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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
The international airline based in Hong Kong provides scheduled passenger services to 51 cities in Asia, North America, Australia, Europe, and Africa. Through its associated company, Dragonair, it offers connections between its destinations and 25 cities in Asia. Admirers say there's no better way to fly to Asia than via this first-rate airline with one U.S. gateway (Los Angeles) and multiple services to Europe.Cathay Pacific has introduced the world's first comprehensive online check-in service, allowing passengers to check-in for flights via the Internet before heading to the airport. The new service is available up to 90 minutes before the published departure time. Passengers can request window or aisle seats, just as they would at the airport. They can check-in anywhere they have a connection to the Internet. Boarding passes are collectable on arrival from dedicated counters at Hong Kong International Airport, and at most of Cathay Pacific's international destinations. The service is initially available for all Asia Miles and Marco Polo Club members and their traveling companions.
At the heart of Cathay's new First Class is the seat. Apart from being among the longest and widest in the sky, the First Class seat can quickly and easily extend into a full-length bed. The First Class seat has a pitch of 79in, is 22in wide between the armrests, has a bedwidth of 25in, and can recline 180 degrees into a completely flat bed. Privacy screens on the aisle side, and also between the center seats, transform your seating area into a secure and very cozy "bedroom". For extra comfort, you will receive luxury duvets, pillows and, for the ultimate in slumber comfort, a "sleep suit". One of the highlights awaiting every First Class passenger is the superb array of Asian and International cuisine: all dishes are freshly made to order; not only can passengers choose what to eat, they can also choose when to eat. Each seat has a 10.4in television with noise canceling headsets. "Cinema on Demand" offers a choice of 30 blockbusters and 15 short features, which can be viewed at any time. There are also 20 channels to choose from, including movies, news, sports and award-winning documentaries. CNN daily news and live BBC radio are also available.
Cathay's new Business Class will be installed on a third of its long-haul fleet by April 2002. You can enjoy a 2-3-2 layout, there are only three rows of seats in the cabin downstairs, allowing extra space. The Z-shaped seat has a 60in/127cm pitch and is now wider, longer and indeed, even more comfortable! The headrest is adjustable six ways and the lumbar support four ways. Pillows are now reversible and much larger in size. The main in-arm tray is 30% larger, and there's a second table that is easily pulled out and can be used as workstation. In fact, it is the first airline to offer a second table to Business Class passengers. For the main meal, travelers are given a choice of four entrees on long-haul flights, and between two and three on regional flights -- all from a superb range of Asian and Western dishes. The meals are served on a low, flat-topped trolley (a la First Class), allowing an inviting eye-level choice of what's on offer. Business Class has 10.4in/26cm personal TVs, the same size as those in First Class, with "Cinema on Demand" featuring 25 movies, and noise-canceling headsets to catch all the excitement StudioCX offers. Business Class also has a new CD audio system, while the personal television features 20 channels of nonstop entertainment. Onscreen information is available in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Economy Class passengers also enjoy a good selection of food and beverages. A variety of regional dishes as well as snack foods (such as ice cream and cup noodles) are available on selected flights, along with sparkling wine, hot and iced oolong tea and soy milk. Once in the sky, travelers can sit back and enjoy their own personal TV. There are 20 channels to choose from -- everything from sports and news, to movies and shows. There's also Cathay KIDZ as well as special movies and features for children. In fact, up to 86 hours of nonstop entertainment is available, with interactive onscreen information available in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Friendly, caring crews provide a superb standard of service, even in Economy, and comfort is enhanced by good leg room, gourmet food and liberal wine service. A few critics feel that standards have declined somewhat and wish the inflexible ground personnel would be more relaxed. The airline has won frequent awards as the best airline, in fierce competition with Singapore Airlines. Fears that things would worsen after Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule have not so far proved correct, and Cathay remains one of the very top airlines in the world. The recent economic crisis has enabled it to lower its prices, making it an even more attractive carrier.
