Corporate travel continues to face challenges on multiple fronts, but in spite of this, CX and KA managed to grow corporate sales revenue by more than 5% in the first seven months of 2013.

As business travel peaks between September and November, the air-lines will continue to plough ahead.

“While the downgrading of travel policies is not expected in general, competition is rife and businesses continue to look for savings. This is not set to go away – it’s somewhat institutionalised,” says Corporate Sales Manager Nicolas Masse.

Common measures include re-duced travel budgets and more restrictive fares for business units. Meanwhile, increased competition on Hong Kong routes and within the region have led to price wars in a climate of economic uncertainty.

However, the revenue growth so far indicates that video conferenc-ing has not replaced business travel.

“Most successful corporations, big or small, continue to see value in meeting clients and facilitating inter-nal communication beyond emails,” says Nicolas. “Our Corporate Sales teams also do a great job in remind-ing corporations that business travel is an investment, not just a cost!”

Understanding clients is key. To this end, the Corporate Sales Devel-opment team recently introduced the Prism tool, which measures and prioritises clients by total spending and market share.

Premium Economy corporate travel is also on the up, especially on long-haul routes and among small and medium-sized enterpris-es, where there are less restrictive travel policies.

“Some companies have yet to in-clude Premium Economy as part of their travel policy so it’s vital that we promote this actively,” says Nicolas. He expects the rollout of Premium Economy in more regional ports in late October to strengthen CX and KA’s overall proposition.

Looking ahead, this year’s corpo-rate sales are expected to be helped by an improved business sentiment, with the situation in Europe settled somewhat, and Asia remaining an engine of growth for manufac-turing. Quantitative easing in the United States continues to fuel con-trolled growth in consumption and investments.

On the flip side, China has contin-ued to suggest a tightening appetite for resources, which has negative implications for resource rich-coun-

tries like Australia and Canada. “But we do have good people, products and services, and will just have to continue to excel in selling these to

our clients,” says Nicolas.“Most procurement teams we

meet tend to focus on price only, so it’s reassuring to know that, even at

Chief Executive John Slosar exchanged views with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a lunch held during the World Tourism & Trade Council Asia Summit, held in Seoul on 10-11 September.

Mr Blair was one of the keynote speakers at the event, during which he urged governments around the world to embrace the travel and tourism industry as a force for good.

John was a participant on the second day of the event, joining a discussion on powering global travel and tourism together with Japan Airlines Chairman Masaru Onishi, which was chaired by CAPA’s Executive Chairman Peter Harbinson.

The discussion touched on many areas including the growing influence of China on world tourism, the rapid development of China’s airlines and, a topical subject at the moment, the rise of low-cost carriers within the region.

Sing Jet Kerosene

ICE Brent

the busiest times, our frontline col-leagues continue to deliver excel-lent premium service to our clients to retain them in the long term.”

OUT TO WIN: Corporate Sales Manager Nicolas Masse (centre) and his team are out to convince corporations that business travel is an investment, not a cost. Corporate Sales grew 5% in the first seven months of 2013.

3

I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify a few facts regarding Cathay Pacific’s decision to object to Jetstar Hong Kong’s application to operate in Hong Kong.

A lot has already been written about our decision and the issue is likely to play out for a while longer as the objections of CX, Dragonair and other Hong Kong-based airlines are considered by the Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA).

This issue deserves very careful consideration because there are

serious implications for Hong Kong in granting a licence to what is essentially a franchise of a foreign airline.

The key point to note is that granting Jetstar Hong Kong a licence to operate here would actually break the law. It would violate Article 134 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law which stipulates that airlines licensed to operate from Hong Kong must have their principal place of business here.

That is not the case for Jetstar Hong Kong, which is clearly being set up as a franchise of

Jetstar in Australia. In fact, Jetstar Australia and

Hong Kong there were detractors who said that our objection was simply an attempt to stifle competition. I can say without reservation that this is not true.

The truth is that we operate in one of the most competitive industries there is – one where the competition gets more intense by the day. Margins are extremely tight at the best of times and you can’t expect to survive at all unless you’re prepared to take on the competition by offering superior networks, products and services, and by offering competitive fares.

And that’s what we have been doing – in Hong Kong and around our network – every day. We are currently competing with 107 airlines serving HKIA, 17 of which call themselves low-cost carriers. We are not worried about one more airline entering the market, and indeed we are very much in favour of giving more choice to Hong Kong’s consumers.

But any developments in the local aviation industry must abide by Hong Kong law and be in the best interests of the local economy. We don’t believe the proposed set-up of Jetstar Hong Kong meets these criteria and that is why we raised our objection.

John Slosar

As Premium Economy load factors and revenue contribution continue to climb on long-haul routes, CX is now giving regional passengers the chance to experience the new cabin.

PEY began featuring on three regional routes – Haneda, Narita and Manila – from August.

Three more ports in Japan – Osaka, Sapporo and Nagoya – will be added to the mix from 16 September and teams are ramping up for the introduction of PEY across the region from the end of October.

“Our long-haul aircraft will all be fitted with Premium Economy by the end of this year, and are widely used on regional routes between long-haul flights,” says Hilary Pang, Product Manager, Inflight – EY Cabins.

“It’s a good product so it makes sense to offer more choice for our regional passengers.”

The proposition for selling Premium Economy within the region is the same as for long-haul – that is, an “economy plus” product – and passengers will enjoy the same seat features and ground benefits, including a dedicated check-in, upgraded baggage allowance and

priority boarding.During the flight, however, those

purchasing regional PEY tickets will not get long-haul inflight benefits such as hot towels, amenity kits, welcome drinks, snack options and enhanced entrees.

“Such benefits cater specifically to long-haul travellers and so the service will be the same as in Economy for regional PEY, though of course passengers will enjoy more room, more privacy and enhanced features,” says Hilary.

“We believe that, as for long-haul

PEY, the regional product will attract passengers who are looking for a value-for-money upgrade.”

The take-up for the new regional product has been encouraging. For example, more than 900 bookings were made on the Osaka, Sapporo and Nagoya routes on the first four days of going on sale.

“Load factors are steadily climbing on the first three routes and initiatives such as airport upgrades have been helping to raise awareness and boost sales,” says Hilary.

its parent company Qantas have openly admitted they are setting up franchises.

Jetstar will argue that it has Hong Kong shareholders and that it will have a local team in place. That may well be the case but, as with any

franchise operation, management control will rest firmly with the parent company – in this case back in Australia with Jetstar and Qantas.

What this means is that Jetstar Hong Kong’s principal place of business will be in Melbourne, not in Hong Kong. We think the law here is pretty clear and it wouldn’t be good for Hong Kong if any airline can simply come in and set up a franchise.

And then there is the issue of traffic rights. Aviation is not like other businesses because every government has specific

requirements that airlines have to meet in order to get access to traffic rights. It works on a bilateral system that has been in place since the end of World War II, and all governments have restrictions in place.

As a franchise of a foreign airline, why should Jetstar Hong Kong just come in and grab traffic rights that our government has negotiated to secure? The bilateral system is based on a principle of “you give something, you get something” but

Jetstar seems to want to take and not give. This cannot possibly be in the interests of Hong Kong.

Our contention is that our hard-won air traffic rights should be used to support the development of aviation that is truly Hong Kong based, and be for the benefit of the local economy. This is particularly important when our airport is already getting short of the capacity it needs to meet even existing air traffic demands.

The final point I want to make is about competition. Inevitably, once we made our objection to Jetstar

Any development in the local aviation industry

must abide by Hong Kong law

How did you feel to be told you were becoming Director Cargo?I was a little bit surprised! I was expecting I might have had to move out of cargo, which would have been a shame because I’ve really enjoyed my four years with the Cargo team.

