Hey, this is exciting! Cathay Pacific is teasing a new business class product, which will debut in a matter of months…
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Cathay Pacific plans new Boeing 777 business class
Hong Kong-based oneworld member Cathay Pacific has announced that it will introduce a new business class seat on its fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs as of the second quarter of 2024. The airline is branding the new product as the “Aria Suite.” So far the airline has just uploaded a roughly 40-second clip to social media with details about the seat, and other than that we’re told to “stay tuned.”
So, what can we figure out based on the video?
- The seats will be in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, based on the center pair of seats facing inwards
- The seats will have privacy doors, which is increasingly becoming the standard in business class
- The seats will have plenty of storage, including the center armrest being movable to expose storage compartments
- The seats will clearly have great tech, including wireless charging, at a minimum
Based on the little information we have so far, I can’t say with certainty which company manufactures the seat. Nowadays so many new business class seats can be customized considerably, so it’s not always so obvious who is manufacturing seats.
If I had to guess, the Collins Aerospace Elements seat seems to be the new “it” product nowadays, as it’s what Starlux Airlines has on its Airbus A350s, and it’s what Etihad Airways will have on its upcoming Boeing 787s. So I certainly could be wrong, but that looks to me like the most likely option, especially as the center armrest design looks pretty similar.
Will other Cathay Pacific aircraft get these new seats?
Keep in mind that Cathay Pacific was initially intending to introduce all-new premium cabins on its Boeing 777-9s, of which the airline has 21 on order. However, that aircraft has been delayed by at least five years due to certification issues, from 2020 to 2025 (or later).
So presumably Cathay Pacific decided it was time to refresh its cabins even before those planes enter service. I would assume that Cathay Pacific intends to introduce the same product on 777-9s, since I can’t imagine the airline would introduce two separate long haul business class products just a couple of years apart.
So far there’s no indication of Cathay Pacific refreshing its Airbus A350s, though I imagine that could come as well.
What about Cathay Pacific first class?
Some of Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 777-300ERs feature a first class cabin. This consists of six seats, spread across two rows in a 1-1-1 configuration. While this isn’t the world’s most private first class, it is one of my favorites.
The announcement of Cathay Pacific’s new 777 business class has no mention of any changes to first class. Is Cathay Pacific really following British Airways’ lead in having doors at business class seats, but not at first class seats? The way I see it, there are a few ways this could play out:
- Perhaps Cathay Pacific will first reconfigure Boeing 777-300ERs in a three cabin layout (without first class), and will announce a new first class in the near future
- Perhaps Cathay Pacific will maintain the current first class on Boeing 777-300ERs for now, and will introduce a new first class on Boeing 777-9s, as planned
- Perhaps Cathay Pacific is introducing a new first class seat as well, but figures it might as well create as much hype as possible by teasing these products separately
Honestly, Cathay Pacific’s first class is excellent, so even without doors, it wouldn’t be a tough sell to maintain this product and get a premium for it over the new business class.
Bottom line
Cathay Pacific will introduce a new business class product on its Boeing 777-300ERs as of the second quarter of 2024, which will be branded as “Aria Suite.” You can expect new reverse herringbone seats with privacy doors and great tech, in what looks to be a great product. I’d assume that this is the same product that will eventually be installed on Boeing 777-9s.
I can’t wait to learn more details! I’m incredibly impressed by this premium product investment given what a tough few years Cathay Pacific has had! Obviously the airline is committed to offering a quality product, and that’s always exciting to see.
What do you make of Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite business class?
CX will have new First class seats, Confirmed by an email by CEO to all Cathay (former MPC) members
There is another possibility. Cathay may cut first class service and reorganize the plane. Further it does not seem like their new seats are awe inspiring.
Such a shame they did not invest in keeping their Aircrew. Over 1500 pilots have resigned and the airline have no hope of training the pilots required to get back to their pre covid schedule .
It was fantastic place to work and have Hong Kong as your home , unfortunately now there are so many better options for pilots ..
I do however love going to the first class lounge in T3...
Such a shame they did not invest in keeping their Aircrew. Over 1500 pilots have resigned and the airline have no hope of training the pilots required to get back to their pre covid schedule .
It was fantastic place to work and have Hong Kong as your home , unfortunately now there are so many better options for pilots ..
I do however love going to the first class lounge in T3 Heathrow fantastic place and I rate it much better then BA and the other one world offerings ..
