Wednesday newsletters at all times characteristic a resort or flight evaluate.
I lately took a visit to Hong Kong. You may learn my journey reviews right here:
- Assessment: Cathay Pacific new Aria Suites Enterprise Class on the Boeing 777 FRA-HKG (in the present day)
- Assessment: 5-star Higher Home Hong Kong Lodge
Assessment: Cathay Pacific Aria Suites Enterprise Class (Frankfurt to Hong Kong)
This flight marked my first expertise with Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suites Enterprise Class, and expectations have been understandably excessive. Lengthy recognized for its understated premium expertise, Cathay is positioning itself firmly on the high finish of recent long-haul Enterprise Class with the introduction of Aria Suites on its flagship Boeing 777 fleet.
I flew from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, one of many long-haul routes presently served by Cathay Pacific’s newly refurbished Boeing 777s that includes Aria Suites. The airline is within the midst of a broader Boeing 777 improve program, with the brand new Enterprise Class cabin being rolled out step by step throughout the fleet. On the time of my flight, simply 11 plane had been reconfigured out of a fleet of greater than 50 Boeing 777s, making these jets comparatively uncommon. For now, Aria Suites are primarily discovered on choose long-haul companies connecting Hong Kong with Frankfurt, Sydney, Melbourne and Vancouver.
On this evaluate of Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suites, I’ll cowl the complete journey — from the pre-departure expertise in Frankfurt to the onboard product itself — trying intimately on the cabin format, suite design, seat consolation, eating, facilities, inflight leisure and Enterprise class service. I’ll additionally clarify how I booked this flight utilizing miles and whether or not Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suites reside as much as the rising hype as some of the elegant Enterprise Class merchandise presently flying.
Have you ever ever flown in Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suites Enterprise Class on the Boeing 777? Please share your expertise within the feedback under.
Flight particulars:
- Journey: Frankfurt (FRA) to Hong Kong (HKG)
- Airline: Cathay Pacific
- Plane kind: Boeing 777-300ER
- Plane registration quantity: B-KPI (in-built 2008)
- On time departure: Sure (1 pm)
- On time arrival:Sure (7 am)
- Miles: 5700 miles (9200 km)
- Flight time: 13 hours
- Seat: 21K
- Class: Enterprise Class
On this evaluate (extra info & pictures under my YouTube video):
- Price of my ticket
- Lounge
- Aria Suites Enterprise Class cabin
- Aria Suites Enterprise Class seat (+ finest & worst seats)
- Facilities & bedding
- Meals
- Leisure
- Onboard web
- Different inflight experiences
- Last ideas & my verdict (rating)
1. COST OF MY TICKET
I booked this Cathay Pacific Aria Suites Enterprise Class flight utilizing 75,000 AAdvantage miles, issued by means of American Airways’ loyalty program AAdvantage, and paid €126.39 in taxes and surcharges. Given the general expertise, this redemption represents wonderful worth and some of the enticing methods to fly Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suites Enterprise Class on a long-haul route.
2. LOUNGE
Since Cathay Pacific doesn’t function its personal lounge at Frankfurt Airport, premium passengers and oneworld elites presently have two foremost choices in Terminal 2: the Precedence Lounge (which I’ve reviewed beforehand in this blogpost) and the Japan Airways lounge, also called the Sakura Lounge. For this journey, I opted for the JAL lounge, because it affords a extra refined environment and noticeably higher meals than the Precedence Lounge.
The Japan Airways Sakura Lounge is situated airside in Terminal 2, on Degree 3 reverse Gate D5. After clearing passport management, it’s merely a matter of taking the escalator up towards the D-gates. One disadvantage of Terminal 2 is that lounges are situated earlier than the ultimate safety checkpoint, that means you’ll want to permit further time to cross by means of safety once more earlier than boarding.
The lounge itself is cut up into two areas: a foremost Enterprise Class (Sakura) Lounge and a separate First Class part. The Enterprise Class lounge is a spacious, open-plan space with mixture of seating, together with deep armchairs, dining-style tables and high-top seating. There’s additionally a delegated quiet work zone, clearly signposted with a no-phone-call coverage.
Meals is an actual spotlight right here and, by Frankfurt requirements, genuinely spectacular. Whereas there’s a small buffet, most dishes are ordered on the counter and ready recent. The menu is basically Japanese-inspired, with noodle dishes and curries, complemented by a restricted number of German-style cheeses, chilly cuts and sandwiches. Drinks are principally self-service and embody mushy drinks, beer (together with alcohol-free choices), wine, spirits and self-serve espresso machines. Even when busy, all the pieces is effectively organised and simple to entry.