Now I’m very excited about having the chance to stay in this field and I’m hoping I can lead us to better times. The market’s been down since April 2011 so we’re waiting for the bounce-back to arrive.

Your arrival in the Cargo team was well timed.I came in September 2009 as General Manager Cargo Sales, Hong Kong and China, and we had 18 months of outstanding performance – a strong fourth quarter in 2009 followed by a record-breaking 2010 and quite a reasonable first quarter in 2011. Then came two-and-a-half years of continued struggle.

We had to be patient and try to keep the business going in the past few years. We’re ready to experience the highs again.

Can you tell us more about your background?I had 15 years with Swire Shipping in different roles, starting in Papua New Guinea then Australia, New Zealand

and Japan. There are similarities between the sea freight business and the air-freight business and a lot of the experience I gained in my 15 years of shipping I have been able to apply in CX.

When I was appointed as CX’s General Manager Japan in 2007 I was going back to a familiar place – I had worked there twice before, first as an English teacher and then with Swire Shipping. I love everything about Japan and had two great years with a great team. After that I was happy to move to Hong Kong to get purely refocused on freight.

What have been the best things about being in CX Cargo?We have a great team, and despite the adversity everyone has pulled together and done their best over these difficult years. I’ve enjoyed meeting the team around the world and also our customers. Ninety-eight per cent of our business is from freight forwarders but we also try to have a relationship with the big shippers to let them know about the advantages CX offers.

What are the major problems in cargo at the moment?The main problem is that when things are very slow, all the shippers and

forwarders are worried about is price. Fuel prices are still high, which makes freighter operations inherently expensive, and there are still too many planes in the market. We need to see improved demand, but that will only happen when the global economy picks up.

But we are very well positioned for when the upturn finally comes. Hong Kong is the best place in the world to have a hub and we have a great network. The terminal completes the three areas that give our cargo product a competitive edge – the people, the planes and the place.

How much will your job change on moving from GM to director?Up to now I have been very much focused on the commercial side while Peter Langslow [GM Cargo Services] has been doing a fantastic job on the services side. One of my jobs will be to ensure that Peter has the resources he needs to continue to deliver a safe, secure and quality product that we can sell.

I need to work with Rossana Lau

[GM Cargo Planning] to look at how we can expand the network. We’re a global carrier but our footprint is weak in some areas – we’re going to have spread our wings.

I’ll be working closely with Algernon (Yau, CEO, Cathay Pacific Services Ltd) on the terminal, firstly to ensure we can deliver a great product for CX and then look at how we can sell that product to other airlines. I’ll also be involved with Air Hong Kong and as a director of Air China Cargo.

Are you looking forward to the challenge?It certainly will be a challenge. Cargo featured all too frequently in our interim results, mainly to explain why the results weren’t as good as they might have been. Going forward we’ll be looking to make more positive headlines!

What are your thoughts on taking over from William?To be honest it’s a little daunting. William has headed the Personnel Department for close to 16 years and he has made the role very much his own. It’s going to take the Personnel

team a little while to get used to a new boss – especially one who can’t speak Cantonese!

What are your immediate priorities in your new role?Well, I’m afraid that I’m

not going to learn a

new language. I’m far too old for that!My immediate priority is to get

to know the CX Personnel team – to understand what it is they are trying to achieve and what support they need from me.

I also have a lot to learn about Hong Kong Labour Laws and CX Personnel Policies but that’s going to take some time.

What are the biggest challenges as you begin as Director Personnel? And will you handle them?I see the biggest challenge as trying to find out what the 20,000 people

of CX really want or expect from their Personnel Department – and then trying to align those wishes with the needs of the company.

For example, I have already been approached to see whether I can “fix” staff travel and increase the priority of ID tickets even if it means that the airline will carry less revenue passengers. This may not be popular with the Revenue team!

I have also been asked whether the Personnel Department can introduce a system to automatically approve replacement headcount. Again, not an easy task, as the company is trying its hardest to control expenditure and reduce back-office costs.

Do you have your own particular approach to management?If I’m honest, my approach has always been to surround myself with a

capable team of people and then let them get on with it. I have found that any department runs

much better if I keep out of the way. Having said that, I don’t believe in

withholding information or keeping secrets. Unless information is genuinely confidential, I like to tell my team exactly what is going on – what the company is trying to achieve – and ask for feedback. Open two-way communication is always the key – in any management role.

Do you have a message for the team as you take up your new role?The message is the same for the Personnel team as for any CX employee – that my door is always open and that I do like to hear from anyone who has a good idea or something sensible to say.

How do you unwind?I usually take out my frustrations on a golf ball or a shuttlecock or, if I have no other choice, on a piece of gym equipment. I find that beer and wine also work pretty well!

4

6

CX’s fourth annual Sustainability Report de-tails how it is embedding sustainability in the long term.

Communicating CX’s sustainability goals well is one of this year’s key focuses. To achieve this, the 2012 Sustainability Report is laid out in a user-friendly website, with plenty of short videos of management and staff talk-ing about the importance of sustainability in their everyday roles.

“Not only do we have a duty of care to our stakeholders to reduce consumption and waste and lessen our impact on the environ-ment, these initiatives will help drive better returns for investors,” says CE John Slosar.

“Our vision for CX is to be the best airline in the world,” he adds. “That in-cludes commercial things like giving great service to our customers and doing well for our cargo shippers, but it also includes do-ing a world-class job in terms of making the principles of sus-tainable development live every day, and having real concrete action behind those principles.”

The report revolves around three sustain-able development targets, which are reduc-

Cathay Pacific has been implementing a strategy to further its sustainable development ambitions since 2009.

A key part of the strategy has been to set a series of targets that cut across the entire business to be achieved by 2020.

One of the 20 targets focuses on the need to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Specifically, we are aiming to improve fuel efficiency by an average of 2% year on year, or a 31% reduction in CO2 per revenue tonne kilometre (RTK), between 2009 and 2020. 

It’s one of the most aggressive CO2 reduction targets in the industry, since IATA airlines are already committed to a 1.5% improvement in fuel efficiency over the same period. 

It can, however, be difficult to visualise what such reductions in CO2 look like.  

It means that by 2020, CX will have reduced net CO2 emissions by nearly five million tonnes – that’s the equivalent of over 10,000 one-way flights from Hong Kong to New York operated by a Boeing 777-300ER.  It’s also the equivalent of taking almost one million average-sized family cars off the road for a year. 

Investments in new aircraft technology and fleet modernisation is a big factor here, with the introduction of more 777-300ERs and 747-8Fs, A330s and significant orders for next generation A350-XWBs as well as the retirement of older aircraft such as A340s and Boeing 747-400s. 

Such long-term and significant investments will go a long way towards making CX’s future fleet more environmentally friendly and driving sustainability plans forward.

ing overall emissions, offering sustainably sourced products and services, and ensuring that community programmes are relevant and effective.

Twenty practical commitments, to be achieved by 2020, enable CX to turn these targets into reality.

Standout commitments include reducing the airline’s net CO2 impact by 31% per reve-nue tonne kilometres by 2020 and producing all CX Group-branded materials from sustain-able sources.

Unlike the past, when the report was ar-ranged under operational headings, this year’s report is categorised by sustainability topics that are important to both the compa-ny and its stakeholders. These include safety, climate change, waste management, sustain-able sourcing, biodiversity and people.

A separate section of the site reports on the airline’s sustainability performance in 2012, highlighting its achievements and challenges.

