I joined CX in 2000 as cabin
crew and transferred to the Cabin Crew Relations and Communications team in 2007.
3. Why did you decide to
stay on the ground?
I’ve always wanted to learn
more about the airline industry
while staying close with the crew
community. I was also expecting
my first child at the time, so I
grabbed the chance when this
job came up.
For Dragonair Flight Attendant
Andy Yang, winning the 18th CX/
KA Singing Contest was a dream
come true.
Andy beat 19 other contestants to
win the champion’s trophy, followed
by first runner-up Egy Pujawan and
second runner-up Elodie Lee, both
flight attendants from CX.
Flight Purser Philipp Cabusas
was given the “Most Creative Performance” award while Flight Attendant Tammy Fung from KA won the
“Best Potential” award.
They were cheered on by a full
house of fans at the Cathay City Auditorium on 25 October.
“This is my first singing trophy – a
surprise win too, because the other
contestants were so strong,” Andy
says. “I’ve always loved singing so
this is a very heartening and a big
confidence booster for me.”
Andy learnt the piano when he
was very young and, influenced
by his favourite Taiwanese singer
Cheer Chen, took up the guitar in
2006. He’s also fond of songwriting.
Before joining KA last year, Andy
worked as a model for television in
Taipei for a few years, during which
he took part in two formal singing
contests.
“Unfortunately I couldn’t get
through to the finals, because I was
too nervous to perform in front of
crowds,” Andy says.
eign cabin crew based in
Hong Kong, I could really
empathise with this song,
which probably helped
my rendition.”
First runner-up
Egy is also new
to the company,
joining from Bali two
years ago.
“This is my dream job.
I’ve always wanted
travel and see the
world,” he says.
Egy, who had
loved singing since
he was a child,
chose
Beyonce
chart-topper Listen
for the competition.
“I like Beyonce
since she has outstanding
technique,
both as a singer and an
all-round entertainer,” he
says. “Doing this song
was a fun challenge since
it has a broad vocal range
– plus it’s written for a woman!”
To rid himself of stage fight, he
took part in open mic events in Taipei cafes.
Andy attributes his success at
the CX/KA Singing Contest to
the song he chose – The Wanderer’s Song (流浪記).
“The song is full of pathos,
describing a person
who lives far away
from his home
town,”
Andy
says. “As a for-
4. What’s in store for this
year’s Operation Santa
Clause?
We’ll be doing a dance performance for charity in December
in a public area.
5. How much do we target
to raise this year?
A record-breaking amount!
6. How do you spend your
spare time?
I have two boys at home and
they use up all my spare time.
7. What’s the most common feedback you’ve had
from crew over the years?
Roster flexibility, as this is very
important for them.
8. Do you miss flying as
crew? Why?
I do miss flying from time to time,
especially when I want to buy
something from outports!
9. You took part in the
Change for Good field trip
recently – any takeaways?
I learned to treasure what I have
today as not everyone has it.
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The Filipino crew community leapt into action when a
devastating earthquake struck Bohol on 15 October.
The quake on the island, some 75km from Cebu, led
to widespread destruction, killing at least 93 people and
displacing thousands of others.
Filipino crew joined the Philippine Cabin Crew Charities
Inc (PCCCI) group to approach ISD to begin a fundraising
campaign to help those affected.
A stall was set up in the Cabin Crew Lounge and more than
HK$100,000 was raised in the two weeks up to 8 November.
“We wanted to do something that does not involve
governmental organisations so it can be handed quickly to
the people who need it,” says ISM Mae Nielson.
“We will tap into the networks of friends already doing aid
work in Bohol so we can send them money to buy basic
necessities such as food, candles, tents and medicines.”
A number of crew will visit Bohol in mid-November and
use some of the donation money to buy supplies for the
people of Calape in the highland region.
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The boys and girls of Inflight Services were a vision in pink for
a charity hike on 20 October.
More than 100 staff and their families and friends descended
on the Peak in a wave of pink to take part in the event.
The strong showing was for “Pink Walk for Breast Health”,
an annual fundraiser staged by the Hong Kong Breast Cancer
Foundation to raise money for awareness campaigns.
The group stunned spectators and passersby as they made
their way along the Peak Circle Trail sporting wigs, hats, ribbons and funky spectacles – all in shocking pink.
“I’m very happy to see a lot of crew members and their families step up for charity. All of us enjoyed the leisurely stroll while
promoting a good cause,” says General Manager Cabin Crew
Liza Ng. “It was like a reunion party as a number of former CX
crew members also joined us that day!”
Among the participants was a former CX cabin crew who
survived breast cancer.
“The brave girl joining us today shows how a supportive
community is important for a patient’s recovery,” adds Liza.
CX runners once again demonstrated their outstanding stamina
at the annual Inter-Hong Long Distance Run Competition.
Three ladies, Inflight Service Manager Mallette De La Riva,
Flight Purser Jinko Takeshige and Flight Purser Tracy Ho,
came third in the team category.
“The race is one of the signature events of the Inter-Hong
Games Association,” says Mallette. “Our runners have been
actively participating in the inter-hong running events for the
past two decades!”
