The Details

• Flight: CX884
• Aircraft: B777-300ER
• Class: First
• Seat: 1A
• Route: Hong Kong International (HKG)-Los Angeles International (LAX)
• Distance: 7,256miles
• Duration: 13hrs 11min
• Departure: 1:37PM
• Arrival: 11:52AM

The Preflight

I had a seven hour layover in Hong Kong after arriving from Dubai at 5:10AM in the morning. I was actually excited for the long layover as it would give me the chance to check out both of the excellent Cathay Pacific First Class lounges at HKG.

First, I went to The Wing, First Class lounge which was immediately across the hall from our arrival gate. The lounge had just opened at 5:30AM and I was among the first to enter. Immediately upon entering, I noted the elegant champagne bar.

One of the key features of The Wing lounge is the fact that first class passengers can reserve private cabanas. Each cabana had a sofa and luxurious bath tub. Cabana staff brought me a glass of rose champagne which I enjoyed with my bath!

Once I was fully bathed, I decided to check out the other first class lounge at HKG. The Pier, First Class Lounge was located near Gate 63 on the other side of the terminal building. I took the escalators down to the lounge floor.

To the left of the entrance was “The Dining Room”. I was seated promptly and the breakfast menu was given to me.

I went with the eggs benedict served with lox which was fabulous.

Once I finished breakfast, I decided to head to “The Retreat” within this lounge that offered private day suites. The sofa was comfortable and there was a great view of the apron.

There was also a very stylish bar with top shelf liquors and an espresso machine.

After a few hours in the lounge, I headed back to “The Dining Room” for lunch. The menu is as follows.

To start I had the roasted duck with asparagus, mango, and caramelized walnut. It was absolutely fantastic and one of the best duck dishes I have had.

I went with the slow braised beef cheek with potato mash and French beans for the main course. The beef was tender and cooked perfectly.

Boarding was set to begin at 12:15PM and I headed to the gate area 10 minutes beforehand. There was only one jet bridge used for boarding at 1L today and all passengers had to pass by the First class cabin to their seats.

Our beautiful B777-300ER, registration B-KPL, was delivered brand new to Cathay Pacific in October 2009. Cathay currently operates two distinct B777-300ERs sub-fleets. One sub-fleet, designated “77K”, does not have First class. There are a total of 40 business, 32 premium economy, and 296 economy seats on the “77Ks”. The other B777-300ER sub-fleet, the “77A”, is more premium heavy with a First class cabin. The “77As” features six first, 53 business, 34 premium economy, and 201 economy seats. Our B77W was a “77A”.

The Flight

Cathay Pacific offers just six seats onboard their B777-300ERs arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration across Rows 1-2.

These seats are essentially a super-sized reverse herringbone seat with more legroom and seating area.

The seat itself was enormous at 36″ wide. There was a built in pillow headrest which was very comfortable. Each seat also had two separate reading lights. On the right was a literature pocket.

Seat pitch was 81″ and there was a large ottoman with a separate seatbelt and small pillow. The large IFE screen which slid out, was to the left of the ottoman. I found the screen to be very crisp and responsive.

Below the ottoman was a large storage space perfect for shoes or personal items. Below the IFE screen was a medium sized storage space.

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The IFE remote was to the left of the seat and allowed for watching shows on as well. Next to the IFE remote were the digital seat controls. There was also a smaller storage bin below the IFE remote.

Each seat also had a 110V outlet and USB port below the countertop.

I must say, the seat and cabin were simply gorgeous. The dedicated flower in the holder with hardwood finishes and the color scheme all created a very refined and classy atmosphere in the cabin.

On the countertop was a dedicated cup spot. The tray table was stored emerged from the flap in the countertop.

Upon taking my seat, the lovely purser Lee came-by and introduced herself. Lee also asked what I would like to drink from the open bar. I opted for a glass of champagne which was served with a ramekin of cold mixed nuts.

A pair of Bose headphones were also handed out afterwards.

I was also given a Aesop branded male travel kit. The contents included facial hydrating cream, lip cream, toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrush, ear plugs, comb, and cleaning cloth.

A very comfortable set of pajamas was provided along with a pair of slippers and eye mask.

A hot towel followed.

40 minutes after boarding started, the menus were distributed in a refined wooden booklet.

Boarding was completed at 1:03PM local time and the doors were closed. Unfortunately, the weather around Hong Kong had turned dark and the captain informed us that pushback would be delayed due to thunderstorms.

Evelyn, the lovely cabin crew serving me today, came by and took my lunch order. She also offered a refill on my champagne.

At 1:15PM we pushed back and had a 23 minute taxi to the runway. The climb out was fairly bumpy and the fasten seatbelt sign was kept on for a while longer than usual

Service began with an amuse-bouche and my third glass of the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs.

The incredible Ms. Lee and Evelyn presented a nice hand written note thanking me for flying with CX.

To start, I had the Caviar course. It was served with traditional garnishes of blinis, chives, crème fraiche, and chopped eggs. There was a mother of pearl spoon provided as well.

Each passenger was also given an individual bread basket with an assortment of garlic bread and various rolls.

To follow the caviar course, I had a bowl of Cauliflower cream soup.

Then I had the Balik salmon with quail egg, white anchovies, and wasabi mayonnaise. The salmon was phenomenal and fresh.

There was actually a catering mishap and they did not cater one of the international main courses. There was instead a delicious fish course that I enjoyed. The skin on the fish was crispy and the meat very tender.

By this point I was stuffed but decided to carry on with the cheese plate. There was an excellent Blue d’Auvergne, Taleggio, and Somerset brie.

Once the table was cleaned, cabin crew passed out a box of chocolates and Evian water bottle.

I asked Evelyn to have my bed made as I went to the forward lavatory to change into my pajamas.

The bedding was incredibly comfortable and I had the best sleep on an airplane I’ve ever had. As someone who finds it hard to sleep on planes, I was surprised that I slept for more than six hours.

Upon waking up, Evelyn immediately came by and offered me either coffee or tea. I had an Americano that was served with a biscotti.

With four hours to go, I decided to watch a movie. The IFE remote was able to stream in the inflight map separately.

Breakfast was served two hours before landing in LAX. To start, there was a beautifully presented fruit plate and a bread basket.

Next was a rather disappointing apricot yoghurt.

For the main course, I went with the dim sum selection. There was a shrimp and pork dumpling, siu mai, bean curd wrap, vegetable dumping, and pork and chive dumpling. All of these were delicious.

To finish I had a glass of orange juice and another Americano.

With 30 minutes to landing, the cabin crew began preparations for landing. The IFE screen had to be pushed back into the locked position and all window shades were opened.

Ms. Lee and Evelyn came to the seat to personally thank me again for flying with Cathay Pacific.

We landed at 11:52AM local time in Los Angeles and had a quick taxi to Tom Bradley International Terminal.

I must say, this was the best flight that I have ever taken. It was a spectacular event from beginning to end and I would gladly jump at the opportunity to fly with Cathay Pacific in First again.