Cathay Pacific rolled out improved inflight catering for First Class in December on flights to New York to complement their updated Bamford bedding so I was excited to review the changes.
The Hong Kong to New York route is considered Cathay’s flagship route and my flights in October certainly lived up to expectations.
Boarding was again very well organised with dedicated lines for First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class, with passengers needing special assistance boarding first.
Hong Kong Airport is designed to offer great apron views from every gate and it’s always exciting to see your plane at the gate, ready to fly you away.
In this post:
Cathay Pacific First Class Review – CX840 Hong Kong To New York
Cathay Pacific 840
Hong Kong (HKG) – New York (JFK)
Sunday, December 15
Depart: 04:05PM
Arrive: 08:15PM
Duration: 16hr10min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER (77W)
Seat: 1A (First Class)
Boarding was through Door 1L today, with both aerobridges consistently used when departing Hong Kong, and I was welcomed aboard and escorted to my seat by the cabin crew. Within minutes both Quentin and Gary had come to introduce themselves, and commenced the pre-departure service of distributing the Bamford amenity kit, PYE pyjamas (which I regard as the best offered by any airline), menu and of course a drink of your choice.
The PYE pyjamas come in different colours so I received a dark green pair to go with my navy blue pair from October.
Cathay Pacific rotate their champagne offering in First Class on a monthly basis and in December they were serving Krug 2004. It’s widely considered the best champagne offered by Cathay and is also seen in Singapore Airlines First Class.
The bottle was presented and then poured seatside, as you would expect at a good restaurant, and served with warm nuts.
A new ‘service moment’ has been introduced as part of the pre-departure service with a sparkling jasmine tea by JING Tea served on a beautiful brass tray along with a hot towel and welcome note.
Boarding was completed efficiently, with a few Business Class passengers also boarding through Door 1L today, and soon we were taxiing out to the runway. That moment the plane turns left onto the runway is magical, and is followed by the GE90 engines powering up to takeoff thrust to take us up above the clouds and on our way to New York.
Once we were up at cruising altitude, drink orders were taken and that meant another lovely glass of Krug 2004, served with a beef and chickpea amuse bouche, while watching the sun slowly set.
First Class Food & Wine Menus
The key difference compared to October on this exact flight was the inflight catering. Cathay Pacific have revamped menus for New York and London flights so far, with the remaining First Class routes to follow in 2020.
Printed on beautiful hunter green card with gold print, the menus themselves were incredibly stylish.
Dinner would be served after takeoff and then breakfast a few hours out from New York, which is just right for this 16 hour flight.
Drinks are now printed on a single page and I was pleased to see the splendid Chateau Lynch Bages 2008 on the menu again, plus the excellent Krug 2004 champagne.
Caviar service was unchanged, along with a Chinese Favourites and International Favourites options. The seasonal addition of a claypot rice was good to see, as it was apparently very popular when served a number of years ago.
Breakfast remained fairly similar to what was offered previously, which was a good thing given I enjoyed the abalone congee.
First Class Caviar & Dinner
With Business Class providing a full flat bed and direct aisle access, airlines are differentiating First Class in the air with excellent dining and luxury touches like vintage champagne and caviar.
Caviar service on Cathay Pacific is done properly with individual servings of caviar and a mother of pearl spoon. Every single piece of the place setting is new, with Riedel wine glasses and new flatware designs made by Noritake.
The delicious roasted sweet corn soup was poured seatside, as is done at a nice restaurant, and was accompanied by a personal bread basket.
With the main course on its way, it was time to switch to the Lynch Bages!
A glass of the Lynch Bages complemented the pork ribs well, though the truffle flavour wasn’t particularly present in the dish. The new salt and pepper dishes were very stylish and a pinch of each enhanced the flavour of the claypot rice.
For dessert I went with the superb dark chocolate and pear gateau. The chocolate was molten as you would find in a lava cake and pear perfectly poached.
Overall, the main improvement in food was the excellent dessert and novelty of claypot rice at 35,000 feet. The beef tenderloin on the previous menu was superb, so it was a shame that is gone. The new service items are beautiful and feel a step up from the previous version.
Free Inflight Wifi
Cathay Pacific now offers free inflight wifi for First Class passengers. Normally US$19.95 for flights over 6 hours, all a First Class passenger needs to do is login with their Seat Number and Surname for unlimited complimentary internet.
I was able to login without issue, with websites and social media loading quickly.
Cathay Pacific First Class Bed
After a pot of JING Silver Needle tea, it was time to change into the PYE pyjamas while my seat was converted into one of the largest beds in the sky.
Bamford’s 600 thread count organic cotton sheets are wonderfully luxurious, and combined with the plush duvet and mattress pad, make for one of the best beds in the sky.
A Bamford pillow mist is also provided and offers a calming forest scent, helping me get a good night’s rest.
First Class Breakfast
Breakfast service now begins with a hot towel and juice, served on the same style tray as the sparkling tea on boarding. It was a refreshing way to start the meal and helps you wake up.
Continuing the fruit theme I began with a fresh fruit plate with watermelon, honeydew, berries, kiwifruit, dragonfruit and orange. A slice of lime is now provided for some extra flavour and woke up my tastebuds.
For the hot breakfast I decided on yum cha at 35,000 feet with abalone congee and steamed dumplings, accompanied by jasmine tea.
With breakfast cleared away, the sun started to set again and it was time to enjoy a few more glasses of the delicious Krug 2004 before landing.
Cathay Pacific First Class Review Summary
Cathay Pacific already offered a consistently excellent First Class product and has managed to improve it further. The new menus and service items feel luxurious, almost like an extension of the Ilse Crawford designed The Pier First Class lounge.
Service on this flight from Quentin and Gary was exemplary, really making the flight special.
While the ‘bones’ of the Cathay Pacific First Class seat are over a decade old, the experience is still world class.
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Review: Cathay Pacific Economy Class 77W
Review: Cathay Dragon Economy Class A321
Review: Cathay Dragon Business Class A320
Review: The Wing First Class Lounge
Review: Cathay Pacific First Class 77W
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Review: Cathay Pacific First Class New York – Hong Kong
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Review: The Wing Business Class Lounge
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Summary – Highlights & Points Earned
