Up, up and away! - Cathay Pacific "I Can Fly"
Transcription
Up, up and away! - Cathay Pacific "I Can Fly"
news features who, what, where travel Change is in the air In with the new Ready for action Water wonderland Moving to a new standard in staff travel PSS set to revolutionise key airline systems Staff prepare for the East Asian Games Stunning natural beauty in Croatia Page 2 Page 8 Page 14 Page 16 A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacific Airways November 2009, Issue 164 PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED PAPER First signs of recovery? Worst is over, says Tyler, but caution still urged While there are signs that the world economy may have now turned the corner, only an optimist would predict that the aviation industry is about to spring back to life. “It does seem the worst is over,” Chief Executive Tony Tyler told staff in a monthly management briefing. Tony said he was encouraged by some positive signs, particularly on the cargo side where demand has surged out of the key Hong and Shanghai markets (see story on page 3). However, speaking at the Aviation Club in the UK on 21 October he said he remained cautious about the short-term prospects for aviation, despite the recent stabilising in cargo and passenger numbers after big drops earlier in the year. “This is traditionally a good time for us on both the premium passenger and freight fronts, and we are seeing that this year,” Tony said, “But whether it heralds a return to greener pastures remains to be seen. We will have a better idea by the end of the year, but I remain cautious. What I think is happening is a slow recovery effect exaggerated and amplified by seasonal factors.” Asked whether the uptick was seasonal or structural, Tony said “I don’t know, but I have a pretty good guess. “The longer the seasonal effect lasts, the easier it is to kid ourselves that we are seeing a sharp rebound. I’m not so sure.” • Continued on page 3 Second Saudi city joins the network Up, up and away! OUT TO LAUNCH: CX staff, cockpit crew and airport officials celebrate the start of the airline’s new service to Jeddah on 27 October. An official launch event was held in the city on 3 November – see page 5. Captain Nigel Black showed another side to his piloting skills at the 30th Saga International Balloon Fiesta in southern Japan, beating off international competition to walk away with the Master’s Cup. Supported by Andy Chau, another member of the Hong Kong Balloon and Airship Club, Nigel amassed 2,906 points – 601 points ahead of his nearest competitor – in an event that involved flying the balloon accurately to points marked on the ground and dropping a weighted coloured streamer onto a target. “I’d like to thank colleagues in so many different departments and ports around the world who have helped get me and the balloon gear to competitions and charity events over the years,” says Nigel, pictured above with Andy. “Bringing this prize back to Hong Kong is certainly evidence of what all that teamwork can deliver.” CX has sponsored the Hong Kong Balloon and Airship Club since the early 1980s and Marketing helps to carry the airline’s balloon – and the Hong Kong name – to events around the world. Message from the Chief Executive There seems to be a much more positive sentiment in the air at the moment regarding the state of the world’s economy. This is obviously very encouraging in terms of the longer-term outlook for our business, but we still need to show caution about what might happen in the short-term. Our business took a massive hit over the past 12 months and despite a recent pick-up – particularly on the cargo side – our revenues are still well short of where they were last year. Rather than enjoying a quick sprint out of the recession I think the airline industry is set to endure a long, gruelling crawl. But at least things are moving in the right direction. The recent surge in cargo demand out of our two key markets – Hong Kong and Shanghai – has been keeping our freighters full, and we’ve finally been seeing some decent yield increases. We’re also seeing yields edge up on the passenger side, though the increases here are hampered by the fact that premium travellers are still staying away in droves. It might be some time before corporate travel gets back to the kind of levels we used to enjoy. From a team point of view it’s important that we keep things in perspective. While we should all be heartened by the fact that the worst does seem to be over, we cannot afford to take our eye of the ball. We’ve done some great work in keeping costs under control but it would be a serious mistake to loosen our grip. Costs are still an area of big concern, particularly on the fuel side, so teams are still being urged to rein budgets in and refrain from unnecessary expenditure. It’s been an extremely tough year but we can be heartened by some of the things that have been happening, particularly the important work going on in the various projects that came out of the recent strategy review. These initiatives will put us in a much stronger position when the bounce-back arrives – let’s just hope we don’t have to wait too long to reap the benefits! Tony Tyler, Chief Executive 2 Sadness at sudden passing of Peter Lee – ‘a true gentleman’ Members of the Board at Cathay Pacific expressed their deep sadness at the passing of Peter Lee, an independent non-executive Director of the airline. Mr Lee, Chairman of Hysan Development in Hong Kong, died at home on Saturday, 17 October at the age of 55. In a notice to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange the airline expressed its regrets and paid tribute to Mr Lee for his “outstanding contribution” to the airline. Mr Lee served as Alternate Director to HC Lee on the Cathay Pacific Board from February 1993 to May 2002, when he was appointed as an independent non-executive Director. Chief Executive Tony Tyler says Mr Lee cared deeply about the airline. “At Board meetings he always asked the right questions and offered very thoughtful and sound advice, and in his personal style he was a true gentleman – always polite, cheerful and straightforward,” says Tony. “A director’s job is to represent all the shareholders, and to hold management’s feet to the fire. Of course Peter did that, but he was also very supportive of the management team and of all of us who work for the Company. “During recent difficult times, he went out of his way to say he understood how hard we were all working to overcome our troubles, and how much he appreciated that. “His support meant a great deal to us and we will miss him very much.” Standby for a major change n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n “Over the next 24 to 36 months we will see a fundamental change in all the current processes for buying and paying for tickets, listing, and checking in for CX and Dragonair flights.” The changes actually begin on 10 November with the rollout of interline e-ticketing for sub-load travel. Initially this will apply just for Finnair, rolling out next to other oneworld carriers and eventually to all carriers with which CX has an interline agreement. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Performance Index On-time performance Within 15 mins Industry standard Traffic/capacity (CX + KA)* 92.1% 68.7% on-the-dot CX standard Passengers carried 1,840,082 -2.0% Passenger load factor 80.2% 7.9pt ASKs (000) 8,576,599 -9.7% Freight carried 133,301 -5.8% Cargo load factor 74.4% 7.9pt ATKs (000) 1,777,086 -11.8% * Figures for Sep 2009 n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n It’s enrolment time again, and staff in Hong Kong have until 30 November to update their RightChoice benefits package and travel nominations for 2010. The RightChoice plan details can be found on the RightChoice website while enrolment and changes can be made through PeopleCX. There are a number of changes to the RightChoice Medical Plan this year, including: • The number of outpatient visits free of co-pay will be six per person per year (as highlighted during last year’s RightChoice communications) • The list of chronic diseases eligible for co-pay exemption has been reviewed and expanded with three new diseases added to the list. • The Maternity Catastrophic Protection deductibles for a semi-private room have been adjusted. There are no changes for a ward or private room. For staff who miss the 30 November deadline, or choose not to enrol, the RightChoice benefits package and travel nominations will remain the same for another year. On 17 November, online refunds will be launched in Hong Kong, rolling out to outports at a later date. “Staff will simply be able to access a form to apply through refunds through Travel Desk,” says Bob. A week later, another new development will mean that staff no longer have to open IBM Host and go to Common Access to apply for tickets. “We’ve worked with IMT to develop a web-enabled ticket application, simplifying the whole process,” says Bob, adding that it will work for all CX and KA tickets and simple point-to-point oneworld ticketing. The changes are being introduced to simplify procedures and give staff travellers more control over the whole process, at the same time laying the foundations for the switch over to the new PSS system in 2011. With PSS just around the corner, Bob says it would “take too much effort and cost too much” to switch to e-ticketing for CX and KA travel at this stage. NUMBER SYSTEM: Standby tickets first step in staff travel changes. n RightChoice enrolment underway Countdown to revolution in staff travel has begun A new “standby number” system was introduced for staff travellers at HKIA last month – a seemingly small development that heralds a major change in the way staff travel operates at Cathay Pacific. The standby number has been introduced ahead of the launch on 8 December of online check-in and online flight registration for staff travellers ex-Hong Kong. Staff will be able to go online between 24 hours and 90 minutes of departure to register for the flight. The system will let them know if the flight is open, in which case they can proceed straight to checkin on the day. If the flight is heavily booked the system will issue a standby number which will correspond with the display at the Standby Counter at HKIA. Staff will be able to print out their standby details or send to their mobile phone or PDA. “This is the start of what will become a new standard in staff travel,” says Employee Services Manager Bob Nipperess. