A few years back, I had booked my parents on a Cathay Pacific Airlines return flight from India to the Philippines. In the beginning, I was little apprehensive as they were flying on that sector for the first time with the airline and I myself had never experienced their service before. But my parents had only good things to say about the airline. Recently I got an opportunity to fly economy class return from Delhi to Hong Kong with the carrier and here’s my honest Cathay Pacific Airlines Review.
Table of Contents
Why I chose March to travel
1) Being the moth of International Women’s Day, a lot of good offers are announced for women
2) When spring hits the city, it means only one thing – time for the annual Hong Kong Arts Month. This is a perfect time to experience the diverse
3) During most of March, the weather is very pleasant and comfortable with temperature oscillating between 11 °C – 28 °C. Therefore, one light sweater and a rain jacket are enough to keep you outdoors for long. Also, the misty and drizzly weather with alternate dry and clear spells is great for taking dramatic pictures.
My experience of flying with Cathay Pacific
Check-in and Boarding
I am a firm believer of the fact that your experience with a service provider starts much before your actual physical experience. And, I have to give 100% marks to Cathay Pacific for a great start. Right from availing the Uber offer to online check-in, everything was butter smooth. While there was a long queue at the check-in counter (because the Delhi-Hong route is a very busy route), it hardly took me five minutes to get my documents checked and get the boarding pass.
The ground staff was very courteous and wore a big smile. They even obliged me with a good aisle seat. Due to some airport issue, the flight was delayed by an hour, still, they managed to get everyone on board quickly. I even got lucky to board before other passengers.
Early Arrival at Hong Kong
While Cathay Pacific has a lot of good options to keep you entertained throughout the journey, I prefer taking night flights to catch up on my sleep and wake up fresh the next morning. An early arrival in the city gave me ample time for sightseeing.
The seat
The airline has recently upgraded its fleet with Boeing 777-300ER, which means the seats are wider and more comfortable with customized seat cushioning. I could adjust the headrest four ways – up, down, and sideways. As a result, I didn’t wake up with a cramped neck. Each seat was supplied with a small pillow, plastic-wrapped blanket and headphones. The seats reclined well and I was pleasantly surprised by the leg room; I could easily stretch out my small legs and store a small bag underneath the seat in front.
In-flight entertainment system
Being a frequent flier, this is where I get my entertainment fill. I was so glad to find a nine-inch touchscreen TV loaded with a wide selection of 52 movies and 90 TV shows to fuel my binge-watching. And, for people who are not interested in movies and TV, there were games, music, ‘Discovery’ in-flight magazine, ‘Discover the shop’ shopping catalogue and a wide variety of daily newspapers and magazines.
Also, the USB charging port located at the bottom of every personal TV was pretty neat. However, a point to be noted is that in-flight charging works only after take-off. Another small but thoughtful feature I loved was the small dedicated shelf below the screen at eye-level to keep my gadgets. I comfortably placed my mobile phone there.
The Staff
For me, they are the real deal. I found the cabin crew extremely warm, friendly and very helpful. They even had a Hindi-speaking cabin crew to help communicate with the people who can’t speak in English or Mandarin. They served everyone attentively. Since I had eaten just before the flight, therefore I requested them to serve me late dinner. And, they didn’t bat an eyelid.
Other things that stood out:
Boarding pass delights
If you fly with Cathay Pacific, your fantastic experience continues long after your journey. Usually, as soon as I get out of the airport I throw away my boarding pass but flying with them gave me a reason to keep it safely. I had one of the best organic vegetarian meals (yes, Hong Kong has fabulous vegetarian options. Detailed post coming soon) at Grassroots Pantry, where I got 15% discount on my food and drinks bill by just flashing my Cathay Pacific Boarding pass. And, that restaurant is not the only one, there are many restaurants where you can get up to 20 % discount on food and beverages.
Facility of in-town check-in at Hong Kong
While I was traveling with no check-in luggage, my friend could check-in her bag at Kowloon Airport Express station early in the morning for an evening flight. Apparently, if you take the Airport Express (AEL) to Hong Kong International Airport, you can take advantage of Cathay Pacific’s in-town check-in facilities at either Hong Kong or Kowloon Airport Express/MTR stations. You can check in and collect your boarding pass as early as one day in advance or as late as 90 minutes before departure.
For more information check https://tiny.cc/FBININTOWNCHKIN )
Cathay Pacific flying credentials
Cathay Pacific is one of the world’s leading flying carriers with services to 232 cities in 53 countries and territories across Asia, North America, Europe and Africa. Being a frequent flier on international routes, I prefer flying with airlines that are a member of some alliance as you can accumulate Frequent flier miles that you can redeem later. Cathay Pacific is the founding member of the Oneworld global alliance that serves more than 1,000 airports in over 150 countries. You can also join Cathay’s own royalty program – Marco Polo Club.
Hope you liked my honest Cathay Pacific Airlines Review. I had a good time with them and I am already looking forward to flying again with them for my next international travel.
Have you ever flown with them? If yes, I would love to hear from you.
