Seat Review - Cathay Pacific Business Class (Herrinbone style)

I have lost track of what trip I am reviewing as I have consumed a lot of Cathay Pacific business class in the last few months. I have taken trips to Rome (via Hong Kong) and Tokyo and Seoul (with a CX leg care of a oneworld circle Pacific fare). I liked Cathay’s old business class. It suffered slightly from the not quite flat incline that a number of carriers launched in the late ‘90s and early this decade (Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines) but was still an excellent product. Cathay’s new business class is in the herringbone style like the (now not so) new Virgin Atlantic Upper Class. That is a series of angled seats in individual mini cabins jutting out in a fish bone looking formation. This is a great airline product. I struggle to find any faults with Cathy Pacific long haul business class. There are carriers with higher quality food but these are at the margin. CX is at the top of my list of carriers (if you want to see the list, click here).

The BOOT rating for Cathay International Business Class is a 5 stars out of 6 or "Great Seat". Here is the detailed review (Details and scoring system for airline seat reviews)

Getting on Board	Score 1.0
I am not a big fan of what should be an impressive airport in Hong Kong. I would like the gates to be a little bit better organised to improve the flow of people onto the plane. Most of the queues degenerate into a confusing mass of people. That said, the world class CX business and first class lounges more than make up for the annoyances of getting on the aircraft. Qantas has fought back with their Sydney first class lounge but CX Wing and Pier lounges are nearly unbeatable. QF Sydney wins when it comes to food. The food, wine and service restaurant in the QF first class lounge should probably score a “hat” in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food guide. But CX wins overall because of their Cabanas (in photo). These min-day rooms come with a full sized bath, recliner chair for sleeping and a water feature. Turns a 2+ hour layover in Hong Kong into a mini spa treatment. On the one hand is outrageous and unjustifiable luxury but on the other hand it is an unbeatable way to “survive” hours in transit.
The Seat	Score 1.0
I like it. I like it a lot. There are two challenges in setting up a herring bone style seat. Firstly privacy. If you get the angles wrong then you spend the flight staring directly at the person across the aisle from you. 9-13 hours is a long time to be staring a stranger. Secondly width. The herring bone design is based on length – trying to give the longest seat in the smallest amount of space. If done badly it can end up too narrow or starting wide at that top and ending up too narrow at the feat. CX have avoided both of these issues in their design. I can see the top of the head of the person opposite but nothing more. As to width it is a little tight on the elbows when typing but if not working (ie resting, watching or sleeping) there is less of a tight coffin like feeling that I have experienced in other herringbone seats. The buttons and gadgets are in the right place. One minor complaint is that the design of the table and TV screen means that it is impossible to have a computer open and watch a movie at that same time. Makes it very hard to be watching a crappy movie while pretending to do work.
The Service	Score 0.5
Smooth, seamless and attentive. I like being recognised for my status - even though it is one world not Cathay specific. On the flight where I flew with a bulging disc in my back (very painful) there were staff everywhere after I landed making sure that I was taken through customs and immigration to a doctor.
The Food	Score 0.5
This is the only weak-spot for CX. The food is not that bad. Certainly not at the level of blandness that I have had on Thai, JAL or Malaysian. However the food is closer to "satisfying" and "OK" than to "enjoyable" and a long way from "memorable". I have two issues with it. The food itself could be improved. There are often too many flavours on the plate and the vegetables overcooked. I also dislike the silver service nature of the distribution of the food. On Qantas they have mastered delivering plates one at a time meaning the food arrives hot and fresh. On CX they place all of the plates on one tray and serve the whole cabin from the one service tray. Unless you are early in the service order your food is cooler than it should be and sauces on the way to being solid. The first issue is hard to fix as requires a reworking of Cathay's catering approach but the second is a serving issues and CX should fix it.
The Entertainment	Score 1.0
In the world where all of the top flight products are during audio and video on demand and noise cancelling headsets it is harder to find differentiation between the leading airlines. The three areas are entertainment selection, control comfort and timings. In each of these CX excel. In the selection area they have a long list of TV shows, movies and audio on demand. Their Studio CX system claims 100 movies, 350 TV shows and (a very luck sounding) 888 songs. The controls are easy to use and most importantly are located in a way that you do not accidentally bump them (something that happens far too often on other carriers). The area I like the most is how quickly they turn on the system. BA, QF, VS and others take a long time to turn on the entertainment. Often forcing you to wait until the seat belt sign is off and then sit through a 20 minute intro video before allowing you to use the system to its fullest. But not Cathay. The system is available from the moment you are in the air (sometimes before) until the last minute before landing (and sometimes after). This is a little thing but a very noticeable benefit.
The BOOT factor	Score 1.0
I love starting a flight with the latest copy of the Economist – freely provided. I also need to put in another plug for the first class lounge cabanas. A Cathay experience does not have the "great to have you here" feel of a Virgin Atlantic flight or (naturally) the "looking forward to bringing you home" feel that (some) Qantas crews deliver. But I do feel like everything I need to have happen will happen to make the flight smooth and productive.
Final Score	5.0 - Great Seat

