JamesT5 flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (3-class) (12/05/2013 05:17)

Flew Melbourne to Hong Kong return with Cathay Pacific in May 2013.

Outward flight:

Bought a sale fare in Economy and have to say was gobsmacked by how good Cathay economy is.

This aircraft had the new economy seats. They are comfy, nice and wide and have a good amount of leg room. There is also good recline, and the seats are designed nicely as when you recline the seat bottom slides forward as well, meaning you don't lose all of your legroom when the person in front reclines.

I had 41C - in the very front section of economy. Definately go for this part of the cabin, it's quiet as you are just in front of the engines and quick for disembarking.

The Cathay service is impeccable. As good as it gets. The food excellent, 2 meals for this 9 hour flight with 2 choices for breakfast and 3 for lunch and I had my pick each time. Plenty of drinks options including 12yo Scotch, a nice surprise in Economy.

Entertainment I found was inferior to Qantas. Not nearly as many new release movie options and fewer new music selections. However there is a massive amount of Asian film and music choices so perhaps the variety lies there, useless to me though.

As with most airlines, Cathay pay no attention to the supposed cabin baggage "limits". So when the couple in front of me packed 2 cases, 2 shoulder bags, a handbag and 2 coats into the overhead locker, there was no room for my one case. I asked the flight attendent how there could be no room for my one case when my seat and the one next to me was still vacant, she just smiled, took it off me and stowed it down the cabin. At least I didn't have to put it under my seat for 9 hours.

Landed in HKG 3 hours late (we had sat on the tarmac at MEL for 2.5 hrs waiting for a gate to offload an ill passenger, not really the airline's fault) and baggage came out quick enough, straight out and onto the Airport Express. Great flight.

Return flight:

After the debacle with my carry-on case on the outward flight, upon check-in I asked if I could check my carry-on case as well as my suitcase. After intially being denied, I asked how much it would cost, and after it was weighed he just said oh it's alright I can check it for you. So Cathay get points for that.

Had seat 44G this time, must say it is to be avoided. Whilt still quiet for external noise, this seat is 2 rows from the toilets. Every time someone opens the right side toilet's door, the light shines right on you. And you experience an array of smells that are just not pleasant. So not as nice on the way home, I would recommend the front 3 rows of this cabin as the best.

Again 2 meals with 2 choices for lunch and 3 for dinner, again I had my pick of any of the offerings. After dinner they bought out Haagen Dazs ice cream which was a nice touch. Landed on time, baggage took a while but that's a habit of Melbourne Airport.

Overall Cathay provide a very good economy product. More room than Qantas, albeit with less entertainment options. The A330 is still going strong as a very nice aircraft to fly on, with Cathay's latest economy lay-out very pleasant indeed.

TominScotland flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (4 class) (27/04/2013 08:44)

I joined this flight from Hong Kong to London from a delayed Dragonair flight and so did not have the opportunity to visit The Wing. I was not long say down in my aisle seat (49C) when we pushed back and the Captain announced a long flying time of 12' 40" to London.

Disappointingly, the seats were Cathay's old Economy version - the elderly Australian couple next to me said they had phoned two or three times to confirm that the flight would have the new product and had been told it would.

We pushed back on time and taxied for the normal Hong Kong age before taking off to the south-east - disconcerting when you are heading NE!!

Service beagn soon after and the dinner was very tasty and nicely presented. The CSD came over to greet me and left a bottle of Evian ("Which you pre-ordered, Sir" - no I did not but it molified others around me). As I said before,this is a nice touch to ackowledge other oneworld FF elites and is not done by other airlines in my experience.

Notwithstanding the seat, which is frankly not great, I managed to sleep reasonably well and woke up about an hour before the service of an excellent cooked breakfast.

We landed a few minutes late and a short taxi later were at T3.

My third good night's sleep in Economy in the last 6 weeks.... Can't be bad!!

TominScotland flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300ER (four class with Premium Economy) (31/03/2013 09:02)

I transfered from a diomestic flight to this flight from Heathrow to Hong Kong and headed to the BA First Lounge, having used the CX Lounge a number of times recently when flying Finnair. The Lounge was virtually empty and I was able to settle back and listen to radio commentary of the Saints thrashing Chelsea!! Food options were good and the sense of space fantastic, well before the evening rush.