Interested to know more about Hong Kong, check out the following articles:
- Discover offbeat Hong Kong in 4 days
- Hong Kong Travel Tips
- What to do in Hong Kong in 4 days
- Ideal Hong Kong Travel Itinerary: Layover to 5 days in Hong Kong
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Disclaimer
I was hosted by Cathay
Omg looks so good! This is def one airline I wanna try the next time I fly!
I haven’t flown with Cathay Pacific before, but I sure want to now! For me, staff interactions are key to either make or break a flight experience. It sounds like those staff members you encountered really raise the bar. Although it’s kind of a bummer than you have to wait until take-off to charge via USB. I guess it’s a small thing, but good to know!
It is so cool that you got a discount on our food in the city because of your Cathay Pacific Boarding pass! I never keep my boarding pass with me after the end of the journey but seems like it could be a good idea to do it in the future. Also, I didn’t know flights have offers during women’s day, I have personally not come across any but that’s fantastic!
I hadn’t heard of Cathay Pacific until now, but I will definitely consider them in the future following this review. I never think to keep my boarding pass, but what a great perk if it means discounts on yummy food!
I haven’t flown with Cathay Pacific Airlines yet, but you’re making me wait to ASAP! I love the extra perks the airline has if you book them — the Uber credit and various discounts for restaurants. I think that’s very clever and a good incentive. That uber credit would definitely convince me to book with Cathay Pacific. Plus, the plane looked comfortable and very clean. Definitely will consider this airline when I’m in the area.
I share the same opinion with you. I flew Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and it was a very pleasant experience for me. The airline staff was very nice. If I ever resume traveling again, Cathay Pacific will always be my top airline of choice.
I haven’t tried Cathay Pacific yet. This is very timely because I plan to visit Hong Kong this summer! I need to read your itinerary too. Hehe.
I have never flown this airline but sounds solid to me. Thanks for the great review.
I have always heard good things about Cathay Pacific but never flown with them. Seems all those good things are true. I love the fact that they have special deals on and off that one can leverage on. Plus, that post-flight organic veggie meal that you had looks delicious. I could fly Cathay only for that meal.
I really appreciate your detailed review of the airline experience. You’re so right about the experience starting from even before you board and it’s great that their process was so seamless. Also, kudos for being able to take advantage of their offer for International Women’s Month!
I like your detailed review of the airline experience. I haven’t flown with Cathay Pacific Airlines yet, but this is something I would like to try.
I never flew with Cathay Pacific before but it was very interesting to read your review. The discount on food in the city because of your Cathay Pacific Boarding pass is so cool! I’ll definitely consider flying with them after reading about your positive experience.
Looks like it was a great trip on an airline. Very comfortable and lots of amenities. I hope you have a great time while you are in Hong Kong. I had a great time while I was there. Beautiful people.
Cathay Pacific looks perfect flight with spacious seats, welcoming staff and other good deals they offer. Never knew that after traveling we can get discount from our previous boarding pass at certain restaurants. It is a good offer from this airline. I too agree March is great to travel for Hong Kong as it has perfect weather which suits to photography and many outdoor activities too.
I have only heard good things about Cathay Pacific. Looks like you had a good flight and I had no idea you could get discounts at restaurants too. What a good perk.
Cathay Pacific is an airline I don’t mind flying with. The food is great and the flight attendants are friendly and helpful. Last time I flew, it was in Business Class and I certainly didn’t have anything to complain about.
I have heard good reviews of Cathay Pacific from my husband, though I haven’t experienced it yet. It was good to read about your Hong Kong sojourn. I liked the comfort of having a Hindi speaking cabin crew member for helping people having language issues and also the discounts and perks on boarding pass sound great.
Good to know Cathay Pacific Airlines has good offers for the International Women’s Day. Maybe I’ll fly with them if I go to Asia. Their planes seem very nicely maintained and comfortable. Not as crammed as other airlines. Looks like you had a great experience.
I’ve never heard of an adjustable cushion before – that’s a whole new level of comfort! I haven’t flown with Cathay Pacific yet but I will keep them in mind for the future!
wow, glad you mentioned you were sponsored by Cathay, this is an advertisement,not an editorial piece
Well,
Sponsored doesn’t mean they control my content. I am 100% free to write my views. And, if I was paid for it, I will mention it was an ad.
I love that they have charging stations for every seat. I wish more airlines offered that! And more leg space, too! It’s hard to catch an economy flight any more with any airlines that gives you enough room. Sounds like Cathay Pacific is a good deal!
In-flight entertainment has become a priority for me as I travel. It really does help the time pass! That’s amazing that Cathay Pacific has nine-inch screens, with 52 movies! That’s more than enough to keep me satisfied
The worst airline I have travelled with. There was nothing vegetarian except pasta in lunch. The crew was not friendly at all. They were not even ready to listen to what u r saying or whats ur request is. I would not recommend this flight at all. Rating 1/5.
Ohhh I am really sorry to hear about your experience, Shivam. Did you reach out to the airline officials? Also, meals can be preselected. I had a full meal on board. no problem of whatsoever.