Cathay Pacific Airways - CPA > Reviews > Beware of strangling seatbelts!

Author's product rating:   

Food Quality	Excellent
Customer Service	Friendly and attentive
Punctuality	Always on time
Space	Comfortable
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Slick, Safe and Speedy
Disadvantages:	Lack of TV on Demand in Economy, needs to keep progressing

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Firstly; a disclaimer: I'm a relative of a Cathay Pilot, so I hope this review doesn't appear too biased towards Cathay! Hopefully though, I'll be able to give some useful insight into how the airline works!

HISTORY:
Cathay Pacific Airways was founded in 1946 by Roy C. Farrell and Sydney De Kantzow. Orginally based in Shangahi, it soon moved to Hong Kong, where it has been based ever since. It was taken over in 1948 by the Swire group, one of Hong Kong's leading trading companies at the time, and still a very significant financial player in the territory.
From its humble beginnings, Cathay Pacific has continued to expand its fleet and its destinations. It has 103 wide-bodied aircraft; owning both Boeing and Airbus planes. A delivery of the brand-new Boeing 777-300ER will take place in September of this year. The airline has one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the sky today. Incidentally, Cathay Pacific's very first aircraft, affectionately known as "Betsy", was found flying around the Australian outback, many years after her retirement from the airline. She was brought back to HK, restored, and is now displayed in all her glory at the Hong Kong Science museum.
Cathay Pacific flew out of Hong Kong's Kai Tak airport until the 6th July 1998, when it, along with the rest of the old airport, moved to the fantabulous, brand-spanking new Chep Lap Kok airport.
Today, Cathay flies to over 104 destinations in 35 countries. As part of the "oneworld" alliance which includes such airlines as BA, Qantas and American Airlines, Cathay also shares flights (known as "codeshare") with other airlines. Ultra-long-haul flights from Europe and America to Australia/New Zealand require connections that (not surprisingly) go through its home, Hong Kong.

SAFETY:
For all the Whizz-Bang interiors and pretty Flight Attendants, if an airline has a bad safety record, then I'm off. Fortunately, Cathay is one of the safest airlines in the world. Their pilots, hailing mostly from Australia, NZ, the UK and North America and Canada, undergo top class training, with constant checks and tests. They are extremely professional and the Civil Aviation Authority is very pleased with their safety record. The Cabin Crew similarly are well trained and professional.

FOOD:
The food onboard is, in the main, good, plentiful and usually tasty. Most flights have a choice between an Asian and a European Style Western meal, and a (usually Western) vegetarian dish such as pasta. It is possible to pre-book a vegetarian meal, but if you've forgotten, or just simply don't feel like eating meat, then you're probably OK. Free drinks and snacks are given out before the meal service, and drinks are also offered during the main meal. I usually find it easy to obtain snacks throughout the flight. Sometimes the Cabin Crew offer noodles around to passengers mid-flight, but a stroll to the galley is ultimately fruitful!
Food in Business and First Class is superb, with a number of courses offered alongside good wines, spirits, and even non-alcoholic cocktails! The choice of dishes can get a little monotonous if you fly often, but that's to be expected on any airline. Menus are usually changed every month, and vary between routes. There are a number of meal choices for those with dietary or religious requirements; mention this when booking and you will receive your special meal a few minutes before the main meal service starts.

ENTERTAINMENT:
In first and Business class passengers can watch TV, movies, or listen to music on demand. An in-seat remote control lets you choose what to watch, and fast-forward, rewind or pause whenever you like, which is handy for when you need to scurry off to the toilet mid-movie. There are several CD's loaded into the system as well, so if you want to give your eyes a rest, you can choose from a range of music
In Economy, there are various channels offering movies and TV shows which run on "Cycles", with a 15/20 minute break in between each cycle. This can be very irritating if you want to watch 2 things that are on at the same time on different channels. You usually have to wait for the next cycle to begin. Whilst other airlines have introduced Entertainment on Demand in Economy, Cathay has not. There is room for improvement in this area.

