I always enjoy flying with Cathay Pacific, to the extent that when heading to Australia I would try to get on board on the British Airways codeshare between Hong Kong and Sydney in Premium Economy. Their Premium Economy is very good indeed.
However where they really shine is in Business Class, something I hadn't had the pleasure of doing for quite some time. CX888 is the service from Hong Kong to New York via Vancouver, and you can book the Vancouver to New York leg on its own. It's an overnight red eye flight, and perhaps one of the most stylish ways of flying coast to coast in North America. I used 37,500 British Airways Avios for the flight which I considered to be well worth it.
CX888 – Vancouver to New York (YVR-JFK)
26 May 2018
Boeing 777-367ER – B-KPM
Seat: Business Class 11K
Departure: 22:55 Arrival: 07:00+1
Once on board, I turned left to sit in the business class mini cabin. Row 11 and 12 are situated right behind first class, making for a very private experience. Artwork adorns both the front and rear bulkheads of the cabin which adds a touch of class to the environment. I think they look quite nice and they are definitely evocative of the airline’s home, Hong Kong.
Seats are angled lie flat, with the window seats facing the windows and the middle seats facing inwards. Happily there is plenty of space to play with when sat down. There is a storage cabinet near the floor, another beside you at the end of the shelf and an open area with water bottle holder and so on in the side of the seat beneath the arm rest. Around the head rest are wings which shield you from view of the other passengers. These are quite effective. A large entertainment screen swings out in front of you for watching movies.
All in all, the seat is a very comfortable space for a long haul flight. This flight was timed at around 5 hours which makes it complete overkill but very enjoyable! Once settled in, the cabin crew come by and offer you a welcome drink and as usual I took some Champagne. An amenity kit is provided and of course you get a bottle of Evian water.
Hot towels are provided and collected again in short order and you are also provided a menu. The menu is a large card affair that is a bit bigger than a DVD case. Business class passengers can select from three options, which is excellent for a flight of this duration. As the continuation of a long haul service, this is not too surprising.
After the usual safety demonstration, it’s off into the air. Due to the late hour, Cathay Pacific don’t delay and soon come around setting up your table with white linen. Crews also introduce themselves which is a really pleasant touch. Since this is a supper flight, some of the elements are already on the meal tray when it’s delivered. This is the Caesar Salad and the White Chocolate Banana Cake and Blackberry Coulis. Bread is also offered as well as more drinks.
For the main meal, I selected the Wok-fried Cod, Ginger and Spring Onion, Kailan, Carrots and Steamed Jasmine Rice. I tend to like to order the dish of the carrier when flying as a matter of habit. The crew asked if I would like some chilli sauce and since I like spicy things, it was a yes from me. The meal was quite good all round, though I thought having the Caesar dressing in the little tub thing looked a tad cheap.
Once done, I opted to also have the cheese plate, which features Cambozola, aged Cheddar, Triple cream Canadian Brie plus crackers, grapes and quince paste. All of it was superb, which was really pleasing.
I remember Hong Kong style milk tea from my last visit to that city. On board it is utterly fabulous and I threw it back with gusto. Really very nice! At this point I settled in to watch my movie and to nap for an hour or two.
Later on I visited the facilities and found them to be pretty standard for Cathay Pacific. The toilets were clean and fresh which I would expect on all carriers. It is always interesting to see how the airlines corral their products in the toilets. Cathay’s features holes for each product which differs from some airlines who have a more shelf type affair.
As the flight is of quite a short duration, there is no second meal. However, the crew do come around and ask if you want anything else to drink and of course I took more of the delicious Hong Kong style milk tea. We landed into New York without incident and I proceeded quickly through Passport control, found my bag and checked it in to my next flight to Washington DC.
Cathay Pacific provide an excellent service in business class between Vancouver and New York. While it is an overnight flight, a full service on board is offered. The Deutz Brut Classic Champagne is quite nice and the Hong Kong style milk tea is great.
While the single tray service is abbreviated from their usual on board meals, this was fine considering the flight duration. Entertainment options are top notch and I found the seat very comfortable both as a seat and in lie flat bed mode.
Cabin crew are efficient and friendly and during the night pass back and forth quite silently. Overall I had a very good flight, which is to be expected from such a highly rated airline.
Have you flown Cathay Pacific in Business Class? What did you think? Remember, all the images are linked here if you want to see everything. Thanks for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
Have only ever flown CX in First, not business, and not in a long time either, but I love flying with them...