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Produced by CX’s Corporate Communication Department 7/F North Tower, Cathay Pacific City, Lantau, HK Publisher: Kerry McGlynn Managing Editor: Mark Tindall Editor: Joyce Wong Enquiries: 2747-5293 GalaCXy ID: CCD#SCT Email: ccd#[email protected] n n n Freighters are full as markets heat up Briefs n New in CCD Yeung Chee-kong will join Cathay Pacific as General Manager Corporate Communication with effect from 4 January 2010. CK joins the airline from the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology where he is Director of University Development and Public Affairs. A seasoned communications professional, CK has worked in a number of major organisations including the Hong Kong Government, the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation. High demand out of Hong Kong and Shanghai pushes up rates With newspaper reports of soaring freight rates over the past two months and HACTL announcing its first monthly volume gain since 2008, could it be the long-awaited turnaround in the airfreight industry has finally arrived? “This year we are seeing a very definite seasonal peak, compared to last year when there was simply no peak at all,” says James Woodrow, General Manager Cargo, Mainland China & Hong Kong. “Since September business has been moving closer to what we’d regard as normal levels and rates have n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Caution still needed • from page 1 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n between Transpac and European routes, though capacity is still well down on the latter. “Eighteen months ago we had 32 flights a week to Europe, but we’re down to 22 a week now,” says James. The Cargo team anticipates demand to remain strong through to mid-December and is cautiously optimistic of a much better 2010. “We expect rates to be higher in 2010 on a year-round average with a return again to the seasonal peak in September to December next year,” he says. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Cathay Pacific serves approximately 1,400 bowls of its Signature Noodle Soups inflight every day n CX accepts ‘most admired’ accolade n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Surcharge maintained The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) gave approval for CX to maintain the previous level of fuel surcharges – HK$71 for short-haul flights and HK$328 for long-haul flights – for November. The CAD now assesses passenger fuel surcharges on a monthly basis. issued traffic figures for September which showed passenger demand increasing by 0.3% compared to the same month in 2008 and demand for international cargo 5.4% down year on year. However, the association stressed the figures were misleading because comparisons were with an exceptionally weak September 2008 when the global downturn first began to show its teeth. IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said it was “far too early” to say a recovery was underway. “The worst may be over in terms of the fall in demand, but yields continue to be a disaster and costs are rising,” Giovanni said. “The airline industry remains firmly in the red with a fragile business environment.” However, despite the uncertainty in the current operating environment, Tony remained upbeat about the prospects for Asia. “While Asia has been hit harder than elsewhere, it is likely to bounce back more quickly when a true recovery comes,” Tony said. IATA figures showed that Asia-Pacific carriers recorded the most significant improvement in passenger demand in September – +2.1% compared to -1.6% in August. n freighters and a rate surge. CX currently has six of its 25 freighters out of operation, and the fact that it’s an expensive, lengthy process to bring parked aircraft back into service means there’ll be no sudden growth in capacity, James says. “Luckily, Planning and Flight Ops have done a great job helping us to maximise our aircraft utilisation and we’ve been able to mount five or six extra sectors a week to take advantage of the upsurge,” he says. The extra sectors have been split certainly climbed significantly,” he says. “However, we have to remember that rates fell to unprecedented lows in the first half of the year.” The Shanghai and Hong Kong markets are particularly hot as shippers rush to get consumer goods to North America and Europe in advance of the seasonal shopping spree. The last-minute spurt to replenish depleted inventories has led to forwarders favouring airfreight over sea – and the shortage of capacity in the market has led to full n Report citation Cathay Pacific’s 2008 annual report received a “Citation for Design” in this year’s Best Annual Report Awards run by the Hong Kong Management Association. Chief Executive Tony Tyler was in Beijing on 29 October as Cathay Pacific collected the top company honour in the annual Wall Street Journal Asia’s reader survey of Hong Kong’s most-admired companies. Tony received the award from Managing Editor of CWSJ.com, Li Yuan. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n The results, which were announced earlier this year, showed the airline coming out top in 2008 for the fourth year in a row above the likes of Hang Seng Bank and MTR Corp. Swire Pacific was placed second. The survey is part of the newspaper’s “Asia’s 200 Most-Admired Companies” annual poll. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Heartwarming response for relief effort A total of 510 boxes and 90 bags containing donations of food, clothes, blankets and other amenities from generous CX staff and Hong Kong churches were sent to the Philippines in October to help victims of Typhoon Ondoy. The donation box set up in the crew lounge from 29 September to 16 October was inundated right up until the final day for making donations. In the Middle East, Cathay Pacific offices in the United Arab Emirates were crowded with donations of clothes, medicine, food and bedding. CX flew the items to Manila free of charge where they were given to the Caritas Filipinas Foundation to aid those affected by the flooding. Marketing & Sales Officer Clifford Rasquinha says the response to the appeal was better than they ever expected. “In some offices there was hardly any room for customers!” he says. One of the coordinators of the Hong Kong relief effort, Inflight Service Manager Jigs Abiera, says right up to 16 October she was still getting calls from staff wanting to make donations. “There was no stopping the overflow of support and help – it was truly very moving,” she says. “Even on the final donation day, one of our London-based crew who just arrived from a flight came by to give us clothes. “Now the rebuilding and restoration work has started, and will continue for years, I think we can all feel proud we did what we could to help,” Jigs adds. n CX backs wine contest Cathay Pacific was the title sponsor for the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition held in conjunction with the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair. Chief Operating Officer John Slosar represented the airline at the event on 4 November at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, which saw awards given out in various categories including for Chinese food and wine pairing and the “Asia’s Best” series. 3 Leaseback landmark Latest 777-300ER the first in new agreement with BOCA The latest Boeing 777-300ER to enter service with CX is different from the rest. First, B-KPL – the 12th of the type to enter the fleet – flew out of Seattle bearing the special oneworld livery created to mark the alliance’s 10th anniversary. This was the final one of three aircraft to get the oneworld colours and the first and only 777-300ER to highlight the alliance. KPL also marked the beginning of a new relationship for CX under a n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n leaseback agreement with BOC Aviation (BOCA). Speaking at the delivery dinner for the aircraft, held in Seattle on 16 October, Tony said the agreement with BOCA marked the beginning of an important new relationship under which the Singapore-based company will buy and lease back six 777-300ERs being delivered up to the second quarter of 2011. “This arrangement makes a lot of sense to Cathay Pacific as part of our long-term fleet management strat- n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Tweeters invited to follow CX dolls around the world The US team has taken to tweeting in a big way, using Twitter to engage with customers and spin out the latest offers and promotions. At the end of October the team took the concept of following on Twitter to the next level by launching the “Follow the Crew Dolls” contest, From 28 October to 5 November, Twitter users following @CathayPacificUS received a tweet hinting that one of CX’s historical dolls could be anywhere in the world. Followers who tweeted the correct answer stood a chance of winning a doll and going into a grand-prize draw to win a pair of round-trip tickets to Hong Kong and the entire collection of dolls in a special display case. The idea for the competition came about when Nancy Tao, Marketing Coordinator in CXSFO (right), was tasked to come up with a way to promote an FOC shipment of historical uniform dolls from Hong Kong. “Since Twitter’s popularity is growing and we want to raise our visibility within the social media scene, this competition was a good experiment for us,” says Nancy. The competition has stirred up some interest in the “Twitter-sphere” with a steady stream of entries, a rise in Twitter followers and coverage in a number of newspapers and magazines. 