Cathay Pacific Airways Passenger Reviews and Customer Trip Reports

LHR-Hong Kong. Although flight full in economy and business, premium economy was not. Plenty of space and cabin comfort available. Staff very quick to respond if needed. Everything that was supposed to happen in PE did. Having flown PE with a number of airlines this rates favourably, certainly in comparison to BA. IFE reasonable. Due to snow at LHR we were late arriving in HKG so missed our onward connection. Cathay were excellent in arranging the re route although luggage did not arrive for 24 hours (not surprising given how quick we transferred in HK). Return flight was of an equal standard although food on both flights was nothing more than edible. Return flight equally good. Only downside was the food, which was quite bland.

ADL-HKG. Flew Cathay again after 4 years on new economy class. There are really big improvements of the seat itself compares with the previous fixed shell seat. Seat is new, spacious and comfortable. IFE system is excellent as well, it provides plenty of local and western movies which made up most of my flight. However meal services is quite disappointing which I think is the result of cutting-cost. First of all, the portion is too small and the meal tastes very ordinary. There is also no drink to serve between meals. One of the toilets was not in service because the door couldn't close properly. Overall is okay, but i would not recommend it because it is simply not worth of money.

HKG to TPE. First time flown Cathay Pacific economy. Tried to book premium economy but told it wasn't available even though the 747 was equipped. Hong Kong lounge staff are rude, was hoping cabin crew were better. My status as an Emerald member was disregarded and they moved me to board at the economy lane even though no one was in the lane. Seat was ok and I appreciated that no one can put their seat back into your face. IFE took forever to start and finished too early. Snack was horrible and no normal tea was provided. Cabin crew seemed too busy for such a short flight and seemed more interested in duty free sales than clearing the trays. On the ground everyone is up and running the second the plane stops and the crew are unwilling to do anything even as I was pushed and shoved by people trying to get off first. Will look to other airlines for short hops from Hong Kong.

San Francisco to Hong Kong, February 7 2013, CX 873 in premium economy. Seat 30G. Arrived 10 minutes late into HKG. Dinner served promptly after take off. Typical vegetarian pasta dinner with salad and fruit as desert. Typical slow CX dinner service, special meal served first but tray not collected until the whole cabin was served - empty tray sat for over an hour. Breakfast served 2 hours before arrival. No drink runs in between meals. Snack bar set up in economy cabin so refreshments and snacks available. Premium economy seats are good but first row seats with leg rests are poorly designed. Leg rests too short for anyone over 5 ft. When fully extended led rests dig in so very uncomfortable. Seat pitch great for first row seats, plenty of room. Ground service at San Francisco very poor. No lounge pass no priority baggage despite Oneworld Sapphire status. Would recommend only if can get discounted premium economy fares otherwise full fares are not worth the comfort or service. Very similar with economy service except you get a hot towel service after takeoff, meal came in a ceramic dish and metal cutlery. Received an amenity pack. Cost cutting is very evident. Food quality below average to very poor but we don't fly because of the food. Cabin crew polite and friendly efficient.

Did HKG-SYD and MEL-HKG. Both flights were excellent. There are some very distinct improvements in the PE cabin over economy and the seat is actually quite wide, more like their current regional business class seats. The recline is also nice and the entertainment system had a wide array of movies to choose from so I was never bored. Nice amenity kits and the service was impeccable. I would recommend CX's new PE.

Hong Kong to Taipei on the new economy class seats, it is a great improvement over the previous seat. The service was also wonderful with friendly cabin crew, the meal was a beef wrap, although it tasted okay. Cathay can really step up their game and deliver a full meal on their Hong Kong - Taipei flights.

JFK-HKG economy. It has been 3 years since I last flew this flight and I have noticed improvements. First, the seats are more comfortable. They use the conventional seats on the 777-300ER. 3+3+3 seating with folding armrest. Second, enough carry on space overhead. Third, service was better with no FA complaints when I asked for warm milk for a child. Cons, minor. They serve two meals, one soon after take off, the other halfway through the flight. No meal service, just prior to landing. That means waking up halfway through the flight or you will miss that meal and no wake up call two hours before landing for the final meal, making it a rush to get ready for landing if you have been sleeping. I think a small snack is appropriate just before landing.