thanks to Xmansti on flickr for photo

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Seat Review - British Airways World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy)

A family emergency sent me to Berlin. The trip back (which was filled with stress and eventually relief) was on British Airways Premium Economy – branded World Traveller Plus. Due to the circumstances of the trip I was not in a good mood. This almost certainly impacted my attitude toward the flight and the product and therefore this review. That said, it is clear that World Traveller Plus (WTP) is closer to economy than business. It is a product a little above economy but well below business. The problem is that the pricing (absent a deal/special) is mid way between Business and Economy. Therefore without a deal or pricing special then WTP is not worth the money - especially if your frequent flyer status already grants you access to premium check in and lounges.

With that background, the BOOT rating for British Airways World Traveller Plus (International Premium Economy) is a 2 stars out of 6 or "Bad Seat". Here is the detailed review (Details and scoring system for airline seat reviews)

Getting on Board	Score 0
Not sure why and it was not a factor associated with World Traveller Plus, but this was the slowest boarding I have every experienced on a 747. BA was using one door rather than two but even so there was an annoying long delaying in boarding and chaos at the gate. It felt at times like a queue for Space Mountain at Disney land, each time I eventually came around a corner I thought that it would be the last one and I would get a glimpse of the door only to be disappointed and realise there was another stretch of the gate and corner to go around. My mood was also a factor due to the nature of the trip but also because Terminal 4 at Heathrow is an abandoned wasteland with construction, closed shops and poor facilities. The BA lounge is sub-par by any measure (against competitors, against other airports and against BA’s other offering in Terminal 5). On board there is no pre-flight drink or other offering from BA in this class. Combined this contributed to me reaching my seat in an even worse mood.
The Seat	Score 0.5
There is a reason why the product of Premium Economy or World Traveller Plus is tied in its definition to the Economy product. The seat is a step above economy but it is not a leap above. Put another way this is not a product that sits in between the Economy Class and Business Class (Club World) products. Instead it is a noticeable but incremental improvement on economy. The extra seven inches of leg room is nice but not transformative. This means that you are more comfortable but is does not make for an ability to sleep for an entire sector (ie 7-8 hours). There were also some very annoying parts to the seat. Something (I think either the VOD unit or lifejacket) was placed under the seat in front in such a way that it impeded my ability to freely put my feet under the seat in front. For someone of my size (185 cm) the foot rest is useless (too high) and the leg rest is meaningless (does not come out far enough) so the benefit of the extra leg room comes from the ability to put my feet under the seat in front. This is not as possible in this BA product as it should be. Also annoying is the location of the Entertainment (VOD) remote control. I had this issue on Qantas economy also. The controller is at thy height in the arm rest. Means that each time I moved my legs, I hit the controller which paused, fast forwarded or otherwise messed up the movie I was watching. In the end had to store the controller in the magazine flap in back of the seat in front which was annoying for me and the passenger next to me when she tried to go to the bathroom.
The Service	Score 0.5
The service provided is attentive, punctual and functional but it is also procedural. That means I felt I was on the staff’s timetable with limited flexibility. I would have liked to have received a little more proactive service such as bringing me more drinks and walking around looking for passengers needing help. The trick to long haul Europe to Australia is to stay awake for the first sector and sleep for the second. That way your longest period of sleep ends with the early morning landing into Australia. This means staying awake for 12-13 hours. To do that I need a lot of support in drinks and other care. I feel there could have been more. I did like the dedicated cabin aspect. Regardless of food, seat and service, having less people fighting for air, toilets and attention is valuable.
The Food	Score 0.0
As with the seat, the food is a step above economy but two or three below business class. It is a one tray service, all packaged and very carbohydrate heavy. The last meal of the trip (breakfast) after 9 hours of flying from Bangkok was a “deli box” – something that should be more at home on a Sydney to Melbourne flight than a meal designed to break a six hour break without food.
The Entertainment	Score 0.5
The Entertainment is solid enough with a fair selection of movies and TV. But BA VOD is a step behind the leaders in this space (Cathay and Singapore). Issues that detract from enjoyment of the system and place it a step below the leaders are: (1) the delay in starting – 15 minutes after seat belt sign is turned off; (2) the location of the controller (see above); and (3) turned off tow soon – 30 minutes before landing.
The BOOT factor	Score 0.5
It my BA Business Class review (Club World) Review I expressed my annoyance that World Traveller Plus is located between door one and two giving WTP passengers a head start off the plane over business class. When in business class this annoyed me. Now I am in WTP, it is a nice bonus. BA’s other WTP twist is their “raid the larder” snack program where business and premium economy passengers can access a mini bar area with drinks, fruit, candy and sandwiches. This used to be one of my favourite parts of the BA premium product experience. But on this flight it was not as good as I remember. It could have been my grumpy mood but it did not look as enticing as previous flights.
Final Score	2.0 - Bad Seat

