A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacific Airways Bookings made easier Self-service push with new online tool news PRD opportunities explored Arabian adventure Dune bashing tests the bravest hearts travel Backyard business news Daniel indulges his passion for flying Chopper crazy who, what, where Page 4 Page 5 Page 14 Page 16 PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED PAPER THANK YOU! Airline applauds staff for response in helping to preserve cash May 2009, Issue 158 Chief Executive Tony Tyler described staff response to the Special Leave Scheme (SLS) as “fantastic”, saying the high sign-up rate will be a big help in the airline’s efforts to preserve cash dur- ing the current business downturn. By the deadline for giving consent on 10 May, almost 100 per cent of ground staff in Hong Kong and 99 per cent of outport staff had signed up for the scheme, while more than 96 per cent of CX cabin crew in Hong Kong had agreed to take part. At Dragonair, the figures were 100 per cent for all ground staff, more than 99 per cent for cabin crew and almost 96 per cent for pilots. At the time of going to press, almost 33 per cent of CX pilots had consented to the scheme – though their deadline has been extended to 18 May to take account of the fact that SLS is tied in with contractual issues that require more thorough consideration. “I cannot thank staff enough for their fabulous response,” Tony told CX World. “At this current time preserving cash has become our top priority and the staff costs we save as a result of the Special Leave Scheme will be a very big help.” Tony, however, reiterated that SLS will not make the airline bulletproof. “We are facing an enormous chal- lenge from the current business down- turn, and if the package of measures introduced last month doesn’t have the desired effect then we’ll have to think about doing more,” he said. CX announced on 17 April that it was They’re the heart and soul of Cathay Pacific reducing passenger capacity by 8 per cent and cargo capacity by 11 per cent with effect from May, in addition to in- troducing the SLS. Staff have been asked to take be- tween one to four weeks unpaid leave, with senior staff being asked to share more of the burden. The following figures, as of 10 May, include staff taking voluntary unpaid leave. Cathay Pacific HKG ground staff – 99.9% Countries – 98.7%* HKG cabin crew – 96.2% Basing cabin crew – 98.9%** Pilots – 32.7%*** Dragonair Ground staff –100% Countries – 100% Cabin crew – 99.2% Pilots – 95.9% * Excluding Italy and Germany which require a longer period for clearance in accordance with local laws. ** Excluding Canadian bases which require a longer period for clearance in accordance with local laws. *** Includes consent for SLS, ULV and COS changes. The deadline for CX pilots to make their decision is 18 May. How different staff groups responded to SLS BKK mission CX colleagues joined staff from other alliance carriers for last month’s oneworld humanitar- ian mission in Bangkok. • See page 9 Airline on alert Cathay Pacific responded quickly to ensure the safety of passengers and staff once the Influenza A (H1N1) alert was raised by the WHO. • See page 2 澳門 大嶼山 MACAU 珠海 中山 珠江口 ZHUHAI EN PANYU CHONGZHAN HK SHENZHEN SZX 龍華站 洪水橋站 虎門站 福田站 西九龍總站 廣深港鐵路 Existing GZ-SZ-HK Railway 前海站 Humen Hung Shui Kiu West Kowloon HKG Futian Longhua Qianhai 擬建深中通道 （海底通道） 擬建虎門二橋 HUMAN TOUCH: A new “mini-site” launched as part of the People & Service campaign highlights the customer-facing staff who help to make the CX experience special. • SEE PAGE 8
Transcript
A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacifi c Airways
Bookings made easierSelf-service push with new online tool
news
PRD opportunitiesexplored
Arabian adventureDune bashing tests the bravest hearts
travel
Backyardbusiness
news
Daniel indulges his passion for � ying
Chopper crazy
who, what, where
Page 4 Page 5 Page 14 Page 16
PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED PAPER
THANK YOU!Airline applauds staff for response in helping to preserve cash
May 2009, Issue 158 A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacifi c Airways
Chief Executive Tony Tyler described sta� response to the Special Leave Scheme (SLS) as “fantastic”, saying the high sign-up rate will be a big help in the airline’s e� orts to preserve cash dur-ing the current business downturn.
By the deadline for giving consent on 10 May, almost 100 per cent of ground sta� in Hong Kong and 99 per cent of outport sta� had signed up for the scheme, while more than 96 per cent of CX cabin crew in Hong Kong had agreed to take part.
At Dragonair, the � gures were 100 per cent for all ground sta� , more than 99 per cent for cabin crew and almost 96 per cent for pilots.
At the time of going to press, almost 33 per cent of CX pilots had consented to the scheme – though their deadline
has been extended to 18 May to take account of the fact that SLS is tied in with contractual issues that require more thorough consideration.
“I cannot thank sta� enough for their fabulous response,” Tony told CX World.
“At this current time preserving cash has become our top priority and the sta� costs we save as a result of the Special Leave Scheme will be a very big help.”
Tony, however, reiterated that SLS will not make the airline bulletproof.
“We are facing an enormous chal-lenge from the current business down-turn, and if the package of measures introduced last month doesn’t have the desired e� ect then we’ll have to think about doing more,” he said.
CX announced on 17 April that it was
Page 14
They’re the heart and soul of Cathay Pacifi c
reducing passenger capacity by 8 per cent and cargo capacity by 11 per cent with e� ect from May, in addition to in-troducing the SLS.
Sta� have been asked to take be-tween one to four weeks unpaid leave, with senior sta� being asked to share more of the burden.
The following � gures, as of 10 May, include sta� taking voluntary unpaid leave.
DragonairGround sta� –100% Countries – 100% Cabin crew – 99.2% Pilots – 95.9%
* Excluding Italy and Germany which require a longer period for clearance in accordance with local laws. ** Excluding Canadian bases which require a longer period for clearance in accordance with local laws.*** Includes consent for SLS, ULV and COS changes. The deadline for CX pilots to make their decision is 18 May.
How different staff groups responded to SLS
BKK missionCX colleagues joined sta� from other alliance carriers for last month’s oneworld humanitar-ian mission in Bangkok.
• See page 9
Airline on alertCathay Paci� c responded quickly to ensure the safety of passengers and sta� once the In� uenza A (H1N1) alert was raised by the WHO.
• See page 2
澳門
惠州
大嶼山
MACAU
珠海
江門
中山 珠江口
ZHUHAI
JIANGMEN
GUANGZHOU
DONGGUAN
PANYU
HUIZHOU
CHONGZHAN
HK
SHENZHENSZX 龍華站
洪水橋站
虎門站
福田站
西九龍總站
ZUHMFM
廣深港鐵路Existing GZ-SZ-HK Railway
前海站
新廣州站 (石壁站)
廣州站
Humen
Hung Shui Kiu
West Kowloon
HKG
Futian
Longhua
30km to
CAN
Qianhai
擬建深中通道（海底通道）
New Guangzhou (Shibi)
Guangzhou
港深機場鐵路
廣深港高速鐵路
港珠澳大橋
GZ-SZ-HK Express Rail Link
HKIA-SZX Rail Link
PRD Intercity Light Rail
HZM Bridge
珠三角城際鐵路
擬建虎門二橋
擬建蓮花山大橋
12.08.56.41.52.53.33.73.93.97.00.553.2
Population (million)Guangzhou: Shenzhen: Dongguan:Zhuhai: Zhongshan:Foshan: Jiangmen: Zhaoqing:Huizhou:Hong Kong: Macau: Total:
HUMAN TOUCH: A new “mini-site” launched as part of the People & Service campaign highlights the customer-facing staff who help to make the CX experience special. • SEE PAGE 8
2
Produced by CX’s Corporate Communication Department
7/F North Tower, Cathay Paci� c City, Lantau, HK
Publisher: Dane ChengManaging Editor: Mark Tindall
Fast action as fl u fear spreadsCathay Paci� c remains on high alert following the In� uenza A (H1N1) outbreak that has been grabbing headlines around the world since late April.
The airline instigated a series of measures (see panel, right) soon af-ter the World Health Organisation (WHO) gave its � rst alert on the outbreak on 25 April, setting up the Emerging Diseases Task Force two days later to spearhead the com-pany reaction.
The key role of the Task Force, with members drawn from key op-erational departments, has been to safeguard sta� and passenger safety and well being, all the time guided by expert opinion from bodies such as the WHO, the US Centers for Disease Protection, IATA, and the relevant authorities in Hong Kong.
“Our aim was to inform and edu-cate – as quickly and as widely as possible,” says Dr Rose Ong, Head of Corporate Medical Department.
“We wanted to maintain a bal-anced approach – protecting the airline’s operational integrity and brand, while at the same reassur-ing our sta� , customers and stake-holders.”
The WHO upgraded its alert as the spread of the virus became clear and at the time of press was on Phase 5, indicating “widespread human infection”.
Cases have declined and stabi-lised in Mexico, though there has been a steady rise in cases reported in the US, and Mainland China’s � rst con� rmed case was reported on 11 May. But Rose stresses the im-portance of putting the outbreak in perspective.
“In� uenza A (H1N1) is a pan-demic, but so far the symptoms are mild – not as severe even as regular seasonal � u,” she says.
“There’s a need to stay calm and keep the outbreak in context. For example, seasonal � u kills up to 500,000 people around the world every year – as of 12 May there are just 53 deaths from In� uenza A.
“This is nothing near as danger-ous as SARS or avian � u and I don’t believe it warrants the same sort of draconian measures in response.
There really does seem no end to the challenges we face at the mo-ment. As if having to deal with the biggest business downturn in our history was not enough, along comes the In� uenza A (H1N1) out-break which demanded a substan-tial – and rapid – response across the airline. As the saying goes, “It never rains, but it pours!”
The � u scare was not something we could ignore. SARS taught us many valuable lessons including the need to be fully prepared and have plans in place for an outbreak of this type.
Our teams did a lot of good work drawing up contingency measures which were all put into place with reassuring e� ciency.
