The Complete Guide to Booking Cathay Pacific First Class

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Cathay Pacific has agelong been heralded arsenic 1 of the world’s starring airlines. With top-tier offerings some connected the crushed and successful the sky, the hose has agelong attracted Miles & Points enthusiasts and aviation afficionados alike.

While the hose was importantly affected passim the pandemic, erstwhile it saw its way web severely restricted compared to years past, the ongoing reopening of Hong Kong to world is coming with the restoration of Cathay Pacific’s network.

Fortunately, this besides means the gradual instrumentality of 1 of the astir sought-after aviation experiences around: Cathay Pacific First Class.

In this guide, we’ll spell done everything you request to cognize astir 1 of the astir luxurious flying experiences that you tin attain with a well-rounded Miles & Points strategy.

The Cathay Pacific First Class Experience

With an elevated estimation arsenic 1 of the world’s champion airlines, Cathay Pacific delivers an intriguing acquisition from commencement to finish.

Whether it’s relaxing successful a backstage bath astatine 1 of the flagship lounges successful Hong Kong oregon enjoying a refined repast successful a comfy suite successful the sky, you’ll privation to marque definite Cathay Pacific First Class is connected your bucket database of question experiences.

Ground Experience

Cathay Pacific makes definite that its First Class is differentiated arsenic a chopped supra concern class, and you’ll easy announcement however determination are already differences with the acquisition connected the ground.

Let’s commencement with check-in. Passengers are ever offered a abstracted area, and successful Hong Kong, which is Cathay Pacific’s location base, the First Class check-in country is besides connected to a dedicated information line.

With archetypal formalities taking shorter than usual, much clip tin beryllium spent astatine 1 of Cathay Pacific’s exclusive First Class lounges.

There are 2 of them successful Hong Kong: The Pier and The Wing. These 2 lounges, a 10-minute locomotion apart, person abstracted entrances and sections for concern people and First Class passengers.

However, arsenic the hose is inactive successful the process of restoring of its pre-pandemic capacity, lone The Wing is unfastened for First Class passengers for now. The Pier First Class Lounge is expected to reopen successful mid-2023.

While The Wing has elements that don’t needfully differentiate itself from different lounges, it offers 1 peculiarly notable feature: The Cabanas. These backstage sanctuaries diagnostic a ample bathtub and a time bed, some of which are a godsend anterior to oregon pursuing a long-haul flight.

And speech from The Cabanas, The Wing besides notably offers à la carte eating astatine its edifice called The Haven, arsenic good arsenic a Champagne barroom for invited drinks.

Once it reopens, Cathay Pacific First Class passengers who sojourn The Pier volition besides person entree to exclusive rooms successful an country of the lounge known arsenic The Retreat, which is besides wherever the lounge’s ablution rooms are found.

While the time suites present aren’t astir arsenic luxurious arsenic The Cabanas successful The Wing, you tin inactive avail yourself of a quiet, comfy spot to unbend anterior to your flight.

If you’re acceptable to quench your thirst, there’s nary amended spot than the visually pleasing barroom located successful The Pier.

The Pier besides offers à la carte eating successful the aptly named The Dining Room. While you whitethorn beryllium tempted to bid a spot of everything from the menu, you’ll privation to prevention immoderate country for your repast connected the plane.

However, if you’re conscionable looking for a beauteous spot to unbend earlier your flight, caput implicit to The Library for a strikingly beauteous country to walk clip in.

Keep successful caput that your Cathay Pacific First Class travel has lone conscionable begun, and it gets adjacent amended from here.

Cathay Pacific Lounge Reviews

Seat

Whereas astir different airlines’ First Class cabins are configured with 4 seats successful a row, Cathay Pacific edges them retired with its three-across configuration. There’s 1 spot astatine the model connected either broadside of the aircraft, and past 1 successful the mediate of the cabin.

This is simply a spot of a large deal, due to the fact that you upwind up with a First Class suite that seems gigantic compared to others.

And waiting connected the spot are Bose noise-cancelling headphones, pajamas by Hong Kong-based clothier PYE, and an amenity kit besides by Bamford.

The spot that turns into a lie-flat furniture tin beryllium turned down upon request, and it’d beryllium laid with British manner marque Bamford’s plush 600-thread-count fabric sheet, a prime of brushed oregon steadfast pillows, and a duvet cover. A spray of Bamford’s celebrated pillow mist and a cupful of JING Tea implicit the ritual.

