Cathay Pacific is a multi-award winning airline for a lineup of good reasons, including the number of flights it operates weekly from Australia via Hong Kong. But how does it’s long haul business class service stack up against its rivals? As it turns out, pretty good.
- The Flight/Route: CX257, Hong Kong to London.
- Duration: 13 hours 5 mins, dep 0910, arrive 1526.
- The Aircraft: Boeing 777 300ER.
- Cabin/Seat: Business Class, Seat 12G.
- Baggage Allowance: 2 bags weighing up to 40 kgs.
- Frequent Flyer Program: Marco Polo Club.
- More Information: www.cathaypacific.com.au.
Overview:
Cathay Pacific has become a popular choice for Australians travelling to Europe thanks to a choice of flying in economy, premium economy or business class to Hong Kong, and on selected flights to London, a new first class cabin. And for added convenience if you're travelling to the north of England during your stay in the UK, the airlines now has six flights a week to Manchester from Hong Kong. A key highlight of Cathay's Business Class service is a fully flat-bed seat, which is one of the longest and widest in the industry, while at the same time highly functional for eating, working and relaxing.
Check In/Lounge:
Unable to get desirable flight connections to London from Hong Kong due to heavy traffic, I’d stayed at The Regal in Hong Kong Airport after arriving from Sydney. As a result, I didn't have far to walk to arrive at check in at the Business Class desk early the next morning. The check-in process was a courteous and speedy affair, with a decent baggage allowance, and access to a number of luxury Cathay lounges, the nearest one to my departure gate that day being The Pier. This was an ideal venue in which to wile away time in ahead of my flight and enjoy a strong cappuccino. The lounge was large and spacious with private work stations, hot and cold food, freshly made specialty coffees, and a good selection of newspapers and magazines.
The Seat/Entertainment:
The 777-300ER aircraft operating between Hong Kong and London are usually configured with six First Class open suites, 53 lie-flat Business Class flat bed seats, 34 seats in Premium Economy, and 182 in Economy. The Business Class cabin is organised in a 1-2-1 configuration, with window seats facing the outside, and the two in the middle facing slightly towards each other, but away from the aisle. That said, you don't have to have any interaction with your neighbour if you don't want to. The seats are finished in a nice herringbone cloth design and have generous dimensions; they stretch to over 205cm in length when reclined fully flat, and are just under 60cm wide. The seat is controlled by the simple touch of a button, from upright, through to a relaxed position, and then into fully flat for sleeping. The seat’s foam has been ergonomically designed to optimise comfort in the sitting position and also to allow for a more deep state of sleep, and when you board you receive a heavy duvet and a pillow to really make you feel as if you were at home in your own bed. There’s great personal storage space, which includes a side cabinet between you and your neighbour containing noise-cancelling headset, and extra room for small items such as glasses and gadgets. If you feel compelled to power up any gadgets, the seat has a universal power supply outlet, and a multi-port connector with an RCA port, an iPhone/iPod connector and a USB port. If you prefer to pass the long flight to London watching TV or a movie, however, you have an oversized 38 cm screen with a range of audio and video content on demand, from movies and TV shows, to music CDs and games.
The Food:
The first meal service was lunch, followed by snacks on request, and dinner served prior to our arrival in London. Lunch began with a starter of smoked gravlax with greens and white asparagus, and a mixed salad with Balsamic vinaigrette. There wasn't a choice, but I heard someone ask for something else, and they were brought a different dish from the Premium Economy cabin without a problem. The main course was an impressive lineup of choices, however, including steamed halibut, pan-fried lamb, chicken teriyaki and a mushroom and garlic ravioli. I opted for the ravioli as I wasn't that hungry; I'd already had a light breakfast at the hotel, and Danish pastry with my morning cappuccino in the lounge. Wrapping lunch up was cheese and dessert, which I passed on, followed by coffee and pralines, which I enjoyed. The wine list had a decent selection on offer with a more European accent, including a Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne, a 2012 Vignerons de Buxy "Tête de Cuvée" Bourgogne, and in the reds a Cheval Noir Saint-Émilion from 2011. Besides wine there was the usual complement of port, cocktails, whiskies and beers, all in all a good selection.
The Service:
When boarding the 777-300ER I was greeted with plenty of friendly smiles, and courteously shown to my seat, which was in the middle in the first row of the Business Class Cabin, tucked neatly in behind the new First Class section. There was another row of seats behind me, then a galley with toilets behind that, so it was quiet. As I arrived at my lie-flat business class seat I was offered refreshments, quickly followed by a selection of newspapers, and an amenity kit. The senior flight attendant introduced herself personally to each guest, which is customary with Cathay Pacific. Throughout the flight, the crew were quietly attentive, responding to my few requests quickly and efficiently, and I noted that they frequently patrolled the aisles between meal services when most people were getting some rest, or watching movies via the interactive entertainment system.
UltimateTravelMagazine.com Loves
- The cabin layout which offers easy access to the aisles for all passengers in Business.
- The duvet and pillow which makes your lie-flat seat really feel like a bed.
Insider Tips
- There are so many places to store your things, take time well before landing to round everything up so you don’t leave anything behind.
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