Cathay Pacific Premium Economy Review

Intro

I have been looking forward to this trip for many moons. A feeling of nostalgia set in whilst I was booking flights with Cathay Pacific a few months ago. It was for a long 20+ hour journey to the Philippines from London via Milan and Hong Kong. Two layovers where I and a hundred other passengers nearly missed our connection in Milan due to a delay with our previous British Airways flight and we already had a short connection time. In hindsight, next time round, I would stick to one layover. It’s less stressful and less problematic, a lesson learnt later on.

My relationship with Cathay Pacific began in the early 2000s when I would travel with them on long haul trips to the Philippines to see family there. Prior to flying with Hong Kong’s pride, I would usually fly with British Airways or Emirates. I remember flying the first time with Cathay on their 4 engine A340-300 and was blown away by their in-flight entertainment system and the games you can play with other passengers at 40,000 feet. Games included Battleship and Connect 4. Moreover, riding a plane with 4 engines felt dominating on the tarmac.

Later during the flight, somewhere over Central Asia, I would roam around the dimly lit aisles on a quest to get my hands on some of Cathay Pacific’s flagship snacks such as their biscuits and infamous cup noodles – my own version acquiring goods on the Silk Road. Being a lot younger and a lot shorter, everything felt like an adventure. The 12 hour journey from Rome Fiumnicino to Hong Kong felt like it spanned days. I would watch all the latest movie releases back-to-back and when I was bored with that, I would flip through the Discovery in-flight magazine and stare at the route map whilst I imagine flying to all these far-flung destinations.

Transfer Chaos

When we touched down in Milan, we had less than hour to transfer to our flight to Hong Kong. Just outside the gate, we were gathered and like a flock of sheep were hurried through corridors and through a separated security check. I never understood why connecting passengers would need to go through another security check. Can someone explain this to me? After which, we all power walked to the gate where you can hear the ground staff shouting that’s it’s the Final Call. I think this could have been handled a bit more delicately, after all it wasn’t our fault both with the delay and the already short connection time (1 hour and 15 mins). It would be beneficial if the connection time was at least an 1 hour and 30 mins to compensate any delays with the previous leg of the journey. Something to think about Cathay Pacific?

Flight

Finally upon boarding, everyone else was already in their seats wondering who were the steady flow of dozens of passengers coming in. I was seated in 34G on the right hand side aisle. The premium economy cabin had 34 seats in a 2-4-2 layout and a separate toilet. The cabin was slightly squashed. It would have been more comfortable if it was a 2-3-2 layout. Nevertheless, having a toilet in our cabin felt exclusive.

The flight time today from Milan Malpensa (MXP) to Hong Kong Airport (HKG) was 13 hours. Once I was seated comfortably, a flight attendant offered me a choice of sparkling wine, orange juice and water for pre-departure drinks. I opted for an orange juice and water. They were served in paper cups which I found rather cheap especially being in a premium cabin. A glass would have been more presentable. There were no hot towels which was a disappointment as I needed one after that stressful run. I remember when hot towels were provided in economy class long ago. What happened to that?

The aircraft we were flying on was a Boeing 777-300ER (77A) which was configured in 4 classes – First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy. The total number of passengers were 294, however, the load factor on that day was around 90%.

Despite the seat generally comfy, I only had 2 hours of sleep. I always have a hard time sleeping travelling to the East as the flight left at noon. Additionally, it was a smooth flight with minimum turbulence this time – it does sometimes become a bit of a rollercoaster over Central Asia.

Amenities

Each seat in Premium Economy had a pillow, a thick blanket, an amenity kit, noise cancelling headphones and a heavy-weight paper menu which I love. Gone are the days in economy class where everyone received an amenity kit. I remember getting socks, sleeping masks and even slippers. What do you miss from the good old days?

The amenity kit provided on this 12 hour flight to Hong Kong included ear plugs, a Cathay Pacific branded sleeping mask, socks, tooth brush and tooth paste. All of which enclosed in a canvas styled pouch with some beautiful sticker artwork of Sydney stuck on it. A very nice touch. It would have been appreciated if slippers were included especially on this long haul journey. My feet needed a breather.

Seat

Initially when I booked the flight, the aircraft was an Airbus A350-900, however, there was an equipment change a few weeks afterwards. I was excited to fly on their newer equipment especially since the A350 series is slowly becoming my favourite aircraft. Nothing can beat the quieter cabins and the lower cabin altitude (around 5,500 feet compared to an average of 8,000 feet) – my body appreciates it.

Furthermore, I was hoping that our Boeing 777 aircraft would be fitted with the new Premium Economy seats that Cathay Pacific had recently announced along with their Aria business class seats.

