Cathay Pacific Business Class Review | International Traveller

Discover everything you need to know about flying from Hong Kong to Sydney in Cathay Pacific business class.

Cathay Pacific is renowned for its exceptional service and luxurious amenities, so I was excited for my first business-class flight with them. And with the carrier ranked No.5 in the World’s Top 100 Airlines 2024, my expectations were sky-high. I flew from Hong Kong to Sydney on their Airbus A350 aircraft which is outfitted with the airline’s newest Business Class seats—another reason my expectations were high.

One question that lingers in the minds of many travellers: Is business class really worth it? With Cathay Pacific, the answer may be clearer than expected.

Pre-departure

This flight was the second leg of my journey from Amsterdam, so I was at Hong Kong International Airport quite early. This was no issue though as I was keen to take advantage of Cathay’s business class lounges which are consistently ranked among the best in the world. The beauty about flying from Hong Kong International Airport is you have not one, but three business class lounges to choose from. This means arriving early at the airport becomes less of a burden and more of a pleasure.

The Pier Business Class Lounge — Enjoy sweet treats and fine teas in the Teahouse section of the lounge.

The check-in process is seamless and while at the airport I visit all three lounges: The Wing, Business, The Pier, Business, and The Deck. I spent most of my time in The Pier as it was the most spacious, boasted the most facilities, and was closest to my departure gate. This sleek space rivals some of the best first-class lounges in the world!

a bowl of noodles at The Pier, Cathay Pacific Business Class — Don’t miss slurping on a heartwarming bowl of wonton noodles.

The food offerings are unparalleled and split the lounge into distinct sections: a deli-style food hall, a Noodle Bar, a Teahouse and a bar. After taking a shower in one of 14 luxurious bathroom suites, I grabbed a barista-made coffee and tucked into a bowl of ready-to-order noodles which did not disappoint.

a man carrying a suitcase, Cathay Pacific — Freshen up in one of 14 luxurious bathroom suites.

If you’re travelling from Hong Kong, a handy tip to keep in mind is you can actually drop off your bags at Hong Kong station or Kowloon station, once you complete your online check-in as early as 24 hours in advance.

Once on the plane and settled into my seat, the crew greeted everyone with a choice of champagne, juice, or coffee, along with a hot towel to freshen up.

a Cathay Pacific crew holding a drink — The crew will greet you with either a glass of champagne, juice, or coffee.

This flight was delayed by approximately 30 minutes, which personally didn’t bother me as I was feeling so comfortable in my seat.

The seat

The ‘Cirrus’ reverse herringbone seats are in a 1-2-1 layout. There are a whopping 46 business class seats in this aircraft, and I was seated in 22D which is part of the middle two configuration, towards the back of the cabin. Sitting in the middle might feel uncomfortable in economy, but here you’re afforded enough privacy, comfort, and direct aisle access that it’s more than tolerable. In saying that, if you have the opportunity to book a window seat, that is your best option.

As mentioned, the seat was new. Designed by Studio F.A. Porsche, this sleek seat is spacious and, thankfully, clean. There’s a small cupboard at shoulder height with a mirrored door and it’s stocked with a leather amenity kit with Bamford products, bottled water, and headphones. There are also charging outlets inside. The footwell is spacious and there’s a storage compartment for you to place a small bag and shoes. There’s also a fixed shelf for you to put things you need easy access to.

a leather amenity kit with Bamford products at Cathay Pacific Business Class — You’ll have your own leather amenity kit with Bamford products.

While there’s no moveable partition between you and the next seat, the reverse herringbone configuration means you can’t see the person sitting next to you unless you lean quite far forward. Leaving the small cupboard door open affords you even more privacy. There are no fully closing doors with these seats.

The pull-out table is sturdy and features enough space to comfortably do some work.

