Review of Cathay Pacific flight Vancouver New York in Business

Airline Cathay Pacific
Flight CX888
Class Business
Seat 22K
Aircraft Boeing 777-300ER
Flight time 05:05
Take-off 15 Jun 18, 22:55
Arrival at 16 Jun 18, 07:00
CX   #2 out of 95 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 509 reviews
rbix
By 3003
Published on 2nd November 2018
Hi everyone! Welcome to yet another leg of the Summer 2018 travel series! After a nice getaway in Vancouver, it was time for me to head back to New York flying on Cathay Pacific yet again. Even though it was cold (especially in a month like June), Vancouver is an amazingly beautiful city. In fact, one thing that I'd like to point out is that the whole city is so easy to navigate around, which is a huge perk since I was going there for the first time.

I was honestly quite sad about my vacation ending. However, I'm glad I was able to spend some quality time with my parents before heading to reality back in New York. I do have to say that this is a repost of the same flight as I had issues with uploading some of the images. Luckily, it all got resolved in the end. Anyways, without further ado, let's get on with the flight! ;)

Inbound flight can be found here!

Pre-flight


We weren't staying far from the airport, so we had plenty of time to spare since the flight wasn't until 10:55 PM. In fact, my parents and I ended up spending our last day eating an amazing lunch and catching up after a while, as well as relax before finally heading to the airport at around 8:40 PM.

International Departures exterior at Vancouver International Airport
photo yvr depphoto dsc04395

Interior/departure lobby
photo dsc04396photo dsc04397

Cathay Pacific check-in counters
photo dsc04400photo dsc04401

Before actually checking in, there were the usual questions being asked about our stay as well as our bags with this US-bound flight
photo dsc04408

Once that was done, we were able to check-in, where the whole process took less than 5 minutes.
photo dsc04398photo dsc04410

Heading towards security

From a first impression, the YVR departure area was slightly hard to navigate around. However, I was able to find the security checkpoint after doing a little sightseeing, which was definitely worth the walk!
photo dsc04416photo dsc04418

One of the most famous sculptures at the airport: The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Jade Canoe
photo dsc04419

Various restaurants at pre-security
photo dsc04422photo dsc04423

A bear at YVR
photo dsc04428

Now, heading towards security!
photo dsc04429

Post-security


To my surprise, security took approximately 20 minutes due to long lines, despite the fact we made it a couple of hours prior to the flight.
photo dsc04430

Some duty-free shops
photo dsc04435

Baggage claim area viewed from departures
photo dsc04431

FIDS
photo dsc04437

A larger duty-free area, with a variety of products to choose from
photo dsc04439photo dsc04442

Airside. I must say however, YVR is one of the most iconic airports I've ever been to!
photo dsc04443photo dsc04447photo dsc04448

Luxury shops
photo dsc04445

I decided to check out the rest of the airside while my parents headed to the Cathay Pacific lounge located near gate D67
photo dsc04455photo dsc04456

Fish tank/aquarium
photo dsc04454

Nature at an airport?
photo dsc04451photo dsc04452

More art
photo dsc04458

Overall, YVR is quite an amazing terminal. In fact, it was pretty much how I imagined it.


I got so excited when I got the opportunity to plane spot!

China Airlines Airbus A350-900, B-18901, which will serve as CI31 back to TPE
photo dsc04473

I'm not sure, but I thought this was a special flight for some reason as there were people setting up with food and beverages.
photo dsc04507

Anyways, I then headed to the CX's lounge at YVR to see how it compares to the once I've reviewed in both Hong Kong and Bangkok


Cathay Pacific lounge entrance, with the lounge located one level above the main departure area and is accessed through an elevator.
photo dsc04478photo dsc04479

Lounge invitation
photo dsc04483

Shots of the lounge


Overall, the lounge was fairly decent, with a wide variety of food and beverage choices as well as the famous Noodle Bar, which I missed very much! I ended up ordering a wonton noodle soup, which is one of my favourite dishes! Also, it has an amazing view of the tarmac!
photo dsc04486photo dsc04489