Seeing as post-pandemic, CX has slammed the door shut on premium awards on popular routes, I am not hopeful of snagging an award seat on this new product, or even the old one.
Take that Lufthansa....:-)
According to this article by TheDesignAir, it's neither of the suppliers some have mentioned. The seat is is from JPA Design's Airtek lineup. I believe they're the first customer for the product.
https://thedesignair.net/2023/08/07/jpas-airtek-seat-finds-a-home-in-cathays-future-fleet/
JPA Deisgn has worked with CX in the past most notably with their Cirrus product found on their 77Ws and select A330s.
Good news indeed. Their 777s are in desperate need of an upgrade/refresh, their seats are worn and torn and some buttons that don't work. I usually avoid flying the 777s and choose their much newer A350s instead.
Am I the only one who doesn't really see the point of this upgrade? They basically already have the exact same business seat. So they're going to spend (presumably) a large amount of money removing their reverse herringbone seats for... a reverse herringbone seats (with some very minor upgrades)? Seems like a poor use of funds when they were so hard hit by the pandemic.
The existing seats need to eventually be replaced as they get worn out, banged, scuffed, etc., both physically and mechanically.
Maybe Cathay needs to change them now anyways, and so it would make sense to introduce these improvements. I agree they're not revolutionary, but the new seats do look stylish.
"The more you give, the more you get in return"
Investing in both soft and hard products helps a company bottom line.
The present seats already are old, since 2010.
Rival airlines have gone through an upgrade in that time (Qatar airways introduced "a new business class seat" in around 2011/2013. Then the qsuite in 2017 and are set on getting a new one in 2025.)
Cathay meanwhile have held on, you can...
"The more you give, the more you get in return"
Investing in both soft and hard products helps a company bottom line.
The present seats already are old, since 2010.
Rival airlines have gone through an upgrade in that time (Qatar airways introduced "a new business class seat" in around 2011/2013. Then the qsuite in 2017 and are set on getting a new one in 2025.)
Cathay meanwhile have held on, you can only argee that they truly need an upgrade.
Expected one with the arrival of their A350-1000, but they preferred to launch it on the B777x which was expected in 2020.
If you read this article carefully (https://jpadesign.com/product/airtek/), it states that the seat is the lightest business class seat ever designed. So less weight = increased fuel savings. And it seems the 77Ws will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
@ArthurSFO - I'm not familiar with the process of replacing seats but I'd imagine airlines have a continuous pipeline of replacement parts for worn out/banged up parts rather than replacing the entire unit every X years.
@Mike O. I did not see that, thanks for pointing it out. This upgrade makes more sense to me now. Especially with the delays in the new 777s, Cathay has to make their current planes work even harder.
I’m onboard CX880 now and the Cabin Crew approached me saying they will have a new first suite soon.
When will the new First Class Suites be announced?
It looks like it’s rather like their A321neo Business product in terms of the colours and finishes with I think is far more elegant than their current long haul product. Looking forward to seeing more details.
For god's sake those in charge for 'new seats' possibly hate flying!
I love flying and have my face glued to the window! I have food and sofa at home, also I do have toiletry and electronic gadgets. They should urgently reshuffle the business seats to the rear and bring upfront the economy class because it seems that those snob business class folks don't mind about flying and admiring the panoramic view from above...
For god's sake those in charge for 'new seats' possibly hate flying!
I love flying and have my face glued to the window! I have food and sofa at home, also I do have toiletry and electronic gadgets. They should urgently reshuffle the business seats to the rear and bring upfront the economy class because it seems that those snob business class folks don't mind about flying and admiring the panoramic view from above even at night. It's simply appalling their outdated unrealistic mind set.
No, it's not outdated and unrealistic. Why would I want to wait for all of economy to disembark? That's crazy.
"Is Cathay Pacific really following British Airways’ lead in having doors at business class seats, but not at first class seats? "
Is that really the end of the world?
I wonder who will get their new seats installed first, Cathay or Lufthansa...
I'm with you. I love flying business class, but doors or a lack thereof is no beg deal. And frankly, in F, I find it even less of a big deal because of the more space.