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thanks to caribb for the photo

Seat Review - Virgin Atlantic Upper Class (Business Class)

A recent Hong Kong Trip on Virgin Atlantic gave me a chance to see if the airline was living up to the ”Still Red Hot” advertising campaign. Is my second time on the carrier. I have a great memory of the last trip. Not least because I actually saw one passenger successfully pick up another passenger while sitting at the bar using the line "my wife does not understand me". Innuendo and brand image aside, VS have a fantastic business class product. The style makes me feel more relaxed in the air than the flag carriers of Asia, Australia and UK. The seats have a few issues compared to the more modern herringbone of Cathay Pacific but this is a great seat and airline to fly.

The BOOT rating for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class (International Business Class) is a 5 stars out of 6 or Great Seat". Here is the detailed review (Details and scoring system for airline seat reviews)

Getting on Board	Score 1.0
For Sydney and Hong Kong VS have the challenge of coming up against the industry leading lounges of Qantas and Cathay Pacific. In Sydney the Air NZ lounge (that VS flyers are invited to) is fine as it is but it is steps behind the travelling pleasure of the Qantas first class lounge with its first class restaurant and endless Veuve Clicquot. In Hong Kong the Virgin Club House is much better and more competitive especially through the quality of the small but enjoyable meal menu but is still behind Cathay's Wing Lounge. If I was travelling onto London all would have been forgiven as the Virgin Club House at Heathrow is my favourite lounge. Nothing beats and sauna and spa soak before a flight.
The Seat	Score 1.0
VS were first to launch the herringbone diagonal style flat beat seat (subsequently picked up by Cathay). The benefits of this seat are a quick conversion to a long fully flat bed and no one sitting next to you. The downside is that the seat tends to be narrow especially at the feat. I feel very comfortable and not too crowded in the seated position but lying down to sleep my feet become noticeably pushed together. It does not ruin the sleep experience but the irritation is felt. They make up for this with much appreciated attentions to detail. I am a fan of the seat tables that can be left down but moved in such a way that you can get out of the seat without disruption a meal tray or computer. VS manage to do this with one of the biggest tables in the sky while not interfering with the entertainment screen. The doona/blanket is much more bed like than a standard airline blanket. Similarly the pillow is a traditional size rather that scaled down mini-air format. Both help to compensate for squished feet. Only other negative is that the seat power still requires a dedicated aircraft adapter rather than the multi-region standard plugs now available on other carriers
The Service	Score 1.0
There is a real danger when a high end travel companies like VS adopts a service style and approach of being like a cool and sophisticated best friend. There have been times where I have stayed at W hotels in the US where the staff came across and so cool and so sophisticated that I did not feel worthy or welcome. VS are not like that - they get the balance right between making you feel relaxed and happy to be there yet establishing an environment of service and cool. Chatting with the staff in the bar area is a genuinely interesting and fun break from drudgery of a long flight. They can fall into a routine during very busy periods but that is the same with all airlines.
The Food	Score 0.5
The menu is good but that is not the most noteworthy part the VS dining experience. What I like is that I can order the main meal at the time of my choosing rather than according to a fixed meal service. This works better the less passengers there are. On a full flight the staff are very busy so breaking their routine is not as easy but I still find this feature useful.
The Entertainment	Score 0.5
VS have all the makings of a top entertainment system. It is full video on demand with a deep library of movies, TV and audio. Nice mix of recent releases and good older films. But it is annoying how long it takes to start up. Newer implementations on Singapore, Cathay and even United start immediately but VS takes a long time to switch on the system. Once it is turned on you have to sit through another 15 minutes of VS advertising and intro video. This has an impact on the night time HK to Sydney leg. This is a flight that is just under 9 hours. I can normally sleep around 6 hours on a flight so I am looking to watch a film then sleep. If I have to wait 30 mins before the video is turned on then it kills any chance of watching a film.
The BOOT factor	Score 1.0
Virgin Atlantic just ooze BOOT Factor. From the bar, toilet mood lighting, the sleeper suit, to the staff attitude there is a feeling of relaxation, welcome aboard and care that you don't find on the attentive but formal Asian carriers, the process driven Qantas and the 'I hate the bosses so much you are lucky I am here at all" attitude of BA and American carriers. I would like to have added the free limo transfer as a BOOT factor item but I was on the one fare class (read cheapest fare class) that was not entitled to the free transfer.
Final Score	5.0 - Great Seat