Another shot of the lounge
photo dsc04491

Buzzer which notifies you when your dish is ready
photo dsc04490

Washroom and shower room entrance
photo dsc04492

My noodles!
photo dsc04495

This lounge visit wouldn't have been complete without a glass of champagne!
photo dsc04496

Boarding pass
photo dsc04498

I recall spending approximately half an hour before finally proceeding to board the flight
photo dsc04504

Heading towards the gate
photo dsc04505photo dsc04509

It was quite a bit of a walk, but we made it in good time


Gates D71-77 area
photo dsc04515

Gate D73 entrance
photo dsc04517

The holding room used for those passengers who originally boarded from Hong Kong as they had to go through a second security process
photo dsc04518

Plane to JFK: B-KQG. This bird has had an extremely long journey!
photo dsc04520

I could tell already that this flight was going to be full
photo dsc04521photo dsc04522

Well, time to head back home!
photo dsc04525

Before boarding, there were officers asking every passenger about our hand luggage as a secondary security measure, which is a normal procedure for a US-bound flight

Let's board!
photo dsc04526photo dsc04527

Some pre-flight information:
Date: 15 June 2018
Airline: Cathay Pacific
Flight Number: CX 888
Route: Vancouver (YVR) - New York (JFK)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Registration: B-KQG
Distance: 2444 miles
Scheduled Departure Time: 10:55 PM
Actual Departure Time: 11:12 PM
Scheduled Arrival Time: 7:00 AM
Actual Arrival Time: 6:55 AM
Flight Time: 5 hrs 5 mins
Departure Gate at YVR: D73
Arrival Gate at JFK: 47

Inflight


Main business class cabin
photo dsc04528

My seat, 22K with the inflight controls
photo dsc04529photo dsc04531

Right before I was able to take my seat, the captain came on with his usual pre-flight welcome stating that we will be departing right on schedule with a short flight time of 4 hours and 32 minutes

The comfortable legroom on the 77W, even if it's for a short flight
photo dsc04533photo dsc04551

View from my seat, right next to an American Airlines Boeing 737-800, N921AN, serving as AA1519 to DFW
photo dsc04534

Pre-departure drink: Water
photo dsc04535

Flight info
photo dsc04541photo dsc04539

Settled into my seat yet again!
photo dsc04546

Cabin view before departure
photo dsc04544

Hot towel
photo dsc04547

Starting to pushback at around 10:56 PM
photo dsc04548photo dsc04550

Views from pushback
photo dsc04552photo dsc04553

Cabin lights were dimmed in preparation for takeoff
photo dsc04556photo dsc04559

Taxiing to Runway 26R
photo dsc04563

We took off at 11:12 PM

Our location, 10 minutes after departure
photo dsc04574photo dsc04577

East Coast bound!
photo dsc04578photo dsc04580

Thanks for everything, Vancouver! See you soon!
photo dsc04584photo dsc04569

After approximately 15 minutes, the crew came around to distribute amenity kits, menus, and water bottles
photo dsc04572

Mood lighting change
photo dsc04589

Menu cover
photo dsc04597

Menu for tonight's flight
photo dsc04598photo dsc04600

Drink menu
photo dsc04602photo dsc04604

Amenity kit
photo dsc04586photo dsc04588

Water bottle
photo dsc04594

Discovering the entertainment selection
photo dsc04590photo dsc04593

Time to continue where I left off! ;)
photo dsc04607

Soon, the dinner service started with the cabin crew taking drink orders. Like always, I got a Perrier
photo dsc04613

Table setup with the appetiser, garlic bread, and dessert. I'm guessing everything was put out all at once since this was only a short flight
photo dsc04616

My main course: Wok-fried cod, ginger and spring onion with assorted vegetables and jasmine rice
photo dsc04617

Cabin view inflight
photo dsc04620

Hot towel to officially end the dinner service
photo dsc04621

The cabin lights changed a couple of minutes later, transforming the cabin into complete darkness
photo dsc04623photo dsc04629