I headed to the gate in good time and was able to walk straight aboard to my seat, 40D, in the second row of economy. Cathay's 3-3-3 configuration on the 777 combined with cabin height gives a real sense of space and the seat construction is such that, even with a reclined seat in front of me, I was able to wok comfortably on my laptop. With my short legs and standard frame, the seat was also plentiful in size and comfortable for all positions.

We pushed back on time and were soon airborne. Drinks were soon served, followed by three choices for dinner of which I chose the lemon chicken which, even though I was not very hungry, was tasty. Cabin crew were smiling and helpful throughout, explaining the IFE and usb/ light control system to me as I had not encountered what proved to be a very user friendly system such as this, before.

Particularly impressive was a visit from the CSD to greet me by name and ask if there was anything she could do to make my flight more comfortable. I am not a CX FF - BA Gold,yes - and have never been greeted like this on a oneworld partner airline before when flying with IB, QF and AY. For that matter, neither do I recall this courtesy when I had a bmi Gold card and flew longhaul in Business with LH, LX and SQ where cabin crew would ignore you unless you were part of THEIR FF family. So a real bonus plus for CX.

For the second time in just over a week, I slept like a baby on a long-haul flight in Economy - the previous time was on BA - so I can readily vouch that the highfalutin airs and graces of those on this forum who would not deign to fly economy are, perhaps, exaggeration born of status sensitivity rather than direct experience. It ain't so bad at all and 7.5 hours of undisturbed sleep is testimony to this.

I woke up in time for a peruse of Cathay's adequate but unspectacular IFE system and, unusually for me, watched a movie while enjoying a tasty omlette for breakfast.

We landed some 20 minutes early and, after a very short taxi, were at the gate. Even though I have a connecting flight from Hong Kong, with plenty of time in hand, I made my way through Immigration in order to register for e-immigration for future visits. The main immigration lines were non-existent and there was no queue for the easy e-registration process which proved a real boon on returning airside, by-passing a very long Visitors line. Then a short walk to the Cathay Wings First Lounge and a wait for my next flight.

AirJunky flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300ER (three class with Premium Economy) (15/03/2013 15:44)

My seat was 40C...
Lots of leg room as there is no sit in the front. Although sometimes other passengers bumped into my feet but being a day flight did not matter much!
The only thing that is terrible is the light ... The 777 light bank for the side rows is placed too low ... so I could hardly ready anything has the next passenger shadowed the light beam!!
This must be for sure a design flaw of the aircraft and not attributed to Cathay. I will never sit again on Seat C or H on a 777!
Excellente Entertainmentsystem, great LCD screen and latest movies!!
Please also review your seat plans as the sit arrangements do not match the aircraft!

spidergirl flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300ER (19/11/2012 07:30)

Nov 15 I flew from Pudong to HK on economy class on CX 367.

The configuration is 3x3x3 and I have 45G aisle seat. There is personal TV with the new touch screen and there are many more choices of tv channels in CX compare to Dragonair, there is a slot where you could put your phone under the screen, the only thing is I could not adjust my volume during the playing of the TV programme as there is no button for it (it shows the adjustment volume button only in the beginning of the show). The new economy seat slide down instead of flip back.

Lunch: ground pork with eggplant and rice or pasta with tomato sauce

Overall: I would take CX if I have a chance than Dragonair

spidergirl flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300 (19/11/2012 07:21)

On my return flight from Pudong Airport (Shanghai) to HK on Oct 31, Oct 31 pudong to hk, I was dropped off by the taxi at the wrong terminal (no. 1) but there are shuttle bus every 10 min. Cx 365 row 34D economy between terminal 1 and terminal 2 which is quite convenient. The configuration is 3x 3x 3 and there is Personal TV so it really makes a big difference compare to some old Dragonair plane with overhead TVs.

taipei-chubai flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300 (06/08/2012 16:18)

Benefit for Macro polo member. Good!

spidergirl flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300ER (three class with Premium Economy) (23/07/2012 02:03)

I took this flight from HK to Tokyo (Haneda) on CX which is codeshared with JAL, it is on B777-300 ERdd, I got economy seat in row 39G aisle seat, it has a configuration of 2x3x2, these are the rather new seat that slides forward, personal TV has great movies with latest oscar movies. Bathrooms are in the far back of the plane.

Breakfast served are chicken noodles or egg with sausage, service is always good on CX.

spidergirl flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (2 class with regional product) (23/07/2012 01:25)

We were flying from HK to Cambodia during Easter via Saigon on CX which is codeshared with Vietnam Airlines on this route.