One factor value noting for the long run: Cathay Pacific is anticipated to maneuver its Frankfurt operations to the brand new Terminal 3 in spring. With that transfer, a brand-new oneworld lounge is deliberate, which ought to lastly give Cathay passengers a extra seamless and flagship-style floor expertise in Frankfurt. Till then, Terminal 2 and shared lounges are the truth.
3. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 777 plane outfitted with Aria Suites characteristic 45 Enterprise Class seats. Relatively than putting them multi function giant cabin, the seats are cut up throughout two separate Enterprise Class cabins — a ahead part behind the galley and a smaller rear cabin — which helps break up the house and offers the cabin a extra unique really feel. The ahead cabin (between doorways 1 and a couple of) homes 25 Enterprise Class seats, organized throughout six full rows, plus one further seat tucked into the again proper nook of a seventh row. Additional again, the rear cabin accommodates 20 seats, laid out over 5 full rows, making a noticeably quieter and extra intimate setting.
In each cabins, the seats — that are modified variations of Collins Aerospace Components seats — are organized in a reverse-herringbone configuration with a 1-2-1 format, guaranteeing direct aisle entry for each passenger. Window seats angle outward towards the home windows, providing wonderful privateness and beneficiant views (roughly two home windows per seat), whereas the paired seats within the heart are subtly angled towards each other — supreme for {couples} travelling collectively. When flying solo, a privateness divider will be raised between the middle seats, turning them into two clearly outlined private areas with none awkward eye contact.
From a design standpoint, the Aria Suites Enterprise Class cabin is fantastically understated. Smooth ambient lighting and a restrained mixture of heat neutrals create a relaxed, nearly residential really feel. The look marks a deliberate shift away from Cathay Pacific’s signature inexperienced coloration, changing it with a extra up to date palette of heat beige, muted stone and light-weight earth tones. Refined inexperienced accents stay, most notably on the center-seat privateness dividers and inside a number of the storage cubbies. The general end result is without doubt one of the most elegant Enterprise Class cabins within the sky, and if Aman have been to design an plane inside, that is precisely what I’d anticipate it to appear to be.
4. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)
The Aria Suite itself is the place Cathay Pacific actually elevates its long-haul Enterprise Class expertise. Every seat is generously sized, providing 43 inches of pitch (109 cm), measuring round 21 inches huge on the armrests (53 cm) and increasing to roughly 25 inches at shoulder stage (64 cm). When absolutely reclined, the seat converts right into a lie-flat mattress measuring about 78 inches (198 cm) in size, which feels snug and supportive even for taller passengers like myself.
Every suite is housed inside a set shell and incorporates a sliding privateness door, creating a real suite-style expertise with out making the house really feel claustrophobic. Whereas the door provides a powerful sense of private house, small gaps stay when it’s absolutely closed, that means the suite isn’t utterly sealed — although privateness continues to be wonderful total. In comparison with different plane seat doorways I’ve used, these have been refreshingly straightforward to function, gliding open and shut easily.
Subsequent to the seat is a multi-functional facet console filled with intelligent particulars. It features a small storage compartment for headphones, a bottle of water and private gadgets, full with a built-in mirror (helpful if you wish to clean up or apply some make-up). The leisure controller is neatly built-in into the console wall, though in observe you’ll not often want it, because the display screen itself is absolutely touchscreen-enabled. An elongated, desk-style lamp is mounted above the console, providing beneficiant and well-focused lighting.
Adjoining to the console is a facet desk that slides ahead, revealing further cupboard space beneath. Beneath the desk sits a small management panel for fast and intuitive changes to seat place and lighting, whereas extra detailed settings will be accessed by way of the inflight leisure system. Under that’s one other giant storage compartment, supreme for sneakers or smaller baggage you need inside straightforward attain. Simply above this space are the excellent charging choices, together with AC energy, USB-A and USB-C ports. Cathay has additionally included wi-fi charging for telephones (by way of a pad on the armrest), in addition to Bluetooth audio connectivity, permitting you to make use of your individual headphones if you happen to desire.
In entrance of the seat is a crisp 24-inch 4K leisure display screen, completely positioned for each upright lounging and mattress mode. It’s one of many largest screens presently provided in Enterprise Class — maybe even too giant for some, given the comparatively shut viewing distance. A pleasant contact is that lots of the seat’s preset positions and lighting controls will be adjusted immediately by way of the touchscreen, along with the bodily controls within the armrest.