To celebrate CX’s new service to the Maldives on 27 October, CX World is offering one lucky reader two nights at the fabulous Six Senses Laamu with breakfast for two!

We are also throwing in a pair of free tickets, priority 16YB, to make the trip truly special.Six Senses Laamu, the only resort in the Maldives’ Laamu Atoll, offers 97 sustainable villas

set over the lagoon and on the island. Yin Yang, the most famous surf spot in the Maldives, breaks just offshore. There are also

beginners waves for those wanting to get their first taste of the sport.Dolphins swim along the shores of Six Senses Laamu, while guests snorkel in the coral-rich

house reef among Oriental Sweetlips, parrotfish and even green turtles.Chefs prepare mouth-watering dishes using ingredients from the island’s organic gardens. The Six Senses Spa, which is surrounded by the island’s natural vegetation, provides award-

winning signature treatments.

Scan to read the report

now!

7

Cathay Pacific is working on a new flight path that, once approved, will re-duce noise, carbon dioxide emissions and distance as planes approach the Hong Kong International Airport.

Currently, aircraft bound for Run-ways 25L and 25R fly over Shatin and past the residential district of Park Is-land in Tseun Wan.

Pending approval from the Civil Aviation Department, CX hopes to de-velop a new approach to both runways that will take aircraft through the West Lamma Channel, curving around the prohibited airspace above Hong Kong Disneyland.

“For each flight, the proposed ap-proach saves 320kg of fuel, 24 track miles, 6.5 minutes and 1.008 tonnes of CO2 emissions,” says Deputy Manager Line Operations Bill Seymour.

“There’s no noise issue over the West Lamma Channel, and since the proposed route does not overfly Park Island, residents are much less likely to hear noise from aircraft following this new flight path,” he says.

Formal approval to fly the approach is anticipated in October.

CX hopes to use the flight path for Hong Kong arrivals from 11pm to 7am,

whenever the prevailing wind is from the west and there is less intense air traf-fic.

In the meantime, staff in the Flight Operations Department have their hands full preparing for the proposed approach.

“Our pilots have tested the West Lamma channel approach extensively in simulator and airborne trials,” says Bill.

In order to use this route, pilots have to fly within a tight navigation tolerance of 0.3 nautical miles. In other words, they have to ensure that the aircraft flies within 550 metres of the expected flight path.

This can now be achieved by CX’s state-of-the-art Boeing 777 and 747-8 aircraft, which are equipped with navi-gational equipment capable of meeting the new approach’s stringent Required Navigation Performance.

“What our pilots have been able to demonstrate with our 26 test flights is that the maximum error is 55 metres,” says Bill. “In other words, we are flying to one-tenth of the required limit.”

Noise evaluations carried out by HKCAD found that aircraft noise along the new flight path is less than back-ground noise.

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6

decision on whether or not to con-sume the meals provided?

Jim Hunter

Brendan Duffy, Catering Man-ager Planning & Concept De-sign says: Cathay Pacific Catering Services (CPCS) is responsible for sourcing produce on behalf of CX and all other airline custom-ers. CPCS have stringent and ro-bust  processes in place to check that produce received is sound in terms human consumption.

CX and CPCS are very aware of the need to keep our passengers

Hong Kong Squash Open. That said, we do receive multiple

requests from various institutions for sponsorships and we evaluate them equally based on their merits. Due to our challenging economic climate, we are working on con-strained resources and as such we need to be extra selective in our sponsorship investments. Bearing in mind our current limitations, we will continue to keep an eye on sound sponsorship opportuni-ties that will potentially extend our event portfolio and brand strategy. Thanks once again.

Dealing with machinesI recently travelled on British Airways via their hub at London Heathrow. I was really impressed with how their standby travel system works, and was wondering whether we will consider implementing a similar system at our HKIA hub.

Theirs is swift and simple: ID trav-ellers check in at kiosks with RLOC, with automated instructions on what to do next. The next step is going to a private room 60 minutes prior to departure. In that room, there are six monitors display-ing all flights with standby RLOCs showing. The room also has a few computers available for staff to list

Food safetyAs a resident of Hong Kong, I, like many others, have read the reports of unsafe food from China. I read in a recent report that up to 10% of Chinese farmland is contaminated with cadmium.

As flight crew and also as a pas-senger, I consume the meals pro-vided by CX Catering Services on a frequent basis. I often have con-cerns that the food that I am eating may not be 100% safe from pollut-ants. Is it possible to provide infor-mation on the source of meals so others and I can make an informed

and crew safe from the danger of contamination and work effortless-ly to ensure that. The food we serve onboard is safe.

Footy fan Cathay Pacific has been sponsoring the Rugby Sevens and the Hong Kong International Races for years. Have we ever considered sponsoring local football events, or even local football teams? As a fan of local football, I would love to see my company’s name printed on the jerseys of a local football team, or on a billboard in a stadium. With the Hong Kong football team due to play against the UAE in Abu Dhabi in November, will the company consider providing some sort of travelling assistance for our city’s representatives, now that we operate two direct flights to Dubai a day?

Flight Operations staff

Rozana Lee, Events & Inbound Promotions Marketing Manager says: Thank you for your feedback. It has been indeed an honour for us to sponsor the Hong Kong Sev-ens for the past 31 years as well as the Hong Kong International Races, which we last supported in 2011. We also have been successfully sponsoring other sporting events, such as dragon boat races and the

The winner of the CX World Star Letter wins a pair of decidedly quirky Quarkie earphones from the UK.

Quarkie earphones were created by a British and Asian design team of music lovers, marrying striking sound with eye-catching designs.

This month’s winner wins a pair of Viper Head earphones featuring British studio-monitor sound quality.

Find Quarkie at Sogo, HMV, CD Warehouse and other outlets in Hong Kong.

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Senior Purser Alex Tang saved a traveller’s life at HKIA earlier this year.Alex was passing through the arrival hall at HKIA when he noticed that a traveller was lying on the floor, unconscious.

When Alex overheard the traveller’s friend saying that he had a history of heart disease, “a light switched on in my mind. I knew it was different and I needed to see what had happened,” Alex says.

Alex checked the traveller’s breathing and pulse and noticed that his eyes were open. Having encountered a similar situation inflight before, Alex knew he had to act quickly.

He immediately began conducting CPR when he couldn’t detect signs of life.

“I couldn’t tell how long I was doing chest compressions for – I just kept going,” Alex said. “After a while, I knew he needed air but with no universal precautions, my options were limited. I did mouth-to-nose to give him some oxygen.”

Eventually, two nurses and the special police came. “A policeman took over compressions and I did mouth-to-mouth using a simple face shield with a hole in the middle,” Alex says. He also applied an AED on the passenger.

“We applied the shock and continued with CPR until the ambulance came. Using their equipment, the paramedics found that the patient had a pulse and then took him away to hospital.”

From start to finish, Alex was on the scene for just 15 minutes.

“It was instinctive for me to give first aid. We have great training that shows us how to conduct the CPR procedure,” Alex says. “I am sure if any crew found themselves in a similar situation, they’d react in the same way.”

We took the opportunity to refresh the look and feel, but most of the improvement is not visible to the end user. As the ECX department, I share your frustration, but I’m confident that we can now actively start to in-troduce features and functionality (all the things you have suggested are on the list) which you will definite-ly be able to notice, and hopefully think are in line with our overall brand experience.

To address your observations about the ‘Timetable’ function, a CEP release on 1 September updated this area by sorting direct flights first, plus removing the duplication of code share flights between CX, KA and CA.