Our seats are 41 D, E, F and G which are center seats in the last row of our economy section, configuration is 2x4x2, our seats are next to toilet, personal tv is available. It is a decent flight and short (just over 2 hours), so no complaint.

RoyBloom flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (20/04/2012 14:03)

Ground staff and Cabin crew excellent but the seating was a disaster, this was a 12 hour flight from Heathrow to Hong Kong.

The seats had little or no support, some strange system that does not recline but drops and is supposed to change angle for sleeping or relaxing, in reality this does not work. The back of the seat drops and the base moves forward leaving a gap at the base of the spine. The cabin crew were very apologetic but could not help but give us an extra pillow. Never again until they change the seating.

hozza94 flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (extra economy) (08/05/2011 16:27)

I have travelled on the HKG-LHR route few times a year, and it is quite nice. However the seat design has its problem. You won't want to seat on the same thin cushion for 12 hours as it hurts! I can't actually sleep on the seat because it is so bad that I usually sleep on the table, strange. Entertainment choices are fine, enough to spend the whole time. F&B quality are just good as other CX flights. Can CX move out from T3, the walk is too long!

chuchuchu flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (2 class) (08/05/2011 13:58)

The In-town check-in service is perfect. It is fast, efficient. I could say I only wait no more than 3 minutes to get my boarding pass.

The ground staff keeps asking us to move faster to get into the gate. To be more professional, I believe they could rephrase their wordings to sound more polite.

The aircraft is a bit old while the air-cond is not good enough. I keep sweating throughout the trip. The seat is old with a very small PTV screen. The screen quality is below average and is not video on demand system.

In the snack refreshment, I asked for wet tissue paper. The CA replied that no wet tissue paper is offered during "XXX". I cannot recall that specific term "XXX". Please do not expect all passengers understand the terms used in airline industry. I thought there is no wet tissue paper throughout the flight, but it turns out there is one in the regular meal.

The regular meal is too salty and oily. I think couscous is quite famous in north africa, but we are not quite used to it in asian cuisine.

In general, I will keep choosing CX as my first priority, because CA are speaking our own language, plus movies are all having chinese subtitle.

ww71796 flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300ER (31/03/2011 05:03)

I have been a loyal Cathay Pacific customer for over 10 years flying from NY's JFK to Hong Kong.

They have been great till they partnered with American Airlines flying to Hong Kong in the past few years. Not only has their prices gone up significantly more than the other airlines but the service and the perks that made me a repeat customer has totally gone away.

On my most recent flight from NY to HK, I paid extra to get an exit seat so I can have more leg room. Didn't know why there was cold air coming in by the door but it was so cold and unbearable that I asked the flight attendant to move me to any other seat, even the cheaper economy seats. All I got was an extra blanket which I used to block off the cold wind coming in. Even the passenger next to me felt cold.

Early February, one of my family member received an email from Cathay Pacific's Marco Polo Club, which is for elite members who travel frequently. I am also a Marco Polo member but didn't get that email.

The email was a promotional offer for members to receive double miles if they travel between February and April. I figured since I was a member also, that email may have been lost or deleted so I wrote to ask about it. I told them I was planning to travel in May but will definitely move my dates up if I get the double miles also.

After numerous emails and 3 phone calls, I got the same answer telling me it was a promotion sent out to random members.

I accepted the explanation and didn't think much about it till some of my other friends told me they also received the same promotion.
That got me curious so I called my other travel companions which, like me, flew back and forth 4 times within the last 10 months to see if they received that email.
Neither one of us got that promotional email.

Right away I called Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong to express my dismay. I asked if the promotion was intentionally targeted to customers that hasn't flown with Cathay Pacific for a year or more because the friends that received the promotion hasn't flown on Cathay Pacific for 1 year, and all they kept saying was it's not targeted to anyone specific, it's random.

I called and wrote them letting them know how displeased I was and that they are obviously lying to me...that is just too much of a coincidence as to who got the email and who didn't.
But they just said there was nothing they can do for me.

Also would like to let everyone know that the miles we use to accumulate to use for upgrades to Business Class seats?
Well, let's say, after the American Airline partnership, "Good Luck".
Upgrades using miles not only have blackout dates and are very limited but make sure you have the right class economy ticket or you will have to pay more for that same economy ticket to get a class where you can use miles to upgrade.

Only reason I'm giving them a star instead of none is because they "were" pretty good "Once upon a time"

continentalclub flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (25/02/2011 01:37)

Yes, Economy.