Of course NOT Lufthansa..:-)
Could this be Optimares' Aria Seats? https://www.optimares.com/aria/
Same company that developed United's and Hawaiian's Business Class seats referred to as their Viva and Maxima products, respectively
Certainly looks like it but really hope not… it looks way too snug
It'll be the "AIRTEK" seat from JPA Design. No other airline has this particular product IIRC.
https://thedesignair.net/2023/08/07/jpas-airtek-seat-finds-a-home-in-cathays-future-fleet/
https://jpadesign.com/product/airtek/
I actually wouldn't be surprised if one of the reasons they chose this particular seat is that the other manufacturers are booked with orders from other airlines.
I know I might be alone in this, but I'll repeat my previous sentiments: Cathay's current seat is faaaaar better to sleep in than most other reverse herringbone products out there (including AC, EY, BA, etc.) because of the foldaway monitor. That and the extra padded surface area means you get more horizontal space and your legs are largely unrestricted. It's a big difference in my experience.
I'm sad to see this appears to moving...
I know I might be alone in this, but I'll repeat my previous sentiments: Cathay's current seat is faaaaar better to sleep in than most other reverse herringbone products out there (including AC, EY, BA, etc.) because of the foldaway monitor. That and the extra padded surface area means you get more horizontal space and your legs are largely unrestricted. It's a big difference in my experience.
I'm sad to see this appears to moving to a fixed setup as with the others.
Cathay will have a new business class before Lufthansa launches their 2017 business class
And Japan Airlines will also start flying their A350-1000s with new seats before Lufthansa.
If there's anything CX does well, it's consistency. The A321neo seat is an evolution of their regional business class seat and this new suite is an evolution of their 77W/A330 as well as their A350 business class seat.
I wonder what they plan to do with their 773s and A330s. While the 773s are up there in age, a lot of their A330s are still fairly young.
Premium Economy definitely needs an upgrade as well.
"I wonder what they plan to do with their 773s" - these seats are for the 773s.
"Savour the quiet luxury of Aria in our redesigned Boeing 777-300ER cabins, ready for departure in Q2 2024." 77W - 777-300ER. 773 - 2-3-2 regional recliners.
The regional recliners are not nearly as old as the 77W's herringbone seats, if I recall correctly. They probably won't update them soon.
They're about a year apart give or take. The first 77W with the Cirrus product entered service in 2011. The first 777 with the recliners went into service in January of 2013. IIRC, the A330 was the first to receive the Cirrus product.
https://www.flightglobal.com/cathay-unveils-new-long-haul-business-class-seat/97332.article
https://news.cathaypacific.com/cathay-pacific-unveils-new-regional-business-class
I'm still curious to see what their plans are in regards to the A330, regional product.
According to this article, they were trying out different seating products, but that...
They're about a year apart give or take. The first 77W with the Cirrus product entered service in 2011. The first 777 with the recliners went into service in January of 2013. IIRC, the A330 was the first to receive the Cirrus product.
https://www.flightglobal.com/cathay-unveils-new-long-haul-business-class-seat/97332.article
https://news.cathaypacific.com/cathay-pacific-unveils-new-regional-business-class
I'm still curious to see what their plans are in regards to the A330, regional product.
According to this article, they were trying out different seating products, but that was 7 years ago.
https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2016/09/cathay-pacific-tests-new-staggered-regional-business-class-seats/
It's a shame that the Cathay Pacific cabin crew is willing to speak Cantonese ONLY.
Not true.
@Julia - but that doesn't fit the trolls' narrative!
What doesn't kill them makes them stronger. Their willingness to invest in a new product is invigorating and shows their resilience as well as determination to create a new era for the CX brand.
If you can't walk into HK airport with a Winnie the Xi t-shirt, it is not one you want to transit through.
You cant do that at Changi either
You cant can’t believe they don’t buy from HAECO…. They have the same largest shareholder after all
Lol
Last time I checked, HAECO doesn't produce Longhaul business class seat yet. Only focusing on premium economy and economy.
Cathay Pacific A350 economy seats are from HAECO and (I think their A321neo economy seats too are from HAECO.)
So Cathay Pacific should accomplish within a matter of months what Lufthansa still can't do after six years. If you need further proof euro carriers are doomed to be followers (and slow ones at that!), here it is. And it goes without saying US carriers are laggards too.
It’s amazing that the carrier has been hit hard by COVID having stored most of its fleet until only recently - so to see them coming back strong is incredible and I look forward in seeing the new product
WOW. I am very excited to read this article. Cathay Pacific may start flying their new business class seat before Lufthansa flies their business class seats they announced 6 years ago.