[Click above for the video review.]
Airline: Cathay Pacific Airways
Flight Number: CX611
Route: HKG (Chek Lap Kok Airport) to CMB (Bandaranaike International Airport)
Class: Business Class
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Registration: B-LAC
Delivered: July 2005
Flight Duration: 5 hours 50 minutes
Distance: 2,494 Miles
Overall Impression:
So what is it like to fly Cathay Pacific’s medium haul regional business class?
Cathay Pacific offers a solid business class product. Their long haul reverse herringbone business class seats are truly one of the best business class seats in my opinion in regards to comfort and privacy. Add that to the already excellent Cathay service and you truly have a world class in-flight experience in all classes of service.
What I liked:
Hong Kong and the Airport – Hong Kong is one of our favorite cities. I love watching the hustle and bustle of of daily life in the city, as well the contrast between the traditional and modern way of life by the locals. Not to mention an amazing food scene! We always try to go visit the city even if it’s just a short layover.
With easy public transport access to the city, sprawling design, easy to follow signs, and efficient entrance and exit immigration, Hong Kong airport is easily one of the best airports in the world. In all our years of travel, we’ve never had issues with access or navigating the massive terminal. It’s truly a one of a kind airport.
The Pier First Class Lounge in Hong Kong – This lounge is hands down my favorite lounge in the Oneworld alliance. We gained access to the first class section because of our Oneworld Emerald Status. The lounge is beautifully decorated with brown, green, and gold touches which is very calming and pleasing to the eyes. There’s plenty of seating, a business center, a full bar, shower suites, nap rooms, and they even offer a complimentary 15 minute massage. The highlight of the lounge for me is the dining room where you can order restaurant quality 3 course meals.
The seats – Cathay’s reverse herringbone seats are one of the best in the market. They recline all the way to a flat bed and it’s very private and comfortable both for sleeping and lounging.
The amenities – For a flight that’s less than 6 hours I was surprised that we were given an amenity kit as well as a full size pillow and very comfy duvet. The toilets were also stocked with Jurlique skin care products.
The IFE – Cathay uses the StudioCX IFE and it features plenty of media to keep you busy during the flight. There are dozens of movies, TV programs, music, and games that cater to both western and Asian audiences. There’s even an impressive moving map app, which I love!
The Cathay Service – Cathay’s in-flight service is regarded as one the best in the world and this flight was no different. The crew offered us a pre-departure beverage and hot towels, and the in-flight service manager even greeted and thanked us for being Oneworld Emerald. Since this was a night flight, the meal service was abbreviated to make room for passengers who want to get some rest but the crew still managed to give an excellent meal service even with the lights dimmed.
What I didn’t like:
The airplane – This was a reconfigured 14 year old Airbus A330-300 fitted with longhaul business class seats. Because of the width of the cabin, the seat area in business class are slightly narrower compared their Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 planes. It’s worth noting that their lavatories in business class are also smaller.
It was OK, I guess…
The food – When it comes to in-flight food quality, it all boils down to the catering company which could be a hit or miss from Hong Kong. The food selection on this flight was very good, but the quality was a bit lacking. Beverage service was done before the meal and I had a glass of bubble and some nuts, which was nice. Then, I had the shrimp salad as a starter and the shrimp was a bit rubbery. For the main, I ordered the halibut which was also overcooked but still decent. I was offered fruits and ice cream for dessert which was very good. A little forgettable? Yes, but still good.
TravelingFoody.com 