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thanks to vissago over at flickr for the photo

Seat Review - Qantas A380 International Premium Economy

Madame BOOT was in Venice recently for work. Yes she is a road warrior traveller as well. And Yes there are people that work in Venice. Her trip gave the BOOT family an opportunity to review Qantas' new A380 Premium Economy Product. Her quick summary of the experience "Happiness is a low base". Her expectations of Qantas service going into the flight were bad and results were above her expectations. I asked her - "Did you feel like the service was of a standard that should come out of a $10mm investment in the new Qantas customer care centre". Her reply "the customer care is there so long as the customers do not interfere with process. The "process culture" rather than customer care culture of Qantas continues to hold back their product from the high level rating that the seat, entertainment and technical components deserve.

Update - my own review of the product is here where I rate Qantas Premium Economy as the best in it's class

The BOOT rating for Qantas International Premium Economy on the A380 is a 4.0 stars out of 6 or Good Seat". Here is the detailed review (Details and scoring system for airline seat reviews)

Getting on Board	Score 1.0
Madame BOOT had the additional bonus of a Gold membership to help with lounge access. Qantas' business class lounge is well stocked, large and comfortable. It gets a little crowded in nearly abandoned Heathrow Terminal 4 but Sydney and Singapore are a real oasis. As to boarding itself there is a dedicated queue for premium economy which filters straight upstairs for a simple and easy boarding process. A drink is offered immediately and cabin crew where available for help.
The Seat	Score 0.5
"Good but not incredible" was Madame's initial response. The recline is nowhere even in the realm of business class but does allow for sleeping. Unfortunately the foot rest was in the wrong position and at the wrong angle for Madame meaning that her feet were left dangling. This made it hard for her to find a comfortable position for her height. The space between the rows was noticeably greater than economy with "no sardine feeling". But the exit row seat for her return from London to Sydney came with a cost. The exit row extends across the cabin and gives more room to the middle section of seats but this is then used by passengers and (most appalling) staff as a thoroughfare. Means that her relaxation was constantly and regularly interrupted by staff members looking for a short cut from one aisle to the other. Thankfully the VOD screens come out of the arm rest rather than seat in front so the regular herd like movements of wandering crew did not interrupt viewing. The interruption by staff reduced the score here form a 1.0 to a 0.5. The staff culture having a negative impact on the quality of the seat.
The Service	Score 0.0
More and more this becomes Qantas' weak point. It is provided to their schedule not the passengers'. Here are some examples. My wife woke at one point and asked for food outside a meal service (as encouraged by the menu). She was offered a sandwich but then made to wait over 30 minutes so they could bring it along with the next cabin service and therefore not interrupt their routine. On the way to London (not the A380) for a meal Madame was offered "lamb or fish". She asked for "fish", was provided with "lamb" and after a quizzical glance was told by the crew to "eat the lamb and ask for the fish if still hungry later". On the return flight Madame was very unwell and needed to use the bathroom. She stood and tried to give her tray to a crew member to allow her to get to the bathroom quickly. The crew member refused to accept the tray as he was busy. Not good enough Qantas. The training centre is not paying off.
The Food	Score 0.5
"Unremarkable" but closer to business class than economy.
The Entertainment	Score 1.0
Thankfully all of the glitches in the Qantas VOD system have been fixed. There is plenty to choose from. Madame commented particularly on the great selection of non-movie entertainment such as Louis Theroux docu-comedies. She particularly liked the dedicated "kids" button that allowed direct access to the children's entertainment.
The BOOT factor	Score 1.0
She loved the A380. Comments like "it is much quieter", "better air quality", "roomier", "space around you feels bigger". The plane makes a difference. Such as shame that the service culture takes away from this.
Final Score	4.0 - Good Seat