CHINA AIRLINES
China Airlines has grown rapidly since it launched in 1959 with just two amphibious airplanes. Today its fleet includes more than 50 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. By the year 2003, China Airlines will operate 80 aircraft, the majority of them newly purchased. This will be one of the industry's youngest fleets, rivaling those of any of the world's major airlines. Meanwhile, China Airlines is expanding its routes to 50 cities in 25 countries around the world.China Airline's all new First Class Luxury Space, with only 14 seats, offers more room, a convenient personal coat hook, beverage table, book bag and shoe cubby to make you feel at home in your own private space. Enjoy the video monitor or high-fidelity CD sound system, or choose from a selection of 8 music programs, all via our new Noise-Block headphones. On long, overnight flights, China Airlines provides a variety of accessories including pure Evian mineral water, a toiletry bag, and even cosmetics from Nina Ricci and Crabtree & Evelyn. CA also offers a variety of quality toys, diapers and baby-food products, for the amusement and comfort of young children. First Aid kits and medical kits are available for any eventuality.
The 747-400 First Class Comfort Console-Chair has a 180 degree, fully-reclining electronically operated chair, with a spacious 83in/210cm, an extra-large head rest that can be adjusted in any direction, a back reading light that can be tilted to any angle, electronically adjustable back support and leg rests that allow optimal personalized comfort. The seats also provide computer-controlled personal televisions equipped with a 6 inch touch screen monitor for touch-selecting10 different games and air show information, and a Hi-8 high density personal video offers a selection of 20-30 of the hottest movies and programs. Due to aircraft rotation, new configuration will be served first only on some of the routes, and gradually phased in. The A340-300 First Class provides a 180 degree, fully-reclining, electrically powered, luxury seat with adjustable head rest, lumbar support, and adjustable foot rest, plus an Airbag seat cushion that can be inflated to the position that gives you the greatest comfort, and a seat with a pitch of 78in/198cm. Plus, there's a personal cabinet and clothes closet beside each seat, providing greater privacy, a 15in/38cm VGA interactive personal TV offering the widest variety of in-flight entertainment, a 110-volt AC electrical socket for your notebook PC, and a satellite telephone providing global communication.
The airline's Business Class is called "Dynasty Class," with a seat pitch of 50in/127cm, electrically controlled genuine leather seats with head rest, lumbar support, and variable-angle leg rest, together with Airbag seat cushions providing additional comfort, a 10.4in/26.4cm VGA interactive personal TV, which includes electronic game control. Satellite telephones in each seat provide passengers with immediate global communication. The gourmet cuisine is accompanied by fine wines from world-renown wineries.
The new Economy Class cabin with its new configuration provides better access to the aisles and more room to stretch out, a comfortable 32in/81cm seat pitch, the world's first swing-type seats for economy class, allowing the bottom cushion to slide forward as the seat reclines, a foot rest with a massage function to alleviate fatigue, a 6.5in/16.5cm VGA interactive personal TV in each seat, with a choice of seven video channels, eight stereo music channels, and nine video games.
CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES
CEA is the econd-largest Chinese airline serving 112 destinations, composed of 12 international routes, 90 domestic and 10 regional routes. Shanghai-based China Eastern started life in 1988 with locally-built planes, but quickly started acquiring Western-built planes, beginning with five MD-82s in that same year, and two more MD-82s and three A300-600s the following year. Now the carrier has a fleet of 62 aircraft, 52 of which are Western built: A340s, A320s, A300s, MD-11s, MD-82s, MD-90s, and Fokker 100s. Among the international destinations that the airline flies to are: Bangkok, Los Angeles, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. Plus through a link up with American Airlines, passengers can book from Shanghai or Beijing straight through to New York or Chicago, and vice versa.CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES
Leading air transportation enterprise in China serving 273 domestic and 55 international and regional destinations. China Southern's passenger base represents a quarter of all passengers carried by Chinese airlines.CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
One of the world's largest airlines, Continental serves 139 domestic and 85 international destinations from its major hubs in Newark, Houston and Cleveland. In conjunction with its code-share partners, Continental's total number of destinations goes up to 400 cities.In March 2001, Continental Airlines launched the world's longest nonstop scheduled twin engine aircraft service, a 16-hour 13,600km/7,337nm Boeing 777 flight between New York and Hong Kong. It will also be the first time that the two cities have been linked directly.
