I have flown with Cathay Pacific several times and have reviewed their long-haul flights in First and Business Class. My trip report on the B777 follows.
Cathay Pacific also features in my top 10 best business class airlines in the world. I also have compared Cathay Pacific Vs. Singapore Airlines in Business Class.
Cathay Pacific in First Class is one of my favorite ways to fly long-haul, and I always look forward to traveling this way.
How To Redeem Miles On Cathay Pacific
Previously, I used my British Airway Avios miles to redeem flights on Cathay Pacific, a Oneworld affiliate. Cathay Pacific focuses on long-haul flights and offers a great way to fly around Asia on Avios.
Fly For Free On Avios
I usually book my flights for free on air miles and American Express Rewards, which convert directly to Avios (along with other airline miles). The free Amex Gold Card is an incredible deal with a huge free bonus of Membership Rewards and even more if you apply through our referral link. You also get limited free airport lounge access with this free card. You can apply for the UK & US card right here.
How To Get Unlimited Airport Lounge Access
For unlimited airport lounge access, you will need to apply for the Platinum card right here. With my referral link, you will get more Membership Rewards points.
Lounges
Cathay Pacific has a number of lounges at Hong Kong airport which I have reviewed, but you only get access to these if you travel in Business or First. All have different names (e.g., The Wing, The Pier, The Bridge, and The Cabin). They are spread throughout the terminal so that passengers can relax in the lounge nearest to their gate. I have reviewed most of the best airline lounges at Hong Kong airport including the “paid to enter” lounges that you can access with a Priority Pass. The Cathay Pacific First Lounge I most recently visited was The Wing.
Cathay Pacific Fleet Of Planes
Cathay Pacific operates an all-wide-body fleet composed of Airbus A330, Airbus A350 XWB, and Boeing 777 aircraft.
We have reviewed our Cathay Pacific flights on the Boeing 777-300ER on a number of separate occasions, which has a four-class configuration. First-class had 2 rows of seats in a 1-1-1 configuration, while Business Class was their reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. There are a total of 53 seats in Business, 34 in Premium Economy, and 182 in Economy.
You’ll only find the first-class cabin on select 777-300ER aircraft. Many 777s feature either a regional business class configuration, while others are limited to three classes with no First Class at all, just lie-flat international business class, premium economy class, and economy.
Cathay flies its 777-300ERs with first-class cabins on routes all over the world on flights between Hong Kong (HKG) and Boston (BOS), New York-JFK, Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), Vancouver (YVR), Los Angeles (LAX), and San Francisco (SFO).
If you are flying to and from Europe, you will need to be flying in or out of London-Heathrow (LHR), Frankfurt (FRA), Paris (CDG), Milan (MXP), Zurich (ZRH).
In Asia, you can experience First to Taipei (TPE), Beijing (PEK), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), Manila (MNL), Seoul (ICN), Bangkok (BKK).
Cathay Pacific First class seats
Cathay Pacific First class seats are a large open suite seat with a 36-inch width. The First Class cabin features only six seats. The length of the suites are about 81 inches, with a small footrest seat across the main seat, which is large enough for another person to join you for dining.
The suites or seats are hugely wide. Unlike some competitors, the suites do not have a door to seal up space. However, the seats do lean inwards to the windows, so there is some sense of privacy. There is a small touch screen LCD on the right side to control the seat.
The remote control for the entertainment system is next to it. There is also a small storage compartment here, as well as the reading light. The multi-region power socket and USB socket are located further away from the seat and nearer to the footrest.
A large touch screen 24 inch TV monitor can be swung open so that it can be brought closer if needed. However, for the duration of the takeoff, the monitor had to be stowed to its original position. Under the monitor is another storage compartment for the magazines. There is also a large storage compartment behind the monitor, which was large enough to store my jacket, my carry-on luggage, and my backpack.
All the seats in the cabin could be considered the best seats, although it is worth noting that the middle seats (1D and 2D) are open to the right side of the plane and have a wall to the left. This means that seats on the left side (1A and 2A) have an aisle to themselves.
Service
Shortly after boarding, an air stewardess came and introduced herself as the person who would be looking after me for the flight, providing a hot towel, along with an amenity kit from Aesop, Bose noise-canceling headphones as well as a set of pajamas, which in Cathay’s First Class, comes from a luxury Asian clothing brand, Pye. A welcome drink is also provided. I usually chose Krug and warm nuts.
The first-class seat reclines into a fully flat bed, and the air stewardesses will come by and put an extra layer of padding and bed sheet, as well as provide a comfortable duvet. This three-foot-wide seat with a mattress pad, comforter, and several pillows will give you one of the best night’s sleep in the skies!
Cathay’s entertainment system is Studio CX, with many movies, TV series, and audio options to enjoy.
First Class Food
If you want the meal service, you can choose between Asian and Western options, or you can mix and match them. Another cool part about First class is that you can actually choose when you want to eat. In this case, I chose to follow the regular timing.
On my most recent flight, I started with an amuse-bouche, followed by the caviar. Following that, I had the Iberico ham salad, followed by the Chinese chicken soup option. I opted to skip the main course as I was not too hungry and went straight to dessert, the hazelnut pudding with ice cream.
There is a snack menu that you can order from any time. I chose the beef noodles option from the snack menu, which went well with the Hong Kong Iced Tea. I also had ice cream and coffee as the second round of snacks. I also savored the various top-quality wine and whisky options available, such as the 2008 Pauillac, 2017 Premier Cru Chablis, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, and the Glenmorangie Signet.
About 1.5 hours before we landed, I decided to have my dinner served. I opted for the cannellini bean and garlic soup from the previous menu as my starter and the corn-fed chicken as my main. A bowl of fresh fruits and the lemon cheesecake was a good ending note for my meal, as well as the flight. I proceeded to change out of my pajamas and back into my normal clothes as we began our descent into New York.
Conclusion
Cathay Pacific’s First Class has one of the best seats in the skies. Japan Airlines serves better food, Emirates is snazzier with a shower on the A380 and Lufthansa has an incredible First Class Terminal which beats any other First Class lounge, but overall Cathay first offers one of the best in-flight experiences in the skies.
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