We set up a cross-departmental task force as soon as the threat be-came clear and were able to keep passengers and sta� well informed about what action was being tak-en.
At the time of writing the threat appeared to be subsiding some-what, but that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down. It was reassuring to see both the World Health Organisation and ICAO put out clear statements that there was no rationale for air-travel re-strictions. I’m not sure the aviation industry could not have coped with any further sustained down-turn in business.
From our point of view there’s been no letup in the “perfect storm” – the fallo� in front-end business, the big yield drop in the back, a continued cargo slump and an adverse impact from the strong US dollar – that has been dragging down our business so far this year.
There doesn’t seem to be any signi� cant surge in bookings for the summer peak at the moment, which makes it all the more impor-tant to make sure we keep a tight rein on our costs.
On that subject, can I once again thank everyone in Cathay Paci� c and Dragonair who gave their con-sent for the Special Leave Scheme.
This is a very important part of our drive to preserve cash, and to receive such an overwhelming re-sponse says a lot about the dedica-tion and commitment of the team. I can assure you your support will not be forgotten.
Tony Tyler, Chief Executive
Message from the
Chief Executive
Flu measures taken by CX
• Emerging Diseases Task Force activated on 27 April, two days after the World Health Organisa-tion stated In� uenza A (H1N1) was “a public health emergency of international concern”.
• Company’s Business Continuity Plan tiered response enacted.
• Education and communication internally – information on In-traCX.com, sta� travel websites, crew notices, crew websites and also sent to outports.
• Education and communication externally – counter-top dis-plays, CX.com, CX Agents.com, corporate clients and media.
• Special in� ight announcement/health forms/video introduced on � ights.
• Extra in� ight personal protec-tive equipment uplifted.
• Aircraft hygiene measures en-hanced.
• CPCS/HAECO noti� ed on sus-pected cases.
• Catering hygienic measures en-forced.
• Sanitation measures increased at Cathay City.
• Mask-use policy implemented on 2 May and mask numbers in-creased in� ight.
• Contingency plans for possible company building quarantine.
“However, we do take the out-break seriously and I encourage all our sta� to keep up to date with what’s happening through IntraCX.”
In terms of masks, Rose stresses that, in line with IATA and WHO guidelines, they are not necessary unless a person is sick or dealing with sick people. “However, mask usage is still permitted for personal considerations among our front-line teams,” she adds.
CX learnt a lot from its experi-ence during SARS and avian � u and Rose says it helped to have the right plans and procedures in place for the latest outbreak.
“I think the action we took was measured and appropriate – and a good dry run for when the next big outbreak occurs,” she says.
Cathay Paci� c was one of 10 companies from Hong Kong and China to receive an Achievement Award from the Hong Kong Environmen-tal Protection Association on 29 April.
The Association was impressed with the airline’s longstanding dedication to minimising its environmental impact through various programmes, including the “FLY greener” carbon-o� set scheme.
Director Corporate A� airs Quince Chong was present to accept the award from Baptist University Associate Professor Jonathan Wong (pictured left).
“I am pleased CX’s environmental e� orts, internally and for various external initiatives, have been recognised by the HKEPA,” she says.
to receive an Achievement Award from the Hong Kong Environmen-
The Association was impressed with the airline’s longstanding dedication to minimising its environmental impact through various
Director Corporate A� airs Quince Chong was present to accept the award from Baptist University Associate Professor Jonathan Wong
“I am pleased CX’s environmental e� orts, internally and for various
3
New application puts airline ahead in the mobile worldCathay Paci� c customers have embraced the CX Mobile application with over 20,000 downloads since it launched in mid-April.
The application takes advantage of the capabilities of modern “smart phones” to give customers a range of useful features that enable a smoother experience when travelling on Cathay Paci� c.
The application works on all major smart phone brands including the iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile (with support for the latest Nokias and Sony Ericssons).
Passengers can use the application to check � ight arrivals and departures, check-in for their � ights, read about
the place they are � ying to using City Guides, and access all mobile services at m.cathaypaci� c.com.
Online Marketing Manager Ali Bullock says CX now leads the industry in terms of mobile
technology. “Other carriers have mobile
applications but they only support iPhones,” he says. “We extended it
to BlackBerry and Nokias to reach out to as many people are possible.”
The next phase will extend the mobile application to KA passengers
and will be available in simpli� ed Chinese. “Phase two will also include a link to
Google Maps,” Ali says. “There will be a link on the City Guides to get directions for making it easier to get around a city.”
Drive on to boost summer bookingsStill no sign of industry upturn as traditional peak approachesDespite talk of “green shoots” ap-pearing in the aftermath of the global economic downturn, the aviation industry remains downbeat about its prospects in the immedi-ate future.
IATA revealed that losses for the global airline industry topped $1 billion in the � rst quarter, noting that “airfreight appears to have bottomed out but passenger travel continues to shrink, particularly pre-mium”.
Cathay Paci� c actually recorded an 8 per cent increase in the number of passengers carried in April, but the � gure masks underlying trends – a continued front-end slump, low fares in the back driving down yield, and a negative currency impact – that are hurting the bottom line.
A recent report from Singapore
said that airfares have dropped to their lowest levels since the SARS outbreak in 2003.
For cargo, CX posted a 13.3 per cent drop in tonnage compared to April last year, while the depth of the slump in the Hong Kong market was underlined by HACTL � gures show-ing a 22.5 per cent tonnage drop for the month.
At CX and Dragonair, the high passenger loads seen in April tailed o� markedly in early May – usually a slack month.
The eyes of the commercial teams are now focused on the traditional upcoming peak months: July and August for leisure tra� c and Sep-tember-October for business travel.
General Manager Revenue Man-agement Tom Owen says advance bookings for CX and KA remain
signi� cantly down on last year in both cabins, especially in July and August.
“Potential passengers remain very sensitive to pricing levels while mar-ket sizes have withered due to the ongoing global recession,” he says.
“Yields remain under tremendous pressure due to aggressive compe-tition and signi� cantly fewer premi-um passengers taking our services.”
The In� uenza A scare impacted on group bookings to Hong Kong, especially from North Asia, “but the impact on other routes appears to be relatively mild, at the time of writing at least,” says Tom.
There’s no sign of any marked pickup in demand for premium traf-� c, “though it does appear the pre-vious rates of steep decline are now slowing,” he says.
CX welcomes HKIA charge cutsCathay Paci� c and other airlines operating at HKIA have been o� ered a 10 per cent reduction in both landing and parking charges until the end of 2009 – a move described as “timely” by Chief Executive Tony Tyler.
“As the biggest airline operator at Hong Kong International Airport, we appreciate all the savings we can get from the Air-port Authority and our other suppliers,” Tony said in a state-ment issued by CX.
The landing and parking charge reductions will result in savings of around HK$200 million for airlines, while Airport Authority Hong Kong’s total relief package – which includes rental deferrals – has been given a value of HK$450 million.
The AA stated that half of rental payments for airline loung-es, o� ce premises, counters and storage can be deferred for up to one year and repaid by interest-free instalments from April 2010 onward.
“We welcome the Airport Authority’s package of relief mea-sures,” said Tony. “It is essential for airlines and the airport to work closely together, especially in these challenging times, to underpin the competitiveness of the Hong Kong aviation hub.”
Vice Chairman of the Board of Airline Representatives in Hong Kong, Joe Ng, said the move “will help our members reduce operating costs in the midst of falling passenger de-mand and revenue brought on by the � nancial meltdown.”
In the midst of one of the steepest business downturns seen to date, CX has been working hard to win concessions or discounts from all suppliers and service providers.
A number of airports within the Asia Paci� c region have already slashed charges to help airline users weather the storm.
Malaysia introduced a two-year discount of 50 per cent on landing charges e� ective 1 April, while from 1 May to the end of 2009 Thailand has cut landing charges by 30 per cent.
Singapore, China and Taiwan are also o� ering a range of concessions.
■ CX all a-TwitterCathay Paci� c’s own global feed on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ca-thay_paci� c) is steadily building up a group of followers, despite no active promotion to date.
Around 650 people are getting regular updates through the social networking site.
Marketing is currently testing out two new feeds for the US and the UK which will be highly localised and very tactical to drive sales and promotions – more in the next issue of CX World.
■ Codeshare with AY to BrisbaneCX joined with oneworld alliance partner Finnair (AY) to code-share on � ights between Hong Kong and Brisbane from 8 May.
Finnair currently � ies daily to Hong Kong using an Airbus A340 aircraft.
CX and Finnair are also coop-erating on routes between Hong Kong and Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
■ More ways to earn with iShopAsia Miles members can now earn more miles through online shopping at the Asia Miles iShop, which features a range of popular online merchants from Japan, the US, the UK, Australia and China.
Asia Miles iShop can be found at www.asiamiles.com under Earn Miles > iShop. Product categories include books, electronics, cloth-ing and accessories.
■ Travel stations win awardsThe oneworld Travel Stations – interactive installations, o� ering travel-related lifestyle content and alliance information – were recently given a Silver Winner for Best Use of Technology from the US maga-zine Event Marketer.
The latest accolade comes on top of the Innovation Award received from the Netherlands’ Reisrevue travel trade magazine last October.
The Travel Stations can now be found at in Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa and Madrid, and will soon be introduced in New York JFK and Stockholm.
Briefs
Passengers can choose from more than
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video games infl ight every month
The application takes advantage of the capabilities of modern “smart phones” to give customers a range of useful features that
including the iPhone, BlackBerry
Ali Bullock says CX now leads the industry in terms of mobile
technology.
applications but they only support iPhones,” he says. “We extended it
to BlackBerry and Nokias to reach out to as many people are possible.”
The next phase will extend the mobile application to KA passengers
“In the Economy cabin the home market remains soft, although there may be a late pick up as potential customers hold out for further fare deals.”
“Also, the impact of direct cross-Straits � ights on our Taiwan busi-ness remains intense, especially in the premium segment.”