Regular readers may already have suffered a slight cardiac flutter with the news that such a class of travel exists, if not a full-blown arrest at the revelation that continentalclub has sampled such a thing. Nevertheless and in the name of research, your intrepid reporter has done just that and lives to tell this tale.

Granted, a slightly shorter sample would have been sufficient, but we were in Hong Kong and we needed to get to Auckland, so eleven-and-a-bit hours it would have to be.

Armed with a British Airways Executive Club Silver card, pre-operation anaesthesia was applied in the comfy confines of Cathay's Wing lounge complex at Chek Lap Kok. Whilst it may have been superseded in modernity and facilities by other lounges around the world (and indeed arguably by its own Pier and Cabin lounges elsewhere in HKIA) The Wing is still a rather pleasant place to numb the nerves prior to re-engaging with the hordes.

Food offerings continue to be noodles from the open kitchen, dim sum from hotplates, soup, fruit, cereals and rather dainty paper-wrapped sandwiches and rolls (several of the latter being offered a temporary home in the rollaboard in case of limited on-board supplies).

Beverage choices come from self-served soft drinks and beers in the galley area of the noodle bar dining area, or the full bar including hot drinks in the main lounge. Somewhat horrifically, milk supplied with either tea or otherwise very good coffee consisted of a UHT jigger. For Cathay to condone that in a directly-operated business lounge is surprising; for The Peninsula to put its name to it as the F&B supplier in the lounge is nothing short of amazing.

The lounge receptionist confirmed that boarding would be at-leisure for oneworld status-holders, and this it proved to be.

By-passing the throngs at the gate, clear signage was in place for First & Business Class boarding and therefore, by default, cardholder. At the aircraft door, the welcome was by name read from the boarding pass, and a member of crew in the cabin showed your correspondent to his seat; 66A on the outboard port side - the foremost of three rows of paired seats at the rear of the tapering fuselage.

Such seats offer the advantage of some additional space between the seat and the cabin wall, which is handy for locating goods and chattels for easy inflight access. They do limit the scope for leaning against the wall inflight however, at least for those of non-giraffic tendencies.

There is also a slight off-setting of the tray tables and screens from the seats in front, given the positioning of this first row of pairs.

The seat itself, the principal reason for taking the flight, was something of a revelation; a glorious concept of protected space for the economy traveller, if one that is slightly (though not irretrievably) flawed in execution. For those unversed in the subtleties of back-of-the-bus benches, Cathay uniquely plies the skies with hard shell seats in economy - seats which do not recline per se, but instead slump within the confines of their pre-defined space. The seat base slides forward, and the backrest follows in hot pursuit. Backrests lurching towards the unwary are banished, as are the lurches and recoils of ones own backrest being used as a brace for a rearward passenger to lever themselves out into the aisle.

This, finally, shows some respect for the economy passenger and their rights to enjoy just a little bit of peace despite their lack of recumbence. A triumph, no less.

It's not all good though, with a seat base that's lumpier than boarding school custard and a backrest that feels as though it's been made out of the same plastic from which yoghurt pots are born. The choice of colours for the seats is also somewhat Fisher-Price, which hardly adds to any feeling of solidity. One assumes that there was a job-lot of turquoise acrylic to be had at giveaway prices in Kowloon when the refit was being planned, and this was its ultimate moulding. Ghastly.

Never mind, the headrest is more than comfy and the judicious application of the (therefore) redundant pillow and the attendant blanket can mostly mask the shortcomings of the Cathay upholsterer, and a perfectly pleasant perch constructed.

IFE is a real Cathay highpoint, not without the need for the odd reboot of the Panasonic system, but the quality of the content, the size of the seatback screens and the ease of navigation are all superb, as is the rare ability to play music while watching the moving map, or to turn the screen off altogether while maintaining the presence of soothing tunes. The seat back also offers a multinational power socket, a separate drinks holder and a very sturdy tray table. Top marks.

Catering service is heralded by a nicely printed menu, even this far back on the aircraft. The menu was probably the highpoint of the meals however, as the food itself was non-descript at best and rather polarising in a Marmite sort of way at worst. Think citrus starter and Creme Caramel dessert; both styles of dish that can engender rather love/hate emotions. Lots went back. Quantity was passable, but the lounge-liberated sandwiches came in handy. Quality was fairly poor, to be honest - BA's may look worse but the raw materials are undoubtedly an order of magnitude better. It was doubtful that my Cathay chicken had ever been near an egg.

