Initially, I booked the 9 AM flight out of Hong Kong to Manila on Cathay Pacific. I believe that was the cheapest option available at the time. But after planning my trip further, a reasonable connection time onto my island hopper flight was challenging to find. I decided to ring American Airlines to see if they’re willing to rebook me on an earlier flight since there had been a slight schedule change on my itinerary. To my surprise, the agent I talked to was very accommodating — I was rebooked on the 7:30 AM flight instead without a change fee. Wow!
In this series:
- Introduction
- Alaska Airlines Economy Class A320 Washington to Los Angeles
- Crowne Plaza Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Qantas First Lounge at Los Angeles International (LAX)
- American Airlines Flagship Lounge at Los Angeles International (LAX)
- American Airlines Business Class 787-9 Los Angeles to Shanghai
- Cathay Pacific Lounge at Shanghai Pudong (PVG)
- Cathay Dragon Economy Class A321 Shanghai to Hong Kong
- Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International (HKG)
- Cathay Pacific The Pier First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International (HKG)
- Cathay Pacific Economy Class 777-300 Hong Kong to Manila
- Cebu Pacific Economy Class ATR72 Manila to Busuanga (Round-Trip)
- Al Faro Cosmio Hotel Coron
- Island Adventure: Coron, Palawan
- Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Manila to Istanbul
- Touristanbul – Free Istanbul City Tour Sponsored by Turkish Airlines
- Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Istanbul to Los Angeles
Fast forward, after pampering myself at The Pier, First, I headed to the gate to find this gorgeous sunrise view.
Sunrise at the Boarding Gate
Flight Number: CX907
Route: Hong Kong (HKG) – Manila (MNL)
Schedule: 07:30 – 09:40
Duration: 2h 10m
Aircraft Type: Boeing 777-300
Cabin: Economy Class
Seat: 40K
Date: November 23, 2019
I was among the first passengers to board — thanks to my Oneworld Emerald status. Sadly, I had to turn “right” this time. After walking rows after rows, I finally reached my seat. It was 40K. It’s a bulkhead seat with plenty of legroom without any amenity. Thankfully it was only a two-hour flight.
Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300 Economy Class
Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300 Economy Class
Boarding took a little longer. As a result, we pushed back 25 minutes late. But the taxi was quick, and we took off in no time.
On my flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong, I pre-ordered Moslem Special Meal, and it was inedible. This time around, I also ordered the Non-Vegetarian Hindu Meal so I can review it. The meal came in a small paper bag, almost like a little paper shopping bag.
Cathay Pacific Economy Class Non-Vegetarian Hindu Meal
It wasn’t bad, but I thought the bread was quite hard. I wasn’t starving at that time, but I thought I’d finish it since it would be a while until my next meal if any.
Cathay Pacific Economy Class Non-Vegetarian Hindu Meal
Other than that, it was an uneventful flight. Despite the delay, we managed to arrive ahead of schedule. Immigration in Manila was a breeze, in fact, there wasn’t any line at all. I managed to get through the ASEAN lane and cleared immigration within 10 seconds.
I had to say, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is different in a good way. For some reason, I thought we landed at a shopping mall instead of at the airport. The terminal reminds me of a typical shopping mall in Asia. 😉
Conclusion
As expected, it was a quick, uneventful flight. I think Cathay Pacific economy class was good enough, though nothing special. There was not a real meal service; rather, it was a snack flight. It would be nice to ride in the forward cabin, but for the price, I wouldn’t hesitate to take this flight again.