In economy class and able to compare the new economy with the former fixed back seating, the overall experience is a mixed bag. A combination of strengths and weaknesses, and inconsistency that does not meet a five star expectation. ORD-HKG and HKG-JFK provided an overall unpleasant experience. Strengths include a hard working flight crew, often, but not always prompt with customer service. Also the AVOD seatback system and seat area storage options exceed the competition's and are quite handy on flights of this length. A very uncomfortable seat cushion and lack of seat area privacy, average or below food, insufficient food quantities and a poor assortment of snacks for the in-between. The 777-300ER new economy seat is quite hard and pinches circulation. In addition, the reduced seatback shroud and seat material size leaves a clear line of sight open to the next row AVOD screen, with the disturbance of light flickering. The seatback recline of 6 inches can easily injure your foot in the seat behind, as well as intruding on the ability to use the tray table, for writing, or a laptop. When a passenger fully reclines, it makes the personal space behind unreasonably small and awkward.

San Francisco to Hong Kong on February 7 2013 on CX 873 in premium economy. Seat 30G. Arrived about 10 minutes late into Hong Kong. Dinner served promptly after taking off. Typical vegetarian pasta dinner with salad and fruit as desert. Typical slow CX dinner service, special meal served first but then tray not collected until the whole cabin was served so empty tray sat in front of your for over an hour. Breakfast served two hours before arrival. No drink runs in between meals. But snack bar was set up in economy cabin so refreshments and snacks available throughout the flight. Premium economy seats are good but first row seats with leg rests are poorly designed. Leg rests too short for anyone over 5 ft tall. When fully extended led rests dig in so very uncomfortable - ended up hanging my legs in mid air with half extended leg rests. Seat pitch is great for first row seats, plenty of room even for other passengers to walk to get to the bathroom which is on the right side of the cabin. Ground service at San Francisco very poor. No lounge pass no priority baggage despite Oneworld Sapphire status. Would recommend only if can get discounted premium economy fares otherwise full fares are not worth the comfort or service. Very similar with economy service except you get a hot towel service after takeoff, meal came in a ceramic dish and metal cutlery. Received an amenity pack. Cost cutting is very evident. Food quality below average to very poor but we don't fly because of the food. Cabin crew polite and friendly efficient.

Direct flight from Chicago to Hong Kong in Business Class. Though I was on a 777-300ER and I knew I was among hundreds of other PAX, I felt solitude! This was particularly important as I had an over-served, chatty neighbor who was deterred from too much socializing by the high walls of the business-class seats. Will fly Cathay again soon!

Manilla to HKG. 6pm flight. Good services, great crew and plane. Good wine choice, food an appalling minced beef doughy wrap. No nuts, dessert, chips etc. Crew embarrassed by it. Please improve the food!

I must say I was very disappointed. We were served 2 meals on this 14 hour flight and given a tiny bag of peanuts. The choice in meals were Pork and Shrimp, Fish or Pasta with tomato sauce - not terribly sensitive for some passengers. A tough bread roll was served with it. The food was mediocre at best. The breakfast, was almost inedible. Wine was offered at dinner and I got what was left at the bottom of the bottle and was told that the hostess would be back with more - did not happen. More coffee and tea at the end of the meal was desired, but there was none offered, nor could I find anyone around to ask. I felt that soda and other small snacks could have been offered on such a long flight and was beginning to get very thirsty. I had to go to the back to ask a hostess for some. They did bring around large trays of ready poured water several times during the flight, but even this seemed awkward and wasteful, as the cups were replaced each time you wanted a drink, instead of filled up. Since I was in an aisle seat, each time the window seat wanted water, the hostess reached across me with the glass. I must say though, that my husband was happy with the leg room and there was a good selection of movies to keep us entertained.

SYD-HKG. Check-in quick and efficient. Cathay uses the Qantas lounge in Sydney, which was packed and dirty. Very disappointing. Once onboard, the seat is very comfortable, a lot of storage options and spacious. I loved the new seat. Cabin crew were efficient however lacked some personality. The senior business class cabin attendant was very good, called all passengers by name and was very genuine. The others seem to be a little robotic and were inconsistent with their approach. The food was good, if a little overcooked. The entertainment system was excellent, offering allot of options. Overall the Cathay experience was very good.

Hong Kong - Paris on 1st January. I am a One World Emerald status but Cathay decided not to recognise my Qantas/ One World baggage allowance and wanted to charge me $400 AUD for an extra 5 kg. I took my ski boots out of my suitcase and took them as carry on luggage! What is the point of Cathay being in the One World Alliance if they won't recognise your status? And why is a supposedly Full Service airline acting like a low cost carrier. Service disinterested and food pretty poor and unappetising. At least the flight was on time.