Crew service was typically Cathay; that is to say charmingly polite, very hard-working, mostly robotic, hardly engaging and most unwilling to discipline passengers. At no point during periods of turbulence did any member of crew make additional PAs or directly speak to the significant numbers of passengers who continued to walk the aisles, use the washrooms or open overhead bins. I find this extremely frustrating, but sadly commonplace.

Disembarkation at Auckland was unsurprisingly leisurely, given that almost the entire passenger count had to leave before the dizzy heights (or backs) of row 66 could evacuate. Smiles and nods from the crew and reasonably rapid reclaim of bags marked the conclusion of the flight.

Overall, and as a longtime fan of Cathay, the flight itself was not one my better ones with them, expecially with regard to catering and crew control of passengers, but that seat was exceptional in terms of basic idea and I would be unafraid to favour airlines who develop it is ever I have need or desire to forego something a little more horizintal in future.

PS: I flew back to Hong Kong in the same seat; worse crew, everything else the same.
PPS: I flew London to Hong Kong return on British Airways in Club World. Ate like a King and slept like a baby both ways. Aircraft probably last cleaned in 2004.

Wingtips flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (3-class) (11/01/2011 16:06)

This CX flight from Hong Kong to Chennai still has the old Economy seats, but since the journey was only about five hours and some, it wasn’t that big a deal to me.

Seat 30 C – along the aisle on the first row in the Economy class cabin – would have been perfect except for the IFE box underneath it, which took up all the space. This made it impossible to stuff any tote bag or laptop case. I had to make do with the two small overhead compartments where I stored my bulky computer case and soft bag with some presents.

As I feared, the passenger behind me jammed his knapsack in the one with my soft bag without making sure he wasn’t crushing any of my fragile valuables. I had to rearrange things the minute he sat down. He seemed unperturbed by what I thought was his lack of consideration.

CX service was efficient as ever, and was tested when they had only vegetarian meals left when it was my turn to be served. I made it clear that this was not to my liking, prompting the stewardess to say that she would be back with another option. It was good of her though to mask any annoyance she may have had at my stubbornness. She quickly brought back a seafood meal from Business class, which was piping hot and delicious. I showed my appreciation by consuming everything in the container. Well done, cabin crew!

PhillDanze flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (3-class) (14/09/2010 01:50)

I flew in this aircraft configuration a couple of times over the course of two months. The economy class seat is different to most airlines in that the seat slides forward instead of reclining. The downside of this is that leg room decreases when you "recline" the seat and as I am over 6ft., I found it hard to get my legs comfortable when trying to sleep. Overall though, I far preferred this seat over a traditional reclining one as it meant that the seat in front of me remained at an acceptable and constant distance from my face; especially handy when watching a movie. I also found that my seat was not constantly jerked and leaned on as passengers in the row behind me got in and out of their seats. The seats also had adjustable headrests and good lumbar support. The video screens are mounted in the back of the seats and the size is just right with good brightness controls. The entertainment selection is vast without being overwhelming and with a good selection of latest release and foreign films. Cathy's service and food was good and the toilets kept clean throughout the flight.

chuchuchu flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (09/06/2010 11:44)

PVG to HKG It is rare to see Cathay 747 that is having new seat feature flying from SHA to HKG. I chose seat 67C which was the last few row and having extra space and personalized space with my friend. The new seat feature was good which having power supply and was able to incline your seat without disturbing the one at the back. However, this new incline feature cannot please me coz it was not that comfortable especially for my neck.

Service is acceptable but a bit rush. CA was not smiling at all but offering instant response service. My PTV was not working at all, but not disappointing at all coz no movie was showing in this short-haul flight.

jmnvdbnck flew Cathay Pacific Economy (07/04/2010 00:04)

The most uncomfortable airline seat I have ever had the misfortune to endure. I am dreading the return flight. If they don't change back to reclining seats I shall be using a different airline. With no recline as soon as you fall asleep your head drops forward either waking you immediately or causing agonising neck pain later. Apart from the seat everyhing else was fine, but for a long flight comfort is the most important aspect.

