Check in at the BA club with a CX designated agent and she issues me a boarding pass with seat 1A. I'm in for a treat. She then describes the lounge set up to me and invites me to go to the F lounge and take a pre-flight supper if I desire. I opt to take a shower first and she directs me to the showers.
BA Terraces side
Put my name on the list and then a guy directs me to the first shower available. Nice Elemis toiletries inside and love the shower with different settings.
WC & Shower
Explore the lounge and it is divided into different sections. Some areas are really crowded. Overall nice setting and pretty spacious. I decide to go to the F dining area for some real food. Attendant asks for boarding pass upon entering and welcomes me. There is a buffet arrangement with plenty of choices. Good quantity but quality is compromised a bit.
Dining room
I nibble on a few dishes and finish off with cheese, crackers, grapes and a glass of port. I then explore the small F lounge inside the club which is to the left side of the reception entrance.
For 32,500 miles to fly F on a world class carrier, this has to be the best deal for a North American award. CX proved to be a superlative experience. By far the most comfortable F seat in my limited experience in this cabin (previous F intl experiences were on LX, LH and UA).
First one to board and there were already 3-4 FA's by the door to greet passengers. Purser saw my boarding pass and gave it to a FA who escorted me to my seat. She introduced herself and offered to hang my coat, then asks if I want champagne or any other beverage. Made some small talk and then excused herself.
Betsy returns with a set of pajamas from Shanghai Tang, printed menus and new amenity kit by Ermenegildo Zegna. She asks for my clothing size and then hands me a set of pajamas size L. I've read on previous posts that pajamas were on request only for this segment but in my experience they were given to me automatically.
Seat
Amenity kit and pajamas
Door closed and after take off FA's started cabin service. Very little announcements from the cockpit. There were 3 FA's working the F cabin with only 2 passengers including myself. A thick hot towel is provided on a tray.
To start I had an Oriental Breeze (a sour plum tea and cranberry juice based drink with honey, fresh lemon juice and a hint of rose water.) served with warm nuts. It was replenished a second time diligently. I browsed through the menu trying to decide what to sample.
Here is what the dinner consisted of:
MENU
Starters
Pan seared foie gras with smoked duck and cranberry relish
Saffron cream soup
Pan seared scallops with mesclun salad and lemon vinaigrette
Main courses
Grilled double bone lamb chop with rosemary jus, polenta roulade and grilled zucchini
Pappardelle pasta with white asparagus sauce, toasted pinenuts and grilled asparagus
Chinese Favourites
Double boil quail with Chinese yam soup
Cold plate - marinated gluten with dried mushroom
Stir fried seafood in X.O. sauce, steamed jasmine rice, stir fried pak choy, black mushroom and carrot flower
Cheese and Dessert
Cambozola, Taleggio, Manchego, Chaumes
Double nougat mousse cake with raspberry coulis
Tea and Coffee
Pralines
Snacks
Braised beef brisket in noodle soup
Ice cream
I chose the foie gras and smoked duck for appetizer and then the Chinese set. Surprised at the small portion of foie gras but it tasted good. Presentation was very nice and you can tell that some thought and effort have been put into it.
Chinese set (Quail with Chinese yam soup, Marinated gluten with dried mushroom & Stir fried seafood in X.O. sauce served with jasmine rice, stir fried pak choy, black mushroom and carrot flower).
X.O. sauce is a dried seafood based sauce that includes scallops, dried fish and shrimps cooked with chili peppers, onions and garlic.
Double nougat mousse cake with raspberry coulis
After the meal service another hot towel was brought and then I walked around the cabin. Service was very discreet and from time to time you could see FA peeking through the closed curtain. If you make eye contact, she will immediately come by your seat and inquire if you need anything. Never heard slamming of carts or any noise from the galley. Purser and other 2 FA's advised me that if I needed to sleep, they would gladly make the bed for me.
