Review of Cathay Pacific flight Zurich → Hong Kong in First

Hi Everyone,

This is my first trip report. While I am an experienced flyer, I have never written one of these before! Nonetheless, enjoy…


Introduction

This is the first flight of my trip to Asia. I travelled to Hong Kong and Koh Samui as part of this trip. The Cathay Pacific flight was perfect leaving from my home city Zurich with a nice 10-hour hop to the Asian hub of Hong Kong. And with the renowned CX service, it was a no-brainer for me to take this flight.

Lake Zurich:



Check-In was a fairly standard affair. Separate counter for First Class and a nice and friendly CX agent in CX uniform. Separate queue for First Class at the security control. All in all, from check-in to lounge we took less than 10 minutes. Zurich airport is probably the best European airport (with DUS) in this regard.

To be honest, I left forgot to take pictures of the lounge simply because it was so forgettable. Just a standard airport lounge. It has all sorts of drinks and some snacks, if you are lucky there are two hot options. But these are more canteen style than anything high-quality. Internet worked just fine and at least the furniture and design was up to date and very modern. While it is probably difficult due to alliances, Cathay Pacific should really try to get access either to the Swiss First Class Lounge for its passengers or to the Emirates Lounge. That would be a great step up.

The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, by far my favourite aircraft. Yes, it does beat the A380 in my opinion. I have flown SQ A380 Suites, Emirates A380 First and Lufthansa A380 First, and in my opinion the 777 leads the way. If you are sitting in First Class, the GE90s are almost inaudible, and the cabin is much wider. Windows are also much easier to look out of and the aircraft has a much more exclusive feel to it. Yes, the A380 does have larger lavatories, but all in all, I prefer the 777. And let us wait what Emirates comes up with for its next batch of 777-300ERs. They are promising an elevated experience, and I am sure the 777X models will strive to compete comfort wise with the A380, A350 XWB and the 787.

Getting ready to board:



Swiss A330 going to Beijing (PEK) at the gate next to us.



Best shot of our plane.



And once on board, the Cathay Pacific delight began. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Most of you know the spectacular Cathay Pacific product and service anyway, but this flight was again exceptional with a lovely crew.

The flight was completely full, even though just a week before departure I was the only passenger with my travel companion. I checked with the ZRH station manager and was informed that of the 4 other pax, 3 were also Full-Fare revenue passengers while the other passenger was an upgraded Marco Polo Diamond Member. Business and Economy were all completely full, and so was Premium Economy. While many are speculating the A350 will soon replace the dream 777, I suspect that CX may opt to keep the 777 due to unexpectedly high demand.

Side Board



First Class Suite - so comfortable! I love the new padding. But I do miss the exotic blue lights that used to accentuate the reading compartment. With just 6 seats, the cabin is very intimate. The seat is immensely wide and provides sufficient privacy. For now, the best seat in the sky. I have been in the Etihad First Class Apartment certainly also very good and provides far more space, but I just love the CX seat. The Etihad seat doesn't recline as far and it is not nearly as wide. The EY bed is also much narrower.

The Entertainment system Studio CX is really good. It offers a nice selection of movies. However, it is not as good as Emirates' ICE. One small problem with the IFE is that there are so many adverts - all basically on some banks. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of ads? First you have Bank of Singapore, then some other private bank. Hmm..



Our LX A330-300 neighbour headed to PEK. 3 hours shorter than us! I have heard a lot about the spectacular LX onboard product. When I was on this flight, I did not anticipate their awesome 777-300ER product which is actually soon going head-to-head with this flight from ZRH to HKG! I have to be frank though, that in First it is a tough choice between CX and LX, because the new Swiss First is awesome! But in Business and Economy, CX leads by miles. The new LX 777 Business Class is unfortunately quite cramped and the standard Vantage seat, instead of the premium Vantage XL. Missed opportunity!



Back to the seat - stored the Aesop amenity kit and PYE pyjamas on the ottoman.



The menu was handed out by the Inflight Service Manager. The wooden on which it is handed out is nice, but SQ has a leather folder which is just more luxurious. Small change?



Going to LAX - with a not-so-nice onboard product (A340 are being handed to Edelweiss Air now).



Headed in the same direction. Thai Airwys is also really nice, especially their retrofitted 777-300ER with the 'Thai Contemporary Style'. Wish they installed First Class though! The refreshed product of their 747s is ideal and maybe 4 seats wouldnt be that difficult to fill on routes to LHR, CDG, FRA, ZRH, SYD, or NRT. They could replace the old 747s and serve markets in which the A380 simply isnt viable.



Notice the crew rest above the First Class cabin.



We then rocketed down the runway. I always feel like CX take-offs from European airports are super-short. The one in DUS and FRA are also scarily short. Especially because of the full load on todays flight!



