Letters | Look to Cathay Pacific hierarchy for cause of latest controversy
- Readers discuss staff attitudes at Cathay Pacific, and the tendency of native speakers of a language to joke about others’ accents
I’m not a mainlander or Hongkonger. I’m white, female and understand a bit of Mandarin and Cantonese. Having recently taken three long-haul business-class flights, and many in pre-Covid times, with Cathay Pacific, my experience sheds further light on the “scandal”.
After the in-flight meals (which never matched what I had requested), I arrived at my destination each time hungry, thirsty and ignored. Before the pandemic, staff attitudes were also occasionally poor, but no doubt because I was apparently a mere domestic helper fussing over my adopted Chinese child.
As staff attitudes usually reflect their own experience of being valued and management attitudes, I say look to the Cathay hierarchy for the cause.
Noelyn Hung, Dunedin, New Zealand
Remarks by a few don’t represent entire Cathay team
I travel almost weekly, with most of the flights being on Cathay Pacific. As a Mandarin speaker myself, contrary to what I read in the recent press, I find Cathay’s flight attendants quite willing and enthusiastic to speak Mandarin with me and other passengers.
So, I am also surprised and dismayed by the recording of disparaging remarks by a few attendants. However, I do not believe they represent the Cathay team. In fact, Cathay, as well as Hong Kong in general, has become much more Mandarin-friendly in recent years.
To be fair, people up north often make jokes about native Cantonese speakers speaking Mandarin. I have also heard that some Shanghainese talk down to visitors from the provinces. Dialect and regional preferences unfortunately may sometimes lead to misunderstanding. I think everyone, regardless of accent or dialect, should just avoid inflaming the situation further.
W. Peng, Central