Continental Airlines has established designated security checkpoint lanes for frequent fliers and some premium passengers at its hubs in Houston, Newark and Cleveland. One checkpoint lane has been designated at each of the hubs for OnePass Elite, BusinessFirst, domestic first class and Latin business class customers. Those travelers need to show their tickets, boarding passes, e-ticket itineraries or OnePass Elite membership cards to use the lanes.
Continental set the standard for excellence in business travel a decade ago with the introduction of BusinessFirst. Now a new BusinessFirst seat, designed with personalized comfort in mind, has a 22-inch seat width, wider than competing Business Class seats and as wide as most international First Class seats, and up to 6 1/2 feet / 2 meters of sleeping space in the fully extended position, enabling passengers to sleep comfortably; the deeper electronic recline measures 170 degrees from seat cushion to seat back. Continental Airlines has won numerous awards for its international BusinessFirst service and offers an international dining service.
Continental's "Congress of Chefs" carefully selects menus and wines for each country they fly to, many times highlighting local specialty items. Regional wines of the destination cities and special selections are also available. The "Congress of Chefs" is led by Siegfried Lang, Continental Airlines' Executive Chef and Managing Director of Food and Beverage Planning, and includes 22 chefs, who either work for or consult with Continental. Among the group are celebrity chefs Michael Cord a of Houston's Americas, Amazon Grill and Churrascos Restaurants, Tim Keating of Houston's DeVille Restaurant at Four Seasons, Resa Kelly, of Houston's Resa's Prime Steakhouse and Piano Bar, Paul Minnillo of the Baricelli Inn in Cleveland, Don Pintabona of New York City's Tribeca Grill,and Hawaii's Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's Restaurants.
The airline offers a concierge service for a personal touch to its BusinessFirst service, long before departure. These specially trained representatives provide individual on-the-ground assistance. Continental's concierges are selected based on their exceptional "people" skills and ability to work well with a variety of personalities, cultures and preferences. Besides helping customers with pre-boarding, concierges greet connecting BusinessFirst customers at the gate and assist them through customs. In short, concierges ensure that each BusinessFirst customer receives personalized, VIP treatment not offered by most other airlines. Concierge service is available on all international routes providing BusinessFirst service, including Houston, New York/Newark and Cleveland.
The domestic service is quite different and amenities Spartan. For First Class and Economy Class for flights less than 1 hour beverages are served. For flights 1 1 1/2 hours beverages are served, and munchies are offered in First Class on flights before 10:00 a.m. They are offered in both First and Economy class on flights after 10:00 am. Flights over 1 1/2 hours for First Class and over 2 hours for Economy Class beverages and a complimentary meal or snack are offered on segments during appropriate meal or snack periods.
Among the many complaints about this airline, frequent delays are cited most often, with cramped space, horrendous food, and bad service not far behind. However, it's getting better with improved service, helpful ticket agents and competitive pricing. Best to get into the outstanding Business Class.
CONTINENTAL EXPRESS
A wholly-owned regional subsidiary of Continental Airlines, offers more than 1,000 daily departures to more than 100 cities from its hubs in Cleveland, Newark, and Houston.CSA CZECH AIRLINES
The national carrier of the Czech Republic operates domestic and international services. Now in its 76th year, CSA has a modern fleet of Airbus A310-300, and Boeing 737-400 and 737-500, and ATR 42 and 72 aircraft.It provides direct transatlantic flights to Prague from Newark, Montreal and Toronto. It has an extensive European network of about 30 destinations, and also flies to Beirut, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Dubai, Bahrain, Bangkok and Singapore.
On board CSA aircraft, you may comfortably travel in either of two classes, Business Class or Travel Class. There, passengers can sit back and relax in comfortable seats, and the cabin attendants will take care of them -- with a smile. In Business Class, CSA offers comfortable, high standard of service. Airbus A310-300's are equipped with adjustable seats that offer more personal space and comfort for long haul flights. Boeing 737 aircraft are equipped with convertible seats for higher comfort, which enables the airline to change the configuration in Business Class to 2-2 seats in a row, compared to the standard 3-3 in a row.
This airline has come a long way from the days of flying "OK Jets" (Russian type aircraft) and is constantly expanding and improving its services.
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