Cathay Pacific First Class 777-300ER Hong Kong to Los Angeles

My 16-hour American Airlines flight delay fiasco in Hong Kong turned out to be a happy ending. Just about an hour before Cathay Pacific flight to Los Angeles departed, the First Class inventory became available, and the competent AA agent quickly put me on that flight. With less than an hour to spare, I stopped by Cathay Pacific The Pier First Class Lounge for a super quick shower before my 13-hour journey back to the US.

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In this series:

• Introduction: New Year 2020 In The South Pacific
• Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Los Angeles to Istanbul
• Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Istanbul to Manila
• Malaysia Airlines Business Class 737-800 Manila to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur
• Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge Satellite Terminal – Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL)
• Jewel Changi Airport
• Qantas International First Lounge – Singapore Changi (SIN)
• Qantas First Class A380 Singapore to Melbourne
• Qantas International First Lounge – Melbourne (MEL)
• Qantas Business Class 737-800 Melbourne to Christchurch
• Doubletree Chateau on the Park – Christchurch, New Zealand
• Christchurch Botanic Gardens and Tour Around the City
• Getting Lost in the Countryside: Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
• Air New Zealand Domestic Lounge – Christchurch (CHC)
• Air New Zealand (Premium) Economy 787-9 Christchurch to Auckland
• My First Impression of Auckland, New Zealand
• Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart, New Zealand
• The North Island Must Do: Hobbiton and Rotorua
• Fiji Airways Business Class A350-900XWB Auckland to Nadi
• Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa – Nadi, Fiji
• Fiji Airways Premier Lounge – Nadi (NAN)
• Fiji Airways Business Class A330-200 Nadi to Singapore
• Malaysia Airlines Business Class 737-800 Singapore to Kuala Lumpur
• Malindo Air Business Class 737-900 Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu
• Shopping Spree in Thamel – Kathmandu, Nepal
• Cathay Dragon Business Class A330-300 Kathmandu to Hong Kong
• 16-Hour Delay on my American Airlines, with a Happy Ending
• Cathay Pacific First Class 777-300ER Hong Kong to Los Angeles
• Fin: Final Flights and My Closure with American Airlines – It was Good While It Lasted

Flight Number: CX884
Route: Hong Kong (HKG) – Los Angeles (LAX)
Schedule: 12:25 – 08:55
Duration: 13h 30m
Aircraft Type: Boeing 777-300ER
Cabin: First Class
Seat: 1D
Date: January 6, 2020

Upon boarding, I was welcomed by Derick and Carolyn, the crews working in First Class. As always, they were extremely hospitable — but seriously, has anyone had a bad service flying with Cathay Pacific? 😉

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Once I settled in my suite, Derrick once again welcomed me onboard. He gave me a little welcome note, along with cold green tea and a cold towel.

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Next, he popped a bottle of 2006 William Deutz Champagne, served with warm nuts. I’m not a champagne snob, so I couldn’t tell if it were better or worse than Krug, which is what they usually served — it tasted good.

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Minutes later, he also brought out an amuse-bouche consisted of marinated prawn.

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Cathay Pacific First Class cabin is a bit more private than the typical First Class layout due to the 1-1-1 configuration. I usually pick a window seat, but 1D was the only open seat – no complaint at all! 🙂

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At this point, I was exhausted and hungry. I didn’t even have the energy to express my excitement, so instead, I just sat back and relaxed until we were up in the air.

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Cathay Pacific catering was generally delicious, though not industry-leading. The menu reads as follows:

LUNCH

CAVIAR SERVICE
Caviar with blinis, chives, crème fraîche and chopped eggs served with vintage Champagne

CHINESE FAVOURITES
Cold plate – Smoked duck and vegetable roll

Double-boiled chicken soup with bamboo pith and conpoy

Deep-fried pork ribs with cranberry sauce

Braised egg bean curd with brown shimeji mushroom and steamed jasmine rice


INTERNATIONAL FAVOURITES
Sweet potato, lime, and coconut soup

Zucchini, lemon ricotta, mint and pine nut salad optionally with warm lamb cutlet

Roasted beef fillet with green peppercorn sauce

Potato gratin, baked cauliflower, grilled baby vegetables

Seared sea bass, prawn and potatoes in tomato seafood broth

Sautéed baby spinach, oven-roasted vine cherry tomatoes or roasted Mediterranean vegetables

