Review of Cathay Pacific flight Hong Kong → Kuala Lumpur in Economy

Airline Cathay Pacific
Flight CX729
Class Economy
Seat 65K
Aircraft Airbus A340-300
Flight time 03:50
Take-off 02 Dec 15, 16:05
Arrival at 02 Dec 15, 19:55
CX   #2 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 510 reviews
Simmy1972
By 2126
Published on 17th December 2015
Transit in HKG
Upon disembarkation from CX421, we followed the signs to the designated transfer point, went through another round of security and boarding pass check, and then we were back in the departure level of HKIA.
With close to 2 hours until the next scheduled departure time, we took a leisurely stroll to our designated gate. I was getting more and more anxious as we approached the gate, fearing a last minute equipment swap would dash my hope of flying the A343 for possibly the last time. I felt relief when the unmistakably engine of the A343 was spotted when we reached the gate. At least now I could relax, sit down and do some spotting to pass time.

Our plane getting prepared for its journey to KUL
photo IMG_0542 (800x600)

Cathay B744 is so near yet so far for me
photo IMG_0541 (800x600)

Boarding & Flight
Boarding was called as we drew nearer to scheduled departure time, as we finally settled down in our seats, our first window seat of this journey.

B-HXF will carry us to KUL
photo IMG_0543 (800x600)

Window seats finally
photo IMG_0062 (800x600)

We were pushed back slightly later than scheduled departure time, and slowly made our way to the active runway.

Taxi to active runway


The A343 has been consistently ridiculed for its hairdryer engine, but I felt the takeoff roll was just as powerful as any other aircraft model. Perhaps it was just my sentimental feeling towards the A343 that anything and everything associated with it was just great.

Take off


A drink service was performed first, then followed by dinner service.

Juices with peanuts
photo IMG_0081 (800x600)

Dinner service of chicken with rice, complimented with fresh fruits, bread roll, and cookies
photo IMG_0083 (800x600)

The other option is pasta
photo IMG_0084 (800x600)

The rest of time was spent watching a couple of movies on StudioCX.

Very soon the sun set and we were on descent to KLIA.
photo IMG_0089 (800x600)photo IMG_0091 (800x600)photo IMG_0092 (800x600)

We touched down at KLIA slightly late than schedule, and thus concluded our journey.
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Verdict

Cathay Pacific

7.4/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew7.0
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Meal/catering7.0

Hong Kong - HKG

7.6/10
Efficiency7.5
Access7.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness8.0

Kuala Lumpur - KUL

7.9/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.0
Services7.5
Cleanliness8.0

Conclusion

Overall a solid experience from Cathay Pacific. My only complaint obviously would be the flight rearrangements that I had to go through on both legs of the journey. I wish Cathay Pacific could do something on its online booking system to either space out the connection a bit, or allow us to choose the desired connecting flight.

Information on the route Hong Kong (HKG) → Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 10 avis concernant 4 compagnies sur la ligne Hong Kong (HKG) → Kuala Lumpur (KUL).

Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Cathay Pacific avec 8.4/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 3 heures et 43 minutes.

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2 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 152700 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1972 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this series with us! When leaving out of airports with beautiful sceneries, like HKG, the slow rise of the A343 gives more photography chances :) Glad you got the chance to fly a CX A343, my attempt to fly one was ruined by an aircraft swap. The catering looks very “classic CX” with not so visually appealing mains.
    • Comment 330435 by
      Simmy1972 AUTHOR 41 Comments
      I do not fly often, so this could well be my last ride of A343. The catering indeed was a bit underwhelming, even compared to my flight with Vietnam Airlines to Saigon last week. Speaking of which, I will be posting a report soon. Stay tune.

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