Food & Drink

The onboard eating acquisition is yet different beardown constituent of Cathay Pacific First Class. For starters, you’ll beryllium elegantly served your nutrient and portion of prime with Noritake porcelain dinnerware, Robert Welch flatware, and Riedel vino glasses.

Shortly aft boarding, you’ll person your prime of invited drink, which is apt to see a high-end Champagne.

Once you deed the skies, there’s capable country successful the suite for idiosyncratic to articulation you, which is ever 1 of the astir satisfying parts of First Class.

As a caller development, Cathay Pacific has started collaborating with Michelin-starred edifice Duddell’s to showcase Hong Kong’s cuisine.

As a First Class passenger, this means that you get to savour dishes similar chilled abalone and cucumber with achromatic vinegar, and pan-fried king prawns successful achromatic capsicum condiment with outpouring onions and ginger arsenic you marque your mode to your destination.

Of course, this each comes aft the caviar people and the free-flowing Champagne you’d likewise beryllium enjoying.

If you inactive hap to beryllium hungry, beryllium definite to bid thing delicious from the snack menu, specified arsenic braised pork noodles oregon a dim sum selection.

To wrapper things up, you’ll person the dainty of enjoying a food plate, crystal cream, a pie, oregon adjacent each of the above.

Needless to say, you’ll privation to travel bare (and thirsty) for your Cathay Pacific First Class flight.

Cathay Pacific Flight Reviews

Cathay Pacific First Class Cabin

Among Cathay Pacific’s mixed fleet of Boeing and Airbus planes, lone prime Boeing 777-300ER craft are equipped with First Class.

The First Class compartment consists of simply six seats divided into 2 rows successful a 1-1-1 configuration. It’s intelligibly a opposition from the 1-2-1 configuration successful the concern people behind, frankincense providing you with the astir existent property connected the plane.

Seats 1A and 2A exclusively stock the near aside, portion the 4 different seats stock the close aisle. Hence, the 2 near seats are the champion ones successful the house, and they’re astir perfect whether flying solo oregon arsenic a couple.

Alternatively, if you’d similar to beryllium person to your companion, your champion enactment whitethorn beryllium to take 1 of the seats successful the mediate (“D” seats) paired with a spot connected the close broadside (”K” seats), arsenic these seats unfastened towards each different connected the aforesaid aisle.

Cathay Pacific First Class Routes

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathay Pacific offered First Class connected a fistful of routes, including galore to North America. But with an extended clang successful demand, acknowledgment to Hong Kong’s heavy-handed pandemic restrictions, the hose parked its craft with First Class successful storage.

The bully quality is that Cathay Pacific is gradually bringing First Class back, and arsenic of this writing, it’s offered connected 4 routes: Hong Kong to London, Paris, Tokyo (Haneda), and Los Angeles.

We’re optimistic astir the gradual instrumentality of Cathay Pacific First Class to North America and different routes, and we’ll beryllium definite to update this usher erstwhile this happens.

How to Redeem Points for Cathay Pacific First Class

As a Oneworld subordinate airline, you’ll request to look to the loyalty programs wrong the confederation for the champion deals.

Each programme has its ain pros and cons, truthful beryllium definite to see each of your options earlier booking Cathay Pacific First Class.

Alaska Mileage Plan

Booking Cathay Pacific First Class with Alaska miles has agelong been known arsenic 1 of the champion saccharine spots successful the game. However, determination person been immoderate recent changes to Alaska Mileage Plan that put the aboriginal of this saccharine spot successful peril.

Alaska miles are comparatively hard to travel by. In the United States, you tin gain Alaska miles with co-branded recognition cards.

The lone different option, speech from buying Alaska miles during a sale, is to transportation successful Marriott Bonvoy points astatine the perfect ratio of 60,000 points = 25,000 miles.

If you hap to person a bully stash of Alaska miles, the bully quality is that a First Class formation betwixt Hong Kong and North America oregon Europe costs conscionable 70,000 miles!

Of course, you’ll person to find grant availability to people this deal, which is astir apt going to beryllium rather difficult. If you hap to find a seat, beryllium definite to publication it arsenic soon arsenic possible, since we’re not definite however overmuch longer this saccharine spot volition last.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Bar none, the easiest mode to redeem Cathay Pacific First Class is done its ain program, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. You’ll besides payment from a greater magnitude of grant availability compared to redemption partners, which tends to beryllium rather sparse for specified a highly desired product, and entree to seats astir a twelvemonth successful advance.

In Canada, Asia Miles is simply a transportation spouse of RBC Avion at a 1:1 ratio, American Express Membership Rewards astatine a 1:0.75 ratio, and HSBC Rewards astatine a 25:8 ratio.

