Cathay Pacific Quietly Downgrades Oneworld Emerald Members

Excellent news. Americans and Australians in Cathay lounges have been a nuisance for a long time. Thank you Cathay!

Finally! As a CX DM, I've always been treated "less" by AA, BA and QR anyway. When traveling domestic F (AA) or transatlantic J (BA), I've never been greeted, and always had to "remind" them of Emerald perks such as priority baggage, and higher lounge access. Am also annoyed that CX lounges (esp. in LHR) are full of Emerald pax not flying CX. About time, if you ask me.

I think “Qatar Airways doesn’t give oneworld Emerald members access to its Al Safwa First Lounge, let alone its Al Mourjan Business Lounge” should read “Qatar Airways doesn’t give oneworld Emerald members access to its Al Mourjan Business Lounge, let alone its Al Safwa First Lounge”

That's normal like AA flagship first dining eligibility, but you only mention out of States area.

I think the bridge first section is a temporary/smaller space, and they want to prioritize their own pax for the smaller space.

I think this is long overdue. There were some other perks for Diamonds (like a buggy voucher. Not too useful if you're able-bodied, but amazing if you have someone who has mobility issues with you), but given how blatant AA, BA, Qatar et all are with differentiating their own members vs. alliance members, Cathay's current implementation is far from egregious in comparison.

The Deck will also be a First Class lounge for OW elites, and it opens right before Wing F closes, so OW elites aren't even losing anything; they still get a lounge on each end of the airport.

That'd be quite a bummer. Flew them recently as an emerald for the first time and was amazed at how I was treated, even flying in economy. Multiple visits from several different cabin crew, getting to order and being served my meal first.
No blocked middle like on JL though.

Much ado about nothing. The new lounge would not be able to accommodate the same number of F and Emeralds as the one being renovated so providing F passengers is paramount for the level of exclusivity they pay for. There’s no change at the other F lounge so this is no different from BA’s GoldGuestList or LH/LX’s HONs and their restricted access Real F lounges (Concorde & FRA Terminal). Or AA/BA’s. Chelsea lounge @JFK.

So this is really much ado about nothing. Just a few minutes less in the main HKG F lounge if one’s flight departs from the far gates in the Y piers.

It's not just Emerald. I have been Diamond since 2014 and they have slowly and surely removed most worthwhile benefits - guaranteed space in V class fare, access to first (or any) lounge no matter which airline you fly on, dedicated Diamond service line, arrival lounge, additional luggage allowance, waitlist for award tickets, revenue booking hold without ticketing deadline... at the same time they increased miles redemption prices multiple time, removed free stopover on miles tickets, outsourced call centre to the Philippines and email customer care to China without training the staff, making them useless.

QR doesn't give its own OWE/OWS members access to the Al Safeway/Al Mourjan lounges, so the point is a little moot.

However, their Gold/Platinum lounges are pretty nice, so not complaining.

CX also gives free onboard WiFi for their DMs regardless of class but not OWEMs.
Personally I don’t see any problem with it - every airline of course takes care of their own top tier members. And having witnessed how disgraceful some OWEMs have behaved in CX F lounges - I welcome the move.

Meh.

This isn't really out of line. SQ has the same policy with The Private Room in Singapore - and even then, it's more exclusive because even PPS members can't access it unless they are flying SQ first/suites as well.

Good for CX for keeping the first class experience a first class one.

I've previously used the very nice Cathay lounge at BKK when flying Finnair, but got refused entry a couple of months ago. They said it was because the lounge was full. I had noticed through the windows that it was virtually empty, then they used the excuse that there were 2 or 3 planes due to take off soon, so it was going to get busy!
I'm flying BA from LHR T3 next month, so it'll be interesting to see if they still let me in the Cathay First Lounge.
Also, when is The Pier due to close for renovations? as was planning on visiting it, before I lose my BA Gold status.

@ John -- I suspect the Bangkok issue has to do with the airport's strange new rules:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/bangkok-airport-lounge-rules-ridiculous/

It's only The Wing First Lounge that's closing for now, so you should be good with visiting The Pier First Lounge. 🙂

I hope there are some restrictions brought into some outport lounges, especially Manila and Bangkok.

Flying back to Hong Kong in the evening, the annoying Australians in the lounge are terrible. Loud and obnoxious is being polite.

Come on CX, protect your own lounges for those flying CX, not oneworld trash.

CX also restricts access to the LHR T3 F lounge, especially in the afternoons, for OWEs departing on partner airlines.

The lounge does get crowded, though, so I guess it is reasonable and restrictions seem to exist only when the lounge really is at capacity (as opposed to BA which flat out refuses OW elite access to its outstation lounges).

Ben, I wouldn't call this a downgrade at all. Having two (though temporarily one) F-cl lounges available in HKG that grant Emeralds access is more than generous, given that these are some of the best lounges in the world. In fact, I do understand the desire for a more distinguished level of service for own Diamonds / actual F customers. There's really nothing to complain about here in my personal opinion.