4 n n n n original owner of the aircraft sells the aircraft to a third party (in this case BOCA) which then leases it back to the original owner for an agreed period of time. The ownership and the residual value risk of the aircraft are transferred to BOCA while CX retains full use and operational control of the aircraft until the expiry of the lease. “The sale and leaseback arrangement helps us better manage the exposure on residual value risk of our fleet.” says Janet Cheung, Manager Purchasing – Aircraft Trading. “And it’s also a practical solution on the financing side, especially as we are facing the uncertainly and adverse impact of the global credit crunch. “With a commitment from BOCA to purchase five more of our 777300ERs in the coming two years, we can better focus our resources on financing the remaining eight deliveries for next year.” egy, where our aim is to maintain an appropriate balance between owned and leased aircraft,” Tony said. “This is a sensible thing to do at any time – and it makes even more sense during this unprecedented, and unrelenting, global slump.” This is not the first sale and leaseback arrangement for CX – it was done for another delivery in May – but it is the first leaseback deal on such a scale signed by the airline. A sale and leaseback arrangement is where the n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Strong response as first crew forum makes a real connection There were queues outside Dakota’s Sports Bar at lunchtime on 21 October as cabin crew lined up to attend the first CONNECT Crew Forum. General Manager Inflight Services Charlie Stewart-Cox opened with an update on the state of the company before a lively Q&A session which ran the gauntlet of concerns ranging from crew hotels, rostering concerns and India flights to the food being served inflight. Charlie says he was pleased with the response. “The turnout was a little more than we expected, which is brilliant, and every category, nationality and even the bases were represented so it was a really good mix,” he says. “Crew are pretty dynamic, passionate and inquisitive about all aspects of the job and take it seriously, so you can always expect ‘hot’ issues to be raised.” Charlie says the forum was important for such a large department, the majority of whom are not really “in the office”. “They have far less opportunity than most staff at CX to meet their managers face to face – not just me but other section heads too – and be able to ask them questions,” Charlie says. “It’s important to provide an opportunity for them to meet managers – it fosters understanding, openness and a greater sense of teamwork. “We know we can’t solve all their concerns but they should be able to raise their issues directly with us, to see they are being heard and to listen to our considered responses,” Charlie adds. Sam takes up the China mantle Becoming General Manager China for both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair at a time when Mainland China is growing in importance is a daunting prospect, but Sam Swire is looking forward to the challenge. Sam was previously at Cathay Pacific in 2003 in the Planning Department, before going to New York to work at Seacor Holdings and then returning to Hong Kong in 2006 to work for Swire Properties in both Hong Kong and Shanghai. He also spent two years as a regional manager at Swire Pacific Offshore in Singapore. In August he took up his present position. Sam still says the China market presents many challenges, one of which is getting the brand name out. “Getting travellers to see the attraction of flying with us through Hong Kong and onto the world is a priority. I think we have a relatively fresh market in China which is there for the taking, if we don’t take it someone else will,” he says. Four ports were taken offline this year because of the economic situation but Sam says they are being constantly reevaluated with a view to restarting in the future. “I think we want to develop our network, which is already extensive. Obviously Beijing and Shanghai are the biggest ports we have in terms of revenue, but it’s important we also invest in the secondary cities that we fly to like Kunming, Wuhan, Changsha, and Sanya,” he says. As the only non-Chinese in a team of 650, Sam says a personal task is to improve his Putonghua. Developing and meeting the widespread team at 19 offices throughout the country is also a priority. “We have a young, energetic team with possibly less experience than in other regions but definitely keen and with a good attitude. “This is a great opportunity to develop a fantastically strong team,” Sam says. Briefs Anti-drug programme celebrates 15 years The Life Education Activity Programme (LEAP) opened the “Celebrating 15 Years of Life Education in Hong Kong” exhibition at Pacific Place on 23 October with HKSAR Acting Chief Executive Henry Tang as guest of honour. Cathay Pacific and Swire are both major sponsors of LEAP and joining Mr Tang at the exhibition opening ceremony were John Swire & Sons (China) Chairman Philip Chen, Chief Operating Officer John Slosar and Director Corporate Affairs and LEAP Chairman Quince Chong. The officiating guests dropped cards into a model of a LEAP mobile classroom wiith an appeal for everyone to work towards developing a drug-free society. In her opening speech, Quince said Cathay Pacific and Swire were proud of their long association with LEAP. “We are honoured to have helped drive this worthwhile project from the very beginning,” she said. “Through our long-term partnership with LEAP, we are proud to have played a part in helping teach Hong Kong’s younger generation about the dangers of substance abuse.” To further promote its message, LEAP, in collaboration with CX and Swire Resources, is organising a competition to invite designs for its new mobile classroom. More details at www.leap.org.hk n New travel alert system The new Outbound Travel Alert system for Hong Kong travellers, launched on 20 October, uses amber, red and black warnings to describe three levels of risk in more than 60 countries and territories popular with Hong Kong residents. The HKSAR Government decides which warning to issue by assessing the level of threat to personal safety, the duration of the threat and whether it is targeted at tourists. SHOWING SUPPORT: (from left) Philip Chen, Henry Tang, Quince Chong and John Slosar join schoolchildren to launch the exhibit. n More discounts for seniors CX is once again offering senior citizens in Hong Kong and Macau a special discount of 20% on tickets to a number of popular destinations in celebration of Senior Citizens’ Day on 15 November. This is the 10th consecutive year for the airline to offer the discount which is open to all Hong Kong and Macau residents aged 65 or over for travel until 31 March 2010. Jeddah on board Port city holds great potential for both passenger and cargo business It is an ideal time for Cathay Pacific to launch services to the major Saudi Arabian trade city of Jeddah, according to General Manager Middle East, India, Africa & Pakistan Tom Wright. “As has been shown during the recent economic downturn, the region has proved its resilience and we have responded to that by adding capacity, “ Tom says. The new service, operated with an A330-300 aircraft in a two-class configuration, started on 26 October. CX started the now-daily services to the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in 2001, and the Jeddah service takes the number of weekly flights to the country to 11. The airline’s relationship with the Middle East market dates back to 1976 starting with flights to Bahrain followed by Dubai. “The growing importance of this region to various Asian companies, especially from China, is a positive for us,” Tom says. Country Manager Bahrain & Saudi Arabia Daniel Cheung says the Middle East routes have grown steadily with increased frequencies, the introduction of newer aircraft types and new destinations, and he has equally high hopes for Jeddah. “With a growing population and high per capita income, the Saudi travel market has shown consistent annual growth,” he says. Being a large trading port, Daniel says Jeddah has strong potential for both passenger and cargo. “The inbound traffic is strong with growing Muslim pilgrimage traffic and the regular December peak dominated mostly by the Filipino market,” he says. An official launch ceremony was held in the city on 3 November with Chief Executive Tony Tyler present to welcome guests including Government officials, local and Hong Kong media, Marco Polo Club members and trade partners. SAUDI STARTUP: (from left) Daniel Cheung, King Abdulaziz International Airport’s Abdul Elah Falemban, Tony Tyler, Arabian Service Company’s Ziad Sudairi and Tom Wright participate in the official cake-cutting while entertainers helped to bring a touch of Asia to the ceremony. