Cathay Pacific Business Class Review

Airline	Plane Type	Class of Service	Route	Rating
Cathay Pacific (CX)	Airbus A330	Business	NRT-HKG	7/10

Booking 

After our stay in Tokyo, it was time to head to our next destination which was Hong Kong. Alaska Air has some sweet spots including some intra-Asian flights. I was able to book business class on Cathay Pacific for 22.5K Alaska miles per person. Given that this mid-haul route features long-haul seats, it was an excellent value of using Alaska miles for the flight.

Ground Experience

Our check-in at Narita airport was fast and efficient with a dedicated business class lane. The agent explained we had access to the Cathay Pacific lounge that operates in the airport as well. In recent years, Japan has also installed automated electronic passport control for those exiting the country so that was quick and efficient as well. 

Cathay Pacific operates their own lounge at Narita airport near gate 71 down the escalators. For an outstation lounge, it was large and provided ample seating. I loved that there was plenty of natural lighting and tarmac views.

There was a small self-serve selection of food and drinks. The selection was fairly meager overall. However, it was a good place to relax and catch up on some e-mails before the flight.

Cabin & Seat

This Airbus A330-300 configuration had a total of 24 business class seats, all in the forward cabin. I selected seats 17A and 18A (window seats) for Wallis and myself. These seats are Cirrus II reverse-herringbone seats in 1-2-1 configuration.

The entertainment screens on these seats pop out from the seat in front of you.

To the side of the seats are the entertainment controls, seat controls, power outlets and a small storage compartment where the headphones are kept.

One thing I particularly appreciated as the larger footwell on these seats compared to some other counterparts with reverse herringbone configuration seats.

However, the ottoman for the footwell misses out on storage space underneath it.

In-Flight Dining

Once we were airborne, lunch service started shortly afterwards. To start with, I ordered a glass of sparking wine which was served with some mixed nuts.

The lunch menu consisted of an option of 3 different entrees. Everyone gets the same starter combo. 

I ordered the stir fried chicken for my main which was reasonably tasty.

There was no second meal service prior to landing. Overall the food was reasonably good and Cathay Pacific provides proper table service.

Amenities & Service

With a regional daytime mid-haul flight (about 5-6 hours flight time), there was a pillow and light blanket provided. No amenity kits or slippers were otherwise provided or expected.

The in-flight entertainment options were solid. The screen is not as crisp as you would find on newer planes. There was an option to buy Wi-Fi which I declined. 

Overall, service was attentive, but not overbearing as typical with many Asian carriers. However, there wasn’t anything memorable about service delivery.

Overall Impression

The cabin was starting to show its age. It may not be the exciting new kid on the block, but provides familiarity, warmth and comfort. Getting a fully flat reverse herringbone seat on an intra-Asian flight is always a treat.

However, given the value of miles used and the overall comfort of the seat, I wouldn’t hesitate to book it again for intra-Asian flights. It was our first flight back to Hong Kong post pandemic so the landing views were a sight for sore eyes.