Cathay Pacific Los Angeles Hong Kong

This post is a review of my experience flying first class on Cathay Pacific Los Angeles Hong Kong.

Booking

The flight was booked using American Airlines miles at the rate of 110,000 miles one-way. Thanks to my Citi American Airlines Platinum Card, I receive 10% mileage discount so the redemption was 100,000 miles. It’s a lot for one way; however, for only 30,000 more than when you travel in business you can get the complete first class experience so I felt it was worth it.

The booking included my flight from Seattle as well in First Class.

Support the John the Wanderer blog by booking your next trip using our affiliate links: Expedia, Priceline, or TripAdvisor. Note: Elite benefits may be limited when not booking direct.

Travel Insurance

Do you have a travel insurance policy? A travel insurance policy can be purchased for an individual trip or on an annual basis. Travel policies generally go above and beyond credit card coverage and provide medical coverage as well as travel expenses for medical reasons. This is particularly true for international trips where that can be very expensive.  Allianz offers an excellent product that is very competitively priced.

Check In

I arrived at the airport about two hours before the scheduled departure time. The flight departed from the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX.

When I arrived, I located the flight on the information screens which directed me to the check in area.

When I arrived at the check in, there were three different lines. One for first, one for business and one for economy.

The check in area was a standard line. I joined the first class line and waited about five minutes before being assisted by an agent.

The agent welcomed me and she processed my check in. The agent issued a boarding pass, lounge invitation at LAX in the Qantas First Lounge as well as an invitation for the arrival lounge in Hong Kong.

The agent informed me where to go to access security and she wished me a good flight.

The experience was a standard check in. No escort was provided and I joined that regular security line of about 50 people.

After waiting for about 30 minutes, I was able to clear security and enter the terminal.

I visited the Qantas First Lounge which I cover in another post.

Gate Area

The gate area was open and had several seats available.

Cathay Pacific has customers line up in various lines including one for first class and elite members, business class, premium economy and regular economy. People were lining up when I arrived so I joined the first class line.

Boarding

Boarding was delayed by nearly 45 minutes. The flight load was light and the gate area did not have that many people present.

After waiting for another 15 minutes, an agent welcomed me and scanned my boarding pass. The agent used my name and she welcomed me onboard the aircraft.

I made my way to the first door of the aircraft where the Purser greeted me. As soon as she saw my boarding pass she greeted me using my name and she escorted me to the seat.

The purser assisted with seating and she informed me that I could either store my bag under the footrest or in the closet to the right of the seat.

The purser thanked me and she asked me to get comfortable.

The purser saw that I had my camera and she offered to take my picture.

Several other flight attendants greeted me, used my name and introduced myself.

Once I was comfortable, the purser offered a drink and I ordered Krug.

The Krug was served within one minute.

The Krug was excellent and it made me relax and settle in to the aircraft.

A few minutes later a hot towel was provided along with a First Class Menu, Pajamas and Amenity Kit.

The boarding process was efficient and within 15 minutes the doors were closed and the aircraft taxied to the runway.

Aircraft / Seat

The aircraft was a 777-300 and I was assigned seat 1A which was a private First Class Seat.

The seat was oversized and it offered plenty of room.

The seat was lie flat and it was an open suite but it offered a large level of privacy during the flight.

The seat had a large high definition television with a control panel next to the seat.

Power ports were present at the middle of the seat.

The seat featured three windows.

A holder was present for a flower, however, it was not utilized during the flight.

The seat was comfortable in the upright, relaxation position as well as the bed.

In Flight Experience

Shortly after take-off the flight attendants closed the curtains to make the cabin private.

The flight attendants offered another beverage as well as a hot towel and the Purser greeted me by name and she asked me if I wanted to enjoy breakfast.

The purser also informed me that she would setup my seat as a bed whenever I desired and she asked me to relax throughout the flight. The purser also informed me to not hesitate to let her know if I needed anything.

Menu

Here are pictures of the menu.

First Meal

The first meal was a breakfast service. The menu offered western options including eggs as well as a Chinese option including dim sum.

I ordered the Dim Sum and the Purser suggested I have fruit, juice and bread with it. I accepted her offer and she thanked me. She said she would begin the service shortly.

The Purser setup the table with a white linen cloth as well as she provided me with a crisp linen napkin.

The Purser setup the table with flatware, salt, pepper and she placed each dish in front of me ready to consume.

The juice and cocktail was served first.

A minute or two later, the fruit was provided.

The fruit was fresh and it included a large piece of pineapple, melon and grapes. The fruit was exceptional.

The beverages were fresh and the smoothie was also excellent. The cocktail was the signature one with sparkling wine and fruit and it had a good taste.

While I was enjoying the fruit, the bread was served along with a choice of cream cheese and jam.

The bread basket included a bagel, croissant and pastry.

The breads were excellent and they were warm and flakey.

After I finished the fruit, the Purser offered to remove the used dish. I accepted and she served the entrée a minute or two later.