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Buy groceries, earn miles! Up to 19 November, Asia Miles members who are also MoneyBack members can earn 1,000 Asia Miles when spending HK$500 or more in one single transaction at any of 18 participating supermarkets – including PARKnSHOP, International, Taste, Great, Gourmet, and Fusion. Find out more at www. asiamiles.com. n n departments to ensure the people who have to be in the room all get there,” he says. “The CMC acts as a central point for all communication whether it’s from the airport ramp, the outports or other departments, and information is constantly updated and recorded on the whiteboards around the room.” Crisis Response Development Manager Carrie Shiu says the vital role the CCAs perform is keeping communication lines open. “Information is the most important component of any crisis re- sponse,” she says. “Victims, responders, families, governments and other stakeholders all demand timely information during and after a crisis. “The CCAs are responsible for ensuring all information is recorded and flows between all response parties,” Carrie adds. Even though the CMC is normally eerily quiet, on November 20 it will be a hive of activity when the Hong Kong Airport Authority’s annual Crash and Rescue Exercise is held. The exercise will involve many key departments including the HKIA team, Corporate Contingency Plan- n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n 164 n ning, Corporate Communication, Inflight Services and Flight Operations. The last time Cathay Pacific was heavily involved in the HKAA’s exercise was 2005 and several key areas have changed since then that CCP would like to trial. “The reconciliation process on Einstein has been enhanced so we want to test that out,” Carrie says. “The drill will also include a series of press releases and a press conference so it is also a good opportunity for us to test our media response,” she adds. n The combined length of the Long Tables in the CX/KA lounges is approximately Annual crash exercise will put command centre to the test On the fifth floor of North Tower at Cathay City is the airline’s Crisis Management Centre – a fortunately seldom-used war room which, nonetheless, is kept ready to be activated at a moment’s notice. The unsung heroes of the CMC are the 26 Command Centre Administrator (CCA) team members who ensure the centre is ready to operate the minute a crisis occurs anywhere around the world. Operations Training Specialist Ken Barrett says: “When we receive a call we have to activate the room and coordinate phone calls to all the key n metres n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Helium3 rule The new music video from Helium3 – a band made up largely of CX pilots – is now available for viewing on YouTube. The video for their first single, Rule the World, was shot in Hong Kong and, as well as band members Nick Flavell, Mike Smith, Brendan Delfino and Dave Belcastro, features cabin crew in some of the concert shots. The group’s album, Skindeep, is also now available on StudioCX . 5 n Letters to the Editor n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n also set high customer expectations which we may not be able to fulfil. We allow individual countries to assess their local situation to determine whether they wish to release their email addresses to the public based on whether they have the resources to service the requests they receive. n n n n n n n n Star letter n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n First-hand knowledge needed n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Is it possible to have a product experience programme for staff, especially those promoting the front-end product? I work in the Marketing department and write product articles and information targeting First and Business Class passengers, but I have never actually travelled in First Class so my knowledge of the “experience” is from written information. I would like to suggest staff involved in writing product information on a regular basis should also have the chance to experience the product firsthand, for example, by providing a “product experience” flight within a set period of time. This would help the staff who are tasked with selling the product to help them really know what it is they are promoting. Karen Desch FRA Alex McGowan, Manager Product, replies: While it certainly helps to have firsthand experience of the product or service one is try- ing to promote unfortunately, just as Crystal Cruises cannot send all their marketing staff on a roundthe-world fam trip, nor can we fly all of ours First Class. For Hong Kong-based staff there is a training mock-up on the third floor which can be viewed when not in use, as well as a range of training material. We will also look at whether an edited version of this material can be created to help distil the key aspects of our premium cabins. n n n n n Send us your feedback n n n n n n n n n n n n n We welcome feedback from anyone in the CX network on any issue affecting the airline or the industry. Please email your letters to CCD#SCT. Not all letters will be published but those that are will be edited for length and to comply with the CX World style. The sender of the star letter each month will win 3,000 Asia Miles. The Feedback page is sponsored by Asia’s leading travel reward programme. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n What’s in a name? n IFE landing form help n I would like to suggest that we dedicate a channel on the inflight entertainment system to providing information in different languages about how to fill in the landing forms. As the landing forms are usually in English, the channel could provide useful information to non-English speakers. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Name withheld n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n When we opened the premium lounge in Kuala Lumpur it was described as the First and Business Class Lounge. As we do not operate First Class flights to/from Kuala Lumpur, why build a First Class lounge? n n Name withheld n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n 6 Alex McGowan, Manager Product, replies: This is simply a naming convention. We call it “First and Business Class” for the clarity of Diamond Marco Polo Club members and passengers with onward connections in First Class – all of whom are eligible for First Class lounge access where it is available. Christine Zhu, Product Manager, Inflight Communication & Entertainment, replies: Providing a dedicated channel to provide information on filling out the landing forms is a good idea, but with our existing limited capacity we would prefer to concentrate on content which is more relevant to the majority of passengers. We would also need to source the material as we do not have suitable footage at hand. Email reservations Could the Reservations email addresses for all the outports be made available on the contact page on the Cathaypacific.com website? As the AKL Reservations email address is on the website we often receive messages from passengers from other outports which have no local email contact. Phillip Alves AKL Mary Chan, Worldwide Reservation & Ticketing Manager, replies: The team sizes of the various CX/KA outports vary and some are as small as one or two people. To publish the email address of every single Reservations & Ticketing office might not prove to be operationally viable and would Numbered confusion I met a visitor to Cathay City who was unable to find the conference room he was supposed to be in despite having the number written on his visitor ID. The visitor ID said N603, which translates to meeting room N6.3, but he wasn’t able to understand the numbering system. I have noticed some colleagues also have the same problem. Would it help if the roombooking system shows the actual room numbers? Jacky Yeung PNL Jerry Tam, Building & Facilities Manager, replies: Although the current system has been in use for a long time, we appreciate this feedback. We are coordinating with IMT for the booking system to display the actual meeting room numbers. The front desk staff will also be asked to issue visitor IDs with the proper room numbers. The online poll Last month we asked “Should Cathay Pacific increase the appeal of CSR volunteer activities by offering a form of compensation?” You answered: Yes, CSR activities are company branded and compensation should be offered Yes, but only after a certain level of commitment has been shown No, it’s a personal choice to take part in volunteer activities 0 10 20 30 Check out the CX World website and Daily News on IntraCX for next month’s poll question. 40 % Guangzhou boosts hub role The Grand Hyatt Guangzhou was the scene for a celebration on 21 October when Dragonair’s Guangzhou service was officially launched. KA CEO James Tong welcomed the guests who included the Director General & General Secretary of Communist Party Central & Southern KA BRIEFS n New CCD head Grace Lee will join Dragonair as Head of Corporate Communication on 4 January 2010, arriving from the Hong Kong Design Centre where she is Marketing Director. Grace is a well-rounded marketing and communications professional with solid experience in the public and private sectors. n Check-in counters on the move Dragonair moved its counter operations at Hong Kong International Airport to Aisle H in the Departure Hall of Terminal 1 on October 25. All check-in counters, bag-drop counter, CUSS machines and the Marco Polo Club/Asia Miles Service Desk were relocated. n Disney kids’ kits Regional Administration of CAAC Liu Yajun, other government officials, agents and MPOs. A number of senior KA and CX management also attended including Director Sales & Marketing James Barrington and General Manager China Sam Swire. The twice-daily service, operated by A320 and A321 aircraft, was launched on 14 September and James Tong says load factors so far have been “satisfactory and up to expectations.” “As expected, more than 90% have been sixth-freedom passengers with the majority of traffic being to/from North America, the Middle East and South West Pacific,” he says. “The route has helped strengthen Hong Kong’s aviation hub status by offering improved connectivity between the Pearl River Delta region and the rest of the world.” First Mainland China port still seeing room to grow In 1985 Xiamen became the first Dragonair port in Mainland China, with the launch of chartered flights from Hong Kong. A permanent office was setup in 1990. The route has since grown to 18 passenger flights a week and two weekly freighter charters operated by Cathay Pacific. Ken Chiu was appointed Xiamen Port Manager in August 2009 having spent the previous two years at CX in Cargo Planning. The 30-person Xiamen team not only takes care of Xiamen sales and operations but also provides support to other Southern China ports. “The Xiamen travel market has seen a lot of changes since 1985 with the growing economy of Fujian Province and the relax- ation of travel policies which has seen the outbound market developing rapidly,” Ken says. Ken says the inbound market is attracted to the city’s pleasant climate and many scenic spots, while several major annual events have also been heavily promoted to boost tourist traffic. “The Xiamen International Marathon attracts more than 20,000 participants with the course running through the more scenic sections of the city,” Ken says. “Xiamen also hosts more than 100 international and national