Review – Cathay Pacific Business Class – Hong Kong to Vancouver – 777-300ER

• Introduction
• Review | JAL Business Class | Vancouver to Tokyo | 787-8
• Review | JAL Business Class | Tokyo to Singapore | 767-300ER
• Review | Marina Bay Sands – City View Room & Infinity Pool
• Review | Dnata Lounge Singapore
• Review | Cathay Pacific – The Pier Business Class Lounge
• Review | Cathay Pacific Business Class | Hong Kong to Seoul | 777-300ER
• Review | Sheraton Seoul Palace Gangnam Hotel
• Review | Cathay Pacific Lounge Incheon
• Review | Cathay Pacific Business Class | Seoul to Hong Kong | A330-300
• Review | Cathay Pacific – The Wing Business Class Lounge
• Review | Cathay Pacific Business Class | Hong Kong to Vancouver | 777-300ER

Although it was the end of my trip, I was looking forward to this flight back home to Vancouver. We were coming back from Hong Kong with my grandma, and I was able to upgrade her economy ticket to a business ticket two weeks before departure. I was excited for her to be experiencing a premium cabin for the first time!

Hong Kong (HKG) -> Vancouver (YVR)
Airline: Cathay Pacific
Flight No: CX838
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Date: Monday, November 22, 2016
Scheduled Departure: 4:20 PM
Scheduled Arrival: 11:45 AM
Duration: 10 hrs 25 mins
Class: Business

We boarded at gate 48, which was about as far of a walk from The Wing Lounge as you can get. When we arrived at the gate, boarding was already commencing.

Boarding at Gate 48, which is at the very tip of the main terminal

For this flight, I was seated in 16A, while my Mom and grandma were in 16D and G respectively. Meanwhile, my Dad took seat 18D.

As we settled into our seats, we were offered hot towels and pre-departure drinks. Amenity kits were also handed out at this time.

Hot towel and orange juice for pre-departure beverage.

Amenity kits by Seventy Eight Percent

Amenity kit contents

Sorry in advance for the lack of photos of the seat features and seats themselves, but I’ve previously reviewed Cathay Pacific’s international business class seats here. These were identical, so I didn’t feel the need to review it again.

Media controller, reading lamp, seat controls and power outlet

Tray table slides out from beneath side table

Storage cabinet beneath the seat for shoes

Headset was provided inside the cabinet above the side table

Cathay Pacific blanket provided

I watched the front camera view as we taxied toward the runway for departure. The taxiways were quite wet as it was raining in Hong Kong.

Wet departure out of Hong Kong

We departed Hong Kong without delay, and pretty soon we were above the rainy weather, cruising above fluffy layers of clouds.

Climbing to cruising altitude

Meal service began with a tray of warm nuts and a choice of beverage. I selected the Cathay Pacific special Oriental Breeze. The flight attendant came over afterwards to set the tray table in preparation for the meal.

Warm nuts and specialty drink “Oriental Breeze”

Photos of the menu:

Menu – cover

Menu – welcome

Menu – special cuisines

Menu – dinner

Menu – snacks / breakfast

For my appetizer, I opted for a refreshing dish of the Cajun spiced prawns.

Cajun spiced prawns and green mango salad

The mains were wheeled out on a cart, consisting of several options (see menu for detailed list). I thought the pasta looked pretty good, so I picked that one. It turned out to be mediocre.

Fettucine, shitake mushrooms, white wine, garlic, chargrilled fennel and white truffle oil

I finished off my meal with a cheese plate and fruit platter, followed by a chocolate brownie and coffee.

Cheese plate and fruit platter

Chocolate brownie with yuzu cream cheese

After the meal service, it was already starting to get dark outside, and the cabin lights were dimmed to match the colors of the sunset outside. I think Cathay Pacific does a great job with the ambient lighting in the cabin.

Ambient lighting after meal service

I checked out the entertainment system, which had a diverse amount of shows on offer. I browsed through a few before deciding to get some rest instead.

Browsing the extensive in-flight entertainment options

Cathay Pacific air-show

I extended the seat into the lie flat position and shut my eyes for a little while. The reverse herringbone seat configuration allows for a lot of legroom even when the bed is in lie flat position, which is great. Cathay Pacific provides a thick duvet that is quite comfortable. However, no mattress was provided for the seat.

Putting the seat into bed configuration to get some rest

Lots of leg room in lie-flat configuration

Dimmed business class cabin

I woke up a few hours later, and decided to try out their mid-flight snacks. I ordered a bowl of “Dan Dan” noodles and a Hong Kong style milk tea. Maybe I just have a thing for noodle soup, but I really enjoyed this dish!

Szechuanese dan dan noodle soup with a Hong Kong style milk tea

A couple hours prior to arrival, the breakfast meal service began. The appetizer consisted of fresh fruits and a croissant with jam and butter, plus a side of yogurt.

Started off with assorted fruits and croissant

Fruit yogurt

For the main breakfast meal, I went with the western choice, which was a combination of scrambled eggs, pancetta, mushrooms, tomato, and corned beef hash.

Scrambled eggs, pancetta, portobello mushroom, tomato and corned beef hash

In Summary

Having been on multiple business class segments with Cathay Pacific, I can definitely say they have a very consistent soft product. You know you’ll be getting a certain quality of service and experience when you fly with Cathay Pacific. Their hard product on the 777, while it has been around for a while, is still competitive. In my opinion, the reverse herringbone seating configuration strikes a nice balance between privacy and openness. The spaciousness and abundant leg room of the lie-flat seat is very welcomed on these long-haul transpacific flights.

With that said, I definitely feel like Cathay Pacific can improve on their meal offerings, as I think they are lagging behind the other Asian carriers in this aspect. I’ve mentioned this before in my other reviews, but the quality and diversity of the food on Cathay Pacific can sometimes be underwhelming.

Have you flown with Cathay Pacific on their HKG to YVR route? If so, how was your experience? Be sure to let us know in the comments. If you want more reviews like this one, subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates and flight/hotel reviews.