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Seat Review - Japan Airlines International Business Class (Executive Class Seasons)

I am having my second turn flying JAL International Business class from Sydney to Tokyo. Thankfully this time they have their new aircraft and seats. My last trip was in a non-flat pre 1990 sub standard seat. While there is a dramatic improvement in the seat quality JAL are still providing a product that is well behind the leading other Asian carriers – and now even behind the new United Airlines product. Here we have a review where the commentator is concluding with a recommendation of a US based carrier over a (supposedly) top flight Asian carrier. That should say a lot. I never thought the BOOT would end up in such a position.

There are two good things I can say about flying JAL International Business. Firstly I get to visit the Qantas first class lounge. Secondly it is better than long haul domestic on a US carrier. But the former has nothing to do with JAL and flying in an airless box on FedEx is better than long haul US domestic so hardly a comparison.

The BOOT rating for Japan Airlines (JAL) International Business Class is a 2 stars out of 6 or Bad Seat". Here is the detailed review (Details and scoring system for airline seat reviews)

Getting on Board	Score 0.5
There was ”nothing special” about the boarding experience on JAL.- which (unfortunately for JAL) will become a phrase that will quickly become a theme for this seat review. As above, the best thing about flying JAL out of Sydney is the chance for me to have breakfast in the Qantas first class lounge. The food and facilities in the lounge are the best I have experienced in a lounge. Cannot give JAL any credit for that but at the same time the result is that my flight starts off with a smile.
The Seat	Score 0
Narrow and not flat. It is a brand new seat with the pod like look that you find on Qantas, United and others. However it too narrow for me, which combined with the incline made it hard for me to comfortable sitting or sleeping.
The Service	Score 0.5
I can’t complain about the service but neither can I praise it. On the positive side the staff are very responsive to the call button and effective with their service. However it is…well…nothing special either.
The Food	Score 0.5
I am struggling for words here. I am on the aircraft so don’t have great access to thesaurus materials to inspire me with synonyms f or “nothing special” so as engage you long enough to continue reading this revenue. But I am tapped out for words, maybe even a little weak from lack of food, maybe a little dehydrated or foggy due to the clogging of my arteries from over salted food either way I am out of words and off the air so you’ll have to settle for…”nothing special”...as the best I can do to describe the food.
The Entertainment	Score 0
Finally I can break away from the “nothing special” theme in this seat review because the video entertainment system is terrible. Described generically it sounds good. It has the basics of VOD, AOD, interactive remote, easy navigation, multi-lingual etc. But entertainment is all about content. Put sharply, there are not enough movies and the ones they have are terrible. “Highlights” from the list of choices include “17 Again”, “Back to the Future” (one and two) and the crime against the arts the is “the Pink Panther 2”. Absolute dross. I am not so much of a public broadcasting watching, Chardonnay swiller that I have to have a list of David Stratton approved award winners with each flight. But if I am to pay thousands of dollars to be stuck in a seat for nine hours on a Sunday then I deserve a hell of a lot more than “Sister Act” and “National Interest”.
The BOOT factor	Score 0.5
I kind of like the sweat shirt like pull over they give you. But other than that there is well…….you know what I mean
Final Score	2.0 - Bad Seat

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Seat Review - United Airlines International Business Class

Back in the USA this week for work in Los Angeles and Chicago. Allowed me to try the newly refurbed United Airlines International Business Class (proud brewers of Starbucks Coffee!). When launching the new product at PhoCusWright in LA last November Tim Simonds (United’s MD of Customer Strategy and Metrics) candidly admitted that the product was not “as good as foreign flag carriers”. That is was designed to compete with other US based carriers.



