On Being the Airline of the Year: A candid take from Cathay Pacific Manager - Cebu Suzanne Wong

Cathay Pacific has been awarded as the Airline of the Year 2005 by the London-based award-giving body Skytrax.

Skytrax Research says its 2005 World Airline Awards Poll was the world's "largest" passenger survey ever with more than 12.3 million eligible nominations. Votes were cast by 94 different nationalities from June 2004 to May 2005.

With such a prestigious award for the year, Cathay Pacific has validated once again its vision of becoming the world's most appreciated airline.

Suzanne Wong, Cathay Pacific's Port Manager in Cebu, is one of the many who takes pride in the award. "As an airline we remain unchanged," she said talking about the vision of Cathay Pacific Airways. Along the way however, there are a lot of directions the company has engaged in.

The award got Wong excited and she pointed out that "it's a proof that we are doing things really well. We will try our best and meet the expectations year after year."

She said it all evolved around the passion every Cathay Pacific staff has in their hearts - that is the passion to serve. "The whole idea of winning emphasizes the dedication of the staff."

Apart from the safety of every passenger, Cathay Pacific is also focusing on details. "Those details spell the difference and we are always open for communications, say, suggestions from our passengers," she said.

Another key thing to winning the award is Cathay Pacific's on-time performance that entails customer satisfaction.

The role of an airline basically is to get a passenger from point A to point B and during the transfer, Wong said that in as much as possible, they would give a passenger all the comfort. "For those who are traveling with children, we give them game kits to keep the children occupied."

Cathay Pacific's competitive edge, she said, lies in the comfort in every flight, the best flight schedules and the affordable fare rates - the reasons why they have always been the airline of choice. This time let's hear it from Cathay Pacific's frequent flyers.

Susie Milne

"There was a time when me and my husband Tim traveled with our 6-month old baby. Cathay Pacific took care of my baby well. They made sure we would have a comfortable flight. Their staff is really good at that. Another good thing about flying on an organized airline is that information is always available. They inform you if ever the flight will be delayed and keep you updated on the changes. I would say Cathay Pacific is a family-friendly airline." Traveling with a child might be a hassle not just for her but also for the other passengers. "But I'm glad my daughter is a good flyer."

Miranda Konstantinudou

"I travel in economy class but I always feel the good service. The staff are friendly but not over-friendly. I mean they are naturally-friendly and they treat you in a way that you don't get annoyed or bothered. When you need something, you can have it right away. When I fly long flights, I would just eat, drink and relax. And to add, they have excellent food!" A business traveler, Konstantinidou values comfort being emphasized on the services she gets.

Jorg Hinden

"Cathay Pacific puts emphasis on in-flight service that spells the comfort every time I fly. They are excellent and their service is outstanding plus they also serve good food. They are really doing a great job." For someone who has been in the hospitality management and services business (he is one of the founders of the Marco Polo Hotel Group), Hinden perfectly knows what true service is.

And for Wong's final message, "I would like to thank our passengers, suppliers, all our staff and of course the media."

But as we would always say, an experience is not just something you read about. It's something you have to experience and appreciate. So the next time you fly, take a Cathay Pacific plane! For more of what Cathay Pacific offers and what it is all about, log on to www.cathaypacific.com.