Over the years, I have covered quite a few inaugural flights into Seattle. They are always a hoot, but often there aren’t many surprises. Well, when Cathay Pacific Airlines did an inaugural flight to Seattle (SEA) from Hong Kong (HKG) on March 30, they did things a bit differently, and in a grand way. Not only did I get to experience the normal excitement of being on the ramp to greet the aircraft, but there was also a fun surprise at the gate; plus the airline held a grand gala event later in the evening.
The flight & aircraft information from FlightRadar24
The day started when I awoke and opened FlightRadar24 to see which aircraft was en route. As expected, it was an Airbus A350-900, and it had registration B-LRJ. Then I noticed the photo: it was the retro livery. Booya!
I quickly got some AvGeek goose bumps (yes, that is a thing). The airline calls it the “lettuce sandwich” retro livery and it has a special place in my AvGeek heart. Long before the internet was a thing, I remember looking at L1011s in that very livery in one of my airline books. It was one of my favorites. I never got the chance to see it in person, so here was my opportunity. And, it was extra special because this was also the first time that this retro livery would be flying to the U.S.
I love writing about long-haul premium economy. Mostly because the judgement comes down to one straightforward question: does the product feel like economy with a bit of extra, or more like business class lite? Seats in the first category do enough to take the pain out of the coach class space crunch. Which, to be fair, is what premium economy was designed to do. But seats in that second category delight in their own right, enough that you might even go out of your way to fly them.
We put Cathay Pacific’s long-haul premium economy to that test over the course of two flights on their Airbus A350 subfleet. Those planes are capable of handling some seriously lengthy routes. In our case, between a flight from New York to Hong Kong and then a connection on to Sydney, we spent over 25 hours onboard.
What did we think after all that time putting the seat and service to the test? Read on to find out. Plus we have plenty of video, including a nose-cam and tail-cam treat at the end.
Cathay’s business class seats are very well thought out
Cathay Pacific’s (CX) business-class product is legendary, and that reputation is well deserved. I recently got to try the service in an Airbus A350-900 on their relatively new Seattle-Hong Kong route, which began last spring. You may have heard a bit about the social unrest in Hong Kong of late; travelers’ concerns about those public protests have led to decreased bookings for all airlines serving Hong Kong. That issue is most likely what led to my being bumped to business from premium for the return flight, because the plane was surprisingly lightly loaded. But, that means I got to enjoy biz class both ways, so you’ll hear no complaints from me.
Seat 15D
CX’s A359 seating chart
Love those big windows
First off, I’ll admit to a bias – I really like the Airbus A350. This was my second round-trip long-haul flight on one this year, and both flights were very pleasant. My first-ever A350 flight was in April 2019 with French Bee, which as a budget airline configures their planes quite differently than Cathay Pacific.
The lower cabin pressurization altitude, large windows, and wide cabin all make for a great flight experience, even in 10-abreast economy, let alone CX’s stellar business-class seats. And I love the A350’s window in the loo – having natural reading light while you tend to business is awesome.
Cathay Pacific’s inaugural departure from Sea-Tac Airport
Cathay Pacific’s new non-stop service from Seattle to Hong Kong launched on April 1 with four flights per week; the service will go daily starting July 1.
The new offering is the only current flight between the two Pacific Rim cities; that should make it a popular option for travelers.
Cathay Pacific went all-out with a launch party at the gate
Cathay Pacific is using its excellent Airbus A350-900 on the route, which is now the airline’s eighth to the United States and follows existing services to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), New York (Newark), San Francisco, and Washington DC.
CX254 LHR to HGK – Photo: Alastair Long | AirlineReporter
My working holiday in Hong Kong at the end of April started with a delightful journey on Cathay Pacific (CX). I upgraded from Premium Economy to Business for the nearly 12-hour overnight flight on a 777-300ER out of Heathrow’s (LHR) Terminal 3. Now a long day’s work always deserves a beer. And I was also on a mission to sample a Betsy.
CX Lounge in T3 – Photo: Alastair Long | AirlineReporter
My business ticket granted me access to CX’s lounge in LHR T3. I therefore scurried over to discover it and to crack open a CX-inspired cold one. Reopened in November 2016, the revamped Cathay lounge is slick and elegant, finished in brown wooden panels and marble.