My high expectations shattered when I walked into the cabin. The seats weren’t the same ones as those shown on the press release. They were the same seats from 2012 – when Cathay Pacific first introduced Premium Economy. The upholstery was showing its age too. Moreover, I am not a fan of the teal-green colour scheme which reminds me of a 90s business class armchair.

The seat was wide and despite the age was quite comfortable. On the left hand side you can find a remote for the IFE which was tucked away beside the seat cushion. It was impossible to get out and I didn’t see any other passengers using it. That’s poor user design and hopefully would be addressed in the next iteration. On top of that there’s a secret pull out drinks holder, perfect for a champagne glass which I was still waiting for mine.

The seat pitch is luxurious for a premium product. There’s ample leg room. Plus, there’s a retracting foot rest in front of you. I tried using the extendable leg support which pulls out of the seat, however, couldn’t figure it out.

In Flight Entertainment

With the price I paid for the ticket, I was expecting a better experience. It was outdated and the screen wasn’t that responsive. Moreover, the screen was flimsy and didn’t hold its position, thus, making it hard to navigate through the selections. I think the Economy class seats on our flight had better screens, however, nothing compared to Starlux and Cathay Pacific’s A321neo 4K screens! I doubt the ones in our cabin were even in HD 720p resolution.

Nonetheless, there was a large selection of movies, tv shows and music. Naturally, there was a large selection of Hong Kong and Asian movies. There was also selections of shows from HBO Max and Paramount +. I ended up watching the Deadpool & Wolverine movie which gave me a few laughs.

On another note, I loved seeing Cathay, the inflight magazine, provided in the seat pocket. It’s rarity nowadays to find that. In fact, I always bring home the magazine just so that I can remind myself of the flight, read through the travel articles and dream my next flight. Cathay Pacific, please keep on publishing and printing the magazine. Stand out from everyone else!

Food

I don’t think you can ever go wrong with eating on board Cathay Pacific. The food is always delicious! There were two meals being served on my flight.

For lunch we had a choice of three mains:

• Beef with black pepper sauce, choy sum and steamed rice
• Cannelloni with Tomato and Mozzarella
• Chicken with Vegetables

I opted for the beef and I was glad I did. It was very delicious with the just right amount of flavour. On the sides I had couscous with smoked salmon, a soft bread bun, a slice of garlic toast, crackers, butter and cream cheese and a fruit salad bowl with melon, papaya and strawberries. For dessert I had Haagen-Dazs Cookies and Cream. Thankfully it wasn’t rock solid hard as some airlines do serve it that way. And I nearly forgot, a dark chocolate truffle. All of which was served in porcelain and metal cutlery. Alcoholic drinks were available too but I decided to keep myself hydrated with water. Tea and coffee were also served multiple times after the meal and during the flight too.

For breakfast we had two options:

• Omelette with Hollandaise Sauce, bacon, tomato and rissole potatoes
• Fried rice vermicelli with chicken and vegetables

I chose the classic omelette as I wanted to start the day right. On the sides we had a seasonal fruit bowl, fruit yoghurt, bread, a bun and jam. The meal was lacking and I would have liked to see more items on the tray. A croissant would have made it better. I didn’t see the cabin crew go around asking passengers if they wanted more bread. It would have been more fulfilling if they did especially for my appetite.

Throughout the flight Cathay Pacific provided snacks, biscuits, hot noodles and drinks in the galley which I visited somewhere over Kazakistan (another place on my list to visit). At the galley I requested for some water and I was about to be offered water from the dispenser. Fortunately, I managed to get a bottle of water. The rule is to never drink water from the plane unless it’s in a bottle! Anyhow, I would loved to see more snacks offered. Just a fair warning. I had some stomach cramps after eating the instant hot noodles.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed the comfort of Cathay Pacific on my first ever Premium Economy flight. It has set a high bar. The flight attendants, the service, the food and soft product were top notch. It’s a far cry compared to other airlines such as the likes of British Airways, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa.

Nevertheless, I was very disappointed with the in-flight entertainment system and the older cabin interior. I paid around £1300 ($1600) for one way ticket from London to the Philippines with two stopovers (Milan and Hong Kong) with two legs of the journey in Economy. If you’re flying on an older Boeing 777, then I suggest you stick to Economy, as the seats are slightly newer and a better in-flight entertainment system. The price was not worth it. But then again, Cathay Pacific will slowly be fitting the new Premium Economy seats during 2025 which I am looking forward to!

On a side note, my luggage got lost, probably during the chaos at Milan Malpensa’s very short connection time and delayed flight. It took the airline an additional two days to locate and return my luggage which I found a bit slow. However, Cathay Pacific compensated for the additional clothes I had to purchase which was definitely appreciated.

Here are my scores:

• Flight: 4/5
• Seat: 3/5
• In-flight Entertainment: 3/5
• Amenities: 5/5
• Meals: 5/5
• Overall Score: 4/5