exhibitions annually including the China Investment and Trade Fair and the Xiamen-Taiwan Trade Fair,” he adds. Ken says the corporate market is still growing as more interna- tional and Chinese enterprises open offices in Xiamen and surrounding areas. “There are also more than 10,000 students from Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, studying in Fujian. “More and more countries are relaxing their student visa requirements so the student market to Xiamen is expected to grow,” he says. “The seaman business also showed a healthy growth in 2009 and we are working with labour companies to look at ways we can further boost that market,” Ken says. Online sales is another area which is paying off with the team seeing an increase in both market demand and revenue growth from online customers, he adds. Two new Disney-themed children’s kits have been launched inflight for the enjoyment of younger passengers. The fun packs, now available on the majority of Dragonair flights, are distributed to children aged three to eight and feature two popular Disney themes – Mickey’s Toon Town and Stitch. n Crab delights for November Dragonair has introduced a special crab roe seasonal menu to mark the annual hairy crab season. The dishes will be served to First Class passengers on outbound flights from Hong Kong to Shanghai and Beijing until the end of November. XIAMEN RISING: Healthy business prospects for Ken Chiu (middle back row) and the XMN team. KA People Taking service to the next level Moving back to Hong Kong after four years at an outport is challenging enough without also joining a different airline in a completely different role, but Assistant General Manager Inflight Services Suzanne Wong has taken it in her stride. Suzanne started her career with Cathay Pacific in 1999 and has joined Dragonair as her eighth posting. “I’ve worked in various departments in sales and marketing as well as in outport offices in Bangkok, Cebu and Vietnam,” she says. “My previous posting was in Ho Chi Minh City as Country Manager Vietnam.” Suzanne joined Dragonair in August and calls the change “refreshing.” She says the biggest challenge is how she can help take Dragonair’s already excellent inflight service to even greater heights. “How do we take something that’s great and make it even better – without losing what made it great in the first place? The second question is what does ‘even better’ look like?” Suzanne says. Outside the office, Suzanne loves to travel and experience as many different cultures as possible. Another passion is pottery, and Suzanne keeps an example of her work on her desk – a water jug with a specially designed cup that fits neatly into the spout. “What I like about pottery is the creativity, flexibility and attention to detail required. With a bit of thought, simple objects can become works of art,” Suzanne says. 7 Teams looking forward to better, faster functionality when new system comes online Getting ready for PSS Tom Owen General Manager Revenue Management Work on the huge Passenger Services Systems (PSS) project is now well underway, with teams from CX and system provider Amadeus busy developing a replacement for the airline’s ageing CUPID and CUPAC reservations and check-in systems. CX World spoke to a number of those who will be affected by PSS to find out what their expectations are and what they foresee the challenges will be. The CUPID system has served us well for 30-plus years, so we are looking forward to a system with enhanced functionality to streamline and accommodate the ever-growing demand and complexities in revenue management operations. A core team was set up in REV and initial training on the new system is complete. We are now looking at how our current procedures, carried out within CUPID, will need to change to get the best out of the new system. Another key focus is the linking of our PROS revenue management system, which optimises the allocation of space across the network, to the new PSS system. This is a considerable challenge requiring detailed analysis, architectural changes and design. Finally we are working with the PSS project team to build a system to ensure our revenue integrity checking continues to be robust, as CUPID has been used to do this in the past. Peter Langslow General Manager Airports The change to PSS will be a huge undertaking for the company as a whole, and our departure control system (DCS) function will be one of the key, operationally critical pieces. The airports-related parts of the PSS project have been proceeding well, thanks to the substantial expert resources already committed to the PSS team. The amount of effort and resources required from AHQ will increase as we approach the cutover. We will all have to learn a new system and adjust to new DCS functionalities and, in some cases, have to change our business processes. But PSS will enable passenger handling according to individual customer value and offer the opportunity for improved service standards, especially in respect of service recovery and disruption management. Mary Chan Worldwide Reservations & Ticketing Manager This project will affect the way we perform our R&T activities and how our staff interact with customers on both the selling and servicing sides. The impact of this migration on on R&T staff colleagues will be immense. Staff will need to be retrained on all functionalities, so we will also be able to make use of the opportunity to design our workflow and review our work processes. Our work on PSS has gone well so far and we’ve been able to deliver all major milestones according to schedule. After an initial period of exploration and adaptation – with a few disagreements along the way! – we now have dedicated resources being assigned to take up project coordination, system design, development and testing work. We will face more challenges and will need strong commitment to make the implementation a success. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Simon Ng Manager Distribution PSS is probably the largest change project in the last decade! Currently, CUPID processes 50,000-90,000 segments every day, so any major problem during the transition process would mean a revenue loss. Many colleagues from various departments will be working day and night to facilitate a smooth implementation and we’ll need to be prepared for problems and be proactive in getting them fixed. We are looking for further commitment from all frontline and back-office colleagues. We need to embrace the business process changes that may be required in the new era and determine how to utilise the new systems to gain a winning edge for CX. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Clean sweep for Lantau beaches It’s amazing the amount of rubbish that can be found on beaches these days, as more than 60 CX Volunteers discovered one sunny Saturday morning in October when they participated in a worldwide coastal cleanup event. Staff descended on Tong Fuk rocky beach and the Shui Hau flats on Lantau Island and spent four hours collecting around 900kg of rubbish including plastic bags, clothing/shoes, food wrappers/containers, straws, 8 glass bottles and rope. Purchasing’s Michael Pratt says the event gave CX staff a great opportunity to do something really worthwhile and make a contribution to improving the environment in one small part of Hong Kong. “We were able to see firsthand how much rubbish is washed up on the coastline, and by helping to clear up the garbage we were able to give something back to the community,” he says. “It’s fantastic that the volunteers care enough about Hong Kong to want to make a difference, and CX should certainly participate in more of these events in the future.” Emergency Response Development Executive Danny Chow says he took part because he wanted to make a difference in the community. “Events like this are an example of the improvements which can be achieved if we all pitch in and help to improve our natural environment,” he says. The International Coastal Cleanup is ongoing in more than 100 countries around the world to help raise awareness about the impact of trash in the ocean. n n n n n n n n n n n Branding rights Staff campaign to raise awareness on proper use of the corporate logo It’s the most ubiquitous sight at Cathay Pacific – the “brushwing” symbol resembling a stroke of a calligrapher’s brush that carries the airline’s name all over the world. The symbol was first seen by the public on the tail of Cathay Pacific’s first A330 in 1994. A special edition of Discovery magazine coincided with the launch and explained the design concept behind the logo. The new corporate symbol was meant to carry CX into the 21st century and appeal to the growing number of international passengers. It took three years of market research, company soul searching and painstaking consideration before the final East-meets-West “brushwing” design was decided upon. The feedback from focus groups at the time described the design as “visibly refreshing, very distinctive and (having a) pleasing appeal”. The calligraphy was also thought to be a “unique” way of depicting a bird in flight, as well as looking “handmade” and therefore having a more personal touch. Since then the corporate symbol has been depicted on everything from aircraft and check-in counters to tickets and marketing collaterals such as rugby balls and umbrellas. But Marketing Services Manager Daniel Heung says he has seen an increasing n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n trend for the logo to be used incorrectly, so a corporate identity campaign is now underway to help staff realise the importance of using the logo in the right way. “It’s a simple matter of brand integrity and a consistency of brand image that has to be maintained,” he says. “The most common errors are using the wrong colours such as a lighter green, altering the proportion between the ‘brushwing’ and the text, or using an incorrect font,” Daniel adds. Differences tend to occur because staff copy the logo and then adapt it to their purposes, but Daniel stresses that usage guidelines and correct logos are all available on the Sales & Marketing section on IntraCX for staff to follow. As part of the campaign, each outport has nominated a Corporate Identity Representative who will be responsible for keeping an eye out for logo misuse and following up, but Daniel would like all staff to take a more proactive role. “There is a form on the Marketing website which staff can submit along with a photo of the item or they can even send a sample direct to us,” he says. As part of the campaign, a fun “logo hunt” will be held throughout Cathay Pacific in December to help increase staff awareness. More information will be announced via Daily News. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n LOGO NO-NOS n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n 9 Blockbuster movies, blankets and breakfast Survey helps give a clearer picture of what CX customers truly value Every month the Reflex survey reveals what passengers think about their travel experience with Cathay Pacific – but what do customers really value when they travel with the airline? This was a question posed during the strategy review, and it’s now being addressed through a project run by the Product Department. Over a two-week period in August, Reflex was replaced by a different survey asking passengers how they felt about the various services offered by the airline. “The purpose of the survey was to evaluate what customers really value so that we can focus our efforts and investments in those areas,” says Manager Product Alex McGowan. The survey questions covered all variable aspects of the inflight experience asking passengers to assess how the provision of those products and services made them feel – and how they would feel if they were not available. The responses were categorised by class of travel and haul, with long-haul being split further into day and night flights. A similar-style survey was also run on the ground, asking questions relating to the airport experience. ASSESSING VALUE: Product’s Alex McGowan. “We got back a propositions early next year.” detailed report split into The team already has a much various sub-categories and we’ve clearer idea of which product and been able to burrow into the list of service elements customers cannot things we provide in some detail,” live without. Alex says. For example, in Business Class “For phase two we will distil down passengers seem to really value bethe findings into a set of core propoing able to speed through the airsitions based on class and haul and port but relax in a lounge with hot run an online survey testing those Noodle soups make a splash First and Business Class passengers can now enjoy the authentic taste of Chinese noodles, with a menu of 14 Signature Noodle Soups on offer. Catering Manager Planning & Concept Design Brendan Duffy says the noodle soups are available on selected mainly long-haul flights ex Hong Kong as an inflight snack. “They are being promoted as a ‘Signature’ dish. After January, they will no longer have that branding but will still be available inflight,” Brendan says. The 14 Signature Noodle Soups include shrimp wonton noodles, braised pork and preserved vegetable with rice noodles, barbecued duck with lai fun noodles, Sichuanese dan dan noodles, deep-fried shui gow noodles and beef curry with ho fun noodles. Two media events were held in October to introduce the noodles to local food writers who all provided anonymous feedback after sampling nine of the dishes. The Sichuanese dan dan noodles scored high with a rating of 4.29 on the 5-point scale. Writing in Eastweek magazine, reporter Leung Ka-kuen said he liked seeing the effort that goes into preparing the noodles inflight. “I liked the textures of the dan dan noodle and the braised beef shank dish – also the fact that the noodles are supplied by a manufacturer that specialises in Italian pasta!” he wrote. Lau Kin-wai from the Hong Kong Economic Journal said: “Given there are so many constraints in preparing inflight meals, it’s nice to see the original taste of the lai fun and rice noodles was retained.” DINING PLEASURES: (from left) Brendan Duffy, chef Kwan Sit-fu and Assistant Manager Catering Planning Tony Kiang. 10 food and wireless Internet. Inflight they really value being able to catch up on the latest blockbuster movies. “They love the duvets we introduced with the new product but seem to want simpler, less fussy food – and definitely a hot breakfast,” says Alex. At the same time, the survey revealed that extras such as a limousine service were not particularly valued or expected. “The basics are that the majority of passengers in all classes can’t accept even the smallest cosmetic defects in our cabins,” says Alex. “This could mean spending more in some areas and less in others. At least we can be confident that we are spending money on things that our passengers truly value – things that will influence airline selection and increase customer loyalty.” Relationship sealed with co-brand card ON THE CARDS: At the launch ceremony of the co-brand card are (from left) BOC’s Zhu Ling, BOC’s Ling Hai, CX’s Sam Swire, BOC’s Vincent Chiang, Paul Loo and China Union Pay’s Jeff Wang. CPLP and the Bank of Communications launched a co-branded Asia Miles credit card on 14 October targeting frequent business travellers with residency in China. Speaking at a press ceremony on 14 October in Shanghai, General Manager CPLP & CIS Paul Loo highlighted the relationship between Asia Miles and the Bank of Communications for the past four years. “We have long since recognised the need to provide a cobranded credit card which offers frequent flyers the ease of earning miles for redeeming airline tickets,” he said. Paul said the card application target for the first year was 20,000. Coinciding with the launch, Asia Miles roadshows were held in prominent districts in Shanghai and Beijing for several weeks in October with more than 1,500 new Asia Miles members being recruited. Recognition for green strategy The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) acknowledged Cathay Pacific’s environmental efforts by naming it “Best Environmental Performance Airline 2009” at an awards ceremony in Beijing in October. “The award is a recognition that we are moving in the right direction and a vote of confidence in the importance that CX has placed on addressing environmental and sustainability challenges,” says Head of Environmental Affairs Mark Watson. General Manager China Sam Swire was on hand to accept the award from CAPA Executive Chairman Peter Harbison (above). It has been a significant time for the Environmental Affairs Department as CX put its full support behind the pledges made in June by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to commit to carbon neutral growth for the industry. “CX has done a lot in this area over the past year,” says Mark. “We were at the forefront of work undertaken by the industry in calling for a global sectoral approach to addressing aviation emissions – a leadership role we were happy to see IATA taking up.” The next major event will be the United Nations Climate Change Convention in Copenhagen in December where IATA will be reiterating the collective targets for the industry – namely to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5% each year until 2020, carbon neutral growth from 2020, and an aspirational goal to reduce net carbon emissions by 50% by 2050, compared with 2005. THE TRUTH ABOUT AVIATION • Aviation, its supply chain and the spending of employees in these businesses support more than 15 million jobs and US$1.1 trillion of GDP worldwide. • If additional industries that depend on air transport were taken into account, these figures would be even higher. For example, by just including air transport’s contribution to tourism the figures grow to over 33 million jobs and US$1.5 trillion of GDP. Source: Airbus-commissioned Oxford Economics report A Nippon experience CANADA Cargo team takes top CIFFA award TRIPLE HONOUR: Proudly displaying the three CIFFA awards are (from left) Cargo Supervisor George Tsang, Cargo Manager Western Canada Bruce Spencer and Cargo Supervisor Frankie Ng. The UK team held a cocktail reception at the fashionable Shanghai Blues restaurant to thank industry partners for their ongoing support. Hosted by General Manager Europe Philippe de Gentile Williams (pictured left), guests at the event included agents from the main leisure and corporate accounts. “Our trade partners are very important to us and it was a great opportunity to get everyone together,” Philippe says. Charity for Ramadan To mark the holy month of Ramadan, the United Arab Emirates team organised a charity collection to provide items for lessfortunate residents in Dubai (left). On 17 September, the team took the items, including food and toiletries, to distribute at one of the city’s labour camps. Also in September, Sales and Marketing Manager UAE and Oman Satish Shitut took a group of Dubai travel agents on a fam trip to Hong Kong and Macau. The group visited tourism landmarks in both SARs and had a taste of the vibrant street activity in Hong Kong (left). INDONESIA Relief effort for earthquake victims MAJOR CONTRIBUTION: The Toronto sales team, (from left) Ross Cronin, Denny Cheng, Tom Rapin and Jane Rooney, have helped keep the route strong. 