Survivor flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300 (21/02/2010 14:33)

With a 3-3-3 seating and the toilet at the front left aisles of the cabin I do not suggest taking first row 30. To other disturbances and also being a weekend and holiday season, avoiding these rows are advised as these are also the bassinet seats which were full with lovely "noisy" babies on board my flight today. This aircraft is equipped with the old seats which are not a problem for a short flight and I have to admit it feels more comfortable when reclined compared to the new ones. Cathay has to be more diligent with the servicing of the entertainment system. The movie I wanted to watch was going on nicam audio between English and German constantly. The Chief Pursuer tried to restart the system and finally had to make do by replacing with the return leg movie … there goes my brilliant plan on what movie to watch!!! Also, the airline needs to get hygienic levels up as it is totally lacking. My chair table had food and coffee stains when I opened it for meal service. I really wonder whether they clean any control buttons or any surface you touch on the plane ………. I definitely never sit on the toilet – any planes I fly with!!!

Marcus3 flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (20/12/2009 17:17)

On Cathay Pacific 747-400 LHR - HKG you get the most courteous of cabin crew i've ever come across, smiling all the time and always helpful. The biggest and the most generous leg and shoulder room. Ample free food & drink with very high quality of breakfast lunch and dinner. I was a bit peckish so i asked for some more food and they gave me another dinner. Now for the Piece De Resistance, the entertainment system is second to none in my opinion. You have a (5 by 8) inch screen to view whatever you fancy. You have a list of programes and genres and films which seem endless, i'm telling you now - if you decided you were not going to sleep on your 12 hour flight to Hong Kong or whereever, and wanted to watch all which was available to you, you would need 24 hours veiwing time, and i am not exaggerating. All that does not include all the music you get to, which is tottaly interactive so you have full control of what you are watching when you wish to watch it....fast forward, rewind, pause, and so on and on and on... Sorry for the long review, but needed to be said for future reference... Cathay Pacific Economy 8 out of 10 for comfort, complete service and reliabillity.

Survivor flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (3-class) (25/10/2009 02:58)

Going on board to an old seating plan for a short flight did not really bother me until I sat on 34D!!

There was a box under the seat in front of me and gave me very lttle room to stretched my legs. I was first given the first row ailse but since it was near the toilet I opted to be a few rows down.

As a diamond card member, they told me that the seat next to me would be blocked during check-in - so good to have the extra space. But to my disappointment just before we boarded the flight, a message was sent to me that the flight is fully booked and the seat next to me is no longer available! No more 34D even if I am promised extra seat next to me empty - you never know!!

Survivor flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A340-300 (25/10/2009 02:48)

The new seats is much more comfortable than I expected. Hard back seats that are very good as I was not at all disturbed by the passenger in front when they recline. Even better for me since I have a bad back and needed my seat to be reclined even during meal service. The interacitve inflight entertainment is great to have in economy class.

I managed to fast forward a movie I did not finished on my last sector and over this short trip to Hong Kong, I cleared two movies!!!

SerendipityJan flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300ER (09/10/2009 07:00)

djeacock flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (11/07/2009 19:54)

The seats are slightly smaller than you expect.

frustratedflyer flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (2 class) (12/06/2009 16:20)

Was in 37G but like my earlier flight had a box under the seat. If you want an aisle pick C or H as D, G & K have IFE boxes under them. Service was good food indifferent. IFE only had one rotation of less than an hour on this 2.5hr flight.

frustratedflyer flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300 (10/06/2009 16:58)

Seat 36H Aisle. Quite good leg room better than J, K or E that have A/V boxes under them. Service good, food OK and reasonable AV (not on demand) for a 2hr flight between HK and BKK. Seats look old but are comfortable.

JohnSullivan flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (extra economy) (10/02/2009 13:35)

Flew SFO to HKG in seat 44C. The seat was an exit row and had fixed armrests so it was a little tight. Seat was near a lavatory so many people were standing in front of me waiting. The service was great and the food better than average.

frustratedflyer flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (2 class) (16/01/2009 13:42)

In old config in seat 57G. Seat was old but OK. Unfortunately seat G has a large box under the seat in front which it makes it difficult to stretch out. Service was good and was impressed that as an Emerald FF they came round and asked me waht meal I wanted reserved. Despite being only a 3.5hr flight there was IFE although the film I picked was dubbed in French on the English channel!!

frustratedflyer flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B777-300 (13/01/2009 06:33)

Seat 41D. Loads of legroom (more so than row 30 at front of forward cabin). Its a good seat but the legroom is so much that people tend to use it as a crossover which can get annoying after a while. 41C or 41G would be better as you tend not to get disturbed although the row is in by the toilet. The seat is OK but the AV controls protrude into the seat making it quite narrow.