The current position is to ensure CX and KA remain the preferred choice for both leisure and busi-ness travellers by o� ering attractive fare products and leveraging o� the brand.
“Numerous initiatives are in place around the world to stimulate both premium and leisure demand while corporate teams continue to look for opportunities out of this crisis to enlarge our corporate base for the future,” says Tom.
4
Passengers get more controlSelf-service boosted by new online tool
Quality is key in learning moduleA core competency e-learning module has been launched on Learners World to help sta� better understand what the increased empha-sis on quality and consistency in every aspect of Cathay Paci� c’s operations means to them and how they can contribute.
The module, introduced by the Organisa-tion Development & Learning Group, presents a series of real-life case studies and scenarios and poses questions about the decisions be-ing made.
Head of Corporate Quality Graham Marsh believes the module is one all sta� should complete.
“It stresses the importance of consistency across all aspects of CX and applies to every-one, whatever their job is,” he says.
“The module is called ‘Be Consistent’ to em-phasise the importance of quality and consis-tency within each sta� member’s own area, as
well as across functions and departments. “Everyone in CX has a role to play in ensuring
quality and consistency, and this module aims to help people see the broader contribution their own actions can have,” Graham says.
He says the module is packed with a range of basic information about quality, and is an excel-lent resource to get sta� thinking about new and di� erent areas where quality and consis-tency can be applied.
“There’s almost four hours’ worth of content, which should more than satisfy even the most inquisitive of learners,” he says.
“Any inconsistency or variance represents a cost to the company whether it’s because the job needs to be repeated, reworked or where compensation is paid out.
“The bottom line is the more consistent the company is, the more e� cient it is, and the hap-pier its customers will be,” he adds.
The HKIA team was presented with the 2008 HKIA Customer Service Excellence Programme – Corporate Award on 20 April at a special ceremony held at Hong Kong International Airport.
The annual award programme is organ-ised by the Airport Authority Hong Kong and aims to reward airport frontline staff who have demonstrated exceptional cus-tomer service over the year.
The Corporate Award was voted on by the more than 200 organisations based at HKIA and this is the first year it was pre-sented.
Director Service Delivery Ivan Chu ac-
cepted the award from Airport Author-ity Hong Kong CEO Stanley Hui and Hong Kong Tourism Board Chairman James Tien.
Fourteen CX HKIA staff were also indi-vidually nominated for a Customer Service Excellence award.
General Manager HKIA Algernon Yau (pictured above with the CX nominees) ex-tended his gratitude to all the HKIA team for their hard work.
“I am very proud of the team in winning this award which is an acknowledgement of their dedication in always providing the best possible service to our passengers,” he says.
Passengers get more controlSelf-service boosted by new online tool
Team shows winning spirit
The e-Business team has launched Manage My Booking online, allowing all CX and KA passengers to view their booking details, view and change contact information and check any special requests which have been made.
Previously the service, the � rst phase of which launched on 29 April, was only available to Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles members.
Manage My Booking is especially useful during a service disruption as it enables passengers to view their � ight bookings and any � ight protection details as well as entering contact details to support proactive disruption communication.
The service allows passengers to view � ight and booking information, including special requests; update personal information; encourages Online Check-In; view accruable mileage; view and save the e-ticket receipt; save the itinerary to popular software calendars; link to redemption upgrade; show any booking related messages; show any disruption messages and other travel information.
Manager e-Business Lawrence Fong says
allowing passengers to retrieve their bookings, and proactively update their pro� les, frees CX sta� to help other passengers with more complicated requirements.
“Passengers can update their information anytime, anywhere without having to call our service sta� ,” Lawrence says.
Phase two, scheduled for rollout in the third quarter, will allow passengers to make online meal requests and other special requests.
“Phase three will allow for even more service requests including passenger alert services for cases like waitlist con� rmation or schedule changes,” he adds.
Passengers have responded positively to Manage My Booking with 8,000 logons within the � rst 24 hours from both Cathay Paci� c’s and Dragonair’s websites.
“Within the � rst four days, there were over 39,000 logons from passengers,” Lawrence says.
5
Cargo team celebrates two more awardsFreight-forwarders from around the world cast their votes for the “26th Cargo Airline of the Year” awards – and CX came out top in one of the main categories.
The airline was named Best Asia Paci� c Carrier at the “air cargo Oscars”, organised by Air Cargo News and held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 25 April.
Ray Jewell, Regional Manager Cargo Europe, was there to accept the award on CX’s behalf.
The voting for the awards – in which Emirates was named Cargo Airline of the Year – was audited
PRD potential realised ■ Pilot band CD launchHelium3, a band made up of CX pilots, releases its � rst CD on 6 June. It will be available in HMV in Hong Kong, on iTunes and at the CXcitement Shop.
The album, titled Skindeep, after the band’s previous name, was recorded profes-sionally and is being mastered by Pet Astley at Close the Edge studios in London who has worked with bands such as The Who and Tears for Fears.
■ Tax returns onlineSta� on the Hong Kong payroll can now � nd their Employer’s Tax Return for 2008/2009 on PeopleCX.
Go to the Employee’s Self Service section by clicking “Employee’s Home”, then select “View Tax Return Enquiry (Tax year 2009)”.
■ Betsy awards moved to JuneThis year’s Betsy Awards, origi-nally due to be held on 15 May, have now moved to June for logistical reasons.
The actual date of the cer-emony, to be staged in Cathay City, has still to be con� rmed.
A total of 16 stories of ex-ceptional service, involving 22 frontline sta� , went forward to a senior management judging panel at the beginning of May.
■ New CHL online booking for staffCX sta� and referrals can now book packages from Cathay Holidays Ltd (CHL) more easily and enjoy an instant discount.
For Instant Book Packages, bookings can be made directly through the CHL website with 5 per cent o� the listed pack-age price and bene� ts such as complimentary delivery of travel documents.
For Non-Instant Book Pack-ages, booking requests should be emailed to sta� o� [email protected]. The 5 per cent discount also applies.
Briefs
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aircraft models from January-April
1,382The CXcitement Shop sold
澳門
惠州
大嶼山
MACAU
珠海
江門
中山 珠江口
ZHUHAI
JIANGMEN
GUANGZHOU
DONGGUAN
PANYU
HUIZHOU
CHONGZHAN
HK
SHENZHENSZX 龍華站
洪水橋站
虎門站
福田站
西九龍總站
ZUHMFM
廣深港鐵路Existing GZ-SZ-HK Railway
前海站
新廣州站 (石壁站)
廣州站
Humen
Hung Shui Kiu
West Kowloon
HKG
Futian
Longhua
30km to
CAN
Qianhai
擬建深中通道（海底通道）
New Guangzhou (Shibi)
Guangzhou
港深機場鐵路
廣深港高速鐵路
港珠澳大橋
GZ-SZ-HK Express Rail Link
HKIA-SZX Rail Link
PRD Intercity Light Rail
HZM Bridge
珠三角城際鐵路
擬建虎門二橋
擬建蓮花山大橋
12.08.56.41.52.53.33.73.93.97.00.553.2
Population (million)Guangzhou: Shenzhen: Dongguan:Zhuhai: Zhongshan:Foshan: Jiangmen: Zhaoqing:Huizhou:Hong Kong: Macau: Total:
The recent strategy review highlighted the need for CX to build a stronger presence in the Pearl River Delta, home to some 45 million people…
While Cathay Paci� c has done a lot of work to build tra� c to and from the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, it was clear the airline still wasn’t doing enough to tap into the full business potential of the area ear-marked as China’s economic growth engine.
Some 45 million – more than six times the population of Hong Kong – live in the PRD, forming a poten-tially huge market for CX and KA.
In order to boost sales, both in-bound and outbound, and align Group activities in the region, the re-cent strategy review recommended the setting up of a “PRD supremo”
for the airline – a role that’s been taken up by James Tong, General Manager Sales PRD & HK.
One of the � rst challenges, says James, will be changing sta� ’s mindset towards the PRD.
“We’ve been treating the region like one of our outports, but in fact we should be viewing the PRD very much as our home market,” says James.
“When we treat it more like our home base we will begin to unlock
the full potential. We need to work harder to get more people think-ing about travelling through Hong Kong to reach their destinations.”
A lot is already happening in terms of building PRD sales, with better coordination of sales activi-ties from outports and a stronger focus on corporate and leisure sales in Guangzhou.
Dragonair plans to launch a twice-daily service to Guangzhou in September, giving a signi� cant boost to connectivity through HKIA, and James says there are plans to look at new opportunities to create a seamless travel experience and bring a high level of customer ser-vice to passengers.
“Connectivity is currently okay, but not perfect – there’s more we can do,” he says.
James heads a PRD core team,
with members drawn from key commercial departments, which meets regularly and has clearly de-� ned targets.
In addition to the CAN � ight and sales o� ce these include a PRD sales online setup, the creation of PRD experts in outport sales teams and generally building up the CX and KA brands and awareness in the region.
“And of course we have set clear revenue targets as we build our PRD presence,” says James.
“In the long-term there will in-evitably be more integration and much closer cooperation between Hong Kong and the PRD, and more competition is inevitable.
“We have to do a lot of work now to ensure we capture the bene� ts of growth in the region – it’s important not to be sidelined.”
PRD FAST FACTS• Size: 54,744 sq km (50
times the size of Hong Kong)
• Population: 45 million (6 times Hong Kong’s)
• GDP per capita: CNY 54,721 (more than 3 times national average)
• PRD average salary: CNY 32,949
Major infrastructure projects:• Guangzhou-Shenzhen-
Hong Kong Express Rail Link. 142km, 48 minutes, expected completion 2014-15
• Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge, 40km, 30 minutes, completion 2015-16
• PRD Intercity Light Rail – in progress, connecting all major PRD cities
by the British International Freight Association, with thousands of forwarders from around 90 countries voicing their opinion.
Earlier in April, CX took the Best Carrier to the Far East award at the 2009 Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association event.