I find the new CX website very disappointing. It may look fresh, but my experience of booking a con-necting flight transiting in Hong Kong was very frustrating. I tried to search for a flight from Taipei to Singapore, with dates fixed. What I got was a long list of flight selections, and a poor interface that was difficult to read. It also showed strange combinations that requires 20 hours of flight time – yet it didn’t highlight all possible short connec-tions. Flight selections were also limited under the “flexible travel date” option.

I have a much better booking experience through the websites of other airlines. A fancy new look is not enough to attract people to book with us if the system is unfriendly. Why aren’t we investing in a stronger search engine instead?

Engineering staff

Manager, Digital Retail Cathy Hornby replies: Thanks for raising this issue. It’s a good opportunity for me to explain the work that happened behind the scenes during the recent refresh and to elaborate on our future plans for web and mobile.

The “new” site, while only a refreshed version, was a necessary step on our technical roadmap. A huge amount of work has happened at the back-end – we migrated from a legacy Vignette CMS to Adobe CQ5, exposed more web services, and aligned and stream-lined other elements of our infrastructure to work alongside the Passenger Services Systems upgrade we did last year.

7

or relist. Accepted staff head to another room across the hall to get their real boarding passes and drop off their bags.

Vancouver staff

Jessica Chan, incumbent Employee Services Manager says: Thank you for sharing your experience. Our ultimate goal is to automate as much of the staff travel experience as possible, including the check in system. The teams are busy working towards this… slowly but surely! 

Booked, but unusedThe meeting rooms are very difficult to book – not because there are too many business meetings, but simply because many of them are left empty or under-used. This is a waste of the company’s resources, and also makes it very difficult for others to arrange meetings.

For example, the system states that there were no vacancies left in the 8/F South Tower meeting rooms on 27 August at 11am. Yet when I went over to check, three out of five rooms were empty.

Indeed, many meeting rooms are booked for half a day, or even full days. I really doubt the need for such lengthy bookings.

Some colleagues told me that in order to not disappoint managers who may want to use the meet-ing room during a particular time (such as every Monday morning), their secretaries regularly block the rooms way in advance. I think this is a selfish act that misuses company resources.

Given that the current meeting room booking system is being abused by some colleagues, can the company consider imposing a more stringent policy?

Engineering staff

Jerry Tam, Buildings & Facilities Manager, says: Thank you for your letter. The Property & Services Department has an established mechanism to perform spot checks on the occupancy of meeting rooms. This is carried out by JLL facility management staff.

Based on these findings, PSD will notify the booking party, reminding him or her to release the rooms by cancelling the booking from the Outlook system if they know well in advance that they are not going to need the rooms.

For parties who frequently fail to show, PSD reserves the right to suspend them from booking.

Xiamen-based Lynn Ye deals with cargo in her capacity as a Cargo Reservation Sales Officer, but what she does in her spare time is a far cry from her day job. Lynn finds great pleasure in

Dragonair is now extending promotional collaterals on its Mainland Chinese destinations by unveiling a new travel mini-site.

Named “Insider’s Guide to China”, the site launched on 5 September. The mini-site is part of a wider China promotion campaign jointly developed by Hong Kong Office and the Marketing Department.

The site has travel tips for just about everyone – from first time backpack-ers to savvy travellers – and also features special Dragonair offers.

Featuring a visually impactful layout design, the mini-site encourages readers to find out what’s unique about different Chinese cities through articles, videos, photos and itineraries. The tips are submitted by bloggers, editors and photographers.

Travellers can search for articles based on their preferred categories, such as shopping, eating, family-friendly activities, and so on.

Dragonair offers and practical flight information are also featured, offering users a one-stop experience.

Seven KA destinations are featured in the first wave of promotions, includ-ing Hangzhou, Qingdao, Xi’an, Chongqing, Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.

The mini-site is only available in Chinese in the initial phase, and targets Hong Kong passengers. English content, plus information about more Main-land Chinese cities, will be rolled out in the next phase.

Visit destination.dragonair.com/china to learn more about China from a fresh new perspective!

the soothing, languid brush strokes of Chinese painting.

“I’ve been enthusiastic about Chinese painting and calligraphy since I was young. The

subtle aesthetics of Chinese-style drawings have always fascinated me,” Lynn says. “My only regret is not having enough time to develop this interest when I was

younger, due to overwhelming school work.”Lynn only picked up her paintbrush again last

year, but quickly proved she’s still got the magic touch by producing beautiful paintings that her friends fawn over.

For Lynn, Chinese painting isn’t just about the pursuit of contentment. It’s also a part of family life.

“I go through albums of paintings after work and draw on Saturdays. Sometimes, my three-year-old son joins me by scrawling on the paper. It’s a lovely moment for both of us,” says Lynn.

Lynn’s favourite artists are Chen Zhifo, a master of painting flowers and birds, and Bai Xueshi, famous for depicting magnificent

landscapes.Lynn also enjoys sharing her

passion for painting with others. “My colleagues, who share a

similar love of painting, give me constructive criticisms about my work,” Lynn grins. “Especially Rick (Zhang, Cargo Sales Executive)…Chinese painting is his favourite!”

Lynn says she’s not satisfied enough with her work to hang them on her walls, but looking at her paintings, it’s hard to agree with her.

CHINESE-STYLE TRANQUILITY: Lynn’s beautiful Chinese paintings. She enjoys discussing the art with her colleagues.

10

ColourThe new office has a calming palette of creams and whites, with timbre accents. Glossy surfaces are mixed with highly textured materials. The mood is contemporary and welcoming.

LightLighting – much of it natural – is bright and even. Foot traffic is redirected around the atrium for a lofty, airy feel; and there are fewer walls that block the light. Circulation areas are reduced to free up more space for the open office.

SustainabilitySustainability plays a big part in the office redesign. Most of the panel partitions are built using materials from the old office. LED tube lights replace fluorescent lighting. Ceiling panels from the old office are re-sprayed with water-based paint for a new look. Environmentally friendly materials are used extensively, such as recyclable carpet fabric with sustainable backing materials.

The Cathay City office environment has

been given a complete makeover on the fourth floor of

South Tower as part of the Pioneer Floor Programme. Staff from Hong Kong Office

were the first to experience the new environment in late July, followed by

colleagues from Product, Marketing and Airline Purchasing.

In a drastic departure from the rest of CX City, the new office employs an open layout to encourage more collaboration among departments.

Workstations feel connected, and breakout areas featuring plenty of tables, chairs and sofas are installed on both sides of the atrium.

“The breakout areas inspire staff to create a more communal and dynamic working environment,” says Irene Ip, Manager

Property & Services. These areas also alleviate some of the pressure on the

meeting facilities at CX City.Another main driver of the office redesign is to gain office

efficiency. The new layout can accomodate up to

20% more staff in the same area.

Breakout areasBreakout zones adjacent to two sides of the atrium feature tables, sofas and chairs. The timbered ceiling has the effect of reducing noise. “The design encourages staff to go directly to the breakout areas for discussions, instead of staying in their individual cubicles,” says Irene.

Hong Kong team comes home!

WARM WELCOME: Past and present Hong Kong office staff celebrated the team’s move to Cathay City with a pig cutting ceremony in late August.

Meeting roomsThe breakout areas are the perfect setting for more casual meetings, while standalone meeting rooms are for more secure conferences.

TVs take the place of projectors and projector screens. Staff can plug in their own laptops and USB flash drives. The TVs run on Andriod OS for apps and Internet browsing.

“With the new provisions for internal meetings, the demand for meeting rooms in the two towers should be less heavy,” says Irene.

WorkstationsLevel A, B and C staff share common working areas. Level C managers either get one-and-a-half workstation, or a semi-circular desk at the end of each team structure.