Smoked ricotta, grana padano, and spring onion cappellacci pasta slow-cooked baby tomatoes, fresh thyme

SEASONAL ADDITION
Clay pot of chicken with cordyceps flowers and goose liver sausage on jasmine rice

All Day
Fishball and fried fish cake with flat rice noodles in soup served with spicy oil

Beef burger

Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, pickled onion and zucchini on toasted brioche bun with chunky fries

Selection of ice-cream

AFTERNOON TEA SET
A delicious savory and sweet selection with your favourite afternoon tea, or if you’d prefer, enjoy with Champagne

Classic plain and raisin scones

Clotted cream, strawberry jam

Savoury
Goat cheese and fig brioche bun

Smoked salmon and cream cheese on dark rye bread

Ham and chive sandwich with Dijon mustard

Sweet
Almond cake

Lemon curd tart

Vanilla cream in chocolate shell

A pot of tea JING

CHEESE
Double Gloucester, Chaumes, Cambozola

TO FINISH
Seasonal fresh fruit

Sweet soup with pumpkin and millet

Valrhona dark chocolate bar with fresh mango and raspberries

Pralines

WELLNESS MENU
Our recommendation of lighter dishes

Zucchini, lemon ricotta, mint and pine nut salad

Seared sea bass, prawn and potatoes in tomato seafood broth

Sautéed baby spinach, oven-roasted vine cherry tomatoes or roasted Mediterranean

Seasonal fresh fruit

Breakfast

TO START
Fresh orange juice

Apple juice

Forest berry smoothie

Seasonal fresh fruit

Cereal selection

Raspberry yoghurt superbowlGoji berries, mango, raspberries, mixed seeds

Assorted bread, fresh toast, preserves, honey and butter

MAINS
Organic free range eggs – freshly scrambled, fried or boiled

Cumberland pork sausage, crispy pancetta breakfast potatoes, sautéed greens, portobello mushroom, roasted cherry tomatoes

Hong Jong sampan congee with dim sum selection
scallop and shrimp dumpling, beef siu mai, Chiu Chow dumpling

Poached eggs on toasted muffin with Hollandaise sauce
sautéed spinach, smoked salmon, fresh lemon

Coconut chia seeds pudding with strawberry and rhubarb ragout

WELLNESS MENU
Our recommendation of lighter dishes

Seasonal fresh fruit

Raspberry yoghurt superbowl

Goji berries, mango, raspberries, mixed seeds

Poached eggs on toasted muffin
sautéed spinach, smoked salmon, fresh lemon

I started with the caviar service, my favorite!

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For the appetizer, I had zucchini, lemon ricotta, mint and pine nut salad optionally with a warm lamb cutlet.

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And for the main course, I had Seared sea bass, prawn, and potatoes in tomato seafood broth with roasted Mediterranean vegetables.

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The salad was delicious, but the fish was ok — it wasn’t bad, but I think other options would be better.

To finish, I had Valrhona dark chocolate bar with fresh mango and raspberries — yum!

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Once the lunch service was over, I brushed my teeth and changed to a PJ.

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Derrick also offered a turndown service.

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While Cathay First isn’t a cutting edge anymore, I tend to think it has one of the widest beds in the sky, and the mattress pad was also exceptionally comfortable.

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It didn’t take me long at all to fall asleep.

After a quick 8-hour nap, I woke up and started feeling hungry again. As I mentioned before, I absolutely love an ultra long haul flight. Unfortunately, this flight was only 13 hours, which means I couldn’t really enjoy it — it was too short! 😉

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One thing I love about Cathay is the Dim Sum option for breakfast. I think it’s more of a novelty being able to have dim sum in the sky than anything else. Nonetheless, it was delicious!

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After breakfast, I reclined and relaxed while browsing the entertainment system for the remaining of the flight.

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We landed in Los Angeles slightly ahead of schedule, breezed through the immigration and custom, thanks to Global Entry. I then walked over to terminal 4 for my connecting flight back to Washington DC via Dallas.

Conclusion

Cathay Pacific First Class consistently delivered outstanding products and services. The crews couldn’t be more attentive, professional, and kind. Even though the cabin isn’t the cutting edge, I still enjoyed the intimate feel with the 1-1-1 configuration. The seat was so wide and exceptionally comfortable to sleep on.

It was my last international long haul flight before the pandemic hit and changed our lives. I sure do miss flying, especially on Cathay First.