Cathay Pacific's 777s Are Getting Tighter Economy Seats & Wifi

I thought as an award/upgrade/discount J "premium" pax you'd never be found in Y-cabin on a long haul flight, let alone on CX. Still get a good chuckle out of your 2013 JFK-GRU post on narrowly avoiding Y.

It would be great to see some US carriers adopt the in-seat technology for the IFE box. Some of these boxes take up a significant amount of the footwell area.

Sad idea, but it makes sense, since Cathay planes are consistently packed.

Planes are consistently packed and they lost money. The issue may be v the management then.

So the days of CX upgrading Y passengers to J and J to F because of the chronic overbooking issues they face are soon to be history.. I can only think of DL, SQ, TG, and GA as major airlines not packing 3-4-3 on their 777s. It's probably a matter of last man standing..

At this point I'm pretty confident GA and SQ will remain the final two airlines with 9 across. SQ because they sell themselves on comfort, GA because their 777s are really just a status symbol.

JL still has 9 across. And much better seat pitch than other airlines too.

@Karens

Very true. Also just learned that KE, OZ, and NH still have a 3-3-3 configuration on their 777s. Moreover, the Koreans also have above-average legroom.

If anything, perhaps we'll see them pull a Delta and reduce legroom before adding an extra seat per row. The Koreans might be the last to do it (if they do it) because if they can afford to equip only 277 seats on something as expensive to run as a 77W, then reducing legroom per economy seat is more likely to be considered first methinks

BA also has 9 across on 777 with no plans for this to change on the Heathrow aircraft.

It makes sense, people who care about comfort and don't just want the cheapest ticket would probably not pay for economy anyway.

Cathy also now charging £80 to reserve seat

@milgom, pretty ridiculous statement. The gap between economy and premium economy prices are huge. For someone who is broad shouldered and actually lifted weights, this adds CX to EK and EY to airlines I'll avoid with the 777 from my airport.

After flying on an Etihad 777 10 seat across, all I can say is never again. Thankfully I believe CX is replacing the 777 with a A350 on the MAN-HKG route so it shouldn't be too bad, even a QR 787 is better than a 777 with a 3-4-3

Flew on an LX 777 in Y - never again. On 9-abreast configs I'd fly any day - but the 3-4-3 seats are just wrong.
Even though technically similar in terms of width, I didn't mind seats on DLs 744 or LATAMs 787 for example...not exactly roomy, but not brutal.

Air NZ went to 3-4-3 with 773s and all I ever see on traveller forums is gripes, aisle seat pax get bumped all the time by passing crew and pax. Crew also hate them as the narrow aisles make trolley movements difficult.

Great, so with WIFI, CX will become just like the MTR in Hong Kong. Can't wait to hear the sounds of candy crush, war games and Chinese opera blaring from pax devices, just like my morning commute.

BA cattle is also 3-3-3 on the 777 -> yes they are changing this now for flights out of Gatwick to 3-4-3; but LHR are not yet subject to this!

On the route from HKG-Europe or vice versa i find it the most specious and comfortable cattle class (I tired them all)

My wife 5 '5" just reported that neither she or the normal height passengers had enough leg room. Traveling from Hong Kong to Boston on Cathay Pacific.
A month from now I will be traveling on the same leg.
I called the airline and Audrey informed me that the legroom on economy is 32" on the 777.
I did assure her that I will bring a tape measure and if the leg room is not 32" (according to the contract) hell will break loose on line and off line.
I ALSO MADE IT CLEAR THAT I AM NOT INTERESTED IN POLITICAL ASPECTS OF TRUMP OR CHINESE NATURE. I'M ONLY FOCUSED ON DELIVERY ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT.
STAY TUNED!!!