Cathay Pacific Business Class Review

I flew Cathay Pacific on their regional business class from Taipei (TPE) to Hong Kong (HKG) and it was as good as it gets for such a short flight. I was especially impressed at how efficient the meal service was despite the flight only being a little over an hour. Let's get into the review!

Cathay Pacific Business Class Pros

Good food
Lie-flat seat
Direct aisle access

Cathay Pacific Business Class Cons

Too short a flight!
No free Wi-Fi
Older cabin and seats

How I Booked My Cathay Pacific Business Class Ticket

I booked my Cathay Pacific Business Class ticket 10 months before departure as part of a layover itinerary where this was the first leg for 122,800 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles plus ~$230.15 in taxes and fees. This specific flight was

CX489 Departing Taipei TPE 10:45 arriving at Hong Kong HKG 13:00

Cathay Pacific Business Class Seats

Cathay Pacific operates a variety of aircraft with different configurations on this route and I was lucky enough to get configuration 33K on their A330 which has a 1-2-1 business class cabin. I much preferred this to Japan Airlines regional business class due to having direct aisle access.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class cabin.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access. Seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class seat. Business class seat.

The seat was great for such a short flight. However, the seat and cabin felt a bit old. The storage areas were dirtier than I would have liked and the seat had signs of wear and tear.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class seat is a bit on the older side. Seat is a little bit on the older side.

However, the seat was still perfectly fine and I thought that the entertainment system was great. The TV is a touchscreen and offers a solid selection of entertainment to browse. I liked that the TV remote was easy to use and that the headphones were really comfortable to wear. Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class seat control panel. Seat control panel.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class seat storage cubby. Convenient storage cubby near the seat.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class seat extra storage. Extra storage.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class headphones. Really comfortable headphones.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class has an easy to use TV remote. Intuitive TV remote and touch-screen TV.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class fold-out TV. Fold-out TV

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class TV has decent video quality. Touchscreen TV with decent video quality.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business seat footwell.

The seat fully reclines into a lie flat bed and when I tried it out, it felt pretty comfortable but a little bit narrow. I did like that the TV folds flush against the seat in front so you don't bump your legs against the bottom of the TV.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class has lie-flat beds. Lie-flat bed.

Cathay Pacific Business Class Wifi

Unfortunately, there is no free Wi-Fi, but there are different Wi-Fi plans available for purchase.

Cathay Pacific Business Class Amenities

Cathay Pacific does not offer turndown service, amenity kits, or pajamas on its regional Asia business class flights.

Cathay Pacific Business Class Food

The meal service started with a pre-departure drink and the flight attendants taking each of the passengers' meal orders.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business pre departure drink. Orange juice for pre departure drink.

Tasty Cathay Pacific business class menu.

Cathay Pacific business class drink menu.

Cathay Pacific business class wine menu.

The meal was tasty and I appreciated the attendants' efficient service and quick cleanup. Even though the flight was super short, I didn't feel rushed because the pacing of the meal service was great.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class lunch. Cathay Pacific business class meal.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 business class lunch and TV screen. Cathay Pacific business class meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Cathay Pacific business class on their intra-Asia route is enjoyable. Having a nice meal with a lie-flat seat on a 1-hour flight feels like overkill, but it's such a luxury. Even though the plane is on the older side, the seats are still great and I had a pleasant trip. For regional Asia business class, this is an excellent product, and I’d gladly fly with Cathay Pacific again!