12 Cathay Pacific won the grand “Carrier of the Year for 2009” award from the western region of the Canadian International Freight Forwards Carrier Association (CIFFA) at a gala award night on 2 October. The awards were voted by members of the industry in western Canada to honour the carriers serving the freight forwarding community. CX also picked up the “Best Carrier to the Far East” award for the fourth consecutive year and the “Best Carrier to Australia/New Zealand 2009” award, also for the fourth year in a row. Getting the blues UNITED KINGDOM Like every other territory in the CX network, Canada has been through a challenging year. Despite achieving record passenger load factors at times, fare cuts by competitors and a tightening of corporate travel policies both served to drive down yield to levels well below previous years. “The best news is that things seem to have stabilised,” says Alex Shum, Vice President Canada. Working in Canada’s favour is the fact that its economy is not as financially driven as in others parts of the world, though the country’s consumers – both leisure and corporate – remain cautious spenders. “‘Best price’ will definitely take priority over value/brand throughout the recovery period,” Alex says. The team has been buoyed by “VFR” (visiting friends and relatives) Chinese travellers together with Canada’s large base of loyal MPO and Asia Miles members. In Toronto, back-end loads have remained in the 90%-plus range, helped by the non-stop service on the 777-300ER. “We have seen competitor traffic switching to CX because of attractive Business Class offers, but the yield was such that overall front-end revenue has remained fairly flat,” says Alex. Vancouver to Hong Kong remains extremely competitive, with nine Asian carriers plying the route and pricing plunging to record lows in 2009. In the “best price” environment, the team has seen a reduction in third- and fourth-freedom market share, though the overall route contribution remains strong. “Kudos to the team as the Toronto route has been a top-five contributor for most of 2009 and in some months all Canadian flights were in the top 10,” says Alex. “More importantly, we have shown efficiency gains in terms of revenue per ASK.” Alex says brand awareness in Canada and CX’s two gateway cities remains relatively strong, “and our sales teams continue to exploit every opportunity to increase yield and leverage the extensive CX/KA network”. On the cargo side, business has remained relatively stable in 2009, though there is still no sign of any sustained upturn. “However, it’s worth noting that we had an extremely good cherry season ex-Vancouver with a 52% increase on the tonnage uplifted in 2008 – a great accomplishment when the season runs for just two months in summer,” says Alex. With a return to a more stable pricing environment in the last quarter, including strong demand for front-end seats, albeit at lower yield, Alex says the team remains “cautiously optimistic” as 2009 draws to a close. The CX Tokyo team took part in the 16th Nippon to Asobo (have fun with Japan) event from 13-14 October at the Byodoin temple in Kyoto. The event was one of the activities in the 2009 Japan and Hong Kong Tourism Exchange Year as well as commemorating the 1,300th anniversary of the Nara Heijo-kyo Capital. Cathay Pacific helped sponsor the flights for Hong Kong-based journalists and well-known actor Terence Yin to attend. The evening included an auction to benefit the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and a cultural exchange performance using Japanese instruments. A Japanese-style dinner (right) was held afterwards attended by Diamond Marco Polo Club members Mr and Mrs Yamaji, General Manager Japan Simon Large and an apprentice geisha. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Canada team meeting the challenge JAPAN news focus The CX teams in Indonesia dug deep to help victims of the Sumatra earthquake. Staff in Jakarta, Denpasar and Surabaya contributed 29 boxes of clothes and raised 10.1 million rupiah, with another five million rupiah donated from the social fund. The money was given to Yayasan Asa Pradana which aids victims of natural disasters. “The team has been deeply touched by the response from all Indonesian staff to the earthquake appeal,” says Country Manager Indonesia Rob Bradshaw. “The money raised will make a real difference to many devastated lives in the Sumatran province.” Port people Stars come out for office anniversary HORSING AROUND: Ilka and RDA pony Brown Sugar bond during her visit to Hong Kong. INDIA The Mumbai team celebrated the first anniversary of its new office on 1 October with a stream of movie stars attending. Staff got into the spirit of the evening by dressing as characters from famous Hollywood and Bollywood films. Edward Scissorhands mingled with Captain Jack Sparrow and the cast of the Wizard of Oz, while the ladies’ favourite was definitely a dapper-looking James Bond. The Airport, Cargo, Finance and Customer Sales teams put on a series of skits and dances, with the Cargo team winning the audience vote by a landslide. Ilka’s patchwork zoo Winner of last year’s RDA Pony Naming Competition, Sales Support Officer – C&P Ilka Goldschmitt, not only has a thing for horses, the animal lover also keeps a wide variety of other pets at home in Frankfurt. She owns four ponies – two for riding and two to draw a carriage when she goes for long rides – two cats, 11 rabbits and more than 30 hens. “I wish I had a dog too, but a dog needs too much attention, which is simply not possible if you work full time,” says Ilka. With so many animal friends under her charge and a fulltime job, Ilka says there is not much time left to do anything outside “pet care”, which her boyfriend Georg helps with. “The question for us is not ‘what are we doing tonight?’ but rather ‘which pet needs the most attention?’” she jokes. But no matter how much work her pets cause, Ilka says being with them is the best stress reliever in the world. “After an exhausting day at work, I can sit on a bale of hay with a purring cat resting next to me and listen to the horses munching away. “As the snow starts to fall, you cannot imagine how peaceful it becomes,” she sighs. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n 13 One minute with... Samuel Lo, Flight Data Analyst 1. As a photography fanatic and CX Camera Club chairman, what is the best part of seeing the world through a lens? You can crop out all the rubbish. 2. Is there such a thing as an idiot-proof camera? No, there are only easy-to-use ones with basic operations. Idiots don’t use cameras! 3. What got you interested in taking photos of planes? Seeing the aircraft against the night lights of Hong Kong. 4. Kai Tak was a wonderful place to take photos of planes. Which other airport would you recommend for a good aircraft shot? Congonhas (CGH) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 5. Planes aside, what is the most photogenic place in Hong Kong? Sai Kung East Country Park. 6. You vs (CCD photographer) David McIntyre. Who’s the best snapper? Alfonso bounces back for Asian games The upcoming East Asian Games, which get underway in Hong Kong on 5 December, will mark a comeback for Alfonso Bibi Cordero. In October 2006, the hockey player – a Flight Purser with CX – busted his knee and was out of the sport for a long time. Determination and hard work have enabled him to bounce back, and now he’s keen to do Hong Kong proud in the upcoming games. “My mum told me I first picked up my uncle’s hockey stick at the age of three, and I still have a great passion for the game,” says Alfonso. In 1991, at the age of 16, he was selected for the Hong Kong team, playing against Macau in the annual interport event. His most memorable tournament was in 1998 when Hong Kong defeated Singapore 4-2 to lift the Asian Hockey Federation Cup on home soil. Come December, the all-amateur Hong Kong team will be up against regional opponents such as Korea, Japan and China, who all field fulltime professional players, and Chinese Taipei, whose team is drawn from the military. “I’d say we have a slim chance to get third or fourth place, but the fact we’re playing at home should be a big advantage,” says Alfonso, who currently trains at least three times a week in between flights. Joining him in the Hong Kong squad are HAS Load Controller Arif FANCY STICKWORK: Arif, Natalia and Alfonso will make their presence felt during the hockey matches at the East Asian Games. Ali and Flight Attendant Natalia Chu, who will serve as a hockey judge for the games. Natalia, who played for the Hong Kong Ladies Team in her university days, says she’s excited about her upcoming role. “Even though I won’t be playing, it is still an honour to contribute as an official in the games,” she says. Cathay Pacific is a Diamond Sponsor of the East Asian Games. Paper plane challenge a winner n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Hand-made projectiles were flying right, left and centre at the Dakota Sports Hall at lunchtime on 23 October as staff took part in the Paper Plane Flying Challenge. Organised by the Flight Operation Department’s Inter-Section Training Group and the Sunnyside Club, the event was designed to raise funds for the Club and have some fun along the way. Staff making a small donation of HK$10 received three pieces of paper and could then either follow tips from paper plane folding “experts” or use step-by-step instructions which showed how to make a wide variety of planes. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Two challenges were offered – the Flight Control Landing section saw fliers trying to land a plane on a simulated HKIA runway complete with paper boats in the “harbour”; while, in the Long Range Cruise section, staff simply had to make their planes fly as far as possible. Within minutes of starting, planes of all shapes and sizes were gliding through the air as enthusiastic staff tested out every possible aerodynamic form. Proving that they also know something about the paper variety of aircraft, staff from Flight Ops emerged victorious, collecting all three prizes in the Flight Control n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Landing event. ICM Patterns Manager Joyce Choy took first place while Training & Schedule Coordinator – Airbus Mei Ling Kong came second and third. In the Long Range Cruise section, Inventory Operations Officer Patrick Ho was also a double winner, coming first and third, while Flight Planning & Navigation Manager Morgan Ng came second. Patrick says his winning plane was a simple one-wing effort that “still flew straight and far”. “When I was younger I liked to play with paper planes – they are simple but lots of fun,” he adds. n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Joyce says she was taught how to fold a plane by her father when she was only three. “I made one attempt and the plane landed smoothly on the ‘runway’ – it was very lucky!” she says. Morgan says he also used to make a lot of planes when he was younger and flew them all over the street. “I know how to fold a few types – some for hovering and some for straight flights,” he says. The one which proved a winner for him was a basic dart with one extra fold along the wing. The event raised a total of HK$5,000 for the Sunnyside Club. David is better. He photographs everything while I concentrate on aircraft. 