Monitors are placed on an extendable arm, so that staff can free up desk

space by adjusting the level and direction of the computer, or sliding it across the table.

Existing accessories, such as trays and cantilever shelves, can be seamlessly tapped onto the new system.

11

The Cathay City office environment has

been given a complete makeover on the fourth floor of

South Tower as part of the Pioneer Floor Programme. Staff from Hong Kong Office

were the first to experience the new environment in late July, followed by

colleagues from Product, Marketing and Airline Purchasing.

In a drastic departure from the rest of CX City, the new office employs an open layout to encourage more collaboration among departments.

Workstations feel connected, and breakout areas featuring plenty of tables, chairs and sofas are installed on both sides of the atrium.

“The breakout areas inspire staff to create a more communal and dynamic working environment,” says Irene Ip, Manager Property & Services. These areas also

alleviate some of the pressure on the meeting facilities at CX City.

Another main driver of the office redesign is to gain office

efficiency. The new layout can accomodate up to

20% more staff in the same area.

“One of the breakout areas is entirely furnished with loose furniture, so we can move things out to create more workstations, if necessary,” says Irene.

The abundance of natural light is immediately noticeable. The atrium is revitalised, and more sunlight is directed into the office area.

“We wanted to revitalise the building by introducing more sunlight to the larger populations of Level A, B and C staff,” says Irene. “We have atriums in each of the three office blocks, and it’s a shame that they are hardly noticeable when one walks around.”

Sustainability is another key factor of the redesign, with environmentally friendly materials chosen, and elements of the old office reused.

The Property & Services team is gathering comments from users to fine-tune elements of the Pioneer Floor.

Teleconference roomThe Pioneer Floor boasts the first teleconference room in Cathay City. One of the meeting rooms will have the capability to connect to all outports as the host. “Processes will become more efficient, and communications around the network will be enhanced,” says Irene.

Printing roomsGone are printers along the corridors. Instead, they are centralised in rooms to discourage people from printing things out. Having a dedicated room for printers minimises the noise from copiers and printers for colleagues seated nearby.

Other areas Lavatories and pantries also get a refreshing facelift.

Hong Kong team comes home!

WARM WELCOME: Past and present Hong Kong office staff celebrated the team’s move to Cathay City with a pig cutting ceremony in late August.

Around 80 colleagues from the Hong Kong Office sales team, who previously worked in Tsim Sha Tsui, moved to their new office space at Cathay City on 26 August.

The HKO team was the first to move into the Pioneer Floor on the 4th floor of CX City’s South Tower, settling into their desks for the first time on 26 August.

Four days later their move was cel-ebrated with a pig-cutting ceremony – hosted by Director Sales & Marketing Rupert Hogg, General Manager Sales PRD & HK Lavinia Lau, Manager Pas-senger Sales HK Alan Lui and Manager Passenger Sales PRD Linda Tse - to wish for an auspicious start of the new office’s operations. 

Director Corporate Affairs Chitty Cheung, General Manager Interna-tional Affairs Arnold Cheng and Direc-tor & GM Asia Miles Stephen Wong also

joined the celebration.         While it was a wrench to leave the

Gateway office where they had worked since 2007, HKO staff were excited about their new beginning in HQ.

“The new office is bright and colour-ful,” says Passenger Sales Executive Gala Teng. “Now we’re working under the same roof we can finally get the chance to meet colleagues we used to communicate with by phone or email. This can certainly strengthen our relationship and enhance our efficiency at work.”

Passenger Sales Executive Sandy Ng adds: “We can also enjoy a broad view of the airport landscape through the win-dows, which helps to relieve the stress!”

Some reflected that being relocated away from the downtown area means longer journeys to get to work or visit agents, but overall the Pioneer Floor pio-neers have been settling in well.

12

The Boeing 747-8F that left Seattle bound for Hong Kong on 13 August looked a little different than the previous nine to be delivered to Cathay Pacific.

B-LJC departed the Everett airfield with a small but significant decal under the cockpit window that marked a specific milestone – the 100th air-craft that CX had directly purchased from Boeing.

The relationship between CX and Boeing spans nearly four decades and since the 1970s the airline has ordered more than 120 aircraft from the US manufacturer, consisting of passenger and freight-er variants of the 747 and 777 types.

Chief Executive John Slosar said the milestone demonstrates how far CX has come as an airline.

“Today we are positioned with one of the young-est, most modern fleets in the world and we look forward to strengthening our fleet with additional Boeing aircraft in the future,” he said, referring to the three Dash 8s and 17 777-300ERs the airline has on order.

Boeing’s Ihssane Mounir, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Northeast Asia, Commercial Air-planes, referred to an “enduring partnership” that has grown immensely over the years.

CX’s association with Boeing aircraft began in the early 1970s when the airline started buying second-hand Boeing 707s to give it increased ca-pacity and longer range across a growing regional network.

The first 707, VR-HGH, entered service in Au-gust 1971 and over the next three years the airline brought 11 more of the widebody type into the fleet, helping to put CX on the world airline map.

The advent of the Boeing 747 opened up a whole new range of possibilities, and in February 1978 CX took the plunge by making its first direct order for the 747-200 series from the manufac-turer.

Then Engineering Director Stewart John was tasked with scrutinising the engines on offer to go with the new purchase and eventually settled on Rolls-Royce.

CX became the launch customer for the 747-200B with Rolls-Royce RB211 engines and a whole new era began when VR-HKG took its first com-mercial flight on 3 August 1979.

Qatar Airways, one of the world ’s fastest growing and most highly rated airlines, will become a full member of oneworld on 30 October 2013.

LAN Colombia will also join oneworld with effect from 1 October.

Qatar is the only one of the “Gulf Big Three” carriers slated to join a global airline alliance.

More than 20 of its destinations and five countries – Ethiopia, Iran, Rwanda, Serbia and Tanzania – will be new to the oneworld map.

Qatar’s addition to oneworld will come shortly before the airline moves into its new home base, Hamad International Airport, which will have an eventual capacity for 50 million passengers a year.

The three million members of Qatar’s Privilege Club loyalty programme will enjoy frequent flyer privileges when they fly with oneworld member airlines. Conversely, the 130 million members of oneworld airlines’ frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits on Qatar Airways.

LAN Colombia, on the other hand, will become an affiliate member of oneworld.

This will bring all of the components of Latin America’s leading airline group into the same alliance, with LAN Airlines itself becoming a full member of oneworld in 2000, and all other passenger airline affiliates joining as affiliate members.

LAN Colombia will add a further 18 destinations in its home country to the oneworld map.

The gorgeous painting on the cover of this month’s CX World won young Russian artist Polina Gavrilova the top award at a painting competition held at CX City on 28 August.

Polina was one of the 76 painters aged 12 to 18 taking part in the first-ever International Children Painting Competition, organised by the Promotion of Young Artists Foundation in Hong Kong.

Twenty contestants came from Hong Kong, while others arrived from 15 overseas countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania.

CX Chief Executive John Slosar is an advisory council member of the foundation, and CX sponsored the event as its official carrier.

Armed with paint sets and easels, the youngsters spent half a day at CX City sketching and painting everyday scenes in the facility, before moving on to the next paint-off at the Hong Kong International Airport.

Director Corporate Affairs Chitty Cheung presented Polina with the “Best of the Day – CX City” award for her depiction of the HQ Main Square entrance. Polina eventually emerged as the overall winner after five days of intense competition.

13

Selected cabin crew are trialling the use of iPad minis onboard starting mid-September.

