Airline

Cathay Pacific

The award-winning Aria Suite, the legendary Hong Kong lounges, and First Class while it lasts — nonstop from London.

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from £X,XXX return · less than booking the airline direct

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Hub

Hong Kong International (HKG)

Alliance

oneworld

Fleet

≈ 150 aircraft

Founded

1946

Cabins held

First · Aria Suite · Business · Premium Economy

About the carrier

Cathay Pacific flies nonstop from London and Manchester to its Hong Kong hub, and is one of very few airlines to win Best New Business Class for its current seat. The Aria Suite — a reverse-herringbone Business with a substantial sliding door and an understated, almost residential design — is rolling out across the 777-300ER fleet and already flies the daily London service. Those retrofitted aircraft are three-class, so Cathay's long-admired First Class now flies only on its remaining older 777-300ERs, on its way out as the programme completes. On the ground, Hong Kong's lounges — The Pier and The Wing, with private Cabanas for First — are among the best anywhere. Which cabin you fly depends on the aircraft, and that is what we confirm before you book.

First Class on the 777-300ER remains one of the most spacious in the air — six seats only, in a 1-1-1 configuration, with a particularly long bed and a wide ottoman that serves as a guest seat. The new Aria Suite (Business) introduced in 2024 is the long-awaited Business refresh — 1-2-1 with sliding doors, dual-screen entertainment, and significantly more storage than the older Cirrus Business it replaces. Rolling out across the 777 fleet through 2026.

Signature services

What makes them different.

The Pier First

Cabanas with day-bed & shower at HKG

Aria Suite

New doored Business — A350 & 777 refit

Cabanas

Private shower-suites bookable in 60-min slots

Bamford bedding

Three-piece bedding service in First & Business

Where they shine

What we book them for.

The Pier First Lounge

Day-beds in private rooms, the Cabanas (shower suites with full daybeds), full à la carte dining at The Dining Room. The best arrivals lounge in Asia and arguably the world.

HKG as a hub

Geographically central — under 5h to most of east Asia, 8h to Australia, 13h to Europe. Hong Kong itself works as a destination, not just a connection.

Aria Suite roll-out

The new Business product is excellent — sliding doors, premium upholstery, an LED reading lamp that mimics circadian light. Specify Aria when booking; older Cirrus Business still on many sectors.

oneworld Asia connectivity

Through-fares with Japan Airlines, Malaysia, Cathay codeshare with China Airlines and others. Useful for multi-stop Asian itineraries.

Cathay's Aria Suite is one of the most quietly impressive Business cabins flying — a real door, high walls, and the kind of restraint that reads as expensive — paired with Hong Kong lounges that are a destination in themselves. Against Singapore and ANA it is a matter of which hub suits your onward plans; against British Airways, it is a more private Business and a better lounge. The catch is that the Aria Suite is mid-rollout and the legacy First is disappearing — so if you want either the new suite or the old First, the value is in getting you onto the right aircraft. Tell us your dates and we'll do it.

The take

Our honest read on Cathay Pacific

Where Cathay’s new suite and lounges deliver, and the details worth a call before you book.

Why we rate them

The new Aria Suite is a class leader A reverse-herringbone 1-2-1 Business with a high sliding door — and London flies it daily. Where it operates, Cathay’s Business is among the best in the sky.
The Pier and The Wing are world-class lounges Hong Kong’s Cathay lounges — including the First Class Cabanas — are a genuine highlight of the journey.
A strong Asian hub and oneworld reach Hong Kong connects deep into Asia and Australasia, with the onward network to match.
Service with real polish Cathay’s reputation for refined, understated service holds up — a carrier that gets the details right.

Good to know

The Aria Suite is on retrofitted 777s — about half so far Roughly 14 of 30 long-haul 777-300ERs carry it (all by end 2027), on select routes. London flies it daily, but we confirm the aircraft on your dates.
The retrofit removes First Retrofitted 777s are three-class; legacy First survives only on remaining older 777-300ERs and is disappearing through 2027. If First is the brief, we’ll find the frequencies that still carry it — while they last.
The A350 has its own Business — not Aria A good 1-2-1 seat, but a different product. We’ll tell you which aircraft, and which cabin, flies your route.
A new First (“Halo Suite”) is expected on the 777-9 — not yet flying We won’t sell you a cabin that isn’t in the air; we’ll tell you what’s real today.

The network

Where they fly.

The UK services we book most, and the onward sectors that matter beyond Hong Kong.