7. As a scout leader, what would make a good boy scout motto for CX? Respect for equality and being fair when dealing with everyone. 8. You also like to go hiking – where is the best place in Hong Kong? The western side of Lantau Island such as Kau Nga Ling and Fan Lau. 9. What is your favourite holiday destination and why? Japan – new things, new technology, nice views and the people have a good attitude. 10. How many cameras do you take when travelling? Only two. One DSLR for high quality, which is heavy, and one compact DC, which is much lighter. 14 FLYING HIGH: Manager Strategic Planning & Support KY Cheng presents certificates to (from left) Morgan Ng, Mei Ling Kong, Joyce Choy and Patrick Ho (above). Mei Ling is shocked as her plane lands on the runway (left). Golden moments for CX tai chi team The CX Tai Chi Club had a resounding success at the 2009 Hong Kong Open Tai Chi Competition on 11 October taking home team and individual gold medals. Twenty-seven staff took part in the competition with the Ladies Team, comprised of Angela Ho (FIN), Christina Li (AHQ), Jackie Tse (WRT), Natalie Chow (EXO), Shirley Wong (ISD) and Tricia Seng (ISD), securing the gold medal in the Form 24 group event. Jackie and Tricia also received silver and bronze metals respectively for their participation in the Form 24 individual event. All the staff took part in the three-minute Traditional Tai Chi Performance competition, taking home a total of 21 gold medals, four silver and two bronze medals. The team also received the Grand Trophy for being the organisation with the most number of participants in the event. Tai Chi Club organiser Harty Baleros says: “The outstanding results are a great acknowledgement for all the staff who went through intense training to perform to such high standards. I would like to thank for all their active participation and commitment to the competition.” ff take a rabaya Airport sta PEAK MOMENT: Su ason. se Leberan peak breather during the IN STEP: SFO staff take part in the Race for the Cure breast cancer fundraising walk. WARR GAMES: Cabin crew runners fighting fit for the World Airline Road Race in Hangzhou in September. , Patrick Yeung, Sam ANNIVERSARY GALA: Erica Peng anniversary 60th a nd atte Miao Swire and Miao le. dinner at the Great Hall of the Peop TOP FORM: The victorious tai chi team and their trophies. The Quiz To celebrate the world premiere of the live-action movie Ben 10 Alien Swarm on Cartoon Network on 28 November, we have five Ben 10 packs for lucky prize winners. Based on Ben 10 Alien Force, Ben 10 Alien Swarm follows teenage hero Ben Tennyson as he breaks ranks from the Plumbers (a secret organisation that battles alien forces) to help Elena, a mysterious young woman, uncover an alien threat. Joining him on his adventures are his cousin Gwen and friend Kevin, superpowered heroes in their own right, who must trust each other’s instincts to help save the day. Ryan Kelley (Letters from Iwo Jima) stars as 15-yearold Ben Tennyson, who, armed with the Omnitrix, can transform into 10 different aliens. The pack contains a ballpoint pen set, an Alien Creation Transporter, a Swampfire keychain, a 3-zipper pouch and an Omnitrix Illuminator. Find out more at www.CartoonNetworkAsia.com. The winner of our second prize this month will receive a three-night stay in a superior villa at the Pullman Sanya Yalong Bay Resort & Spa. The property, which has a private beach, houses 78 rooms and 115 villas each with its own pool and indoor Jacuzzi. Visitors can enjoy playing at the adjoining golf course or visit the resort’s spa and fitness centre. Guests can enjoy international cuisine at Rive Gauche, Cantonese favourites at Le Chinois and delicious Indian dishes at Jaipur. There are also three bars including Azur which offers a selection of vitamin cocktails and juices; swim-up pool bar Lagoon with snacks and cool drinks; and evening lounge Soda. Find out more at www.accorhotels.com To enter, visit the online quiz entry form on the CX World site. The deadline is noon on Friday, 4 December. COLOUR CLASH: “Odd sock day” is a Friday tradition for CCD’s Kerry McGlynn. t in e helping ou ff celebrat ta S : S . EA S E Angeles SAVING TH ent in Los Cleanup ev the Coastal FESTIVE FLAIR: The BOM Town Office team wear traditional attire to celebrate the festival of Diwali. GOOD SPORTS : The CX Pakist an cricket team the tournamen at t organised by Galileo Pakist an. TAKING SHOTS: LHR engineers enjoy a BBQ and clay pigeon shooting on a lovely autumn day. CENTURY CLUB: AKL sta ff Maria Chow, David Figgins and Angela Hui celebr ate significant career milestones – combined their CX ser vice is more than 100 years. Coastal beauty Travel bites Lakes, waterfalls and delicious ice cream – Administration Supervisor Connie Choi discovers the splendour of Croatia I had heard the natural scenary in the former Yugoslavia was unbelievably beautiful so, when holiday time came around, I decided a visit to Slovenia and Croatia should be on the agenda. Croatia became an independent state in 1991. The country has a long coastline with more than a thousand islands dotted about and many old towns to explore. One must-visit destination is the Plitvice Lakes National Park. It was Croatia’s first national park and is a great place for hiking or taking photographs of the mountains, lakes and waterfalls. The park has 16 terraced lakes which are connected by a series of waterfalls. The clear water is full of vibrant colours turning this park into a natural wonderland. The lakes are divided into the Upper Lakes and the Lower Lakes and there are hiking routes of various lengths winding around them. The entrance ticket is 110 kuna (about HK$170) which includes bus and boat rides within the park. Many cities have an old town and the one in the coastal city of Dubrovnik should not be missed. It is surrounded by thick walls and, from the top, I had great views of the red-roofed town and over the Adriatic Sea. Another highlight of my trip was swimming at the Skradinski Buk (big waterfall) in the Krka National Park. The park is named after the River Krka and, after the swim, I strolled along the riverbank stopping for a relaxing glass of wine at one of the many restaurants. A trip to Croatia is not complete with trying the local ice cream. Stalls are located everywhere serving a variety of Italian gelato-style ice cream. As one delicious scoop only costs between HK$7-10 it’s a great reason to leave the diet at home! n Getting away Away Koh Kood resort in Thailand is offering Cathay Pacific staff special rates starting at 1,140 baht for Island Tent accommodation including breakfasts. Away Koh Kood is a hideaway on Koh Kood island featuring spacious luxury bungalow villas with private terraces and sea views from almost every room. Guests can enjoy a range of water-based sports or simply lie back and enjoy the serenity of the resort. More information on Travel Desk. n Shanghai dining easy as 1221 The Cathay Pacific City Guides features Air Crew Tips from staff. Resource Librarian Elli Mo recommends dining at 1221 Restaurant when visiting Shanghai. “This is low-profile, modern Shanghainese restaurant with reasonably priced food and wine,” she says. “There’s also an extensive menu in English designed especially to cater to European and Japanese customers.” Elli says the restaurant serves a range of Chinese favourites including dumplings, Peking duck and shredded pork served with scallions and pancakes. Call (86-21) 62136585/6213-2441 for reservations. To submit your own tips, go to www. cathaypacific.com/tips. The best tip from staff for the November/December period will receive a two-night stay for two at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. n Macau is driven The 56th Macau Grand Prix is being held on the streets of Macau from 19-22 November. Drivers from all over the world are expected to compete in the three major events – the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, the FIA World Touring Car Championship – Guia Race and the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix. Visitors can also enjoy watching a fashion show highlighting the 55-year history of the Grand Prix and show commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Macau SAR. Visit www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo SHOW US YOUR TIPS! STUNNING SCENERY: (clockwise from top) A water wonderland of lakes and waterfalls at the Plitvice Lakes National Park; a street scene in Dubrovnik’s Old Town, swimming among the waterfalls at Krka National Park; and an aerial view of the red-roofed Old Town. Snap happy HK$500 for a travel tale! Every month, CX World invites all CX staff to tell unusual, interesting or just downright quirky tales of travel moments around the world. Sponsored by Inflight Sales, the lucky sender of the main story receives HK$500 worth of inflight sales products of their choice from the ever-changing collection of over 260 items on offer (excluding liquor and cigarettes). Go shopping at www.cathaypacific. com/dutyfree 16 This month’s photo was taken by First Officer Richard Clausen and shows storm clouds brewing over Myanmar earlier in the year. “We were flying over Myanmar airspace when nature started putting on a fantastic light show for us,” Richard says. “My camera was looking out into a dark night and, as I was about to put it away, my finger slipped and I pressed the button. “At that exact moment the clouds were lit up by lightning. It was a real freak of nature!” he adds. The small white dot to the right is the moon beginning to rise. CX World welcomes staff travel tips from across the network – email us at CCD#SCT
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