Braveheart flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (07/01/2009 17:04)

HKG-LHR Seat 68k, window seat right at the back. Flying in between Xmas and new year, the flight was barely 40% full. I had no one beside me and some lucky people had an entire middle row of 4 seats to themselves. Can't complain though. I ran through a few movies picked at the meal and quickly dozed off to wake just before lunch service. Overall inflight service was fine and we landed ahead of schedule. Only downside was that due to strong tailwinds the pilot delayed takeoff by over half an hour to keep to our landing schedule.

Braveheart flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A340-300 (07/01/2009 16:48)

LHR-HKG 68K This is the old style seat - certainly nowhere near as comfortable as the new ones so a bit unlucky to get this but I had to book well in advance for the new year rush and so couldn't be too choosy. The London lounge was very busy with lots of kids and many prams, but all the kids seemed very well behaved. However given the importance of the London route, surely Cathay should do something to expand or upgrade its offering here, especially given BA's belated advances in this area. Boarding was on time but takeoff was delayed by almost half an hour when about half a dozen passengers failed to show. Onboard service was adequate but the young male FA's are pretty hopeless.admittedly it was the holiday period and perhaps staff were hard to come by. Disembarkation was at the furthest possible gate at HKIA with the longest walk to the transfer trains I've ever taken. I'm never sure why long-haul flights are always given these gates and I felt sorry for the many young families and prams who faced such a trek.

Mixing-with-the-best flew Cathay Pacific Economy (07/01/2009 08:43)

CX1724: KL- HK - pls note this is a code share with MAS, so if you take the earlier flight at 17.55 then its a CX craft not MAS. Check in at KL was fine, took the KL airport express which I recommend rather than taking a taxi. CX lounge in KL airport is pretty tired - definitely needs a refurb and a much better choice of food and drink. Comp wireless internet which is good.

Flight was punctual - and the vegetarian food was tastier than the option on a CX craft. Although no personal TV which can be a bit boring even for 3.5 hour flight..

Air Asia was actualy more expensive than CX during this time ( I flew mid Dec), so CX was definitely worth the cost.

Mixing-with-the-best flew Cathay Pacific Economy (07/01/2009 08:38)

CX721: HK - KL. Complimentary upgrade to business which was most sociable of CX. Check in efficient as always at HK airport - Business class flight was good, service was very good and the food was ok, not as great as it could have been.

Seat was a middle seat which was fine - old business class model. Most acceptable for an upgrade, doubt that would need to purchase on such a short flight and with the old business class type.

Mixing-with-the-best flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (07/01/2009 08:31)

CX250 rtn flight LHR-HK. I can't remember the seat unfortunately, and I have been flying CX quite frequently recently on this particular leg so not much more to add.... except flight was freezing again, and there are far too many noisy children with parents who seem incapable of controlling them... not CXs fault, but just a general moan.

Also the CX lounge at LHR is pretty rubbish - a refurb would be nice,with comp wireless internet and edible food...

Mixing-with-the-best flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (07/01/2009 08:28)

CX251: HK - LHR. 30k bulk head seat - well worth it, much more leg room - much more spacious for an economy flight and K seat is the window seat - which I prefer than the aisle.

Major complaint - the flight was FREEZING - I had a coat and scarf on - and three blankets and I was still cold. The vegetarian food was tasteless as is the majority of the time.. and other options for the meat eater the typical chicken with rice or beef with noodle - CX is a real let down in the economy menu.

O/wise check is excellent at HK and bags were not too long when we landed in London.

CX is not the cheapest option back to London- but if you are tied into Marco Polo and you have associated benefits, it is probably worth the 2k.

Mixing-with-the-best flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (07/01/2009 07:27)

CX251 - HK - LHR. Seat 32A. Regular seat - no bulkhead available. But the newer CX economy is fine now I am used to the non-reclining seats, I actually find them better.

AVOD choice fine - veggie food was unimaginative as always...no updates there unfortunately!

Check in at HK was super efficient as always and CX lounge at gate 1 is an acceptabel choice of food/drinks - and comp wireless internet unlike the LHR lounge where you have to pay and the food looks like it has been sitting htere for a week...

flight price was good value rtn flight to UK given the time of year.

