Cathay Business Class HKG-SYD

[PlutekPlutek]

Hi,

I amy flying back from coughet to Sydney in early february. Currently I am booked in StarClass on Jetstar's direct flight. I was thinking of going to Hong Kong on the way back, i.e. coughet-Hong Kong-Sydney, and flying Hong Kong - Sydney in Cathay's Business Class. What is CX Business Class like on the A330 flights from HKG - SYD ?

Lukasz

 

[NM]

It should be their new herringbone layout new business class product. Very good product, but the seats a narrower than some other business class products.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

Is it better than JQ's StarClass ?

 

[simongr]

Not sure of exactly which config you might get but CX have three:

New J - fully flat herringbone layout with massive 15 in screen - I really like this config. Not the best for couples but survivable.

Old J - similar to QF Skybeds - a little short for my liking and does not lie flat

Regional (unlikely to get this product) - On a par with QF Dreamtime seats (like the 763)

Overall not a bad experience really and a major improvement over Starclass.

 

[MicoPico]

I haven't tried the new CX herringbone, but have travelled on their "old" J many times. The seats transform into a lie-flat bed at a slight angle. Although these are similar to QF's skybed, QF's bed seems a bit more comfortable.

Service is usually consistent and good.

Food is pretty good, but I find QF J slightly better.

Good thing is... you'd get to experience the fantastic CX lounge at HKG!

Overall, i don't think there's any comparison between a budget airline's J and a premium full-service J. They are in totally different classes. So if money is no object, i would take the CX J over JQ * class any day.

 

[NM]

Is it better than JQ's StarClass ?

Yes, CX has real full-service international top-tier airline business class product. JQ Star Class is more like a premium economy product.

 

[Zippy7]

Hiya,

Business class in Cathay is *usually* a very pleasant experience. Service is *usually* very good. I have flown SYD-HKG return, as well as some regional flights in Asia. Generally I have been very happy with it, so if you get the herringbone layout, it is nice and fresh (perhaps a little squeezy compared to other bus layouts). There is decent privacy, and generally a good place to be. I had one bad experience on a noisy old banger of a plane, with bad AVOD, poor service, and not the premium experience you would expect. But the rest of my trips with them have been excellent.

Also, as the others attest - the lounge in HK Airport is excellent. They offer yummy dim sims for brekkie

 

[Mal]

There is also an 'arrivals' lounge in Hong Kong available for First pax and OW Emerald pax arriving in Hong Kong on Cathay or DragonAir.

Cathay Pacific - At The Airport : Hong Kong International Airport > The Arrival

 

[Alanslegal]

The heringbone layout is very interesting. I like how all seats get access to the aisle, the walls make it nice and private, plus once your TV is in front of your face, it makes you feel like its only you and only you on board.

Apart from that its not good for looking out the window especially for the landings and takeoffs, however if you want / need to look outside you could always like to swivel your head on your neck axis more than 100degrees

 

[PlutekPlutek]

I didn't end up changing the flight to CX from Hong Kong - Sydney, but managed to change to QF from Singapore to Sydney in Premium Economy of the A380. Managed to redeem some nearly expired miles from SIA + $150 for two people in tax to fly SilkAir fromPhuket to Singapore, but I think it will be worth it. Got 30,000 points back for the downgrade StarClass - Premium Economy (no business class seats available since this is an Award flight), and a reduction in taxes. I'm going to keep monitoring QF to see if Business Class seats become available on the A380, but somehow I doubt it.

 

[MelUser]

New J - fully flat herringbone layout with massive 15 in screen - I really like this config. Not the best for couples but survivable.

Does anyone know which 2 seats are better/best for a couple?

 

[simongr]

Define best?

The seat layout is I think:

/ \ / \
/ \ / \
or

/ \ \

mrssimongr and I flew in:

/
/

Which was ok but I think for people who want to converse it is the across the aisle seats that provide best communication.

Personally I would stick to as forward as possible at the expense of the occasional meerkat express head pop up...

 

[MelUser]

Tks - didn't get the thing about the Meercats!

Current we're in row 2 / \ so I'll leave that as is.

 

[NM]

On the A330, with the / \ \ configuration, there is less aisle traffic past the K seats than the A aisle. But only have the choice of two consecutive rows rather than across-the-aisle seating.

 

[serfty]

Here's some seat maps:

• Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-400 (New long haul seats) - SeatExpert
• Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 (New two class) - SeatExpert

Presumably 12A&D / \

 

[MelUser]

Yes - 12A and D - I meant the 2nd row /\. A330

That was my main query - whether seats next to each other were better or across the aisle.

I will go with simongr's recommendation of across the aisle.

It seems that some airlines' premium product is all about cocooning/keeping private individual passengers!

 

[simongr]

Tks - didn't get the thing about the Meercats!

Current we're in row 2 / \ so I'll leave that as is.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...s/the-big-personal-trip-14230.html#post185827

 

[codash1099]

Yes - 12A and D - I meant the 2nd row /\. A330

That was my main query - whether seats next to each other were better or across the aisle.

I will go with simongr's recommendation of across the aisle.

It seems that some airlines' premium product is all about cocooning/keeping private individual passengers!

Possibly with the exception of BA's head to toe arrangement. If you drop the privacy screen you are left facing whoever is in the next seat. That's fine if it's a good looking young person og the feminine gender, but in the case of my last trip, it was a toothless unkempt looking fellow.

 

[serfty]

Seats guru reckons the best BA CW seats for couples are at the rear bulkheads in the middle. No need to climb over anyone to get in or out either.

 

[pblackm]

Possibly with the exception of BA's head to toe arrangement. If you drop the privacy screen you are left facing whoever is in the next seat. That's fine if it's a good looking young person og the feminine gender, but in the case of my last trip, it was a toothless unkempt looking fellow.

Oh yes. It is so much easier to not look at someone who is sitting beside you than when facing them in the BA config. Amusingly, a very attractive young lady on the window seat (in BA top/tail) managed to spill her champagne under the screen and onto me at the start of a flight. No damage done until about 6 hours later when she did it again with a full glass of white wine. My chinos were soaked on the left leg,as well as the seat cushion. FAs fussed about, but with no change of clothes, or spare seats, there was not much that could be done. I was happy that she didn't drink red.