WC
Love to see real towels instead of paper towels. A sign that you are in a true F cabin.
Studio CX entertainment system was phenomenal offering 100 movies, over 350 TV shows, 888 CD's, 22 radio channels and 70 video games.
See more
Verdict
Cathay Pacific
9.8/10
Cabin10.0
Cabin crew9.5
Entertainment/wifi10.0
Meal/catering9.5
British Airways First Lounge - 7
8.5/10
Comfort9.0
Meal/catering8.0
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Services8.5
New York - JFK
8.5/10
Efficiency8.5
Access8.5
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0
Vancouver - YVR
9.2/10
Efficiency9.5
Access9.5
Services8.5
Cleanliness9.5
Conclusion
Undoubtedly this is the best way to fly on a transcontinental flight within North America and I was glad to fly with a top world carrier. Everything about this flight pretty much met my expectations. The only minor flaw was the absence of pralines which were mentioned on the menu but never offered.
0 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Thank you for this report. I wish there were more pictures of the cabin itself...just to know how it looks like.
The lounge offering is very good (for a North American lounge) but I find the bathroom boring and basic (it's often the case with BA by the way) : why, for the first class lounges, don't they simply take inspiration from 4/5* hotels ?
Onboard menu is not impressive. Not being a fan of polenta and skipping the pasta in F, I would alsa have gone for the chinese selection but by default, not by choice. Good thing it tasted great.
So all in all I am not overwhelmed, but as you say, you can't beat this for 32.500 avios !
Thank you for this comprehensive report, this route is quite popular for those who want to maximise the use of their Avios.
Nice to have the full set of PJ + Amenity, only the catering is lacking some distinctive First feature, like Caviar that they tend to serve on their true long haul flight.
Although this cabin and its 1-1-1 layout looks stunning, i am very disappointed by the onboard catering. This poor-looking Chinese meal reminds me of a cheap and vapid restaurant rather than an award-winning airline... Thanks for this FR !
Although the meal could be a bit more elaborate, the taste was good and that was the main criteria for me on this late night flight. I guess the meals are designed to be uncomplicated and simple due to the late departure and CX assumes that most people would have eaten at the lounge or somewhere else before boarding.
Your visit is appreciated and thanks for commenting.
Flight-Report is a free website hosting more than 500 000 pictures and 17 000 reviews, without ads, this website can't exist. We understand that ads can be annoying, this is why we only display a maximum of 2 non-invasive ads per page.
To continue using Flight-Report, we invite you to add Flight-Report to your blocker's "white list".
#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
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x596).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x618).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x634).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (597x800).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x627).jpg)
 (800x576).jpg)
 (800x537).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x545).jpg)
 (1024x768) (800x600).jpg)
 (800x589).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
 (584x800).jpg)
 (800x600).jpg)
18 Comments
The lounge offering is very good (for a North American lounge) but I find the bathroom boring and basic (it's often the case with BA by the way) : why, for the first class lounges, don't they simply take inspiration from 4/5* hotels ?
Onboard menu is not impressive. Not being a fan of polenta and skipping the pasta in F, I would alsa have gone for the chinese selection but by default, not by choice. Good thing it tasted great.
So all in all I am not overwhelmed, but as you say, you can't beat this for 32.500 avios !
http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=XwTLKqfb_fU&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy.
Not only that but your destination is also the best in America. Welcome to Vancouver! The best city in the world :-D
It's a great way to fly coast to coast
Lounge's food doesn't look yummy
CX menu is quite disappointing
Giving such a small portion of foie gras is really stingy
Fortunately seat is confortable and crew top notch
Thanks for sharing.
Really great catering in CX's first !
Nice to have the full set of PJ + Amenity, only the catering is lacking some distinctive First feature, like Caviar that they tend to serve on their true long haul flight.
Thanks ;)
Thanks for this FR !
Your visit is appreciated and thanks for commenting.
Login to post a comment.