The group – including eight Inflight Service Managers, eight Senior Purs-ers and 18 Flight Pursers from CX, and 18 KA crew – are each using iPad mini on specific flights for three months as part of the “iCabin” trial.

“The trial serves as a proof of con-cept regarding the usage of mobile handheld tablets in the cabin,” says Assistant Manager Projects and Re-search Justin Chang, who oversees this project.

“Hopefully, the trial can provide in-sights on how tablets can bring about more efficiency in the future.”

The iPad minis contain three main components: an electronic version of the Passenger Information List (PIL), electronic versions of some online cabin forms, as well as an app that allows crew to download onboard manuals and other documents.

ISD hopes that the electronic data can give cabin crew faster access to more information, ultimately making workflows easier and more efficient.

“We hope the iPad minis can en-hance the recognition our crew pro-

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Twenty Air China cabin crew are being trained at CX City as part of a nine-month secondment programme.

The secondees have gone through formal training since mid-August, with special focus placed on safety and service.

This is the sixth batch of cabin crew secondees from Air China, as part of a cooperation deal between the two partner airlines.

“The main objective is to share our best practices in cabin service as a premium airline,” says Shirley Au Yeung, Manager Cabin Crew. “They will be given the chance to practice on the job in our premium cabins, supervised by designated mentors.”

The secondees can also meet more international passengers of different ethnic groups while on exchange.

“From our side, it’s a valuable opportunity for our crew to gain more in-depth knowledge about the service culture in the Mainland,” Shirley says.

The secondees are all proficient in English and have been selected from different Air China bases, including Beijing, Hubei, Shanghai, Chengdu, Zhejiang, Chongqing, Tianjin and Inner Mongolia.

“We hope the secondees will share what they’ve learnt to the wider Air China cabin crew population after the their secondment,” Shirley says.

vide to our Marco Polo Club members. The devices should also make it easier for cabin crew to serve passengers with different requests,” says Justin.

To ensure data security, passenger information is erased immediately af-ter each flight.

The crew taking part in the trial re-ceived a day of training to familiarise themselves with the device’s applica-tions, which were developed espe-cially for the CX Group.

The electronic version of the PIL was developed in-house via Agile/Scrum Methodology by the Mobile Development Team, which is a new stream under IMT.

Under Agile/Scrum, the application was developed from scratch by a joint IMT/ISD (CX and KA) team and was ready for production use in less than six months.

The trial is being conducted as part of the broader e-enabled project. Cabin crew and passenger feedback will be collected before further e-en-abled plans are announced.

All existing paper processes will continue in parallel to the iCabin trial, and service procedures will also re-main unchanged.

14

New system, new changes

Staff club reaps resultsThe HKIA team has come up with an innovative way to inspire each other to work towards an error-free environment.

Titled A.C.E. Club – that’s short for “Accuracy, Commitment and Efficiency” – the campaign engages all levels of frontline ground staff through light-hearted sharing and team bonding exercises.

It’s not just fun and games. A.C.E. Club has reaped real results since its inception this year, with a noticeable drop in check-in errors and bagging cross-tagging compared to 2012. The campaign also protects the company from financial loss arising from fines and compensation paid to passengers.

“Innovation must come from the frontline. I strive to cultivate an environment that encourages staff to come up with innovative ideas without fearing failure or looking like a fool,” says GM HKIA Paul Loo. “The bottom line is supporting our staff in providing great services to customers so that they keep coming back.”

A.C.E. Club activities kicked off in April this year, and are planned and executed by a committee made up of different levels of HKIA staff.

It was an emotional – but highly enjoyable – evening when Personnel staff past and present gathered at the Hong Kong Football Club on 2 August to bid farewell to former Director Personnel William Chau.

Also in attendance were a group of MTs who worked under William at some point in their careers.Colleagues enjoyed lively games and great food, and many stood up to share their memories of

working with the golf-loving director, who is retiring after four decades with the airline.Farewell gifts presented on the night included a figurine of William in a golfing pose, and a photo

album with a collection of photos from his time in CX.“Over the past 40 years, through good times and bad times, crises and challenges, I’ve enjoyed

every minute of working with CX,” William says, recalling his humble beginnings as a Cargo Officer in the warehouse at Kai Tak.

He rose through the ranks on the ramp and became Duty Manager, Airport in 1993. The next stage of his career began when he became a Personnel Manager in 1994, later becoming Personnel Manager Hong Kong Ground Staff, General Manager Personnel and then Director Personnel in 2000.

He served under four different Chief Executives during his tenure in the Executive Office.“I have had the luck and privilege to meet, know and work with so many wonderful colleagues

in Hong Kong, overseas and onboard our aircraft,” Williams says. “I wish everyone good health and happy times, and I hope the airline will remain successful into the future.”

William begins a new role as HAECO’s Group Director Human Resources in October.

Handy Cheat Sheet

A briefing series titled “Share to Care” encourages HKIA staff to share best practices on check-in procedures. Some 910 staff took part in the series in less than four months.

Staff are quizzed on their knowledge in the form of an interactive Monopoly game.

Colleagues were also encouraged to submit tips on perfecting airside tasks to win gift vouchers. The initiative was a huge success, with 180 tips received from 90 colleagues in a month.

Programme participants Timothy Lee and Donna Mak both agreed that taking part in A.C.E. Club activities gave them a sense of satisfaction. “It’s also a valuable opportunity for landside and airside colleagues to meet and share their experiences,” Timothy says.

A.C.E Club will be an ongoing campaign with a different theme each year.

Scan to watch a video aboutthe A.C.E Club!

The new system will have to be linked to all current CX systems and will impact more than 90 different business applications, such as finance, loyalty and meal ordering.

Welcome to the first in a regular series in CX World about what’s happening with PSS Phase 2 – one of the largest IT system and business transformation changes in CX and KA’s history.

With the first stage of PSS Phase 2 to be implemented by the end of this year, and the final stage by end of 2014, it’s important that all staff stay informed about the changes and the impacts to our business.

Altéa Suite is the Passenger Services System (PSS) that CX and KA have chosen to replace their 30-year-old systems CUPID and CUPAC.

PSS Phase 1 replaced the reservations and inventory system CUPID with Altéa Reservations and Inventory in February last year.

PSS Phase 2 is the final step which will replace the current CX and KA Departure Control System CUPAC with the Altéa Departure Control System (Altéa DCS).

Altéa DCS consists of two modules. Altéa Customer Management (CM) manages all aspects of airport passenger services, while Altéa Flight Management (FM) is a new weight and balance management system.

Once complete, the new PSS will work as one interconnected system that spans across all passenger services, customer service and load control operations.

Therefore, while you may think it’s just about airports, the new system being introduced is going to touch all departments across Cathay Pacific and Dragonair in some way.

What does PSS stand for?Passenger Services System (PSS) is a term commonly used to describe the critical systems used to manage different parts of an airline’s business. It usually consists of an airline reservation system, an inventory system and a departure control system.

What is Altéa Suite?Altéa Suite is the PSS that CX and KA have chosen to replace their 30-year-old systems, CUPID and CUPAC.

What is PSS Phase 1?PSS Phase 1 replaced the legacy reservations and inventory system, CUPID, with Altéa Reservations and Inventory. This system was successfully changed over in February 2012 and is currently in use.

What is PSS Phase 2?PSS Phase 2 is a systems change and business transformation project. It involves the replacement of the current CX and KA Departure Control System, CUPAC, with the Altéa Departure Control System. Phase 2 also involves wide-scale business process reengineering to make the most out of the new system.

15

The Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal (CPCT) reached a new milestone by commencing Stage 2C operations in the early morning of 19 August.