This was the ninth year since 1999 for CX to take a CIFFA honour, with Cargo Manager Eastern Canada Kam Leung Au picking up the award on the airline’s behalf.
TEAM TRIUMPH: The UK Cargo team with the Air Cargo News trophy.
I’m impressed with the great sense of belong-ing displayed by CX sta� , especially during the time of crisis. The forward planning is also
good, which leads to high e� ciency in operations.
May Zhang, IMT
The integration at CX is incredible – there are 20,000 sta� of di� erent nationalities and cultural backgrounds. This con-tributes to the unique
corporate culture at CX.Wilson Jia, PNL
The company is people oriented and the sta� grow along with the airline.
Mark Yang, PNL
I can feel the strong at-tachment the sta� have to the company. They are proud of being at CX.
Ted Lu, FOP
I � nd the safety manage-ment at CX stems from the safety culture culti-vated inside the hearts of everyone here.
Steven Chen, FOP
The people are warm and friendly. I feel very comfortable!
Helen Kang, CCD
Working happily and living well – these are CX people!
Kevin Wang, CCD
Con� dent, optimistic and love their jobs – this is what CX people are like. These are qualities that can help overcome the current � nancial crisis.
Bill Zhang, IMT
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The online poll
CA secondees give their impressions of Cathay Pacifi c
Send us your feedbackWe welcome feedback from anyone in the CX network on any issue a� ecting 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.
I work in the Flight Training Centre and often see groups of school children observing the 777 � ight simulator in operation while listening to the tour guide provide interesting details – in Cantonese.
Shouldn’t the tours be conduct-ed in English, the international language of aviation?
It might impress upon the chil-dren the importance of develop-ing their language skills if they wish to pursue a career in the in-dustry.
Bob Gates FOP
Elsa Leung, Corporate Commu-nications Manager – Public Re-lations, replies: The Cathay Pacif-ic tour for visiting school groups is o� ered in both Cantonese and English and the schools are pre-sented with the language option when they make the booking.
As the vast majority of schools in Hong Kong are Chinese speak-ing, they normally choose the Chi-nese-language tour.
New cargo city?
With China’s continued trade and development expansion into vari-
ous parts of Africa and the sub-sequent increase in demand for cargo tra� c, has Johannesburg ever been considered as a future dedicated freighter destination?
Name withheld
Chitty Cheung, General Man-ager Cargo Planning & Opera-tions, replies: We are aware of the continuous expansion of trade between China and Africa and there are a number of plac-es in Africa worth exploring for freighter operations.
However, our current priorities are to improve the pro� tability of our existing � ights.
When considering whether to start a new service, we have to take a very cautious approach, especially in the current eco-nomic climate.
We shall continue to monitor the developments of potential new markets (and Africa is de� -nitely one of them) to ensure we do not miss out on any valuable opportunities.
Maximise aircraft We’ve been operating three daily � ights to Dubai since 1 October and one of them is the CX745 service.
Out of the daily � ights oper-ated as CX745, only three are continuing on to Bahrain, while the remaining four terminate in Dubai.
While I understand that we are being severely hit by the economic crisis, wouldn’t it help to boost earnings if we used the aircraft to � y return short-haul � ights within the area such as Doha and Cairo, rather than mak-
Star letter
Is SLS really a fair deal?Compared to the leave-without-pay scheme in 2003, the SLS scheme announced this year is an improvement in that the distribution of the burden appears fairer. However, within each sta� level, is it still fair?
A high proportion of Levels C and D+ sta� receive various � xed allowances which are close to or even exceed their basic sal-ary. The rest probably receive less than 50 per cent of their basic sal-ary in allowances.
The extremes in total allow-ances, which are not being in-cluded in the calculation for SLS, challenge the claim of fairness. Why should some sta� have their daily living expenses covered by these � xed allowances and others don’t? Is the company prepared to make SLS fairer?
Name withheld
Bob Nipperess, Employee Ser-vices Manager, replies: In draw-ing up the 2009 SLS scheme we reviewed a number of approach-es based on past experience as we wanted to make the scheme as acceptable as possible for all sta� .
In the end, the Company de-cided the principle of linking the scheme to job levels was fairer and more equitable.
Also, the deduction of salary using the same principles we ap-ply for calculating pro� t share for individuals is the more consistent and acceptable approach.
Because of the di� erences in employment terms for various groups of employees, we have to adopt an approach that will not complicate the matter.
Touring round Almost every day, Cathay City is host to school tour groups, which is a great way for the airline to showcase its facilities and opera-tions.
Last month we asked you “Has the CX response been su� cient in light of the In� uenza A outbreak?” You answered:
Check out the CX World website and Daily News on IntraCX for next month’s poll question.
ing the aircraft sit on the ground for almost 12 hours before its re-turn � ight to Hong Kong?
Godwynne GallardoMNL
Frank Wong, Planning Projects Manager, replies: Making use of ground time to generate ad-ditional revenue makes sense. In the case of CX745 those � ights do have long ground times in DXB, and extending these � ights to other Middle Eastern destina-tions is being considered.
But, aside from basic demand and supply, other important issues we need to consider in-cludes setup costs, whether we can expect to generate not just revenue but importantly pro� t over the short, medium, and long term (especially if we consider a scheduled service rather than charters), tra� c rights, opera-tional availability and concerns over and whether the route com-plements well with the overall CX network.
Spruce up Travel DeskI requested a few months ago that the default view on the “Find a Flight” function on Travel Desk be changed to show the avail-ability and I am very pleased to see this change has now been incorporated.
May I ask for another improve-ment? When viewing saved trips in the trip planner, it would also be more convenient to see the availability for these � ights in-stead of having to click on each � ight individually.
Paul WhiteAHK
Bob Nipperess, Employee Ser-vices Manager, replies: We would be happy to discuss the matter with the IMT team, and, subject to available resources, we will endeavour to introduce the changes as soon as possible.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Yes, the airline has taken the right steps and kept everyone fully up to date on what’s happening
I think more could have been done to keep us informed
There was too much information – the whole Infl uenza A threat was overblown anyway
If life had taken a slight twist, then Assistant Gen-eral Manager In� ight Ser-vices Christine Liu would be sitting in a counsellor’s o� ce listen-ing to pa-tients. Instead she tackles di� erent issues every day relating to the more than 1,300 KA cabin crew.
“I handle all crew-related issues from service standards and procedures to training and cabin crew relations – a vast area to cover,” she says.
Christine graduated from Hong Kong University with a degree in Psychology and says she did con-template a career as a psychologist.
“But I thought I should get some work experience before I got involved in counselling in order to help me understand how the patients are thinking and feeling,” she says.
So Christine joined CX as a Management Trainee and loved it so much she never left. She worked in various departments including IMT, MKT, RUBIC, REV, CGO as well as a stint in Bangkok, before join-ing KA ISD in November 2008.
Christine says the biggest challenge in her cur-rent role is � nding a balance between the well being of the crew community and the company’s decisions and expectations.
“The challenge is to know what crew are thinking and make decisions that meet their needs. There are over 1,300 cabin crew whose interests and needs vary, and who obviously travel a lot so a lot of communication is required to get their feed-back,” Christine says. “
“I try to use every channel possible to communi-cate with them. One way is the crew forums where we meet with 40-odd crew at a time, talk to them about their concerns and get their feedback.
“I also aim to � y on KA � ights at least once a month and have gatherings with the crew when we stay over in outports. And we have a crew relations team who act as a liaison and pass on any ideas and feedback.”
Sun still shining on SanyaThe decision to reduce the number of frequencies to the southern Chinese city of Sanya, on Hainan island, has not stopped Manager – Hainan Paul Chung and his team from still aggressively promoting the popular holiday destination.
“Sanya’s attractions of warm wea-ther, beautiful beaches and profes-sional golf courses are well known,” Paul says.
“With the recent political instabil-ity in Thailand, many resort lovers who enjoy Phuket changed travel
First and business class passengers from Beijing to Hong Kong can now sample signature dishes from two prestigious restaurants in Beijing.
Gourmet Chinese dishes from Chynna at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, and Sureño, the Mediterranean restaurant at boutique hotel The Opposite House, will be available in� ight from 16 May.
General Manager China Patrick Yeung says: “This new in� ight menu brings the best of both Chinese and Mediterranean cuisines to our passengers, highlighting our dedication to creating a memorable travel experience.”
In another in� ight promotion, First and Business Class passengers from Hong Kong to Beijing or Shanghai can now select from a menu featuring creations from the renowned Ze� rino Ristorante at the Regal Hong Kong hotel.
standards and procedures to training and cabin crew relations – a vast area to cover,” she says.
with a degree in Psychology and says she did con-template a career as a psychologist.
before I got involved in counselling in order to help me understand how the patients are thinking and feeling,” she says.
and loved it so much she never left. She worked in various departments including IMT, MKT, RUBIC, REV, CGO as well as a stint in Bangkok, before join-ing KA ISD in November 2008.
rent role is � nding a balance between the well being of the crew community and the company’s decisions and expectations.
First and business class passengers from Beijing to Hong Kong can now
Gourmet Chinese dishes from Chynna at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, and Sureño, the Mediterranean restaurant at boutique
General Manager China Patrick Yeung says: “This new in� ight menu brings the best of both Chinese and Mediterranean cuisines to our passengers, highlighting our dedication to creating a memorable
In another in� ight promotion, First and Business Class passengers from Hong Kong to Beijing or Shanghai can now select from a menu featuring creations from the renowned Ze� rino Ristorante at the Regal
plans to Sanya – the travel time is shorter and hotels are cheaper and just as good.”
Hainan is also the only province in Mainland China with no visa restrictions for Russian travellers.
According to Paul, the potential of the Russian market with the people’s high purchasing power has yet to be widely explored, though the recent announcement of visa-free travel to Hong Kong will allow for more dual -destination promotions.
