又中又英｜A shot of whiskey

It is unheard of for airlines to make passengers pay for alcoholic drinks at their airport lounges. I was shocked last week when Cathay Pacific asked me to pay for a shot of whiskey at Penang’s airport. A shot means liquor in a very small glass (shot glass) intended to drink in one swallow. It can also mean one serving of liquor. Cathay has shut its Penang lounge and uses the Plaza Premium lounge. Plaza Premium charges for entry but has comfortable lounges with food at many airports. Users can choose a package that includes free alcoholic drinks.

I had time to kill for my flight to Hong Kong. If you have time to kill, it means you have extra time with nothing to do. I entered the Plaza Premium lounge for free as a Cathay business class passenger and asked for whiskey. Another Cathay passenger asked for wine. A staff member said we must pay even though we were Cathay passengers. She gave us one free drink each after we complained. Plaza Premium management later told me Cathay’s instruction was to provide only free beer and food.

Cathay should be ashamed for treating business class passengers this way. It has already ruined its reputation by cancelling hundreds of flights last Christmas. As a loyal passenger, I still often fly Cathay business class. Its flight attendants always treat me well. But Cathay should take stock of its uncaring attitude towards passengers. To take stock means to think carefully about a situation before deciding what to do. It needs to take stock on how to become a Hong Kong icon again or lose loyal passengers like me.

乘客在航空公司的机场贵宾室要付费才能喝到酒精饮品，我真是闻所未闻。上星期我在槟城机场，叫了一小杯威士忌（a shot of whiskey），国泰却要求我付款，令我很震惊。A shot是指很小的一口玻璃杯（shot glass）酒，让你可以一饮而尽的。它也可以解作一人分量的酒。国泰把槟城的贵宾室关了，转用了环亚机场贵宾室。环亚在许多机场都有贵宾室，入内要付入场费，但贵宾室都很舒适而且有食物供应。顾客亦可以选取包含免费酒精饮品的套餐。

我飞回香港的那一程，had time to kill——若你have time to kill，意即你有额外的时间可以消磨。我到了环亚机场贵宾室，并点了威士忌，但由于我是国泰的商务客位乘客，所以我进内不用付入场费。还有另一位国泰的乘客点了酒。一位职员说我们虽然是国泰乘客，但也需要付费。我们投诉之后，她给了我们每人一杯免费的饮品。环亚机场贵宾室的管理层后来告诉我，国泰的指示是，免费的就只有啤酒和食物。

国泰这样对待商务客位的乘客，应该感到惭愧。它在过去的一个圣诞节，取消了数以百计的航班，已经毁了自己的声誉。身为国泰忠实的乘客，我常常搭它的商务客位，空中服务员待我甚佳。但国泰应该评估（take stock）一下它对乘客漫不经心的态度。To take stock是指，在决定怎样做之前，仔细想清楚、好好估量一下状况。它应该要估量一下（take stock）怎样再度成为香港的标志性品牌，又或怎样失去了像我这般的忠实客户。

mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