Short hop from HKG to Manila. Boarding, staff service and seat all good. Catering awful. Bready doughy small hot pocket, and drink. No chips or dessert. Looks very basic. AVOD old style on loop. Watched too many commercials, 20 mins between shows too much. Uninspiring . PAL better on route.

HKG-KUL. Check-in at Hong Kong Station is fast and easy, check in staff were great. Managed to check in for my onward connection to KCH on MH2534. Flight was B777-300. I guess this is an old product. I am not a fan of 3-3-3 seats, still prefer 2-5-2 seat on 777. Seat pitch was bad, legroom is severely restricted with a box in front of the seat. Couldn't even stretch my legs fully. Interior of the aircraft seems gloomy. The meal was ok, the crew friendly and welcoming. Entertainment system is not AVOD, it is not up to date screen monitor. Not looking forward for another CX experience.

1-24-13, HKG-ORD. As many readers report, the check-in procedures at Central or Kowloon are fantastic. In and done in under a few minutes. Boarding passes and lounge passes issued quickly and with a genuine positive attitude. Had a rolled painting that I carried on all other flights in China, but CX stated would not pass in Hong Kong, so they found a golf club box and secured it for me. Nice extra effort. The Wings club at HKIA is perfect: food, drinks, papers and setting allow you to work or relax very comfortably. Other carriers should take notice. Flight on time, attendants superb, but the AVOD shorted out at my seat. No problem, as I used my Ipad. Snacks throughout the flight: hot noodle soup, crackers, cheese, peanuts etc. Main dishes were plentiful and tasty. For 16 hours, Cathay knows how to take care of the folks, even in the back of the plane.

We traveled Seoul/Incheon to Hong Kong. I had high expectations before travelling with CP, unfortunately, they were not met at all. Let's start with the good things first: staff were friendly and we were perfectly on time. However, the inflight entertainment system was not working properly (there seemed to be a problem with the sound), the food was disgusting, and the airplane interior seemed to be in not too good shape - locker doors in the lavatory were fixed with ordinary sticky tape. Had it been a low cost airline, I would have been more favorable, but at that price, I expect a little better. Compared to (for example) Swiss, this was a disappointing experience.

CX402, Hong Kong - Taipei on 14 January 2013, and CX405 Taipei - Hong Kong on 30 January 2013. Excellent service with both cockpit and cabin crews. Food adequate, and delivered smoothly and efficiently. Check-in and transit service at both Taipei CKS and Hong Kong airports were friendly and efficient. Something worth noting in particular was the excellent CX ground staff at Taipei CKS airport. Due to late arrival of my QF flight in Hong Kong (from Sydney), my check-in luggage was not forwarded in time onto my succeeding CX flight to Taipei. When I arrived in Taipei and was waiting for my bag at the carousel, I was approached by one of the CX airport staff, who notified me of my bag coming in late. They took my hotel details in Taiwan and informed me of their intention to send my bag to my hotel the same day. When I arrived at my hotel a couple of hours later, my bag turned up. Top marks to CX Taipei airport staff. Cathay Pacific has certainly lived up to its five-star rating!

HKG-LHR. Business. Check in at the city was done in under 2 minutes with boarding passes of our connecting flight on BA also issued. CX cabin lounge at HKIA was fantastic as usual. Even though it may not be the grandest, I find the ambience, decor, food and facilities to be very intuitive to the needs of today's passenger. Flight to London had the new Cathay reverse herringbone arrangement which is safely the best business class seat I have flown. The seats are far more spacious then they seem with ample seating comfort and a surprisingly long bed. Retractable arm rests provide additional width to sleep comfortably on your side. The cushioning was adequately padded. The IFE was definitely among the best in the skies with an ample and well selected choice of movies, shows and CDs. Flight on time and arrival into LHR 25 minutes early. Inflight service was good with the cabin crew being courteous, attentive and efficient and responding to any calls swiftly. Meal services were quick. However, the crew while far from unfriendly were not as interactive as some other carriers. They provided flawless service on a full business cabin. Meals were also above average although not as indulgent as some carriers with fixed time meal services and some snacks available on demand. CX staff were visible at Heathrow to provide any assistance for connecting flights. Bottom line: a rock solid experience with a fabulous seat. While the experience lacks the bells and whistles/glamour of other carriers, it is backed by efficient service and reliability which makes CX score over some of its more flashy competitors. Definitely recommended.