This year, a total of 18 CX staff joined 180 other enthusiastic
runners to compete for titles.
The race took place in Tai Mei Tuk, where the ladies ran in a
6km race while the men tackled a 10km course.
“The inter-hong competitions bring together employees
from different companies, including HSBC, KMB, Jardines
and Standard Chartered Bank – a good
chance
for us to make new friends who share the
same passion for running,” Mallette says.
Mallette, picture right receiving her
trophy, adds that she is happy to see
more staff joining the CX Running
Club.
The club has been organising
training sessions and encouraging
its members to take part in different
races in Hong Kong and overseas.
Fastest way to see
Angkor
Joining the
Angkor Wat
International
Half Marathon is
probably one of the
best ways to see
the UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Held on 4 December this year, the
run takes competitors through jungle and
past temples to raise money for victims of
landmines.
Online registration closes 15 November.
The race starts and ends in front of the
Central Sanctuary of Angkor Wat
Sign up at www.goadventureasia.com
Chriskindlesmarkt in Bavaria
For the avid mountain biker, Hong Kong, with all its country
parks and mountainous terrain, has its advantages. The
trails on Tai Mo Shan and along the Dragon’s Back
near Shek O catch the eyes of mountain bikers in
particular.
However, my friends and I decided to take it to
the next level by travelling east to Japan’s Nagano
prefecture, where Fujimi Panorama
MTB Park is located.
The poetically-named Fujimi means “A view of Mount Fuji” in
Japanese. The park is a ski resort when it’s covered with
snow in winter, but in the
summer, it’s a magnet for
mountain bikers.
The part is just a 2.5 hour
road trip away from Nagoya, or three hours from
Tokyo. We rented a van at
Nissan Rent A Car (www.
nissan-rentacar.com/English)
to carry all our bikes and bags
to Fujimi – a fantastic deal. The
car rental centre is conveniently
located right in the middle of Nagoya International Airport, near
Access Plaza.
Come December,
Christmas
markets spring
up throughout
Germany. The
most famous
of them all is
the Nuremberg market in Bavaria, which
fills the city centre with some 200 stalls,
drawing throngs of tourists.
The first Christmas market was held
in Hauptmarkt in the 16th century. These
days, stalls peddle everything from tree
ornaments to dried food figurines. For the
little ones, there’s the adjacent Children’s
Christmas Market.
Chriskindlesmarkt is held from the Friday
before Advent Sunday to 24 December.
More at www.christkindlesmarkt.de.
Cold Christmas
Our party rented a holiday house near the
woods of Fujimi (via www.fujimipanorama.com).
The wooden lodge was great, with simple cooking
utensils good enough for simple meals. There’s also an
onsen nearby, as well as a massive supermarket where
we could buy most of our daily necessities. Do remember
to bring extra cash to Fujimi, however, since most places
do not accept credit cards.
The Fujimi Panorama MTB Park is separated into three
trails with different levels of difficulty. A cable car takes
visitors up to the peak, where there’s a shop that rents all
sorts of bikes, from free-ride to pro downhill models.
From then on, all you have to do is pedal downhill.
The excitement got our blood pumping and we found ourselves longing to do it again and again. At the end of the day,
caked with dirt and mud, we hosed down our gear and bikes for
free at a nearby shower area.
Fujimi is a small, quiet town, but punches above its weight in
terms of excitement and relaxation. It’s a great place to test your
biking skills with locals who are eager to please.
Paris Customer Sales Officer Stephanie Pardo took this
photo at 8am on the station platform at Poissy some
25km northwest of Paris.
As Stephanie was waiting for an RER train to take her
to work at the CX Town Office in Neuilly-sur-Seine, she
was struck by a striking image in the skies.
“Vaporous cloud lines created by the morning air
traffic flying west from Charles de Gaulle airport were
juxtaposed with the stark outline of electric power
catenaries above the railway tracks,” Stephanie says.
“This photo conveys how we view modern air
transport from the ground.”
She adds that French impressionist painters captured
the same station with a steam train approaching
130 years ago. “I marvel at how we can change our
landscape within such a short time frame,” Stephanie
smiles.
Wrap up and experience Christmas the
Russian way by paying Moscow a visit
between 26 December and 8 January.
Moscow’s famous Winter Festival is
an all-in-one celebration of the Russian
Christmas, the Russian New Year and
Svyatki (or Russian Christmastide).
Tourists at Izmailovo Park and Revolution
Square take troika rides, ogle at ice
sculptures, listen to folk bands eat traditional
wintry foods. The Christmas Village at
Revolution Square is a great place to pick
up traditional shawls and felt boots.
SHOW US YOUR TIPS!
CX World welcomes staff travel tips from
across the network – email us at CCD#SCT
Every month, CX World invites all CX staff
to tell unusual, interesting or just downright
quirky tales of travel moments around the
world. The stories may also be featured
on official CX social media channels, such
as Facebook. Sponsored by Inflight Sales,
the lucky sender of the main story receives
HK$500 worth of inflight
sales products of their
choice from the everchanging collection
of over 260 items on
offer (excluding liquor
and cigarettes).
Go shopping at
www.cathaypacific.
com/dutyfree