“The Russian market comprises 20-
25 per cent of local hotel occupancy and there are many Russian charter � ights operating to and from Sanya,” Paul says.
“So we are promoting Hong Kong as a shopping destination after a relaxing beach holiday in Sanya. We expect the market to grow to over 500 Russian travellers monthly.”
Paul says more international hotel chains will be opening properties on the island over the next few years and are looking to Haitang Bay as land in the popular Yalong
Bay district � lls up. “More and more hotel groups are buying sites and expanding their network in Sanya.
“There are already over 30 hotels con� rmed to open in Haitang Bay in the next two to three years, including Shangri-La, Conrad, Regent, Intercontinental and St Regis,” Paul says.
Paul says bookings are encouraging especially over long weekends.
“In April because of the Ching Ming festival, Easter holidays and the Boao APEC forum, four � ights were
upgraded to A330 operations and there were ad hoc upgrades to A321s to cope with the demand,” Paul says.
“The load factor shot up to 80 plus per cent with an annual average of around 60 per cent.”
Leisure travellers comprise the majority of the passenger tra� c contributing about 80 per cent of the tra� c mix.
“The remaining 20 per cent are business travellers – hotel pre-opening teams and MICE groups,” Paul says.
BCF DEPARTURE: A major milestone passed for Dragonair o 8 May when B-KAF, the last freighter operating in the airline’s colours, left Hong Kong to be parked in Victorville, California. The Boeing 747-400BCF, operating as KA3388, was piloted by (from left) Captains Rogan Lumsden, Peter O’Dea, Kjell Samuellson and Jack Ip.
8
Alice Wong, Flight Attendant Life is not about what you know or what you say – it’s all about believing in yourself and having con� dence.
I learned that after I went to the US. My time in America helped me a lot. If I had never left Hong Kong I think I would have been too scared to talk so easily to foreigners.
Ann Chang, In� ight Service ManagerI never like sitting still. I am always on the move. Maybe that’s why I love my job so much.
The job can be tough of course, but it has wonderful moments, too. I remember a while ago we had been told it was a passenger’s birthday so, just for fun, we popped a message on his screen wishing him a happy birthday. He got such a surprise!
The People & Service brand campaign website launched on 8 May,
giving customers a glimpse into the individual stories of selected customer-facing sta� . Marketing Manager Max Lui says the website pro-
vides customers with a more personal view of the people who make up CX. “There are two sides to every story, and for
every delighted passenger there is a sta� member who is even happier to have made them smile,” he says.
“The site gives the public a unique opportunity to see just a few of the personalities behind the uniforms and suits, and understand what inspires each of them to deliver the Cathay
Paci� c service that all our customers know and love.” The site will be regularly updated to feature di� er-ent sta� . Pictured here are a few of the people cur-
rently on the site – go to www.cathaypaci� c.com/people to see more.
I never like sitting still. I am always on the move. Maybe that’s why I love my
The job can be tough of course, but it has wonderful moments, too. I remember a while ago we had been told it was a passenger’s
happy birthday. He got such a
vides customers with a more personal view of the people who make up CX. “There are two sides to every story, and for
every delighted passenger there is a sta� member who is even happier to have made them smile,” he says.
“The site gives the public a unique opportunity to see just a few of the personalities behind the uniforms and suits, and understand what inspires each of them to deliver the Cathay
Paci� c service that all our customers know and love.”
Ben Hau, Cargo Sales Reservations O� cer A lot of people think cargo isn’t very exciting, but cargo revenue is important for the airline, so it’s a good division to be in.
When I � rst started, I was working at the public counter where people could just walk in and give us cargo to ship. We handled everything – dogs, cats, and one time a huge � sh in a tank that Hong Kong Ocean Park was shipping to an aquarium in Japan.
isn’t very exciting, but cargo revenue is important for the
Cynthia Yung,Customer Sales O� cerI love to try new things. I took up tai chi a while ago and now I am really beginning to expe-rience the bene� ts. I feel much healthier and more balanced as a person.
I am also getting quite involved with CX’s “FLY greener” programme to o� set car-bon emissions. I am more and more con-scious of the environment and I am trying to eat more organic food and live more sensi-bly, too. It’s another new experience for me. But I am sure it will be rewarding.
ship. We handled everything – dogs, cats, and one time a huge � sh in a tank that Hong Kong Ocean Park was shipping to an aquarium in Japan.
healthier and more balanced as
I am also getting quite involved with CX’s “FLY greener” programme to o� set car-bon emissions. I am more and more con-scious of the environment and I am trying to eat more organic food and live more sensi-bly, too. It’s another new experience for me. But I am sure it will be rewarding.
Gigi Chung, Flight AttendantWhen I was little kid I always wanted to be a Flight Attendant. I remember seeing the TV commercials with the girls in their uniforms. Now I am working for Cathay Paci� c at the boarding gate in the airport
and I am so proud to be wearing a uniform of my own.
When I was 18, my mum sug-gested that I enter the Miss Hong Kong competition for 2001 and in the end I got � rst runner-up. I was amazed. Sometimes passen-gers recognise me and say, “Oh, weren’t you Miss Hong Kong?” They seem quite pleased.
Jessica Chan, Head of Customer RelationsI think I get my biggest buzz from people. Just being around people I like and enjoy gives me so much energy. If people are in need and I can help, or if I can make people laugh or smile, that makes my day!
I guess that’s just as well, really, as my whole job is all about helping people – when we disappoint passengers, we do all we can to make things right.
Jessica Chan, Head of Customer RelationsI think I get my biggest buzz from people. Just being around people I like and enjoy gives me so much energy. If people are in need and I can help, or if I can make people laugh or
I guess that’s just as well, really, as my
Nancy Hui, Flight Purser
As a kid I always liked airports. Just like Hugh Grant says in the movie Love Actually – “Everybody is in love in an airport”. How can you be angry when you’re waiting
for someone you love to return?
So I decided I wanted to spend my life arriving at airports and being happy. And that’s just what I have done.
Helen Tsang, Customer Services O� cer I love toys. My house is full of them. And I’m always � ying o�
to Japan whenever I can to buy new ones.
There’s a special place in Tokyo that sells old-fashioned,
second-hand toys that are really lovely.
I think I am quite a cheerful person –
maybe it’s all those toys – and very talkative. I love
meeting people so I think my job is just right for me.
Up close and personal
Mission accomplishedIt was a trip to remember for the Cathay Pa-ci� c sta� who volunteered for the oneworld humanitarian mission to Thailand in April.
Together with sta� from other oneworld airlines, including Qantas, American Airlines and Japan Airlines, the 100-member delega-tion spent � ve days in Bangkok’s Toey Klong area and worked on various children’s proj-ects in association with local charity group, the Human Development Foundation.
“It’s good to step out of our comfort zone once in a while,” says Vancouver Customer Service Agent Jann Chen, who had never put up a ceiling or painted a wall before this trip.
Contributing their skills, the sta� volun-teers – ranging from crew to ground sta� – helped to decorate an AIDS hospice for children, planted vegetable gardens at or-phanages, worked on facilities for under-privileged toddlers and helped to repair a half-way home for street kids.
Materials for the projects were paid for by the volunteers, who organised fundraising activities prior to the trip. Each person also covered their own expenses and took time from their annual leave allowances. in order to join the mission.
In addition to the manual work, the group also participated in other community activi-ties at the Mercy Centre and Home, Romklao School, Lock 6 Pre-School and other help facilities.
“It was an excellent team project with a worldwide team of like-minded volunteers getting stuck in to some good old-fashioned hard graft,” says ENG’s David Neale.
The work undertaken by the group also left a deep impression on the bene� ciaries in Thailand.
“The elderly in particular can’t stop talking about the oneworld group and their new cement � oor,” says Mercy Centre’s Usanee Janngeon. “I would like to thank all the sta� for giving up their time to help us.”
9
Eiko Suenaga, Customer Services O� cerCathay Paci� c has six big � ights every day at Narita and sometimes after a really long day it isn’t easy to smile for everyone.
But I try to remember that maybe my passenger has had a long hard day, too. Maybe he is alone in a strange place and all he wants is to meet some-one who understands him – and that someone is me.
I’ve been with Cathay Paci� c for six years now, and I can’t imagine doing any other job. I’m not sure I want to work forever, but my boss keeps encouraging me to do just that. Maybe he is teasing me because my name, Suenaga, means forever.
Margaret Shek, Assistant Manager Reservations & Ticketing Operations
We have seen so many changes over the years. When I joined the compa-ny we still used to write tickets out by hand. Now we have no tickets at all.
We have even moved the airport from one end of Hong Kong to the other.
But one thing that has never changed is our attitude to our passengers.
also participated in other community activi-ties at the Mercy Centre and Home, Romklao School, Lock 6 Pre-School and other help facilities.
worldwide team of like-minded volunteers getting stuck in to some good old-fashioned hard graft,” says ENG’s David Neale.
left a deep impression on the bene� ciaries in Thailand.
about the cement � oor,” says Mercy Centre’s Usanee Janngeon. “I would like to thank all the sta� for giving up their time to help us.”
We have seen so many changes over the years. When I joined the compa-ny we still used to write tickets out by hand. Now we have no tickets at all.
We have even moved the airport from one end of Hong Kong to the
But one thing that has never changed is our attitude to our passengers.
Sandy Ng, Passen-ger Sales Executive
I think it’s important to recognise people when
they have done well. Cer-tainly people want to be
seen and appreciated.One thing I have learned is
to always focus on the solu-tion to the problem and not worry about whose fault it is.
That way people are far more likely to bring problems
to light. Once the problem is solved, then we can look at how it happened and see what we
can learn.
I think it’s important to recognise people when
they have done well. Cer-tainly people want to be
seen and appreciated.One thing I have learned is
to always focus on the solu-tion to the problem and not worry about whose fault it is.
That way people are far more likely to bring problems
to light. Once the problem is solved, then we can look at how it happened and see what we
can learn. can learn.
