Is Cathay Pacific business class worth it?

Discover everything you need to know about flying from Hong Kong to Sydney in Cathay Pacific business class.

Cathay Pacific is renowned for its exceptional service and luxurious amenities, so I was excited for my first business-class flight with them. And with the carrier ranked No.5 in the World’s Top 100 Airlines 2024, my expectations were sky-high. I flew from Hong Kong to Sydney on their Airbus A350 aircraft which is outfitted with the airline’s newest Business Class seats—another reason my expectations were high.

One question that lingers in the minds of many travellers: Is business class really worth it? With Cathay Pacific, the answer may be clearer than expected.

Pre-departure

This flight was the second leg of my journey from Amsterdam, so I was at Hong Kong International Airport quite early. This was no issue though as I was keen to take advantage of Cathay’s business class lounges which are consistently ranked among the best in the world. The beauty about flying from Hong Kong International Airport is you have not one, but three business class lounges to choose from. This means arriving early at the airport becomes less of a burden and more of a pleasure.

Enjoy sweet treats and fine teas in the Teahouse section of the lounge.

The check-in process is seamless and while at the airport I visit all three lounges: The Wing, Business, The Pier, Business, and The Deck. I spent most of my time in The Pier as it was the most spacious, boasted the most facilities, and was closest to my departure gate. This sleek space rivals some of the best first-class lounges in the world!

Don’t miss slurping on a heartwarming bowl of wonton noodles.

The food offerings are unparalleled and split the lounge into distinct sections: a deli-style food hall, a Noodle Bar, a Teahouse and a bar. After taking a shower in one of 14 luxurious bathroom suites, I grabbed a barista-made coffee and tucked into a bowl of ready-to-order noodles which did not disappoint.

Freshen up in one of 14 luxurious bathroom suites.

If you’re travelling from Hong Kong, a handy tip to keep in mind is you can actually drop off your bags at Hong Kong station or Kowloon station, once you complete your online check-in as early as 24 hours in advance.

Once on the plane and settled into my seat, the crew greeted everyone with a choice of champagne, juice, or coffee, along with a hot towel to freshen up.

The crew will greet you with either a glass of champagne, juice, or coffee.

This flight was delayed by approximately 30 minutes, which personally didn’t bother me as I was feeling so comfortable in my seat.

The seat

The ‘Cirrus’ reverse herringbone seats are in a 1-2-1 layout. There are a whopping 46 business class seats in this aircraft, and I was seated in 22D which is part of the middle two configuration, towards the back of the cabin. Sitting in the middle might feel uncomfortable in economy, but here you’re afforded enough privacy, comfort, and direct aisle access that it’s more than tolerable. In saying that, if you have the opportunity to book a window seat, that is your best option.

Business Class seats provide ample legroom and privacy.

As mentioned, the seat was new. Designed by Studio F.A. Porsche, this sleek seat is spacious and, thankfully, clean. There’s a small cupboard at shoulder height with a mirrored door and it’s stocked with a leather amenity kit with Bamford products, bottled water, and headphones. There are also charging outlets inside. The footwell is spacious and there’s a storage compartment for you to place a small bag and shoes. There’s also a fixed shelf for you to put things you need easy access to.

You’ll have your own leather amenity kit with Bamford products.

While there’s no moveable partition between you and the next seat, the reverse herringbone configuration means you can’t see the person sitting next to you unless you lean quite far forward. Leaving the small cupboard door open affords you even more privacy. There are no fully closing doors with these seats.

The pull-out table is sturdy and features enough space to comfortably do some work.

There’s a fixed ottoman footrest, which means you can prop your feet up without having to lie your bed flat if you’re not ready to sleep. But when you are ready to snooze, you can recline your seat to its lie-flat configuration and get comfy with a plush pillow, blanket, and mattress topper. Unfortunately, there were no pyjamas offered on this flight, but slippers were provided.

Get comfy thanks to the lie-flat setting.

There are two toilets for business class travellers, and they are more spacious than in economy class and feature a window.

Food and beverage

Cathay is renowned for serving good inflight meals. The menu showcases dishes crafted in collaboration with Michelin-starred restaurants: Louise, known for its contemporary French cuisine, and Duddell’s, celebrated for its Hong Kong flavours and comforting homestyle dishes.

Breakfast was served shortly after take-off and the menu offered a generous amount of options: the Wellness breakfast, Lighter breakfast, Chinese breakfast, Western breakfast, and the Express breakfast —perfect for those who want a quick bite before dozing off.

The generous menu celebrates Hong Kong and French cuisine. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I opted for the first which had fresh fruit, overnight oats in coconut milk with chia seeds and dried apricots—a nice light but hearty meal to enjoy as I settled into the journey ahead.

Because of the time difference between Hong Kong and Sydney, dinner was up next. This was served midway through the flight and included a starter, main, cheese, and dessert. I selected the light curried cauliflower soup with spring onions followed by the wok-fried seafood in lobster broth paired with a glass—both were decent, and the lobster bisque was far from classic plane food.

Cathay is renowned for serving delicious inflight meals.

As a cheese fiend, my expectations for the offerings on a flight were low, but to my delight, this plate was a tasty mix of Tomme, Montgomery’s cheddar, Bleu d’Auvergne, paired with crackers, green grapes, and Maggie Beer’s spiced pear paste. For dessert, I ordered the tasty Guanaja chocolate cremeux —10/10 for this one.

The classic Cathay Pacific noodle offering is available throughout the flight as well.

The drinks menu spanned a nice selection of international and Australian red and white wines, champagne, spirits, signature drinks and cocktails. I ordered the signature ‘Cloud Nine’ with vodka, Cointreau, sprite and lemon juice… because why not?

Indulge in tasty sweets perfectly paired with a selection of exquisite wines.

Entertainment

Cathay won the 2023 Skytrax World’s Best Inflight Entertainment award, so it’s unsurprising there’s a huge catalogue of movies and TV shows to pick from and watch on your 19-inch screen—Hollywood new releases, Disney+ Original titles, Asian cinema classics, HBO Max and award-winning TV box sets. I was flying during the Olympics which was also streaming live.

For those who like to keep track of the journey, the moving map displays use fantastic graphics and 3D technology. There are also tail and wheel cameras to see the exterior of the plane.

I always travel with my own noise-cancelling headphones, but the ones provided also did the job.

Wi-fi was complimentary on this flight departed 30 minutes later than expected, but it did cut in and out a little bit.

The moving map displays use fantastic graphics and 3D technology. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

Service

The service from start to finish was pleasant and efficient. After boarding, every passenger was personally greeted by a crew member, which can’t help but make you feel valued. Throughout the flight, I had a few requests (the wine menu and extra noodles), and the crew were nothing short of polite and quick.

The crew provided a warm and welcoming experience throughout the journey.

The verdict

From the luxe lounge experiences to the final hot towel given at the end, flying from Hong Kong to Sydney in Cathay Pacific’s business class highlighted a clear difference between the service and amenities you receive from this airline compared to most others. While business class may come with a higher price tag, those seeking comfort and quality will find it a worthwhile investment, and a memorable travel experience.

Read International Traveller’s review of Qantas A380 business class.