Review: Cathay Pacific Aria Suite Business Class Boeing 777 (LHR-HKG)

Hi Ben, you mentioned here the CX Aria footwell fells a bit tight, but on the Starlux review you mentioned that the footwell was spacious. Given both seats were based on the same model (Collins Aerospace Elements) - can you elaborate how the footwell differs between the CX vs Starlux seats? I noticed the Starlux one has a small ledge are to one side of the footwell and does look a bit more spacious than the CX one - any thoughts?

Surprised you didn't take advantage of the HK style milk tea!

Anyway, Does Aria have live TV? I know they do on the neos as well as the A350, but I'm not sure with the 777 and A330s.

What kind of Wi-Fi speeds were you getting? And how does it compare to the A350?

This would be just a matter of opinion and personal taste, but how do you like the new colours compared to the previous champagne and jade green?

I was worried Cathay Pacific might fall by the wayside, as it seems (or seemed) Hong Kong was. It clearly seems that's not true, and that their vision for the future is to be as good as ever. Looks like a great flight. I can't wait to try it myself!

"Surprised you didn't take advantage of the HK style milk tea!"

I'm sure Nonstop Dan will/has...

That looks solid, can't wait to check it out some time.

After a few years of deep struggle, CX is well and truly back with its A-game. In recent years Ben has raved about the impeccable soft product of East Asian airlines like EVA and SQ, even though the hard product was not the most cutting-edge. The Oneworld duo of JAL and CX are leading the charge — Cathay all the more so with its incredible entertainment selection and Westernised branding, which airlines like EVA don’t have at all.

And I’m so glad that HKG is as great as ever. I’ve transited through it a couple of times, and while a shadow of its former self, I’m thrilled to be visiting Hong Kong proper for the first time this month!

Love the new tech such as the "wake-up" menu and lavatory availability map. Even better, that express breakfast option. That's what I find myself wanting after most redeye flights: maximum time to sleep and a coffee + pastry just before landing.

As more and more airlines update their J to similar/better hard products, it's small touches like those that separate the great from the good

Lucky..how did you find the seat padding on this seat?

I've always found the OG seat on the 777-300ERs well padded and comfortable. However, i did not find the seat on the A350 too comfortable...it felt too firm and lumpy. I hope this new seat has the padding that the OG 77W seat had.

Ben, So often you’ll see new product on A330, A350s, or Boeing Dreamliners. I’m curious how old the 777 was and how it’s holding up compared to newer aircraft?

Millennials love every shade of beige.

"It’s also not ideal to queue for an area with just one lavatory, since you never know if you’ll be waiting for 30 seconds, or 15 minutes."

But isn't the point of being able to see from your seat with lavatories are occupied supposed to get rid of any potential queuing?

Also, with regards to the menu, weren't there 5, not 4, mains being offered? I get the roasted cauliflower is also on the "all day" menu as well, but still.

Also, I wish you had ordered the burger as a snack, just to compare it to the Delta/Shake Shack offering.

Give that express breakfast to everyone in J and they start screaming about cost cutting and poor service. Go figure.

Notice how they said option, and not forcing it onto everyone?

The flexibility is nice.

Why do you write like you're doing marketing PR for these airlines lmao

Thanks for this super detailed review! Must have taken a while

Does CX release more award space to their own program versus partner programs like Alaska? I haven't seen any award availability when searching through Alaska.

No, the flexibility is not nice. Once the airline starts serving full breakfast to a few, who manage to bang and scrape their cutlery on every bowl and plate, everyone is awake, whether they want to be or not.

They serve it at the same time. If they're eating, you'll want to wake up to get something before landing regardless?

Poor design with the door gap. I don't agree with Ben that there is always a gap. Certainly not with Q Suites.

It's not so much about privacy as it is having a barrier that shields you from distracting activity in the aisle. It's more relaxing when you don't see any of it while in your own cocooned space.

I miss the approach to the old HKG airport!!! What a thrill as you had to make that sharp turn over the city while skimming the top of buildings…then over the harbor…a real test of a pilots skill.

Gimme my wide, reclining lounge chairs back and keep your economy sized lie flat seats! Twenty one inches is wide?? There's at least that much hard plastics alongside, and they can manage a 24 inch screen??? How absurd! This is not a Cathay Pacific issue, rather ALL airli es have bought into this design concept which is why Premium Economy is taking off.

Great review, but it's not clear to me from the pictures where the wireless charger is?

You definitely luck out with a good crew. CX's London based crews are consistently inconsistent. While I respect your opinion, I am not a fan of their new breakfast service. It is just a cost-cutting effort by doing an one-tray service. The sad thing is that the service was even more efficient than before. I ordered the mid-flight snack even if it is like an hour prior to breakfast service now. The crews were aware on the smaller breakfast portion now. The irony is that the flight is much longer now especially Hong Kong to Europe.

The Aria Suites look nice but not sure if I am going to go out of my way to seek them out. Starlux's version seems to be a bit more spacious.

Thanks for sharing again!

CX needs A380 to handle the heavy traffic to and from LHR.

Totally agree. As an introvert, me not seeing anyone else is as relaxing as anyone else not seeing myself.

Haven't been on a Qsuite yet so I can't tell whether is your statememt true or not, but practically all business class 'suite' seats seem to have a gap between the cradle and the door. What I'm not sure is about though is then why do some first class suites don't have a gap - is there a more sophisticated (in other words, costly) safefy measure for those suites?

Ben. On the CX meal trays do they use a linen tray liner or is it paper? I see the table linen on the pull out tray but can’t tell about the other.

Ben, would be grateful to get your comments/thoughts on this as you have given slightly contradicting comments on what is basically the same product (Aria and Starlux A359 J). Thanks

Yes, you definitely see more availabilities on Asia Miles than on Alaska's.

About a month ago, I flew HKG-LHR, and I logged into my trip on CX website and pre-select additional menu options not available on the paper menu up to 24 hours prior to departure. I wonder CX has the same offering for LHR departure.

I liked them until they refused to reimbursement me $190 for the brand new suitcase they ripped. Instead they made me spend several hours getting it repaired for $40 plus hours of endless repetitious paperwork. When I complained in writing, email, and phone call that this was not how to treat a customer who spent $22k+ on the tickets they didn't even respond.

Indeed - arrivinging at Kai Tak airport wasnt just an arrival....it was an event . The old checkerboard approach was awesome as a young av-geek, thundering in on Malayan Airways Comet 4's, Air India & BOAC 707's and my favourite, BOAC VC.10's. It was too small for the eventual traffic - but it was still a sad day when it closed for the final time. A real bit of history gone forever

Me Too... But it used to be a little scary thinking about how tired the pilots might be. I also flew the United Airlines (or was it Pan-Am) 747-SP non-stop from SFO-HKG in the very early days and even the flight crew looked totally exhausted from the 16+ hr flights.

But the landings were so memorable. What with 747 flying between buildings on Tsimchatsui.