From London

London HeathrowMultiple daily, nonstop to Hong Kong
ManchesterNonstop to Hong Kong
Onward at Hong KongTo Australia, Japan and across Asia

Strongest sectors

London → Hong KongAria Suite 777 daily (CX255/250); First on remaining older 777s
Hong Kong → Sydney / MelbourneOnward to Australia — Aria Suite routes
Hong Kong → Tokyo / Bangkok / Bali / SingaporeAcross Asia
Hong Kong → San Francisco / Vancouver / Los AngelesAria Suite to North America

Cathay Pacific flies nonstop from London and Manchester to Hong Kong, and onward across Asia and to Australia — if Cathay flies it, we price it. The Aria Suite and the legacy First vary by aircraft; we route you onto the one you want. Fares quoted from the UK.

The seat products

The cabins, in detail.

Each cabin product Cathay Pacific flies, with the seat type, configuration, bed length and the aircraft you'll find it on.

First · cabin imageryCathay First Class

First

Cathay First Class

1-1-1 configuration

1-1-1 · 6 seats · 777-300ER

Six First seats on the 777-300ER, all 1-1-1 with a privacy partition. Particularly wide ottoman that doubles as a guest dining seat. The cabin feels more like a private compartment than a Suite — not enclosed, but spacious, with very high seatbacks. Bedding by Bamford; amenities by PYE.

SeatCathay First Suite — wide armchair + separate ottoman
Pitch / bed81" fully flat
Configuration1-1-1
Aircraft777-300ER (legacy First aircraft, limited fleet)
NotableThe Pier First & Cabanas at HKG; Wing Cabanas; à la carte dining

Business · cabin imageryAria Suite

Business

Aria Suite

1-2-1 with doors configuration

1-2-1 with doors · A350 refit, 777 rolling

The new Business product introduced in 2024. Reverse herringbone with a full sliding door (rare on widebody Business — most have only partitions). 18.5-inch wide seat, 82-inch bed, dual screens, more storage than any of CX's previous Business products. Rolling out across the A350 fleet first, then 777-300ER through 2026.

SeatCathay Aria Suite — reverse herringbone with door
Pitch / bed82" fully flat
Configuration1-2-1 with doors
AircraftA350-1000 (refit), rolling to 777-300ER
NotableSpecify Aria when booking; older Cirrus product still on many 777s

Business · cabin imageryBusiness (Cirrus)

Business

Business (Cirrus)

1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration

1-2-1 herringbone · 777, older A350

The legacy Cathay Business — reverse herringbone, no door, 1-2-1. Still strong — 21-inch wide, lie-flat, full aisle access — but the Aria upgrade has made the difference visible. Particularly common on the 777-300ER pre-refit, which is most of the transpacific fleet through 2025.

SeatCollins Cirrus, Cathay-spec
Pitch / bed82" fully flat
Configuration1-2-1 reverse herringbone
Aircraft777-300ER (legacy), A350-900 (older configuration)
NotableSame Pier Business at HKG; same on-board service

Premium Economy · cabin imageryPremium Economy

Premium Economy

2-4-2 configuration

2-4-2 · 38" pitch · widebody fleet

Strong Premium Economy with leather Recaro seats, 38-inch pitch, 8-inch recline, footrest. Available on most widebody aircraft. Particularly worth flying to HKG for the dedicated Premium check-in and the access to the The Deck lounge at HKG.

SeatRecaro PL3530, leather
Pitch / bed38" pitch · 8" recline
Configuration2-4-2
Aircraft777, A350-1000, A350-900
NotableSame priority check-in as Business at HKG

A restaurant in the skyThe Pier Dining Room

On board · in flight

The Pier Dining Room

Cathay's HKG First lounge — The Pier — has a separate Dining Room serving à la carte all day, with dim sum, Cantonese roast and a Western menu in parallel. Reason enough to take an earlier flight to use it.

The Dining Room
Sit-down restaurant inside The Pier First — multi-course Cantonese and Western menus
In-flight First
Dom Pérignon Champagne, à la carte ordering, caviar service, fine dining plating
On Aria Suite
Three-course plated service with the same wine list as First
Noodle Bar
In-flight noodle bar on selected long-haul — wonton, dan dan, Singapore

The fleet

Aircraft & the premium seats on board.

What Cathay Pacific operates today, and which cabin you'll be seated in on each. Cabin counts are typical configuration — sub-fleets vary.

Aircraft	First	Business	Premium Economy	Notes
Airbus A350-1000	—	46 Aria (refit)	32 PE	Flagship; LHR, JFK, MAN
Airbus A350-900	—	38 Cirrus (refit pending)	28 PE	Regional flagship; SYD, NRT
Boeing 777-300ER	6 First	53 Cirrus / Aria (mix)	34 PE	Transpacific flagship
Boeing 777-300	—	40 Cirrus	32 PE	Older fleet; regional Asia
Airbus A330-300	—	24 (1-2-1)	21 PE	Intra-Asia regional

From the UK

UK departures: what you'll actually fly.

