Wayfarer review: Cathay Pacific’s all-new Premium Economy is as close to Business as it gets
While Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite has captured a lot of attention – there’s a privacy door and sliding partition, personalised suite lighting, a mega 24-inch 4K monitor, Bluetooth audio and wireless charging – the carrier’s all-new Premium Economy has been elevated to a level where the cabin should be called ‘Business Lite’ or dump the word ‘economy’ entirely because new experience is fantastic.
The new Premium Economy cabin, available on the retro-fitted Boeing 777-300ER that is flying to Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, China and more, is the largest Cathay has ever had, with 48 seats compared to the previous 32.
The seats are laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration and they offer plenty of space – expect 21 inches of width, 40 inches of pitch and 8 inches of recline – and elevated comfort thanks to a leather headrest, comfortable seat cushions and privacy wings.
If you’d like to rest, the 8 inches of recline is absolutely fantastic and the privacy wings offer more space away from your neighbouring passenger.
The intelligent lighting, large pillow and amenity kit also elevate the sleeping experience in a cabin you will get a good rest in.
For those wanting some inflight entertainment, the largest inflight movie and TV library in Asia-Pacific can be viewed on a 15.6-inch 4K ultra-high-definition screen with 4K on demand, alongside Bluetooth audio streaming and it adds up to the best inflight experience we’ve ever seen in Premium Economy.
Cathay Pacific has a firm commitment to offering customers memorable dining experiences across all cabins, thanks to partnerships with from JIA Group’s Michelin-starred French restaurant Louise and Cantonese fine-dining institution Duddell’s.
On my flight from Sydney to Hong Kong, lunch was served and it included a smoked salmon and couscous salad to start, followed by a choice of three mains, including stir fried chicken with ginger and shallot sauce, pan seared barramundi with dill cream sauce or an Indian cottage cheese masala.
Expect a good range of wines from across the globe – we wish Cathay offered the Chinese wine selection in Premium as well as Business – and impressively, you are offered a glass of Champagne before take-off, something reserved on most airlines for Business Class passengers.
Cathay General Manager Customer Experience and Design, Vivian Lo, said creating the all-new Premium Economy experience was about elevating the carrier to be the world’s best premium airline.
“Human-centric design is at the heart of our all-new Premium Economy cabin, which has been thoughtfully crafted and masterfully designed with our customers’ comfort in mind,” she said.
“Every aspect of Cathay Pacific’s brand-new Premium Economy has been meticulously crafted with the customer in mind.
“From the generous seats to the intelligent lighting design and modern fixtures, customers can experience more of what matters most to them.
“Whether it’s refreshing the inflight experience with new cabin products, creating memorable wining and dining experiences, enhancing our award-winning inflight entertainment experience, and much more, our investments in augmenting the customer experience are all part of our continuous efforts to become one of the world’s greatest service brands – and, from there, the best premium airline,” Lo said.
Cathay Pacific has firmly impressed with letting you enjoy a Premium Economy flying experience with a greater sense of personal space and seclusion, alongside great entertainment and dining, in a cabin that really should have the word Economy removed because this is Premium at its best.
The all-new Premium Economy cabin is now available on selected Boeing 777-300ER flights across the network, with new destinations being added on a regular basis.