At Delhi airport, I got transferred from a BA flight due to heavy local weather in London to a Delhi-Hong Kong-Chicago-Miami itinerary (my connection to Miami was on risk). They put me in Premium Economy, and I must say, it was a pleasant experience. Fair enough for a 15 hours flight, straight from Hong Kong to Chicago. Food OK, seats very comfortable.

JFK-HKG-SYD in Premium Economy. As Oneworld Emerald members we had very little seat choice, were lucky to get an aisle seat and one beside (initially assigned seats in Economy). Lounge at JFK is the BA lounge, staff unhelpful and rude, in fact BA staff did not know the difference between the Cathay and All Nippon reps in lounge. Boarding was a nightmare, someone was in one of our seats, and the passenger in 32F had placed half her hand luggage under one our seats, then refusing to move her bag. When suggested she place her bag in an overhead locker said claimed they were all full. BA the handling agent in JFK did zero enforcement of hand luggage sizes and quantities. Biggest problem was the Cathay Cabin Crew who seem to have no empowerment to deal with irregular situations. After paying for Premium Economy it is not an unrealistic expectation to have the space under the seat in front of you free from baggage (esp bags that are not your own) on a 16 hour flight. Seat comfort ok, IFE good, but disappointed that an issue that could've nipped in the bud quite quickly turned into a major drama.

CX234 (Milan-Hong Kong) on a 777-300ER. The plane looked new and clean. The food was not as good as it used to be, however, you can have unlimited drinks and snacks (if available) during the flight. Staff were helpful and friendly. The seat pitch was excellent, especially for me since I am quite slim. A personal screen with a USB port, however there was no AC plug in economy class. The movie collections were satisfactory. In general, I would highly recommend Cathay.

Biz class from SIN-HKG-YYZ, round trip. Experienced their new international business class for the first time and I am suitably impressed. This is the best business class seat in the market right now, in terms of both comfort and inflight service.

MEL-HKG-NRT-HKG-MEL in December. Boring A330 plane, bland colours (grey) with seats that slide forward to recline. Flight left at midnight, first drink at 2 am, food at 2.30 am, scraps picked up at 3.30 am. Why so late with service. Not impressed on first leg. Japan service in daytime OK. Back from Japan on old 747. Bigger seats so good journey. Back to Melbourne overnight. Same plane, same deal - kept up all night waiting for drink or food and then locked in seat until scrap pickup over an hour later. Good pilots, good service staff but bad planning of service. Would not fly again at their prices. Let down from expectations.

Bahrain-Manila. This time I encountered a problem with the touch screen TV, first the language was set in Korean but I was able to easily re-set it to English, the second problem was, after an hour it wasn't responding anymore. I asked for an assistance and the cabin crew responded immediately and asked if I wanted to transfer seats. Luckily there were vacant seats at the back which were nicer as we had more room to recline. I still enjoyed the experience of flying with CX and overall, it was a pleasant journey. I might try other airlines in the future.

JFK-HK-CGK in Premium Economy twice in 3 months (09.12 and 12.12). Most comfortable seats in this cabin are 31 A-C and any seat on row 30 for 777-300ER. 31C does not have any storage pocket so you have to keep your in-flight convenience items in the overhead bin at all times. Other passengers will walk in front of you if you are seated on row 30 to get to the toilet. However, the space in front of those 4 seats are still spacious enough for pedestrian traffic. I can't comment on their other aircraft's since I have only flown this type of aircraft. Those seats I mentioned earlier have foot rest extensions unlike the rest of the PE cabin. It makes such a big difference on a direct 14-15 hour flight. Food is good and service a tad higher than economy with more snacks, bottle water and better choices on the menu. I have flown the same route in Business and keep in mind that PE is more of an economy plus as supposed to a downgraded Business class. The dedicated toilet is good. However, if the PE cabin is full, it gets very crowded. CX offers dedicated check-in for PE passengers if you are not a Marco Polo member. Overall cabin experience is good, not great. PE seats are double if not more than Economy. Get those seats I mentioned above to fully take advantage of this cabin.

They have the worst seats on their Airbus 330 from Chicago to Manila via HK. Their in-flight entertainment is excellent, with personal controls and an extensive library of movies and television shows. The food is merely OK, while the service is decent. But the seats ruin the experience. I could barely sleep and I definitely needed to stand up periodically because of the discomfort. It's so bad that I won't fly Cathay for long hauls.

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