Cathay's cabin depends on the aircraft — the Aria Suite is replacing both the old Business and the old First as the 777 fleet is retrofitted. This is the picture today, and we confirm your aircraft before you book.

Aircraft	Where you'll find it	Business	First
777-300ER (Aria Suite, "77J")	Newest. Hong Kong: London, Frankfurt, Milan, Sydney, Melbourne, San Francisco, Tokyo, Vancouver (+ Los Angeles)	Aria Suite — reverse-herringbone with doors, 45 seats	No First (the retrofit removes it)
777-300ER (older "77A")	Some long-haul, incl. some London frequencies	Older reverse-herringbone Business (no door)	First Class — the legacy 1-1-1 cabin, disappearing through 2027
A350-900 / A350-1000	Long-haul, incl. some UK and Australia	1-2-1 reverse-herringbone Business, direct aisle access	No First
A330	Regional Asia (Aria Studio coming late 2026)	1-2-1 Business	No First

Verified against Cathay Pacific schedules · June 2026. Equipment changes — we re-check your exact flight at booking.

Not sure which aircraft is on your dates? That's exactly what we're for— tell us whether the seat, the timing or the fare matters most, and we'll match the flight to it.

Before the gate

The ground experience.

Lounges, transfers and small differences that make a long itinerary easier.

Hong Kong · Terminal 1

The Pier First Lounge

Day-beds in private rooms. The Cabanas — full shower suites with day-bed and tub — bookable in 60-minute slots. The Dining Room serves à la carte all day. Open to First and oneworld Emerald passengers.

Hong Kong · Terminal 1

The Wing First & Business

Older flagship lounge with the Cabanas (shower-suites) and Champagne Bar. Open to First and Business. The Pier and The Wing are at opposite ends of the terminal — most clients prefer The Pier.

Hong Kong

The Bridge, The Deck, The Cabin

Three additional CX-operated lounges at HKG — The Deck (Business), The Bridge (Business, with the long view of the apron), The Cabin (the smaller lounge with a strong coffee bar). Open by cabin or status.

Before you ask

Questions we're asked about Cathay Pacific.

What is the Aria Suite?

The Aria Suite is Cathay's award-winning new Business Class: a reverse-herringbone seat with a high sliding door and a calm, residential design, 45 to a cabin, with direct aisle access for every seat. It flies on retrofitted 777-300ERs (shown as “77J”), including the daily London service. Tell us your route and we'll confirm a flight that has it.

Does Cathay Pacific still have First Class?

Yes, for now — Cathay's long-admired First Class flies on its remaining older 777-300ERs, but the Aria Suite retrofit makes those aircraft three-class, so First is gradually disappearing through 2027, with a new First expected later on the 777-9. If you want the First cabin, the window is closing, and we'll find a flight that still has it.

Can I fly the Aria Suite from the UK?

Yes — Cathay flies it nonstop from London to Hong Kong on the daily CX255/250, with more routes as the fleet is retrofitted, and it also serves Manchester. Because the rollout is mid-stream, we check the seat map and put you on an Aria Suite aircraft.

What are the Hong Kong lounges like?

Among the best in the world: The Pier and The Wing at Hong Kong, with à la carte dining, the Champagne bar and — for First passengers — private Cabanas with a daybed and a bath. We'll make sure your connection leaves time to enjoy them.

How much is Cathay Business or First from the UK?

Indicatively from £X,XXX return in the Aria Suite on the contracted trade fares we hold; First is quoted on request. Tell us your dates and the exact figure follows the same hour.

Is Cathay Pacific in an alliance?

Yes — Cathay is a oneworld member, alongside British Airways, Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines, so connections and lounge access work across the alliance, useful well beyond Hong Kong.

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The same seat the airline sells — for less than booking direct.

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Cathay Pacific

What makes them different.

The Pier First

Aria Suite

Cabanas

Bamford bedding

What we book them for.

The Pier First Lounge

HKG as a hub

Aria Suite roll-out

oneworld Asia connectivity

Our honest read on Cathay Pacific

Where they fly.

The cabins, in detail.

Cathay First Class

Aria Suite

Business (Cirrus)

Premium Economy

The Pier First Lounge has a sit-down restaurant, private day-bed rooms, and Cabanas with full showers. It is also the reason we book Cathay.

The Pier Dining Room

Aircraft & the premium seats on board.

UK departures: what you'll actually fly.

The ground experience.

The Pier First Lounge

The Wing First & Business

The Bridge, The Deck, The Cabin

Questions we're asked about Cathay Pacific.

Fly Cathay Pacific for less.

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