COMFORT:
Every time I travel, I find the interiors to be spotlessly clean. The seats are upholstered in shades of blue and grey, which is pleasing and soothing to the eye.
Seatwise, whilst First Class is very comfortable, with fully flat sleeper seats, soft pillows and down-filled duvets, both Business and Economy classes could benefit from some improvements. Whilst the Business class seats do recline, they do not recline flat, and you end up sleeping on an angle. This means that you have the unfortunate tendency to slide down the seat during the night, finding yourself waking up crumpled in a heap at the bottom of the seat with the seatbelt attempting to strangle you. This problem has been improved in recent years, but again, with fully-reclining Business class seats in other airlines, Cathay cannot afford to keep these seats for long!
Economy seats are what you'd expect. They can be narrow, especially for those of us with Western-Sized Hips. Thankfully, none of the aircraft have 5 seats in the middle, so you never need fear being faced with the unappealing option of apologetically clambering over two people in each direction. The number of window seats tapers off down the back of the cabin, so you may be lucky and have a 2-person window configuration if you sit down the back, rather than a 3 person one.

SERVICE:
The Cabin Crew are wonderfully polite and efficient. They come from many Asian countries, so there are a wide variety of languages spoken on board, as well as English, which is mandatory. The Crew are well-trained and deal well with the unpredictable. Asian people are generally quite short, so many a time I have seen a Crew member struggling to reach deep into an overhead locker! I do giggle a little, being 5 foot 10, and feeling like a lumbering giant in their presence. I can check my own locker without having to stand on my tippytoes, though! Safety is a high priority for the crew, although they could be stricter on procedures during turbulence. I often see people going to the toilet when the seatbelt sign is on, and the crew do little or nothing to stop them. I know it's inconvenient, especially when it seems like the flight is going smoothly and you're desperate for the loo, but the pilots do know what they're doing!

GROUND STAFF:
They are always friendly and professional. At Hong Kong Airport especially, they will do their utmost to help. There are special counters for those checking in with oversized baggage, in groups, or on standby. Class-specific check-in is clearly shown to avoid confusion, and USA-Bound flights get their special check in lines to accommodate the extra safety precautions. My bags have only been left behind once, on a flight from HK to London and we were informed as soon as we arrived, filled out the necessary paperwork, and they were transferred to our Hotel in the remote Welsh Countryside within 2 days! If this is the kind of service they provide for us staff, then I'm very impressed! Most other airports have had good ground service, including multi-lingual staff, and short check-in queues.

PUNCTUALITY:
The airline is VERY punctual. Boarding is done sensibly, with extra time given to families, the elderly and those with disabilities. Boarding is done by rows, with separate lines for First/Business passengers and Economy passengers. Flights are usually on time, or often early. The Captain will give an update if there is a delay, giving detailed reasons. Flights into HK also display information for connecting flights, so it's easy to make it to your next gate in time. Upon landing, doors are opened quickly, and Cabin Crew do a thorough check of seats and lockers. Things that are left onboard are collected and kept for claiming. I once left a jumper on board, and after making it into the terminal, I informed a staff member who quickly went back and got it for me, with a smile.

VALUE FOR MONEY:
With Cathay, you get what you pay for. They can be more expensive than other airlines, depending on where and when you book but I personally find the money well worth it. They make the flight experience as enjoyable as possible, and, most importantly, you get there safe.

Overall, Cathay lives up to its reputation. Their employees are very proud to work for them, and the company itself is responsive to the public. They actually listen to you! I've been asked many times to fill in inflight surveys, giving my feedback on all aspects of the Cathay Pacific experience. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to, being staff, but I've heard from friends that once you've completed the survey Cathay will contact you in a few days thanking you for your opinions, and addressing any pertinent points that you made.

Although Cathay has an excellent reputation in the aviation world, they cannot afford to become complacent. They must continue to innovate when it comes to seating and entertainment, to stay one of the best airlines in the world. If this review has intrigued, impressed, or just plain convinced you to fly with Cathay, then check out www.cathaypacific.com for more information about the airline, prices, and timetables.