Stage 2C involves processing shipments from freighters – a leap forward for CPCT.

In addition to handling valuable cargo, transit civil mail and interface transfer shipments, the cargo termi-nal now also handles transhipment and import cargo for CX, KA and Air Hong Kong, which doubles up its cargo throughput.

CX3248 carried the first batch of freighter cargo from Jakarta and Ha-noi. Unloading took place at Cargo Bay 14 after the aircraft came in

at 1:30am, and in just half an hour the cargo was transported to CPCT. The shipments were then smoothly checked in to the Materials Han-dling System.

In order to make sure everything’s ready, the CPSL team were engaged in a number of inspections well be-fore the cargo arrived. OPS, ENG and IMT conducted final examinations on the systems and equipment while other teams walked through the terminal to carry out final health checks to ensure readiness.

As with other commencements of new stages, the Command Centre was activated and attended by rep-resentatives from different stake-

A broader range of passengers travelling on CX and KA flights will soon be able to accumulate more Asia Miles.

From 8 October, Asia Miles members who travel on Cathay Pacific and Dragonair in Economy fare classes “S”, “N” and “Q” can earn miles at a rate of 25% of actual miles flown. In the past, passengers travelling with these fare classes were not eligible to earn Asia Miles.

These offers are in addition to the Economy fare classes that currently earn 100% of miles flown.

Asia Miles CEO Stephen S Y Wong welcomes CX and KA’s decision to offer miles to even lower fare classes, and is excited about extending more earning opportunities to its worldwide base of 5.3 million members.

“As the leading travel reward programme, we’re constantly on the lookout for more opportunities for our members to earn and redeem miles,” he says.

“Increasing the number of classes with earning opportunities will allow our members to accumulate miles and redeem their next ticket or lifetsyle reward quicker,” says Stephen.

“This is an exciting development that will make flying in Economy

with CX an even more attractive proposition for our passengers besides great value-for-money fares, meals, inflight entertainment and excellent service,” says GM Revenue Management James Tong.

In addition to earning miles in Economy Class, CX and KA passengers can earn miles at a rate

of 150%, 125% and 110% of actual miles flown when travelling in First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy Class, respectively.

Asia Miles’ recent efforts to improve the membership experience don’t stop there.

“In the first half of 2013 alone, we launched a host of exciting offers,

such as 30% off Economy ticket redemptions, 50% off Regional Business Class upgrades, and a new redemption website called iRedeem,” says Stephen.

Asia Miles is also cooperating with more vendors than ever, the latest being TSL Jewellery, a high-end local jeweller.

Redeeming lifestyle rewards with Asia Miles has never been easier thanks to the new iRedeem store.

The new site, which has a catalogue of more than 1,800 lifestyle redemption options, features improved navigation, search tools and layout. Marketing for the site began in earnest in July.

“The new online redemption store mimics the typical internet shopping experience. We hope to simplify

holders. The management team stayed at the terminal overnight to conduct a final review before the first freighter arrived.

“After the challenging Stage 2B transition, I am glad to see how all staff have swiftly united together to become a stronger team, ensuring smooth operations for import ship-ments from the freighter aircraft starting mid-August,” says CPSL CEO Algernon Yau.

“We’re now preparing for the final stage of transition. The new cargo terminal will cut-over export cargo handling at 5am on 3 October, set-ting a new chapter for CPSL and the whole air cargo industry.”

the redemption process and drive incremental value,” says Kendrick Ko, Head of Partnership and Business Development.

The iRedeem site represents Asia Miles’ ongoing evolution from a travel-based proposition to a lifestyle redemption platform.

“Different Asia Miles members have different needs and our goal is to offer more diversified options for them to use their miles,” says Kendrick.

The site also offers unique items tailored for different markets around the world. For example, Asia Miles members in China get to enjoy Vanguard supermarket vouchers and movie tickets. In Taiwan, members can redeem Eslite book vouchers and traditional local pastries.

Another popular platform is iAuction, where members can use their Asia Miles to bid for unique experiences that money cannot buy.

In the past year, the team has auctioned off experiences offered by local fashion brand i.t., Krug Champagne, Hong Kong Disneyland, and a Hong Kong Sevens package.

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Find out how iAuction offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences!

FIRST FLIGHT: Stage 2C started with CX3248 carrying cargo from JKT and HAN.

Around 400 needy youngsters and their families were treated to a first-hand look at Western musical instruments on 22 August.

They also had the opportunity to hear the magnificent sound of a full orchestra.

The Music Fun Fest was organised by Asian Youth Orchestra with the support of CX and other local sponsors.

CX has supported the AYO’s annual tour since its 1990 inception. This is the seventh time the airline has supported the orchestra’s community event.

The programme included a learn-and-play session and a perfromance of Beethoven’s Symphony #5.

The youths were then treated to a symphonic performance.

“We have a strong relationship with the AYO and we were happy to help with the family day once again, especially as we could invite children from our neighbouring community in Tung Chung,” says Grace Lee, Manager Corporate Communication.

Those living in the Tung Chung area might have heard about the good work of the Tung Chung Woman’s Club.

A non-profit organisation formed by a group of women – among them many wives of Cathay Pacific staff and a CX pilot – the club supports smaller and lesser known charities in Hong Kong and abroad, particu-larly those that do not get any cor-porate sponsorship or donations, government funding or subsidies of any kind.

The club was started in 2010 by founding members Bethan Dunnet, Dr Anita Tomasov and Robyn Daniel – the latter a wife of a CX staff.

They were later joined by Sun-shine Calton (CX wife), Kim Bug-gins (CX wife), Jolene Verwey (a CX

Among those playing at the inter-department event was Nick Rhodes, representing Cargo for the last time before moving to his new role as Director Personnel.

Nick played his usual solid game, helping the CGO team to second place in the event, but there was a surprise in store when he walked off the 18th hole and a caddie began to wrench his bag away from him, demanding a tip.

The tussle went on for a while until Nick realised he’d been the victim of a practical joke, played by Myra Lee and Ann Tse from Cargo’s marketing team.

“Dressed as an old hag of a caddy, Myra certainly had me fooled – and I would still be there now fighting over my golf bag if Ann hadn’t come to my rescue!” Nick smiles.

Heavy rain had drenched the South Course at Kau Sai Chau but that couldn’t dampen the performance of the winning Information Management team at the 2013 Inter-Departmental Golf Tournament.

IMT fielded a couple of teams on 31 August but it was the foursome comprising Mark McDonald, Priya Menon, Robert Weider and Shaun McIlroy that took the honours, with an impressive combined stableford score of 56 points.

The Cargo team was eight points behind in second place, with Engineering a further four points in third.

On the individual side it was Mark McDonald who took the Best Gross Score prize, shooting an impressive two-over par 71. Fittingly, Mark was named as CX’s new golf captain for the coming year after the event (see One Minute With, left).

There were closest-to-the-pin prizes for Robert Weider, Lawrence Fong (IMT), Ray Fung (FIN) and Lee Un Mi (ISD), while longest drive honours went to Suzie Kwan (ISD) and Andes Ng (IMT).

Had there been a “Loudest Shirts” award on the day it would have surely gone to ENG, who put on a vivid floral display.

First Officer), Jean Venter (HAECO wife), Liana Radic (AHK wife) and Donna Lowe (Metrojet wife).

“These ladies felt that today’s harsh economic conditions often make it difficult for charities to main-tain and sustain their wonderful work, so they decided to give back to those who are less fortunate and need help,” says Jolene.

Raising money for charity can be challenging, but the members of the Tung Chung Womans’ Club de-cided they wanted to have fun along the way.

