[Click above for the video review.]
It’s the weekend again, and it’s time for another trip report. This time we are reviewing Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A330 Business Class from Bangkok to Hong Kong.
This report is in collaboration with our friend James at whenitraveltheworld.com.
After an excellent one night stay in Bangkok, We took an uber from our hotel at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK).
We arrived the airport with plenty of time to check out the new Cathay Pacific Lounge. There was no line at check-in, so we were promptly helped by a friendly agent. Our boarding passes were printed, and we were given our lounge invites. Business Class passengers also have Fast Track Access at BKK, which made going thru security and exit immigration faster.
The Cathay Pacific Lounge is in Concourse D, which is about 10-15 minute walk from the main terminal. Upon arrival at the lounge, we were greeted by a Cathay Lounge attendant, and mentioned that our flight was on time.
We first made our way to the noodle bar, and had Cathay’s signature dandan noodles and char siu bao.
My friend James soon arrived at the lounge as he was arriving from Copenhagen on another flight. Sadly, there weren’t any showers in this lounge so he couldn’t freshen up after his long flight.
After a delicious meal, we decided to hit the bar, and had a few glasses of champagne.
We hung out at the lounge for another hour to catch up, but soon made our 20 minute trek to the gate.
We took the ramp down to the boarding area, and a gate agent scanned our boarding passes. We waited at the boarding area for another 10 minutes or so, and then boarding started.
Passengers with disabilities and traveling with infants boarded first, followed by Business Class and OneWorld Elites. We were greeted at the plane door by the in-flight service manager, and made our way to our seats. James was seated in 14A, while I was in 15A on the port side of the plane.
This Airbus A330-300 was configured for long haul flights. It featured 39 flat bed business class seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. Cathay’s other A330s that are configured for regional flights only offer fixed shell recliners in a 2-2-2 configuration. We definitely got lucky on this flight.
Pre-departure beverages were soon offered by a flight attendant along with a hot towel. I opted for a glass of champagne. The in-flight service manager came by to thank us for flying Cathay Pacific, and asked us to fill out a survey, to which we gladly obliged.
I was chatting with my friend James throughout the boarding process, and before we knew it, boarding was complete and the doors were closed. The Captain came on the PA to welcome us on board and announce our flight time of 2 hours and 20 minutes. He also warned that there might be some turbulence on the way to Hong Kong, so we needed to buckle up. We soon pushed back from the gate and the safety video started playing. We had a quick 5 minute taxi to the end of the runway, then we had a relatively smooth takeoff. We hit a few bumps on the way up, but it wasn’t too bad.
The captain turned off the seatbelt signs about 10 minutes after takeoff, and the crew started the meal service.
The drink cart rolled by and I ordered a glass of champagne and water.
Then a flight attendant brought the starter tray consisting of a cold duck salad, and bread service. My friend James chose the snapper, snap peas, and quinoa for his main.
While I chose the braised beef and rice.
For dessert, individual Häagen-Dazs ice cream cups were served, along with coffee and tea service.
I scrolled through the descent selection of movies, TV programs, and games on Cathay’s excellent StudioCX IFE system, but decided on just watching the moving map.
I then visited the lavatory to freshen up. The lavatory was on the smaller side, but it was clean. It offered Jurlique brand toiletries, and since this was a long haul configured A330, it also had a changing bench.
Upon returning to my seat, I completed the customer survey, which included a HKD $50 coupon for in-flight purchases.
Then tested out the seat in bed mode.
Soon enough, the Captain announced our initial descent into Hong Kong. I returned the completed survey to a flight attendant, and put my seat back upright in preparation for landing.
The in-flight service manager came by to thank me for filling-out the survey, and for being Oneworld Emerald.
It was a rather hazy day in Hong Kong during our descent, but our landing was smooth. We taxied for a few minutes, and soon parked at our gate. We bid farewell to the crew, and off we went to Hong Kong.
James and I were both connecting to other flights, so we also parted ways soon after.
As I mentioned before, Cathay Pacific is one of my favorite airlines. They consistently offer very good service in business class, and this flight was no different even though it was only a regional flight. As an added bonus, we got a long haul configured plane that have my favorite reverse herringbone seats. Pair that with traveling with my friend James made this an excellent and memorable flight from start to finish. An excellent 9 out 10 in my book.
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