The bi-fold tray desk slides out from beneath the display screen and is effectively sized, comfortably accommodating a full meal or a laptop computer. Beneath the display screen and tray desk is a footrest, which turns into a part of the sleeping floor when the seat is absolutely reclined into mattress mode. The footwell isn’t particularly giant and should really feel a bit tight, which barely limits how a lot you’ll be able to transfer your ft round whereas sleeping. It’s not at all uncomfortable, nevertheless it’s additionally not significantly spacious. Personally, I nonetheless desire the staggered format utilized by Emirates in its refurbished Boeing 777s (learn my evaluate right here), which affords noticeably extra room on your ft and permits for larger freedom of motion when sleeping.
What are the finest Enterprise Class seats in Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suites cabin?
- Seats A and Ok (the window positions) really feel essentially the most non-public total, as they’re angled outward towards the window, creating a private nook with minimal disturbance. They’re supreme if you happen to’re flying solo and don’t anticipate a lot interplay with a journey companion.
- If you happen to’re travelling as a pair, the centre pairs (seats D and E) in any row are an excellent selection. When flying alone, the privateness divider between the centre seats will be raised to create two clearly outlined private areas. These seats additionally really feel extra social when travelling collectively, with out sacrificing consolation or privateness.
What are the worst Enterprise Class seats in Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suites cabin?
- Seats situated towards the entrance or the again of the cabin will be much less supreme because of their proximity to the galley and crew work areas, which can end in extra foot site visitors and noise. Whereas these seats nonetheless provide wonderful house and privateness, they might really feel busier if you happen to’re significantly delicate to cabin exercise.
- The only seat, 18K, sits by itself on the very again on the right-hand facet. I’d keep away from this one, because it’s positioned nearly immediately subsequent to the galley.
Click on right here for a seat map of Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suites cabin on the Boeing 777.
5. AMENITIES & BEDDING
Passengers travelling long-haul Enterprise Class with Cathay Pacific obtain a well-rounded number of premium facilities designed to reinforce consolation all through the flight:
- Cathay Pacific has partnered with Bamford, a well-regarded British way of life and wellness model, for its Enterprise Class amenity kits. These are available in 4 totally different colors, every offered in a neatly designed pouch that’s straightforward to reuse past the flight. Inside, you’ll discover important journey gadgets resembling a watch masks, earplugs, mouthwash and a dental equipment, together with Bamford toiletries together with pillow mist, cooling physique gel and multi balm.
- The bedding bundle on Aria Suites is among the many finest provided in Enterprise Class. Every passenger receives a mushy mattress pad that sits on high of the seat in mattress mode, including noticeable cushioning and luxury. The quilt is light-weight but cosy — supreme for sleeping with out overheating — and is effectively sized for many passengers. Slippers and a full-size pillow are additionally supplied, finishing a genuinely snug sleep setup.
- For inflight leisure, Cathay provides premium noise-cancelling headphones, which do a superb job of lowering cabin noise. They’re a transparent step up from normal airline headsets and pair properly with the massive display screen, making it straightforward to totally immerse your self in films, music or just take pleasure in a quieter flight.
6. MEALS
Cathay Pacific’s strategy to eating in Aria Suites is simply as thought of because the cabin itself, beginning with the fantastically designed printed menus. These are clear, elegant and simple to learn, setting the tone for a premium eating expertise reasonably than a typical airline meal. A very good contact is the separate breakfast card, which will be held on the hook inside your suite for the crew to gather, permitting you to decide on if and if you’d wish to be woken for breakfast.
Shortly after take-off, an aperitif was served, accompanied by a roast beef amuse-bouche—a small however well-executed opener that properly set the stage for the principle meal service. For lunch, I selected the next choice from the menu:
- Starter: Smoked salmon and avocado tartar with mustard dressing
- Foremost course: German slow-cooked marinated beef, served with steamed broccolini and carrots and herbed spaetzle, accompanied by a leaf salad with balsamic French dressing
- Dessert: Lemon curd with almond crumble and meringue, adopted by seasonal recent fruit
Cathay additionally affords a number of mid-flight snacks, which will be ordered from the menu at any time in the course of the flight. Mid-flight, I opted for the oven-roasted child cauliflower with romesco sauce, which turned out to be a standout—flavorful, satisfying and effectively above typical airline requirements. Further snacks and recent fruit have been additionally accessible within the galley all through the flight for at any time when starvation struck once more.