We started service with a delicious Cathay Delight. The best bit of this drink is always the last sip. Those Kiwi seeds are so tangy and really complement the overall taste. Both SQ and CX do an excellent job with preparing inflight cocktails. These are always a welcome alternative to water, apple juice and coke!



The first course, of course, caviar. It is well presented and delicious as usual with all the condiments. How else would a trip ever start than with caviar? However, I do miss the Balik salmon that used to go along with the caviar.



You will also notice in the picture that I requested the table extension. This was absolutely no problem for the FAs. Also, the ottoman seat looks really small and narrow. However, this is only in comparison to the First Class seat! I would say it is at least as wide as an Economy Class seat (well, I say that but then I didn't have to sit there…)

The meal was accompanied by some fantastic Krug champagne which we enjoyed.

THE BALIK SALMON!!! There was Balik salmon, but only with the salad. Still quite an exclusive addition and I like that they have introduced into back into the menu on some flights, at least with the salad.



This was the most underwhelming course of the meal, though still quite tasty. I had stir fried prawns. They tasted like an okay Business Class meal, but certainly nothing I would be impressed with at a high-class restaurant. This is the one downside of flying out of ZRH. Out of the 6 European CX ports served with First Class, 3 enjoy the spectacular DO&CO catering: DUS, FRA and MXP. ZRH is not one of them and nor is CDG and LHR. I wish they could introduce it there as well. It is the best thing ever and ensures that all courses impress. I actually flew from DUS to HKG in Business a couple of months later, and the main course of pork chops was to die for. It was catered by DO&CO (I asked the FA and she confirmed this). Even the appetizer and dessert on that flight were out-of-this-world. Please, CX, at ZRH introduce DO&CO. Especially because the fares out of ZRH are the most expensive out of Europe!



My friend had a veal steak which was the better option. It was exceptionally presented and I tried it; it was very good! I would be very happy with this at a medium-end restaurant. But it just doesnt have that WOW factor which airlines such as Etihad and Garuda Indonesia have with the onboard chef.



Classic CX Dessert - Berries with either rose syrup or cream. Very nice and refreshing.



Alternatively there is a cheese plate



The service was done at the pace we would like and with incredible attention to detail. The FA responsible for us would remove crumbs from the table and fill up the glasses without question. She also asked us if we were ready for the next course, as you would expect in a restaurant. Just flawless, but then that is not unusual for CX. The flight attendants also had a humorous side to them, joking about the amount of food we had already devoured!! Service from the heart, and truly fulfilling the motto People. They make an airline.

I then requested a turndown service which was promptly taken care off. I forgot to snap a picture. The restrooms were fairly large and I love the PYE pyjamas. Obviously, the Fas were helpful in hanging the clothes after I exited the lavatory and also hung the hanger in the closet for me.

With no turbulence, I slept for 7 hours, with just 90 minutes left before landing. This turned out to be perfect, as I enjoyed the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen Wow, what a sight.

Breakfast fruit.



Bakery basket and freshly made eggs. I asked the FA, and at CX, both toast, rice and scrambled eggs are made freshly on board using a toaster, rice cooker, and frying pan respectively. Smoothies are also available, and of course the classic CX cocktails. One thing to remember (albeit not for this flight) is that an awesome pastry are the orange vanilla muffins catered on breakfast flights out of Hong Kong. My gosh - when they are warm and steamy there is nothing that beats them. Best thing ever.



Blurry picture of the sunrise captured the colours.



Seat 1A, head of the house about an hour before landing. The burgundy carpet, the beige seat, and the caramel wood all match perfectly for an environment that resembles a very exclusive club. And the Mario Lobo artwork at the front of the aircraft set further accents in the cabin. Mood lighting, of course, is also a pleasant feature.



Good shot of the seat that captures the width and luxury. The best feautre has to be the fold-down armrest. If you like the seat super-wide, then keep it up (no pun intended), but if you like a narrower seat with two armrests, simply fold it down!



This is the full bed. It is massive as you can see! The bedding that CX provides is also very comfortable. I like to ask for a turn down service and then watch a bit of TV on the padded mattress. Those are memories: Imagine waking up to a faint purple light emanating from the ceiling, opening a window shade, being greeted by a golden orange sun. The FA comes along with a tangy, fruity orange juice while you are watching your favourite movie on a super-comfortable bed-mattress somewhere above China… The Bose Quiet Comfort headphones (which I really enjoy) blend out all other noise, and the comforting scent of freshly baked croissants reaches you while you are enjoying the juicy flavour of the fresh pineapple. And you are less than an hour from one of the coolest cities in the world, Hong Kong. That is such an incredible feeling.



Cabin just before landing. All the other passengers were too sleepy and didn't really take advantage of the offering.



At 06:19 we touched down softly in Hong Kong after a nice 11 hours.