There’s a fixed ottoman footrest, which means you can prop your feet up without having to lie your bed flat if you’re not ready to sleep. But when you are ready to snooze, you can recline your seat to its lie-flat configuration and get comfy with a plush pillow, blanket, and mattress topper. Unfortunately, there were no pyjamas offered on this flight, but slippers were provided.

the window seat with a plush pillow, blanket, slipper and a mattress topper at Cathay Pacific Business Class — Get comfy thanks to the lie-flat setting.

There are two toilets for business class travellers, and they are more spacious than in economy class and feature a window.

Food and beverage

Cathay is renowned for serving good inflight meals. The menu showcases dishes crafted in collaboration with Michelin-starred restaurants: Louise, known for its contemporary French cuisine, and Duddell’s, celebrated for its Hong Kong flavours and comforting homestyle dishes.

Breakfast was served shortly after take-off and the menu offered a generous amount of options: the Wellness breakfast, Lighter breakfast, Chinese breakfast, Western breakfast, and the Express breakfast —perfect for those who want a quick bite before dozing off.

the menu at Cathay Pacific — The generous menu celebrates Hong Kong and French cuisine. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I opted for the first which had fresh fruit, overnight oats in coconut milk with chia seeds and dried apricots—a nice light but hearty meal to enjoy as I settled into the journey ahead.

Because of the time difference between Hong Kong and Sydney, dinner was up next. This was served midway through the flight and included a starter, main, cheese, and dessert. I selected the light curried cauliflower soup with spring onions followed by the wok-fried seafood in lobster broth paired with a glass—both were decent, and the lobster bisque was far from classic plane food.

an inflight meal onboard Cathay Pacific Business Class — Cathay is renowned for serving delicious inflight meals.

As a cheese fiend, my expectations for the offerings on a flight were low, but to my delight, this plate was a tasty mix of Tomme, Montgomery’s cheddar, Bleu d’Auvergne, paired with crackers, green grapes, and Maggie Beer’s spiced pear paste. For dessert, I ordered the tasty Guanaja chocolate cremeux —10/10 for this one.

The classic Cathay Pacific noodle offering is available throughout the flight as well.

The drinks menu spanned a nice selection of international and Australian red and white wines, champagne, spirits, signature drinks and cocktails. I ordered the signature ‘Cloud Nine’ with vodka, Cointreau, sprite and lemon juice… because why not?

drinks onboard Cathay Pacific Business Class — Indulge in tasty sweets perfectly paired with a selection of exquisite wines.

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Entertainment

Cathay won the 2023 Skytrax World’s Best Inflight Entertainment award, so it’s unsurprising there’s a huge catalogue of movies and TV shows to pick from and watch on your 19-inch screen—Hollywood new releases, Disney+ Original titles, Asian cinema classics, HBO Max and award-winning TV box sets. I was flying during the Olympics which was also streaming live.

For those who like to keep track of the journey, the moving map displays use fantastic graphics and 3D technology. There are also tail and wheel cameras to see the exterior of the plane.

I always travel with my own noise-cancelling headphones, but the ones provided also did the job.

Wi-fi was complimentary on this flight departed 30 minutes later than expected, but it did cut in and out a little bit.

an inflight drink onboard Cathay Pacific Business Class — The moving map displays use fantastic graphics and 3D technology. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

Service

The service from start to finish was pleasant and efficient. After boarding, every passenger was personally greeted by a crew member, which can’t help but make you feel valued. Throughout the flight, I had a few requests (the wine menu and extra noodles), and the crew were nothing short of polite and quick.

a Cathay Pacific crew serving inflight meals — The crew provided a warm and welcoming experience throughout the journey.

The verdict

From the luxe lounge experiences to the final hot towel given at the end, flying from Hong Kong to Sydney in Cathay Pacific’s business class highlighted a clear difference between the service and amenities you receive from this airline compared to most others. While business class may come with a higher price tag, those seeking comfort and quality will find it a worthwhile investment, and a memorable travel experience.

Read International Traveller’s review of Qantas A380 business class.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Is Cathay Pacific business class worth it?