The bathroom with the standard J sink
photo dsc04624

Once I got back to my seat, I switched to the inflight map to find out our current location
photo dsc04636photo dsc04634

View of my seat with the lights off
photo dsc04631

I continued to watch more episodes of The Big Bang Theory before ultimately calling it a night over Manitoba, with approximately 2 hours remaining for the flight
photo dsc04646photo dsc04651

Cabin view
photo dsc04652

I set the seat in the fully flat position, lay the duvet all nicely spread out, and I slept for the remainder of the flight.
photo dsc04653

I was sleeping soundly until the captain woke us up with his pre-arrival announcement saying that they are now starting the descent into New York and we had the usual 30 minutes before we landed.
photo dsc04654

Pre-arrival drink: Orange juice
photo dsc04655

It didn't take long for the cabin to prepare for landing as the whole procedure was quick as always
photo dsc04656photo dsc04657

Approaching JFK
photo dsc04680photo dsc04685

Final shots before landing


Over Long Island, with the skyline of Manhattan visibly far ahead
photo dsc04707

Before I knew it, we landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport 5 minutes ahead of schedule. The taxi to the terminal took quite a while, but it gave me a chance to spot some planes!
photo dsc04714

South African Airways Airbus A340-600, ZS-SNE, which just arrived from JNB as SA203
photo dsc04711

Terminal 4, with the ATC tower
photo dsc04713

Actual flight route
photo dsc04716

Taxiing to Terminal 8


Docking at gate 47
photo dsc04722photo dsc04727

Post-flight


Disembarking/Arrival into JFK


A similar walkway from the departure area


See you guys soon!
photo dsc04751photo dsc04753

Since this was an early arrival, we breezed through immigration and customs, making it to the arrival hall within 10 minutes.
photo dsc04754photo dsc04755

Terminal 8 arrival hall exterior during the day
photo dsc04756photo dsc04757

Afterwards, we met our private cab driver and then headed back home
photo dsc04758photo dsc04760
See more

Verdict

Cathay Pacific

8.9/10
Cabin9.5
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Meal/catering9.0

Cathay Pacific Lounge

9.8/10
Comfort10.0
Meal/catering10.0
Entertainment/wifi9.5
Services9.5

Vancouver - YVR

8.4/10
Efficiency7.5
Access8.0
Services8.5
Cleanliness9.5

New York - JFK

8.4/10
Efficiency8.5
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0

Conclusion

This was once again a fairly decent short-haul flight with Cathay Pacific. The cabin crew were friendly as always, the entertainment was the same as I've experienced on my flight before, and the meal service did have some improvements in comparison to my previous flights. However, this flight was rather uneventful and nothing special. I can't say much since we departed and arrived on time, making everything almost seem like clockwork. Regardless, this trip to Vancouver was worth the miles.

Anyways, thanks for reading this trip report as this is the end of Part 1 of the Summer 2018 trip report series. I hope you enjoyed it. I will be posting more trip reports from Part 2 of the Summer 2018 series. So, be sure to tune in next time.

Information on the route Vancouver (YVR) New York (JFK)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 7 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne Vancouver (YVR) → New York (JFK).


Useful

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

La durée moyenne des vols est de 5 heures et 9 minutes.

  More information

4 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 473602 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Looks like a great flight with Cathay. I would love to fly on this flight someday as I have family in NY. Maybe I'll fly to YVR and then catch this all the way to JFK? :) Thanks for sharing.
  • Comment 473665 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Hi Rbix, beautiful report as always. Great pics throughout the whole report. YVR looks really nice for a North American airport. This CX 5th freedom flight is always a nice option between NYC and YVR, especially considering the product is way better than the competition. Thanks for sharing!
    • Comment 473689 by
      rbix AUTHOR 73 Comments
      Thanks for the comment, KévinDC!! I have to admit, it was a bit difficult deciding which airline to fly with since there was a limited amount of options. However, I made the right choice at the end! Happy travels! ;)

Login to post a comment.