Mixing-with-the-best flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (07/01/2009 07:16)

As usual with the earlier flights to HK with CX, well al the ones I have experienced - check in was a complete pain. CX252 dept at 11:30 and at 8am, a queue of 50 people and only one check in desk open with one person.. ridiculous.

Apart from the check in, the flight was fine. The service wasn't as great as it can be..but was passable. AVOD choice wasn't too bad considering I watched 11 hours of non-stop TV and movies...

Seat 30A, bulk head - great seat for economy- room to stretch out legs - as long as you dont have the annoying passengers that I had sitting next to me you will be fine!

Braveheart flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (11/12/2008 04:13)

London Hong Kong Seat 53k This is a window seat in the last row of the middle section with a three-seat configuration. It's also close to the galley. I like Cathay's new economy product and find I can generally get 5-6 hours sleep during this run. The inflight entertainment is also so much better with AVOD system, meaning you can watch half a movie, snooze and restart when you wake up, which is a great way of killing time. Breakfast was also quite tasty but service with the bread rolls and coffee seemed a little rushed again. A good tailwind got us into HK ahead of time but the bags took forever.

Braveheart flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (11/12/2008 04:07)

Hong Kong-London Seat 68K This is the very back row of the plane. I booked this one since I prefer the rear but found two disadvantages. First it is too close to the toilets and that's always a risk on a long-haul flight. Second is that it is set about ten inches or so away from the window side so you can't rest your head on it. Service was a major improvement on my immediately previous CX flight I'm glad to say.

Braveheart flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a B747-400 (new product) (17/10/2008 08:14)

Cathay Pacific London-Hong Kong Economy Class on CX250 Boeing 747 (with new long haul product) I’m a fairly regular traveller on this route and have favoured Cathay over its rivals in the past for its mileage system, dependable lounges and frequency. Since I prefer window seats, I normally look for a two-seat configuration in economy toward the rear of the plane, since it feels less claustrophobic and on long-haul is certainly less awkward than climbing over two other passengers for trips to the toilet. Unfortunately even though I had checked in online the day before, I was only able to get 65k, which is a portside window seat on the very last row of the three-seat clusters. Nonetheless I found it much quieter at the back than the front, where I’m often automatically allocated, since young families tend to be seated at the front sections near the seats with bassinets. One of the advantages of the new seats is the much improved inflight entertainment, using video on demand technology, and Cathay’s range of programming is usually excellent. However, I quickly realised my left earphone wasn’t working. It took two separate requests to different flight attendants before I got my replacement headset. Admittedly this was lengthened by the meal service but even so it was pretty frustrating. The meal itself was pretty good, better than most of the economy class meals I’ve had in Cathay in the past couple of years, which has become blander in my opinion. I’ve also noticed over the years that Cathay flight attendants seem to be developing tunnel vision, walking up and down the aircraft apparently unable to see a raised hand or a facial gesture from passengers trying to attract their attention. Is it too much to ask them to regularly scan the cabins to see if anyone wants something rather than to stare ahead down the aisles? I resent having to switch on the attendant call buttons each time for what are fairly trivial requests, which in any case could be avoided by slightly more regular rounds with drinks. In any case, attempts to get a cup of water before sleeping was even more frustrating than the headphones situation. I simply gave up asking after three requests to three different attendants and then nodded off. The seats are bearable for a 12-hour flight and I prefer them to the older ones but I noticed that the middle seat in my row, 65J, me had its cup-holder taped up. This suggests that the new seats are not entirely as robust as they should be given that they have only recently come into service. Arrival was rather strange, we arrived ahead of schedule but disembarkation was delayed for about 20 minutes as the ground handlers hadn't expected us. I’m not quite at the stage where I’m ready to switch carriers on this route but I detect a dreadful slippage in Cathay’s onboard service quality. This is becoming too common, I’ve even experienced it in business class, and is highly irritating on a long-haul flight where comfort and convenience are my key concerns. The flight attendants seem rushed and only too happy to get the meal and drinks service out of the way - more like service at a motorway service station than a premium airline.

loneflyer flew Cathay Pacific Economy, on a A330-300 (2 class) (03/10/2008 16:48)

The plane I was on was fitted out in the old configuration and did not have herringbone seats in Business Class. I was in 33G but if you want an aisle seat I would avoid D and G as these have large boxes under the seat that restrict legroom. You are better off with the aisle seats on the outside. Service was excellent but the IFE was poor. I tried to watch two films. The first deteriorated in quality and stopped before the end. The second stopped a few minutes before the end. Very frustrating!!