Up close and personal
PRACTICAL HELP: Nine staff from Cathay Pacifi c took part in the oneworld humanitarian trip, chipping in to contribute towards improving the lives of Bangkok’s underprivileged.
10
Infl ight product boostNew development facility provides the look and feel of a real cabinA new Cabin Development Centre has opened at Cathay City allowing for more realistic and comprehen-sive testing of new products.
Built to the specifi cations of Zone C in a Boeing 777-300ER, the area is impressively similar to the interior of a real aircraft.
Assistant Manager Product Amanda Yang says CX is the only carrier to have such a sophisticated
Charity fl ight brings toys, gifts to ChinaChristmas came early for the children of Chengdu when a Cathay Pacifi c cargo fl ight from North Carolina, carrying over 100 tonnes of shoe box gifts, landed in the earthquake-stricken city on 27 April.
The Cargo team in the US worked with non-profi t organisation Samar-itan’s Purse to carry the 65,000 shoe boxes fi lled with toys and other gifts to provide some much-needed cheer to the children of Chengdu almost one year after the earthquake hit.
CX was also involved with Samaritan’s Purse immediately following the 2008 disaster, helping to fl y a freighter-load of urgently needed sup-plies to Chengdu.
Manager Cargo, Midwest USA Douglas Wahl says: “I am proud to have been part of these two Chengdu charter fl ights as they are near and dear to my heart. We should not forget the importance of these two fl ights – helping those in need in China.
“I would like to thank the entire team in the US, Head Offi ce and the ground crew in Chengdu who helped to makes these charters so suc-cessful,” says Doug.
WHAT I DO Going beyond the norm with tableware, vintage wineElegant tableware from a world-renowned chef and rare vintage wines are being off ered to passengers as part of the Beyond Duty Free promotion infl ight from April to June.
The limited-edition tableware made from stainless steel and lacquer is presented by Michelin chef Joël Robuchon while the vintage wines, including Petrus, Latife Rothschild and Montrachet, are among the rarest in the world.
“So far we have had two passengers purchase the tableware – 10 sets in total – while local wine writers have also expressed an interest in writing about the vintage wine off ering,” says Infl ight Sales & Logistics Manager Camilla Taylor.
The products will be available until the end of June but may be continued via the website depending on demand.
NEW DEVELOPMENT: PDT’s Alex McGowan, ENG’s Diamond Ho, COO John Slosar and Director Sales & Marketing James Barrington cut a pig to mark the opening of the new Cabin Development Centre. The facility is housed in the atrium area on the 3rd fl oor of North Tower.
Nelson Chin, Manager Airline Planning
What is the main part of your job? I work with other key departments and recommend how, how many, when, and where to fl y to improve the profi tability of CX and KA fl ights, and their contribu-tion to the network in the coming years.
We get up-to-date information on market trends from REV, outports and the outside world, then run through scenarios with REV on the best places to fl y to to generate revenue, go through the feasibility with key operational departments, including FOP and ISD on crew requirements, APD and ENG on aircraft requirements, and IAF on traffi c rights.
Once we receive endorsement, we implement the changes and work with almost every department in the com-pany to make the fl ight happen.
In the end it’s very much a team eff ort.
What is a typical day for you? Most of the time is spent in the offi ce reviewing numbers, going through reports and having discussions with vari-ous departments.
However as it’s also important for us to be close to the market, we engage with the travel industry, government bodies, tourism boards and airports around the world, so we can verify and understand where the numbers are coming from. What do you like about the job?The whole process, from initial feasibility studies to getting the involvement of all departments to make it work and fi nally seeing the route grow prosperously. I guess it’s like nurturing a plant and see-ing it grow! What is the most challenging part and how do you tackle it? What may seem an ideal network today may not be tomorrow given the dynamic changes in passenger trends and competitor activities, so we must ensure our recommendations not only generate immediate returns but also solidify our position to generate and maximise future returns.
At the back of our minds, the business must always be treated as an ongo-ing concern and our recommendation should ensure the well being of the company over the long term.
This is tackled through forming views based on the expert opinions and rec-ommendations from people through-out the various CX departments.
cabin simulation. “There are two moving bulkheads which allow the area to be divided into a maxi-mum of three separate areas,” she says.
“This means we can simultane-ously simulate several cabin envi-ronments using diff erent sets of side panels including the A330 or even the A320 for KA products.”
Inside, customisable mood
lighting and audio-visual systems have been installed to maximise the scope and fl exibility during the research stage.
“We will use it to test out seats, mood lighting, and many other infl ight products to gain a more accurate perspective of how it would look and feel in a real cabin,” Amanda says. “The seats in the new cabin product were previ-
ously tested in the Flight Training Centre, which did not give as ac-curate a perspective.
“Another advantage is that we can now test our infl ight products right here where all the relevant departments can have easier ac-cess. We will also be able to invite cabin crew to test out the product and give their valuable input,” she adds.
11
Plans put to the test Exercise enables CX and AA discover if new disruption procedures work Cathay Pacific staff spent the early hours of 24 April at Hong Kong Inter-national Airport testing crowd con-trol procedures and new software to be employed in the event of a ser-vice disruption.
This is the first time the Hong Kong Airport Authority has done a full-blown typhoon specific exercise – particularly relevant given the ty-phoon season is about to start.
Crisis Response Development Manager Carrie Shiu says: “The ob-jective for the CCP Department was to test typhoon preparedness, par-ticularly crowd control measures. We wanted to see how the flow of pas-sengers would work after the barri-ers and signs had been set up.
“I was also concerned about how cabin crew volunteers are briefed and we conducted a washup meet-ing afterwards to gather their input,” she says.
While a simulation exercise with only 100 “passengers” was far from being a real disruption involving sev-eral thousand people, Carrie says the exercise was still very useful.
“Because the crowd control mea-sures are new I think it was worth-while to test them out to get a sense of how they work,” she says.
AHQ also tested two new concepts – the Flight Disruption Control Cen-tre (FDCC) and new software called the Flight Disruption Control System (FDCS).
The online Cathay Pacific and Dragonair City Guides, featured on both carrier’s websites, will soon have a special section showing travel tips and ideas from staff.
Called Air Crew Tips, the section will in-clude fun, unusual and entertaining staff recommendations for passengers to enjoy when they visit a wide range of cities. The section will go live on 11 May.
“Though the City Guides already fea-ture invaluable travel information from Luxe Guides and Lonely Planet, we have thousands of staff who travel frequently, eat out and go shopping worldwide and participate in cultural events around the world,” says Manager Marketing Commu-
Your travel tips needed
Manager Customer Services & Product Development – Airports Russ Fortson says: “FDCC is a new AHQ initiative that will assist IOC in making decisions regarding deploy-ment of additional aircraft and ascer-tain when to cancel/combine flights from a customer perspective.
“FDCS is one of the biggest tools in managing a severe disruption as it enables the FDCC to get an over-all view of what is happening in the outports.
“Through FDCS, the outports let us know what the accommodation situation is and the protection avail-ability and this allows AHQ to get a holistic view of the network and identify problem areas,” he says.
During the exercise, named “Sum-mer Blow”, three outports – San Fran-cisco, Vancouver and Taipei – tested out the FDCS.
“The exercise went well in that we proved the concept works well and were able to identify areas where im-provements can be made,” Russ says.
HKIA Quality Assurance Manager Anna Choi says she wanted to use the exercise to show the readiness of CX as well as the Airport Authority.
“The queuing setup landside and at the AEL platform were the important areas we needed to see in action,” she says. “Even small things like whether we have enough signs is important as those are things we have to identify now.”
Obituary – Ratima Tumjib
Friends and colleagues were saddened to hear of the death of Flight Purser Ratima Tumjib, who passed away on 27 April after contracting a viral infection.
Ratima joined Cathay Pacific in June 1995 and was promoted to Flight Purser in 2002.
Scores of Ratima’s ISD colleagues signed a condolence book that was placed in the Crew Lounge.
She is survived by her mother and two siblings.
nications Celine Ho. “We want to tap into their unique per-
spective and offer it to our customers. We are looking for anything from great restau-rants and bars to little out-of-the-way an-tique stores,” Celine adds.
Staff can visit www.cathaypacific.com/tips to submit their tip.
“The more information provided the bet-ter,” Celine says. “Phone numbers, websites or even a photo of the place being recom-mended can be submitted.”
As an added incentive, every two months a prize will be given for the best tip submit-ted with the May/June prize being a two-night stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo.
Spotlight on media talentMore than 400 entries – the highest ever – were received for the 2009 Cathay Paci� c Travel Media Awards, which were presented in Auckland on 31 March.
The awards are organised by the New Zealand Travel Communicators Association and have been sponsored by Cathay Paci� c since they were established in 1991.
Freelance writer Pam Wade won the Cathay Paci� c Travel Writer of the Year Award for her story on Glasgow, a destination she travelled to on a CX-sponsored trip.
Auckland-based photographer Amos Chapple took the Cathay Paci� c Travel Photographer of the Year award for his portfolio of photos taken while working full time for the Our Place publishing project, photographing UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Travel agents fl y highThe Sri Lanka team and the Singapore Tourist Board held a joint promotion to motivate local travel agents to highlight CX’s holiday packages to Singapore.
Sri Lanka Country Manager John Holden presented the prizes of a holiday to Singapore, with hotel accommodation and tours, to World Travel Centre Manager Travel & Tours Shahen Alles and Aitken Spence Overseas Travels Executive Thurka Shyamini.
Colombo Sales & Marketing Manager Ruhan Abbas says: “The familiarisation tour where they received � rsthand information on upcoming attractions was designed to inspire the winners to further promote Singapore as a destination for Cathay Paci� c passengers.”
ITA
LY
Classy launchThe Italy team celebrated the launch of the new cabin product, the introduction of the summer schedule and the return of the B744 on the Rome-Hong Kong route with events in both Milan and Rome.