Simonds was right. As an overall experience the United International Business is well behind my preferred rides (Qantas, Singapore, BA, Virgin-Atlantic and Cathay Pacific). However in terms of the seat itself, the gap has been dramatically closed. On the Pacific route specifically Qantas maintains a clear lead in terms of quality of the food and the lounges but judged by seat and in-flight entertainment United is now on par with a world class product. The challenge for United is that it is charging the same price as Qantas. This means that on a same cost basis I will continue to fly Qantas. But if circumstances dictate that I fly United I will be approaching the flight with thoughts of comfort and productivity rather than with fear and loathing.



The BOOT rating for United's International Business Class is a 3.5 stars out of 6 or "Good Seat". Here detailed review (More reviews and details of scoring system here)

Getting on Board	Score 0
Nothing remarkable about the United boarding process. But when competing with Qantas’ Pacific route United’s lounge set is vastly inferior to Qantas. It is an unfair benchmark as the Qantas First lounge in Sydney (which my status allows me to visit) is one of the best in the world. But even against a industry average the United lounges are second rate – especially when travelling westward (ie from the US home). For the business traveller with choice it is not enough to put a seat next to a post mix machine and call it a lounge (even if there is free ranch dressing for the bendy carrots on offer).
The Seat	Score 1.0
The seat is long, comfortable and fully flat. There is little more that a traveller can ask for. Sure I prefer the larger herringbone of Cathay Pacific or the privacy cocoon like set up of a BA window seat. Sure I wish the tray table was a little more flexible to allow for easier exits with a computer of meal on the table. Sure I wish there were a few more seat level places for putting books, laptops and iPods. But all this borders on being picky. The seat does the two main things you need from a 14 hour flight across the Pacific – sit comfortably to work with connected power and sleep peacefully for 8 hours.
The Service	Score 0.5
How to describe the service on United? It is like a very pleasant experience at a 24 hour Denny’s restaurant where the staff average age is about 50. Lots of cheery smiles and “how can I help yous” from smartly dressed silver surfers. It is Airline folk law that during a emergence from Bankruptcy United granted lots of stock to staff an entrenched seniority in route bidding by crews. The result being that premium routes (those with the best away from home allowances and timings) are monopolised by the most senior staff. Does not make for a bad experience on board but the crew tend to fall into habits and routines.
The Food	Score 0.5
Bland. Edible but Bland. I have actually flown four legs (US and back twice) in a very short space of time. Each time, the dinner menu has contained only slight variations on a choice between Steak with veg, Chicken with veg or Vegetarian pasta (with veg). Nothing to run from the room screaming about but nothing to sit their raving about either.
The Entertainment	Score 1.0
The new United VOD is up there with the best. Good selection of 25 or so movies and same for TV shows. As well as a full audio compliment that enables you to build a play list. There are airlines with greater selections but I love that United starts the entertainment before take off and keeps in on until you land and reach the gate. This is an advantage over Qantas that waits until 20 minutes or more after cruising altitude has been reached before turning on the system and then forces you to watch the crappy DVT busting exercise video. The headsets are not as good at cancelling noise but this a complaint at the margins. On a side note, United has tried to be innovative with an iPod jack for power but it uses a unique connector that has to be bought separately (not the standard iPod connector). Defeats the purpose.
The BOOT factor	Score 0.5
You would not expect many “BOOT factor” elements from a US carrier and you would be right. I do like the arrivals lounge at SFO – while not on par with the Virgin-Atlantic and BA equivalents in London it does allow for a shower and toasted bagel before heading on your way. A quirk of the seating layout is that not all of the seats face the same direction. The set up is not the alternating direction style of BA. Rather some pairs face forward and some backward. Does not bother me – except when the magazine folder is faulty and everything falls out on take off. Finally it is also clear that to make room for the new seats United had to skimpt on the size and number of bathrooms
Final Score	3.5 - Good Seat

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thanks to Majiscup - Drink for Design for the photo