REVIEW – Cathay Pacific : Business Class – Singapore to Hong Kong (A330-Regional Config)

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Much like its Asian rival SQ , Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of exclusively wide bodied aircraft. In the past I had been lucky enough to get the very comfortable reverse-herringbone seats, used for long-haul flights, on shorter regional hops. This was to be my first taste of the famed “ass killer” seats.

Whilst the colour palette is very soothing and the cabin feels quite bright (due to not having private seats covering the windows), my initial impressions weren’t great.

There’s no way around the fact that this is a serious step below the long haul seats. Whilst this is markedly superior to the vast majority of European carriers’ business class cabins, this is a bit of a step back for Asia. This is a continent where even 1 hour hops tend to get you a wide and thickly padded reclining chair.

These slimline seats look more akin to what you see in long-haul premium economy cabins.

The staff were all smiles and came around offering pre-departure drinks whilst showing people to their seats, helping with bags and hanging jackets. Somehow they made it all look very easy. CX tends to be very impressive in this regard; boarding is always quick and controlled whilst remaining courteous and proactive. The cabin crew were able to easily pass tasks back and forth to one another, whilst never missing a beat.

There was no choice of starter, everybody got the same salad and salad combo. The tuna was a little bland and the plating could use some work, the plastic pots are hardly ‘premium’ (I did like the little, porcelain butter container though).  The garlic bread was as good as always, I find that a wild Pavlovian response kicks in when I’m on one of the Asian carriers and the smell of garlic bread begins to permeate the cabin.

As our starter plates were cleared the cabin crew came through with a trolley of the available main courses. I quite like the fact that you can see your food before choosing what you want to eat. I opted for the beef cheek whilst Kamara went with the fillet of sole.

The beef was exquisitely tender and had a rich savoury taste. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: slow cooked braising cuts are easier to reheat, cheaper and taste better than most airlines’ attempts at steak. The vegetables retained a decent crunch and the barley made for a considered and delicious alternative to rice.

After our trays were cleared, the most charming and nostalgic aspect of the CX meal service came into play: the dessert trolley. There’s something that I really love about the crew wheeling an elegant trolley though the cabin, draped with white linen, carrying a beautifully presented selection of cheeses, fresh fruit, desserts and port (as well as a fully stocked bar for anybody requiring a top up).

After the meal I tried a variety of reclining positions in a bid to get comfortable but never quite managed it. Still, with only a couple of hours to kill I was able to enjoy a quick movie before switching to the wonderful views out of the window.

 

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Conclusion

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Cathay Pacific’s soft product is great, the food and beverage were simple and delicious and the dessert trolley was a wonderful touch.

The seats are not the best though and I feel that CX has learnt nothing from the debacle with its similar shell design in economy. For a market leading airline, I would expect a lie flat product or at least more padding and a real, deep recline for flights over 3 hours.

Still, coming from Europe, this beats the hell out of anything we get from the likes of BA, IB, LX, LH etc.

 

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