The club’s activities have brought in significant sums for charity. The 2012 Autumn Ball raised over HK$60 000 for the Freedom Care Project, run by Dragonair pilot Kev-en Tate.

The club also hosted the Love for Luke quiz night earlier in 2013 to help a CX pilot’s child who is being treated for leukemia.

This year the club is hosting their 2013 Winter Charity ball on 23 No-vember at the SkyCity Marriott Hotel.

“We’re raising money for the Love without Boundaries Foundation which assists needy children in China by providing education, fos-ter care, healing homes, medical aid, nutrition and orphanage as-sistance,” says Jolene.

Tickets are available at HK$950 per person, or HK$9,500 for a table of 10, which includes all drinks, canapes and a three-course meal and a live band.

“We’ll also have several lucky draw prizes and a silent auction – it promises to be a memorable evening,” Jolene smiles.

Email Jolene at TCWC2010@gmail.com for further information or visit the Tung Chung Woman’s Club Facebook page.

The ISD football team flew all the way to Singapore to take part in the Cathay Pacific Soccer Challenge Club in late July.

The team consists of football enthusiasts from all ranks in ISD. GM Inflight Services James Ginns and Operation Support Manager Edwin Cheung also flew in to support them.

In the first match, two goals by Flight Attendant Vincent Cheung and Flight Purser Whelan Cheng secured the team an impressive 2-1 win over Singapore’s Kowloon Club.

During the second match against Singapore Indian Associa-tion, the CX team secured a 2-1 win by scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes. The goals were from Vincent and Kevin Yung.

“We were very impressed with the arrangements in Singa-pore. The facilities – especially the pitch – were fantastic. Hearty thanks to James for making the arrangements,” says team member Eugene Swinton.

Players bonded over a buffet dinner after the friendly competi-tion on the pitch.

The CX men’s and women’s basketball teams did the company proud at the recent Inter-Hong Basketball Competition.

The ladies’ team took the champion trophy, beating teams from CLP, CSL and HSBC’s Wayfoong Sports Club in convincing fashion.

The ladies’ team, captained by APD’s Helen Lui, consists of nine players who are pilots, flight attendants and airport personnel.

The men’s team, led by Flight Purser Sean Liao, played with 13 other teams to come third overall.

The Inter-Hong tournament is a famously tough tournament, with CX players often pitted against former pros or semi-professional basketball players. Despite the fierce competition, the CX team beat traditional powerhouses PCCW, JSA and MTR to advance to the semi-finals.

“Looking to recapture the champion trophy for the first time in eight years, the CX team gave everything they had against A.S Watsons but came up short losing by eight points in a hard-fought game,” says CX basketball coordinator Tim Wong from APD. “This is the best result for the men’s team in eight years.”

Well done teams!

20

Salsa, mojitos, retro American cars, cigars, live bands… my trip to Cuba was a heady mix of sights, sounds and tastes that will be hard to forget.

We spent 12 days on this Caribbean island, stopping at its capital, Havana, as well as Trini-dad in central Cuba and Santiago de Cuba in the southeast.

Downtown Havana is divided into La Ha-bana Vieja (Old Havana), Centro Habana (Cen-tral Havana) and Vedado (New Havana). Most tourist attractions are in the Vieja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Many buildings in the Vieja are very old, which means that the city’s rich culture and history is preserved perfectly.

Fans of Ernest Hemingway must visit Hotel Ambos Mundos. Hemingway lived in the es-tablishment for six years, no doubt downing countless glasses of mojito, his favourite tipple, during his stay!

Trinidad – not to be confused with the Carib-bean island nation – is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Cuba. The small town is famous for its lovely cobbled streets, pastel houses and buildings dating back to the colo-nial era. The highlight of my stay was taking the steam train to Valle de los Ingenios, or the Sugar Mills Valley. After admiring the scenic views at the first stop, the train took us to the

Travel bites

n Staff perk in BeijingThe Opposite House in Beijing, run by Swire Hotels, is now available at discounted rates to CX and KA staff.

The Opposite House opened in 2008 at The Village in Sanlitun to much fanfare. The 99-room urban hotel, designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, has chic restaurants and bars conceived by celebrated chef restaurateur David Laris.

The staff rate for the hotel’s Studio 45 rooms is RMB1,600, while their Studio 70s are RMB2,400. The rates are valid until 31 December 2013.

Visit www.theoppositehouse.com for details.

n Art in the park This year’s Frieze London Art Fair takes place in Regent’s Park, London.

In addition to being able to see and buy art by over 1,000 of the world’s leading artists, visitors can experience Frieze Projects, the fair’s critically acclaimed programme of artist commissions.

Buy tickets at www.friezelondon.com.

n Laotian revelry In Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, people celebrate the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent with Awk Phansa.

The eve of Awk Phansa is celebrated with parties and candlelit processions. The highlight is a ceremony called Van Loi Heua Fai, which involves the release of illuminated banana-leaf boats carrying flowers and incense. Riverside spots such as Vientiane and Luang Prabang also hold boat races the day after Awk Phansa.

At Phnom Penh’s Bon Om Tuk, or The Festival of the Reversing Current, crews of 40 battle each other at Tonlé Sap, which suddenly reverses its direction of flow at this time of year.

Delhi Manager on Duty Monica Badhwar snapped this pretty picture at the famous Blue Mountains region on the border of Sydney.

“The Blue Mountains is a playground for nature lovers and is very popular among city dwellers who want to get away,” says Monica.

Some 90 minutes away from Sydney by car, the Blue Mountains forms part of the Great Dividing Range, rising to 1,200 metres in certain parts.

“For me, the most spectacular feature is an escarpment with waterfalls spilling out of sheer sandstone cliffs, backed by towering rock formations and blooming flora. The Blue Mountains is really one of Australia’s must-see destinations,” Monica enthused.

The scenic area also includes caves once inhabited by aboriginals, as well as former coal mines.

CUBAN STYLE: (from left) Rum and cigars are ubiquitous in Cuba; spontaneous dancing at Santiago’s Casa de la Trova; a typical Cuban ride.

Every month, CX World invites all CX staff to tell unusual, interesting or just downright quirky tales of travel moments around the world. The stories may also be featured on official CX social media channels, such as Facebook. Sponsored by Inflight Sales, the lucky sender of the main story receives HK$500 worth of inflight sales products of their choice from the ever-changing collection of over 260 items on offer (excluding liquor and cigarettes).

Go shopping at www.cathaypacific.com/dutyfree

Manaca-Iznaga, where a 44-metre former slave tower stood.

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second largest city, it is famous for its rich culture. The music here is fantastic. We enjoyed a night of Cuban music at a local musical house called Casa de la Trova.

Indeed, music and dance seemed to be in the blood of the Cuban people. Almost every restaurant featured a live band, and the strong rhythms spilled out onto the streets, creating a carnival-like atmosphere.

Two currencies circulate in Cuba: Cuban con-vertible pesos (CUC), and Cuban pesos (CUP). One CUC buys 24 CUP. Tourists usually use the CUC, but street food, drinks and fares for pro-vincial transportation can be paid in CUP. Com-modities can be very cheap if you use CUP – for instance, one CUP can buy you a small dish of

spaghetti, a cup of coffee, or a ferry ticket.In order to experience the real Cuban living, I

suggest travellers to stay at casa particulars, or private homestays. There are plenty of those in town and tourists are often accosted by propri-etors at bus stations.

Under the socialist system, the majority of Cubans are poorer than us and enjoy fewer re-sources. But judging by their smiling faces and open demeanour, they certainly seem very happy.