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Home » cathay pacific » A Perfect Flight In Cathay Pacific First Class
cathay pacific

A Perfect Flight In Cathay Pacific First Class

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 12, 2019November 14, 2023 15 Comments

Hello from Hong Kong, where I’ve completed the next leg of my journey and am now relaxing at The Pier.

Although it was only a short three-hour flight from Beijing to Hong Kong, I was reminded once again how wonderful Cathay Pacific First Class it…it has been a few years since I last flew from London to Hong Kong in first class and I had forgotten how amazing service on Cathay Pacific is.

Literally, from the moment I stepped on to the moment I stepped off, the three ladies working first class exuded the perfect blend of professionalism and warmth. Warmth is sometimes missing from Cathay Pacific, but there was no shortage of it on this flight.

Cathay offers a rather unique six-seat first class cabin on its 777-300s. These open suites are among the most comfortable (well-padded) first class products in the sky. Furthermore, the clever use of large closets in every seat means no overhead bins and therefore a much more open and spacious cabin.

an airplane at an airport

a seat in a plane

a group of people standing in a row of seats

a seat and table in an airplane

a seat in a plane

a seat and window in an airplane

a bag in a closet

A Feast

The multi-course lunch service included Champagne (William Deutz Brut Millesime 2009), a duck and goose liver appetizer (beautifully presented, but not for me), lobster cream soup, grilled king prawns, delectable cheese, and hazelnut chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Delicious bread and cappuccino as well.

a person opening a bottle of champagne

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of soup on a table

a plate of shrimp and vegetables on a table

a plate of cheese and grapes

a slice of chocolate cake on a plate

Cathay Pacific (like Austrian and SWISS) demonstrates that catering from Mainland China does not have to be bad. U.S. carriers are simply too cheap, it seems, to cater nicely out of PEK and PVG. Even the fresh-squeezed orange juice out of PEK was just perfect.

a glass of water next to a glass of orange juice

And here’s something simply revolutionary for Cathay Pacific. Not only was wi-fi available onboard, even over Chinese airspace, but it was lightning fast!

a screenshot of a computer

That’s simply amazing…and quite an improvement for a carrier that resisted wi-fi for so long.

We landed ahead of schedule in Hong Kong, where I am now enjoying what has instantly become one of my favorite first class lounges.

a tv on a chair

Next up: Colombo in business class aboard Cathay’s A330.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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15 Comments

  1. Lara S. Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 12:42 pm

    Looks beautiful, comfortable and quiet. Three key elements to first class.

  2. Boourns Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    Love CX F and the consistency. Lara put it well. I’ve only had one slip-up service-wise in dozens of flights with them. A few years back, after the seatbelt sign was turned off, I got up from 1A to go use the lav. In the galley, an FA abruptly stopped me and shouted “you have to go back to your seat right now!” The other FAs informed her the seatbelt sign had just been turned off. She looked horrified and later I saw the purser berating her; I felt bad because it seemed like an honest mistake albeit not a very well-handled delivery.

    Looking forward to a few flights with them courtesy of the Vietnam mistake fares. Missing the days when my clients paid for these seats on a monthly basis…

  3. Nick Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    Just flew Cathay F last month, and I found the catering on board and lounges have declined so much. Service was great, though.

  4. Josh Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    @Matthew do you think some of these airlines are reading the blog and know that you are coming and put their best crews in place or at least tell them there is an important person on the flight? That’s what happened to you and @Ben on China Eastern if I recall correctly and with @Ben on El Al.

    • Matthew Reply
      July 12, 2019 at 2:12 pm

      I think Ben is in a different league than I am. While I would be flattered if that were the case, I don’t think so. The China Eastern case was unique because we were live blogging and it hit Weibo. For my own privacy, I’ve delayed these posts by a few days, so actually I did not post my “intro” until I was already in China. Unless my name is flagged in the system, they did not know I was coming.

  5. Philip Abbott Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 2:49 pm

    Looks awesome!! However how does an open spacious cabin square with everything I’ve read about everyone in first and business wanting privacy to the extent that they complain about not having doors? Just seems so odd to me.

    • Matthew Reply
      July 12, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      I like doors, but don’t think they are required. The Cathay first class seat is one of my favorites.

  6. Richard Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    Looks very nice. I am planning a trip that would include this Cathay route but in reverse and am strongly considering splurging the Avios for F rather than ‘mere’ J.

    The recent devaluation hasn’t helped my choice mind…

  7. Sonny Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 3:39 pm

    Hi Matthew. It seems an amazing cabin and airline I’ve never flew with.

    Did you paid for this ticket or it was an award one? I can’t get a single award seat available with miles from WO partners.
    So disappointing!

    Thanks

    • Matthew Reply
      July 12, 2019 at 3:47 pm

      Hi Sonny, I used AA miles for this ticket. CAN-PEK-HKG-CMB for 50K. First two segments in first, final segment in business class.

      • Lucky Mohotti Reply
        July 13, 2019 at 7:47 am

        How was your stay in CMB? Is that a stopover or spent sometimes ?

        • Matthew Reply
          July 13, 2019 at 10:04 am

          Shangri-La. Wonderful.

  8. AdamR Reply
    July 12, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    I’m willing to bet CX double caters shorter flights to mainland China such that they maintain consistency in their product. That’s not to say that the US3 aren’t cheap when they use contractors in PVG and PEK, because they absolutely are – in every way possible, but they likely can’t double cater for long hauls to the US. As much as it pains me to cut the US3 any slack, I think you might be off on this one.

    • Matthew Reply
      July 12, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      Could be, but take a look at the first picture above. Looks like a catering truck. Also, the FA warned me before serving the OJ (I asked her if it was fresh when ordering) that she cannot vouch for “Mainland orange juice”.

  9. Paolo Reply
    July 13, 2019 at 7:56 am

    I’m glad you didn’t eat that disgusting duck/goose dish: it’s made in the cruelest way, by force feeding the birds until their livers are grossly enlarged. Only those ignorant of what’s involved would consume such a thing.
    As for Cathay: it’s been a very , very gradual decline from the time it was widely regarded as being the best airline in the world. I suspect it started after the opening of the new airport, with the significant increase in slots ( ie competition); and also the dramatic increase in mainland carriers on international routes. In the Kai Tak era, Cathay was king.
    I still like Cathay ( vile duck/goose dish notwithstanding)

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