• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
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, 2019July 12, 2019 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

Previous Article Review: Park Hyatt Maldives
Next Article AMEX SFO Centurion Lounge Is Better Than Both Priority Pass Restaurants

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.

Related Posts

  • fuel hedging

    Airlines Fuel Hedging During Record Oil Prices

    June 12, 2022
  • Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge London Review

    Review: Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge London (LHR)

    July 29, 2020
  • Cathay Pacific Protests

    Cathay Pacific Faces Grave Threat As Massive Protests Loom In Hong Kong

    May 25, 2020

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)

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • United Airlines Crew Hold Times
    Flight Attendants At United Airlines Asked To Self-Report Poor Service Via “Marginal Service Reports” March 27, 2023
  • Waldo Delta LAX
    “Where’s Waldo?” Jumps Out Of Delta 737-800 At LAX, Scoots Down Exit Slide March 27, 2023
  • Hilton Frankfurt Airport Review
    Review: Hilton Frankfurt Airport March 27, 2023
  • Thai entry requirements
    Thailand Entry Requirements: Updated Website March 26, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Kayleigh Scott United Airlines
    The Tragic Death Of A United Airlines Flight Attendant March 21, 2023
  • United Airlines Domestic First Class Menu
    United Airlines Refreshes Domestic First Class Menu February 28, 2023
  • Southwest Airlines Wife Slap
    Enraged Husband Attacks Man On Southwest Airlines Flight After He Bumps Wife March 8, 2023
  • United Polaris Lounge LAX Review
    Review: United Airlines Polaris Lounge Los Angeles (LAX) March 24, 2023

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.