Surely this is simply them limiting access to their own F/ Highest tier elites during lounge renovations? They've added in an F section as they prepare to, imminently, close the F lounge in that location. That will cause a capacity issue so they're saving it for their own.

As you've said in the article OW Emeralds can still use the pier F lounge so I'd have thought the whole thing self explanatory. If they'd removed that option as well, then, this would actually be a story.

Of the OW carriers CX is one that is known to overcompensate on the customer experience and that carries over to those of other alliance carriers. Whilst of course they'd rather pax were flying with them. They've got an entire plane's worth of BA elites passing through daily alone that they wouldn't want to have to placate.

I believe it is this reason too. The Bridge lounge is temporary and First section is space limited. OWE can still go to The Pier.
Mind you, BA's Concorde Room lounge is restricted to their F passengers and Gold Guest List too.

I fly to multiple locations in Asia, not just HKG. Almost always, this AA Emerald has a choice of connecting airports.

I've been to The Bridge many times, and one half of it is not a big space. It makes sense to me that they might be doing this out of space constraint more than "We're going to diss everyone who converted their miles and booked awards via AS."

CX has always had kind of a different definition of luxury compared to SQ. They're not going to do what SQ did (does?) and make Star Golds all go outside the lounge to go to the bathroom...

The Bridge has a much smaller footprint than The Pier so it only makes sense that they section off a part of The Bridge for just the F pax and their own Diamond members. I don't think this is a permanent thing when The Wing reopens otherwise that restriction would have extended to The Pier already.

Thanks Ben, I missed your post about the BKK ridiculous rules - crazy that AOT get involved in this.
Thanks also for the info on The Pier 🙂

What's confusing is Cathay's relatively tiny First Class capacity right now, so this is really prioritizing their own Diamond members moreso than people flying their First Class.

SQ is not Oneworld.

Rules explicitly state benefits of Emerald members and lounge access is one of it.

Meh.
You're logic is just like Tim Dunn, who should be able to return maybe tomorrow.

AA doesn't give Emerald access to JFK F lounge, nor access to First Dining in Flagship Lounges. BA doesn't give Emerald access to Concorde room in London. In London - the first lounge is basically the Emerald room. JAL doesn't give Emerald access to the special First check in lounge at HND. So I don't see much difference.

I used to be 'the Qantas Frequent Flyer who most flew Cathay Pacific' (according to a chief purser on one of my flights). Indeed as a One World Emerald i would go out of my way to fly Cathay premium class of some sort. I tried Qatar business class once but was refused entry into their First Class Lounge at Doha. It felt quite insulting to be refused entry and I've not flown Qatar Airways since. So Cathay needs to beware that the negative vibes one receives being refused entry to a Lounge has far reaching consequences.

@TravelinWilly - "good for breaking the rules and screwing customers expecting something" is a slippery slope for loyalty programs.

OWE here (QRPC)

This is wrong:
oneworld Emerald members receive first class check-in and first class class boarding (and on planes without first class, boarding ahead of business class)

OWE & CX Diamonds board together with Business Class. No way do OWE & Diamond board BEFORE J class.

That is ridiculous.

And by the way, Lucky
This exclusion of OWE at the Bridge is due to space constraints so it’s perfectly understandable.
Don’t create drama when there is none, Missy!

OWE and Diamond do, in fact, board before J on every single Cathay flight I’ve been on (and it’s a hell lot) whether at an outstation or at HKG. They have been very consistent about this.

It is worth noting that Cathay is exceptionally generous not just towards OW Emeralds, but towards its own silver tier customers, who have access to CX business class lounges wherever they exist. I am not aware of any OW carrier who grants lounge access to Ruby tier members (or any other alliance for that matter).

Clearly you have no clue.

Lufthansa FTL, Saudia, QR...

This is actually so misleading.

First of all, lots of CX outports + HKG have separate first/OWE check-in and boarding lane, where for example AA only gives OWEs group 2 boarding.

The lounge arrangements are obviously due to space constraints of the bridge. All sections of the Pier F lounge is still available for all OWEs. If CX really wanna separate CXDMs and OWEs, they would’ve do this in the Pier F as well.

Totally clueless comment revealing your ignorance.
You must not be flying CX a lot.

Maybe. But for OW Ruby, they offer almost no benefits (not even priority boarding). Stingy.

Agree. Cept for JAL Emerald access to the First lounge at HND.

Hey, that's discriminatory. You forgot to include Brits

Fair enough. I don't see myself would flying first class, as I'm pretty ok with business class. I fly CX business a lots, and I just totally hate their generosity, even a CX silver card holder got to use the business class check in, boarding and lounge. In result, I'm paying 4 times more but queue up a long line every where I go. I'm happy now I'm Qantas diamond, I can be away from huge number of 'silver' card or voucher holder. At least I feel my money spent on business class is worth it.