[Click above for the video review.]
- Flight: CX901
- Route: HKG-MNL
- Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER
- Cabin: Business Class
- Seat: 19K
After a comfortable transpacific flight on American Airlines from LAX to Hong Kong (I’ve already reviewed this product here, so I won’t go over it again), we had a rather short connection in Hong Kong to our Cathay Pacific flight to Manila.
We decided to drop by Cathay Pacific’s “The Wing” Lounge for a few minutes before sprinting heading to the gate.
It was a good 10 minute walk from the lounge to the gate area.
We were departing from gate 27, and boarding was already underway when we arrived at the gate.
There was a dedicated queue for Business Class passengers, so we didn’t have to wait in line long. There was only one person in front of us, so we were through within seconds.
At the door, we were greeted by the in-flight service manager and were directed to go across the galley and right to our seats (we were boarding from door 1L).
This plane was one of Cathay’s 3-cabin 777-300ER with 40 flat-bed business class, 32 premium economy, and 268 economy seats. Business Class is composed of 2 cabins in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. The forward cabin has 26 seats, while the aft only has 14 seats. These are the same exact business class seats that American has on their 777-300ER fleet by the way. You can see the cabin setup here on seatguru.
I was seated in 19K, which is the last seat in the forward business class cabin on the starboard side of the plane, while my companion was in 18K.
At our seat was a pillow, and noise canceling headphones. Blankets were also distributed, but the cabin was pretty warm so we declined.
The seat features a 15″ IFE screen, which flips out of the side wall of the seat with a push of a button. The tray table slides out of the side table and folds out to a fairly large table. The seat controls, IFE remote, reading lamp, USB and AC power outlets are all located on a control panel within easy reach from the seat.
There is an adjustable arm rest, as well as 3 storage spaces around the seat. The first one is right next to the control panel, which opens when you push the cover. The cover also doubles up as a vanity mirror when opened, while the storage compartment also houses the noise canceling headphones and audio input. The side storage below the side table is fairly large and has a storage net for slippers, bottled water, etc. The last storage location is at the floor level right below the adjustable arm rest, which is intended to store shoes.
Upon settling in, we were greeted by a flight attendant who offered us a hot towel. After a few minutes, another flight attendant came by to offer us a pre-departure drink. I opted for some orange juice.
Within a few minutes, boarding was complete and the plane door was closed. The Australian Captain then made his announcements and mentioned our flight time of 1 hour and 45 minutes to Manila.
We soon pushed back from the gate, and the safety video started playing.
During taxi, the service manager came by to give us the menu and thanked us for flying with Cathay Pacific.
There was quite a queue at the taxiway, so we waited in line for about 15 minutes before it was our turn to takeoff.
We had a smooth takeoff roll and a relatively smooth climb. We hit a few small bumps here and there, but that’s pretty typical for Hong Kong. It was a hazy day, so the visibility below wasn’t as good.
Once we reached cruising altitude, the seatbelt sign was switched off and the in-flight service started. First the drink cart rolled by and I ordered some coffee and a glass of water. The drinks were served on a tray along with a selection breakfast pastries, jams, and some fresh fruits.
Then another trolley came with a selection of a hot western breakfast, or dim sum. I really like how Cathay Pacific has the actual dishes on the cart for display, so the passenger can see what the dish looks like before deciding which one to get.
Since we were flying Cathay Pacific, I naturally ordered the dim sum and it did not disappoint!
I checked out the CX Studio IFE system and they had a decent amount of new and classic movies. I really liked that fact that Cathay also offers a healthy amount of Chinese and Asian movies available. There were also TV programs (including HK TV programs), Audio, and games available on demand.
One cool feature of this plane is an outside camera and a decent moving map app.
After checking out the IFE, I visited the lavatory in front of the cabin. It was a good size with a vessel sink, Jurlique toiletries, a changing bench, and more importantly it was very clean.
Upon getting back to my seat, one of the flight attendants came by and asked if I could fill out a customer survey form.
I then decided to recline and test out the flat-bed. As expected, it was very comfortable.
Within a few minutes, the captain came on the PA to announce our initial descent into Manila.
The seatbelt sign was switched on and the crew started their landing preparations.
It was a cloudy day in Manila during our descent, but we still managed to get some good views of the city below. The approach and landing were uneventful and fairly smooth.
We had a short 5 minute taxi to the gate, then we said goodbye to the crew and disembarked soon after.
There was no line at immigration and since we didn’t have any checked bags, we were landside within a few minutes.
Overall I can’t think of anything negative to say about this flight, except that it was too short to really enjoy the in-flight offerings. The lounge experience at The Wing in Hong Kong was excellent. Boarding was orderly and there was no wait for business class passengers at the gate. The seat as you may already know is one of my favorite seats in the sky. They are very comfortable and spacious. The in-flight service was also great with a very attentive crew. The food was very good as well considering this flight was less than 2 hours long. I would give this flight an excellent 9 out of 10.
TravelingFoody.com 