STUCK IN TRANSIT

I’ve been a passenger of Cathay Pacific (CX) for years and have “Green” Marco Polo status, but recently had my first bad experience.

On January 24, my wife and I flew on CX718 from Jakarta to Hong Kong, followed by CX312 from Hong Kong to Beijing.

The first sector was good, with a smooth check-in and friendly staff. The problem occurred on the second leg. The flight was delayed, but when we asked how long the delay was, the CX staff member was uncertain. At first we were told two hours, then three hours. In the end our flight, which should have departed at 1700, actually left the gate at 2115, causing us to miss our arrival pick-up, dinner appointment and rest time in Beijing.

The compensation the airline offered was also ridiculous. For this inconvenience Cathay Pacific only gave us a voucher for HK$75 (US$9.70), which wasn’t even enough for a proper dinner at HKIA, which typically costs more than HK$100 (US$12.90). In Indonesia a passenger will get Rp300,000 (US$22) plus meals, for any delay of more than three hours.

We weren’t given the chance to reschedule, either. I know that during our time waiting at the airport (1430-2100) there were other flights to Beijing, but the airline staff wouldn’t let us change our flight.

If other passengers choose to fly with Cathay Pacific, they should anticipate delay. I hope that Cathay Pacific will improve their customer service, especially in Hong Kong, and properly take care of those customers who are affected by operational problems.