Marco Polo Club members, top corporate accounts, VIPs and top travel agents attended the two events which included a slide presentation and cocktail reception.
Taipei Mechanic Aeon Teng was one of the winners in the � rst ever CX/KA Taiwan Singing Contest held last year.
But as much as he loves singing, and in particular harmo-nising, the modest Aeon says his greatest love is playing the guitar – a hobby he could happily indulge in for hours on end. “Some of my friends call me a guitar maniac,” he laughs.
He started o� by playing mellow music on the acoustic guitar. But, since coming across other instruments includ-ing the djembe and bass guitar, he now enjoys playing more up-tempo music, especially on stage in front of an audience.
Aeon lists acoustic player Michael Hedges as his guitar hero and looks to bands such as Pink Floyd, Radiohead, U2 and Fleetwood Mac for inspiration in his new hobby – songwriting.
“I wrote my � rst song at 34, for a friend who passed away,” explains Aeon.
His friends, who are professional musicians, envy the fact that Aeon can play music simply for his own enjoyment.
“I would love to have the chance to record my own al-bum – and I hope everyone will support me!” he smiles.
Revi Thekkethil, formerly with the Reservations & Ticketing team in Riyadh and now working for CX’s GSA after an in-ternal restructuring, has been though some tough times in his 23 years with the airline.
In the last few years he underwent heart surgery and also went through a period of depression, which saw him su� er mentally, physically and spiritually.
But when the going got tough, Revi steeled himself and managed to overcome all the hurdles. He is now back to his former con� dent self.
“It was the darkest time of my life,” says Revi, who worried about his ties with CX when he lost his place on the Reser-vations & Ticketing team.
Thanks to self-determination and positive thinking – and great support from family and friends – Revi has bounced back to regain his con� dence in serving passengers.
Letters from customers praising his excellent customer service are coming in once again and Revi attributes his success to the good training CX provided.
“My mind is full of how I can deliver Service Straight From the Heart as soon as I step into the o� ce!” he says.
Revi bounces back
IND
IA
Cricket team a hitIt was a dream come true for the CX Mumbai Airport team who had a chance to meet the Indian cricket team when the players � ew from Mumbai to Auckland via Hong Kong.
The cricketers were met by hordes of adoring fans at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport, who swamped the CX check-in area before the team was led away to the safety of the lounge.
Corporate Sales Executive Akshay Samant went the extra mile to take care of them, to the point of escorting them to Hong Kong where they spent their transit time in the CX lounge. “It was a great experience meeting them,” Akshay says. “And they were very impressed with our lounge facilities.
PORT PEOPLE
TOP TALENT: At the awards are (from left) Country Man-ager David Figgins, Pam Wade, Amos Chapple, Discovery magazine editor and chief writing judge Kate Whitehead.
BACK WITH HEART: Revi has battled through the tough times.
Vancouver on top of freighter frenzyThe Mt Redoubt volcano eruption in Alaska led to a num-ber of freighters being diverted from Anchorage to either Vancouver and San Francisco from 23 March to 24 April.
The ash from the volcano was reported to have risen 60,000 feet above sea level, causing 144 freighter diver-sions via YVR and three freighter diversions via SFO.
Vice President Cargo Americas Stephen Wong ex-pressed his gratitude to the YVR cargo team for the extra e� ort they put in during this time.
“The team worked tirelessly to handle on average 4.3 � ights per day during this period,” he said. “We can’t thank them enough for their dedication and hard work.”
CAN
AD
A
13
IND
ON
ESIA
Looking back on 40 great years in IndonesiaThe Jakarta team celebrated 40 years of CX in Indonesia with a gala event on 29 April.
Key business partners were joined by Indonesia sta� as well as Director Sales & Marketing James Barrington and General Manager SE Asia Anna Thompson who � ew in just for the event. Three ex-country managers, Clement Lam, James Ginns and Richard Reed, also joined in the celebration.
In welcoming the guests, Country Manager Indonesia Vincent Li said: “Starting humbly with just two � ights a week 40 years ago, we are now serving Jakarta with double-daily frequencies.
“Together with our services to Surabaya and Denpasar, we are now operating 27 � ights a week between Indonesia and Hong Kong, and two freighter services a week,” he added.
James Barrington stressed the importance of the Indonesian market to the CX network and the fact that � ights were increasing despite the � nancial downturn.
“Jakarta has grown to become one of the most important destinations in our global network,” he said.
“We actually have more � ights to the country this summer as we are adding four more � ights a week to Denpasar between July and September.”
The evening included a presentation of awards to key travel and cargo agents to thank them for their support. Cathay Paci� c’s signature event, “Walking On Air”, featured cabin crew showcasing the airline’s uniforms over the past years.
The Cargo team had another reason to celebrate with the opening of the new o� ce on 28 April (far right). Anna Thompson did the ribbon-cutting honours with Jakarta GSA PT JAS General Manager Mr Marifunur (left) and property management company Soewrna General Manager Mr Sunato.
14
Anna Chen, Assistant to Country Manager Philippines
1. How did you deal with the culture shock after moving to Manila? I actually didn’t have that much culture shock – I found it easy to adapt.
2. Have you tried out any of the local delicacies? I like pork adobo very much and for desert halo-halo is usually my choice. Those two dishes make me forget about losing weight!
I haven’t tried balut yet, but I heard it is actually delicious – tastes like a boiled egg but with a di� erent texture.
3. The Philippines team really like to party and sing. Do you join in with a favourite karaoke song? One of my favourite karaoke songs is Memory from the musical Cats. I started to question my singing ability after hearing my friends here – they are all great singers!
4. Favourite thing about the Philip-pines? The people – their warmth, charming hos-pitality and contagious optimistic nature.
5. Least favourite thing? My one-year posting – it’s too short!
6. What do you recommend visitors see in the Philippines? In Manila at the Cultural Centre or the little bars in Malate, you can enjoy great performances ranging from contempo-rary ballet by Ballet Philippines to indie rock mixed with Philippine folk by local bands.
7. What is an ideal Sunday after-noon? A good book after a tormenting contempo-rary dance class.
8. What is your dream holiday? Nothing too special. Spending time with family and friends, and some time for myself, will be good enough.
9. What do you do to relax? Tidying up my place, reading, listening to music or hanging out with friends.
10. If you were left stranded on one of Philippine’s lovely islands, what would you like to have with you? Some good friends, de� nitely!
Simulator Instructor Johnny Loo overcame blustery conditions to shoot an impressive 69 and take the top prize at the second annual CX World Golf Challenge on 18 April.
The weather at the Nine Eagles Golf Course at HKIA could have been sponsored by the Scottish Tourism Board, with the strong wind bending � agsticks almost double. Luckily, the rain – another key element of Scottish golf – held o� until minutes after play was over.
A total of 44 players from all departments took part in this year’s event with Johnny lifting the tournament trophy – generously donated by Nine Eagles – and 10,000 Asia Miles for the best gross score of the day.
A total of 15 prizes – all donated by sponsors – were given out on the day, with Flight Purser Yuko Furuyama shooting an 81 over 18 holes to win the women’s best gross score prize.
Yuko’s skills won her a two-night stay in Shanghai – and an extra prize of a bottle of champagne after she holed in one at the eighth, at 200 yards from the back tee the longest of Nine Eagles’ par threes.
This was Yuko’s � rst-ever hole in one
Oneminute with... Shooting the breeze
Sta� on the Change for Good � eld trip in February were stunned when they realised AV Production O� cer Daniel Chan had carried a model helicopter with him to northern Thailand.
“I always take a model helicopter with me wherever I go,” he laughs. “I couldn’t go to bed without playing for a little while each day. The best part is that you can � y them virtually anywhere as you don’t need much space.”
Daniel says his � rst memory of a real helicopter was slightly hair raising. “I was working with a television station and was asked to do an aerial
shoot of the � ooding in the New Territories,” he says. “Only after I got on board did I realise that the side door next to my seat would need to stay
open the entire trip to cater for the camera! “But I got interested in helicopters, so when I saw people � ying
models in Saigon two years ago I decided to get one for myself.”A model costs less than a HK$1,000 but Daniel soon discovered
the maintenance fee could be very high. “A lot of spare parts need to be in stock,” he says. “The � rst time
I � ew a model, it crashed within a few minutes and the blade was damaged.”
Eventually Daniel found a way to buy spare parts directly from the manufacturer and learned how to do the repairs himself.
“I even started to build ‘exclusive’ models by myself,” he says, adding that he has about eight helicopters on display at his home
now. Daniel says the most challenging aspect of controlling a model heli-
copter is to keep a stable � ight path and overcome the wind factor. “Sometimes when I � y a chopper in quiet places the movement of
the blades sound so real I have a feeling that I am in command of a genuine helicopter,” he says. “I really enjoy it!”
donated by Nine Eagles – and 10,000 Asia Miles for the best gross score of the day.
A total of 15 prizes – all donated by sponsors – were given out on the day, with Flight Purser Yuko Furuyama shooting an 81 over 18 holes to win the women’s
at 200 yards from the back tee the
This was Yuko’s � rst-ever hole in one
and, following gol� ng tradition, she generously bought a couple of jugs of beer for each table to celebrate the achievement.
Cathay Holidays Ltd sponsored the grand prize of the day – a gol� ng holiday in Xiamen including � ights, hotel and golf – which was decided by lucky draw. The winner was Matilda Chan from Engineering.
Sta� on the Change for Good � eld trip in February were stunned when they realised AV Production O� cer Daniel Chan had carried a model helicopter with him to northern Thailand.
“I always take a model helicopter with me wherever I go,” he laughs. “I couldn’t go to bed without playing for a little while each day. The best part is that you can � y them virtually anywhere as you don’t need much space.”
Daniel says his � rst memory of a real helicopter was slightly hair raising. “I was working with a television station and was asked to do an aerial
shoot of the � ooding in the New Territories,” he says. “Only after I got on board did I realise that the side door next to my seat would need to stay
open the entire trip to cater for the camera!
models in Saigon two years ago I decided to get one for myself.”
the maintenance fee could be very high.
adding that he has about eight helicopters on display at his home now.