Breakfast affords a number of totally different choices, together with wellness, lighter, Chinese language, Western and specific choices, catering to totally different appetites and schedules. I went for the wellness breakfast, which consisted of a cacao chia seed pudding with coconut yogurt and blackberries. This was served alongside recent fruit, plus a pastry and croissant, and a Cathay Delight, the service’s signature non-alcoholic drink, with kiwi fruit juice, coconut milk, and recent mint.
7. ENTERTAINMENT
Cathay Pacific’s inflight leisure on the Aria Suites is, fairly merely, among the many absolute best within the business, and an actual spotlight of the Aria Suites expertise. Every Enterprise Class seat has a crisp 24-inch 4K display screen, one of many largest presently present in Enterprise Class, which is simple to navigate due to a extremely responsive touchscreen interface.
The system is quick and intuitive, giving entry to an unlimited library of films, TV collection, documentaries, music and video games, with sturdy illustration throughout each Western and Asian content material. There’s simply sufficient selection to remain entertained for your entire period of a long-haul flight.
Past conventional leisure, the system additionally affords reside nostril and stomach digicam views, that are particularly pleasurable throughout take-off and touchdown, in addition to an in depth flight-tracking map for keeping track of progress all through the journey. A very sensible characteristic is the flexibility to see which bathrooms are presently accessible immediately on the display screen, saving pointless journeys up and down the aisle.
Along with leisure, the touchscreen permits you to management seat positions (together with preset modes) and varied lighting settings throughout the suite. Whereas there’s additionally a bodily management panel for fast changes, having all the pieces accessible by way of the display screen feels trendy, intuitive and exceptionally effectively thought out.
8. ONBOARD INTERNET
Cathay Pacific offers complimentary Wi-Fi for First and Enterprise Class passengers, in addition to Cathay Diamond members. For everybody else, pricing is ready at $9.95 for a one-hour cross or $21.95 for limitless entry during the flight. Wi-Fi will be accessed just by coming into your final identify and seat quantity. Connectivity was dependable, with seamless switching between gadgets and speeds quick sufficient for each work duties and common searching.
9. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
# CREW: Service onboard was wonderful and really a lot according to what what you’ll anticipate from a premium airline like Cathay Pacific. The cabin crew have been persistently pleasant, attentive and genuinely useful. Requests have been dealt with promptly and with a smile, whether or not it was throughout meal service or for smaller, ad-hoc wants all through the flight. The crew frequently handed by means of the cabin with out ever feeling intrusive, and interactions at all times felt heat {and professional}.
# LAVATORY: The Cathay Pacific Aria Suites Enterprise Class cabin is served by three bathrooms, all of that are stocked with Bamford facilities, together with hand wash and lotion. The bathrooms have been stored in wonderful situation all through the flight, with the crew frequently checking and refreshing them. A very sensible characteristic is the combination with the inflight leisure system, which lets you see in actual time which bathrooms are occupied or accessible immediately on the display screen. It’s a small however considerate element that helps keep away from pointless ready or journeys up and down the aisle.
10. FINAL THOUGHTS & MY VERDICT
Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suites Enterprise Class is a extremely polished evolution of the airline’s long-haul product. The suite affords wonderful privateness with out feeling boxed in, the know-how enhances the journey reasonably than distracting from it, and the mushy product—from bedding to facilities—helps real relaxation on a long-haul flight. Add in among the best inflight leisure programs within the sky and a eating idea that interprets surprisingly effectively onboard, and Aria Suites turns into a really compelling Enterprise Class product.
Given how few Boeing 777s have been refurbished up to now, flying Aria Suites nonetheless looks like one thing of a deal with. If you happen to can snag one—particularly utilizing miles, as I did—that is simply some of the refined and pleasurable methods to cross continents in Enterprise Class in the present day, and a powerful indication of the place Cathay Pacific is heading with its premium providing.
Right here’s my closing evaluate and verdict on Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suites Enterprise Class on the Boeing 777:
- Cabin design: 9/10
- Cabin format: 9/10
- Seat privateness: 9/10
- Seat consolation (upright): 9/10
- Seat consolation (mattress place): 8/10
- Meals (high quality): 9/10
- Meals (amount): 9/10
- Inflight leisure : 10/10
- WiFi: 9/10
- Service: 9/10
- General expertise: distinctive – 9/10
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