The Purser refilled my beverages and she continuously checked in with me to see if I needed anything else.

I ordered Dim Sum.

The dim sum included fried rice rapped in a banana leaf. The fried rice was served hot and it had an excellent flavor.

The dim sum also included a lobster roll as well as scallop dumpling. The food was all fresh and it had an excellent taste.

After I finished the entrée, the Purser removed the dishes and she cleared the table.

The Purser offered additional beverages and she kept my Krug glass full.

Second Meal

When I woke up from one of my naps, the Purser asked if she could bring a burger or something else from the snack menu. I accepted the burger and she said she would prepare it for me.

About ten minutes later, the Purser returned and setup my tray table with a placemat and provided a napkin and flatware for the burger. The Purser asked if I needed anything else. When I declined, she thanked me and she asked me to enjoy the meal.

The burger was served hot. The burger was cooked medium and it was a large patty served on a brioche bun with lettuce and tomatoes. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and they had a good taste. The burger was served with a pickle and chips. It was presented attractively.

After I finished the burger, a flight attendant asked permission to remove the tray. I accepted and she thanked me and she cleaned up the tray table and provided a hot towel. The flight attendant asked if I needed anything else.

Shortly after the meal was picked up, the Purser approached me and she inquired if I was interested in having the arrival meal which was a full dinner service. I accepted and she asked me what time I wanted it. I said about two hours before landing. The Purser thanked me and she asked what I wanted to order. I provided my order and the Purser thanked me and she asked me to relax for a while.

Arrival Meal

About 2.5 hours before the flight landed, the Purser saw that I was awake and she asked if I was ready for the meal. I asked to delay it until two hours before landing. The Purser thanked me.

At two hours before landing, the Purser returned and asked if I was ready for the meal. I accepted and she placed a placemat on the table and then setup the meal.

The Purser offered a glass of Krug. I accepted and she poured it for me.

The meal service was a multi-course dinner.

The first course was Caviar was served with blinis, chive cream and chopped egg.

The Caviar was fresh and it was served in a small tin with the lid present. The Caviar was from Italy and it was fresh and had a good flavor.

The chive cream was light and fresh and it had an excellent taste. The egg was also fresh. The blinis were soft and they were fresh.

After I finished the Caviar, the Purser offered to remove the Caviar course and I accepted.

The next course was truffle infused cauliflower soup. Fresh pepper was served with the soup.

The soup was served hot. The soup was rich and creamy. The soup was served with onion and it had an excellent flavor.

The Purser removed the dish after I finished it.

The third course was a salad with shrimp, tomatoes and fresh lettuce.

The salad was served chilled. The vegetables were fresh and they had an excellent taste. The shrimp was cooked and it had a fresh taste. The salad was topped with chopped almonds. The salad was served with a balsamic and oil vinegar. It was presented attractively.

The final course was Lobster with vegetables and rice.

The Lobster was served hot. The lobster was served in a tail with an additional piece on top. The lobster was tender and it had an excellent taste. The vegetables were fresh and they had an excellent taste. The dish was served with rice as well as soy sauce and a plum sauce. The sauces were fresh.

After I finished the meal, the Purser offered to remove the tray. She also offered dessert or cheese. I declined and she thanked me and asked me another glass of Krug.

I accepted and she provided the Krug with a hot towel as well as a container with chocolates in it.

Flight Attendants

The flight attendants were friendly and polite. My name was used on nearly every interaction. The flight attendants were top notch and they were proactive in offering assistance.

When I was ready to take a nap, the flight attendants offered to setup the bed.

I accepted and they set it up while I changed in to the pajamas.

The flight attendants asked me to have a good rest and they asked me to not hesitate to let them know if I needed anything during the flight.

I slept for a few hours after the first meal and then another few hours a bit later.

Each time I got up, the Purser approached me and she asked if I needed anything.

The Purser made sure I had a bottle of water throughout the flight and she frequently checked in with me to see if I needed anything else.

With each interaction with the Purser and the flight attendants my name was used. The flight attendants provided exceptional service.

Landing

About 30 minutes before landing, the Captain made an announcement with arrival information and he thanked everyone for flying Cathay Pacific.

The flight attendants prepared the cabin for landing. Four of the flight attendants approached me, used my name and thanked me sincerely for flying Cathay Pacific. The flight attendants invited me back on another flight.

Overall

Flying international first class is an amazing experience. Cathay Pacific’s in-flight service was top notch. The Purser and flight attendants in the first class cabin were exceptional. I was totally taken care of the entire flight and it left me with some amazing memories. I would have liked to see a better Ground Experience at LAX. Both American Airlines and Delta have an exclusive check in area for premium customers and they even drive the customers in a car to their plane. So going through the regular line and security line was a bit of a letdown. Fortunately, the in-flight experience made up for it. I see why so many other bloggers rate Cathay Pacific First Class as exceptional. The flight attendants were some of the best I’ve experienced.

What is your favorite International First Class experience?