Daniel says the most challenging aspect of controlling a model heli-copter is to keep a stable � ight path and overcome the wind factor.
“Sometimes when I � y a chopper in quiet places the movement of the blades sound so real I have a feeling that I am in command of a
genuine helicopter,” he says. “I really enjoy it!”
Loo with the trophy (left) and PNL’s Bob Nipperess hands the lucky draw
prize to Matilda Chan. Forty- four players
took part in the event (below).
CUDDLE UP: Rosamaria, daughter of avid CX item collector Fortunato Guadalupi, with a new toy.
SEVENS GANG: CX India staff and Indian cargo agents enjoy the Hong Kong Sevens.
It was a scramble to the top for two CX teams taking part in a unique sporting event last month.
The airline � elded a men’s team and a women’s team for the Cor-porate Challenge Relay on Cheung Chau – an adaptation of the climbing event held during the island’s annual “Bun Festival”.
The two teams of � ve competed against participants from other major companies in climbing to the top of a 14-metre tower con-structed from bamboo poles.
The rain poured down on the day of the event but that didn’t stop the CX men taking the champion’s trophy by a wide margin.
The women’s team – also representing Dragonair – came second in their event.
“The team members went through a tough training regime under adverse weather conditions so we are very happy with the result,” says team captain Stanley Tam.
The teams went to Cheung Chau a week before the event to get familiar with the proper climbing techniques and skills.
Ladies’ team member Perry Yu says it was great fun – and a big surprise to walk away with two trophies.
“It was raining during the race, which increased the di� culty level, but it was a case of ‘no pain, no gain’ – this was a unique experience for all of us,” says Perry.
Teams take pole position!
SO LONG!: Engineering Manager PK Woo was
farewelled by the Penang team after 21 years at CX.
GOOD TIMES: The BOM Cargo Sales team celebrate Good
Friday with a visit to Bombay’s Alibaug beach.
SERVICE STAR: Ginny Roxas receives a 20-year Long Service Award from Philippines Country Manager Ed Higgs and CE Tony Tyler.
To enter, visit the online quiz entry form on the CX World site. The deadline is noon on Friday, 5 June.
The QuizEnter our latest quiz and win a two-night three-day stay at the Life Wellness Resort Quy Nhon in Vietnam.
Located in the quiet seaside town of Quy Nhon, approximately 650 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City, all of the resort’s 63 rooms face the sea.
A range of activities are available including a relaxing session at the Life Spa which is located in a private garden overlooking the sea and has steam baths, a Japanese dry sand and
salt sauna and two outdoor saltwater ponds. Guests can also partake of a range of watersports including canoeing, body boarding and snorkeling and diving trips to two private islands.
The resort also o� ers sightseeing excursions to nearby Cham Towers, Tay Son Palace, Long Khanh Pagoda and the Han Mac Tu Memorial.
At the end of the day, enjoy authentic Vietnamese cuisine at the Senses restaurant while watching the sunset over the water.
More information at www.life-resorts.com
The winner of our second prize this month will receive a two-night stay in a deluxe harbour view room at the Kowloon Shangri-La Hong Kong.
The 700-room hotel is located in the heart of the Tsim Sha Tsui East shopping and entertainment district and has stunning views of the famous Victoria Harbour.
Guests can enjoy Japanese cuisine at Nadaman, classic Italian dishes at Angelini, Cantonese specialties at Shang Palace, international bu� ets at Café Kool or relax at the end of the day in the Tapas Bar.
The � tness centre includes an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, jacuzzi, massage and facial services and a solarium.
Find out more at www.shangri-la.com
Enter our latest quiz and win a two-night three-day stay at the Life Wellness Resort Quy Nhon in Vietnam.
Nhon, approximately 650 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City, all of the resort’s 63 rooms face the sea.
a relaxing session at the Life Spa which is located in a private garden overlooking the sea and has steam baths, a Japanese dry sand and
WALK THE WALK: The Pari Passu team completed
the 100km New Zealand Oxfam Trailwalker.
Friday with a visit to Bombay’s Alibaug beach.
SUNNY SPELL: ISD volunteers at the Government Flying Service hangar where they spent the day with children from the Sunnyside Club.
HOWZAT!: A proud moment for KHI’s Sohail Yunus as he walks out on the fi eld with Pakistani ex-Test cricketeer Salauddin Ahmed.
BABY LOVE: A farewell lunch for ISD’s Cecilia Chow
before she left on maternity leave.
16
SHOW US YOUR TIPS!CX World welcomes sta� travel tips from across the network – email us at CCD#SCT
Travel bites
■ Explore the charm of ChinaDragonair Holidays is continu-
ing to o� er Travel China in Style special package deals to
popular destinations throughout China. Visit Xiamen from HK$999; Kunming from HK$1,899; Shanghai from HK$1,599 and Qingdao (right) from HK$1,599.
Go to Travel Desk for more information.
■ Tasting time in New YorkThousands of food lovers will � ock to New York’s Times Square on June 8 for the Taste of Times Square event.
The fun-� lled food festival which stretches from West 46th Street between Broadway and Ninth Avenue, including his-toric Restaurant Row, provides visitors with row upon row of booths o� ering samples of signature dishes from Times Square’s best restaurants.
Street performers provide entertainment throughout the evening with a swing band and free dancing lessons from Swing46 add-ing to the festive atmosphere.
Find more information at www.timessquarenyc.org.
■ Priscilla storms the West End Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical is showing at the Palace Theatre in London until September.
Based on one of the most successful Australian movies of all time, Priscilla Queen of the Desert tells the story of three Sydney drag queens who head o� to Alice Springs in a brightly painted bus. The musical stars Jason Donovan, Tony Sheldon and Oliver Thornton.
The high-octane show showcases pop hits from across the decades alongside 500 colourful costumes and custom-made headdresses including one featuring an aquarium complete with � sh.
Visit www.priscillathemusical.com.
This month’s photo comes from Sydney PSR/CGO Accounts Victoria Mikitas who went on a driving holiday around South Europe, stopping at Gibraltar on the way from Spain to France.
“Gibraltar can be visited in one day as it is quite compact and it’s easy to walk around,” she says.
The most recognisable attraction, the Rock of Gibraltar, dominates the entrance to the Mediterranean between southern Spain and Africa.
“One of the biggest attractions are semi-wild Barbary macaques which are found in Morocco and Algeria and the only free-living monkeys in Europe,” Victoria says. “They are extremely cute and playful and I could have watched them for hours.”
To reach the macaques’ home Victoria recommends taking a cable car to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.
“The views from various terraces are spectacular, and you can listen to the history of Gibraltar through an audio listening device while enjoying the scenery,” Victoria says.
HK$500 for a travel tale!Every month, CX World invites all CX sta� to tell unusual, interesting or just downright quirky tales of travel moments around the world.
Sponsored by In� ight Sales, the lucky sender of the main story receives HK$500 worth of in� ight sales products of their choice from the ever-changing collection of over 260 items on o� er (excluding liquor and cigarettes).
Go shopping at www.cathaypaci� c.com/dutyfree
sender of the main story receives HK$500 worth of in� ight sales products of their choice from
(excluding liquor and
www.cathaypaci� c.
Snap happy
Rain is rare in the desert terrain of the United Arab Emirates, so when it does pour the resi-dents love to get out there and soak it all in.
We had been at the receiving end of some glorious weather and I was excited enough to take up a long overdue drive into the desert.
I only had one destination in mind – the spellbinding “Empty Quarter” which is roughly 1,200 kilometres long and 650 kilometres wide, and is one of the largest continuous des-erts in the world spreading across Saudi Ara-bia, Oman, the UAE and Yemen.
The two-and-a-half-hour drive from the cap-ital city into the Empty Quarter a� ords visitors a magni� cent view of some of the largest and most spectacular sand dunes in the world.
The chief attraction in this region is the oa-sis of Liwa. Where there is sand there will, of course, be camels. But increasingly the popu-lar activity of “dune bashing” is taking centre stage.
Not for the fainthearted, it involves driving up and down the dunes in 4x4s, quad-bikes or purpose-built dune buggies.
Moreeb Hill (Tal Mireb in Arabic) takes pride
of place among these sand dunes and is the venue for an annual organised drag race.
With a reported 50-degree slipface, and a 300 metre-long hill climb, it is the perfect place to test your skill and courage. Just standing at the base of this dune and staring upwards made me weak in the knees at the thought of driving uphill!
The region is now gaining global attention as the venue for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge which involves � ve gruelling days of driving in the Liwa Desert.
Abu Dhabi Assistant Sales Manager Ashley Castellino and Dubai Marketing & Sales Offi cer Clifford Rasquinha take on the challenge of dune bashing
Abu Dhabi fact � le• Abu Dhabi is the capital and largest of the seven Emirates comprising the UAE.• The Emirate covers more than 80 per cent of the country’s total land mass and features
a coastline that stretches over 700 kilometres. • The UAE possesses the third largest natural gas reserves in the region and the fourth
largest in the world. Abu Dhabi controls more than 85 per cent of the UAE’s total oil output capacity and over 90 per cent of its crude reserves.
• Desert dominates Abu Dhabi’s terrain covering as much as 70 per cent of its land area.
And such is the enthusiasm for motor sport in Abu Dhabi that they support and participate in the World Rally Championship and will soon be hosting the � nal round of the Formula One Championship in November 2009.
After a fun day exploring the area, I headed back home but the trip had given me some food for thought.
I have always wanted to leave my footprints in the sands of time. But after experiencing for myself the shifting nature of sand, I now realise how di� cult a task this will be!
Storming the desertStorming the desertStorming the desert
SHIFTING SANDS: Taking the perilous drive up the sand dune and back down again while camels look on. Have a break by relaxing in the Liwa Hotel (below).