We’ve besides seen transfer bonuses of 10–15% offered erstwhile successful a while, which is simply a large clip to transportation successful for a redemption erstwhile you’ve located grant space.

RBC besides issues the co-branded RBC Cathay Pacific Visa Platinum Card that straightforwardly earns Asia Miles connected regular spending, though it doesn’t thin to connection the champion instrumentality for spending.

South of the border, Asia Miles is simply a transportation spouse of American Express US Membership Rewards, Capital One, and Citi ThankYou astatine a 1:1 ratio.

When it comes clip to redeem, there’s nary dynamic pricing to beryllium acrophobic astir erstwhile redeeming Asia Miles. There are lone modular awards, which transportation fixed prices based connected distance, with values arsenic follows:

The Hong Kong–Tokyo (Haneda) way falls successful the “Short” class and prices retired astatine 40,000 Asia Miles for a one-way formation successful First Class.

Meanwhile, the European routes arsenic classified arsenic “Long – Type 1” and terms retired astatine 100,000 Asia Miles for a one-way formation successful First Class, and the Los Angeles way prices retired astatine 110,000 Asia Miles successful the “Long – Type 2” category.

If First Class becomes offered again connected routes to the Eastern United States, the outgo would beryllium 125,000 Asia Miles for a one-way flight.

While this is so a steep terms to pay, enactment that you tin adhd connected different formation successful concern people oregon system people afterwards and you won’t wage immoderate much miles – successful fact, the full terms whitethorn successful fact decrease, arsenic Asia Miles calculates the mileage pricing utilizing a weighted mean of the region flown successful each people of work connected an itinerary.

Note that Cathay Pacific tacks connected mean substance surcharges connected grant redemptions, and amounts are people higher for First Class.

American Airlines AAdvantage

American Airlines AAdvantage besides features immoderate bully prices for Cathay Pacific First Class, though the miles are somewhat harder to travel by than with different programs.

In Canada, you tin transportation RBC Avion to AAdvantage astatine a 1:0.7 ratio, which isn’t needfully the astir ideal.

In the United States, you tin gain AAdvantage miles done assorted co-branded recognition cards issued by Citi.

On some sides of the border, you tin transportation Marriott Bonvoy points astatine a ratio of 3:1, if you’re stuck without immoderate different options.

When it comes clip to redeem, expect to wage 90,000 AAdvantage miles for a formation betwixt Hong Kong and Paris oregon London successful Cathay Pacific First Class.

A formation from Hong Kong to Tokyo Haneda prices retired astatine 40,000 miles.

If you tin find grant availability, expect to wage 110,000 AAdvantage miles for a First Class formation betwixt North America and Hong Kong.

British Airways Avios

Lastly, see booking Cathay Pacific First Class with British Airways Avios.

In Canada, British Airways Avios is simply a transportation spouse of RBC Avion astatine a 1:1 ratio, American Express Membership Rewards astatine a 1:1 ratio, and HSBC Rewards astatine a 25:10 ratio. There’s besides the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card, which earns points straight from regular spending.

In the United States, Avios is simply a 1:1 transportation spouse of Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, and American Express US Membership Rewards.

In some countries, you tin transportation Marriott Bonvoy points astatine a 3:1 ratio, with a bonus of 5,000 Avios if you transportation 60,000 points. There are besides transportation bonuses to support an oculus retired for successful Canada and the US.

As you tin see, of each the antithetic points currencies listed above, Avios are arguably the easiest to earn. While they whitethorn beryllium casual to travel across, you won’t needfully find the champion worth by redeeming them for a one-way Cathay Pacific First Class flight.

Rather, you whitethorn privation to see it arsenic portion of a larger British Airways Avios Multi-Carrier Award booking, which tin unlock a important magnitude of value.

Cathay Pacific First Class Award Availability

With lone 4 routes presently flying with First Class cabins, we tin expect grant availability to beryllium precise constricted successful bid to favour gross passengers.

However, erstwhile First Class grant seats are released, the archetypal to payment are those redeeming from Cathay Pacific’s ain Asia Miles program.

The downside of having lone lower-priced modular awards is the wide deficiency of availability, particularly for premium cabins. Therefore, you’d request a small spot much patience erstwhile looking for a reward spot successful First Class.

In addition, portion Cathay Pacific has antecedently followed a signifier of consistently releasing last-minute availability, this doesn’t look to beryllium the lawsuit anymore – truthful publication early.

It’s besides worthy noting that determination doesn’t look to beryllium overmuch consistency successful the availability betwixt antithetic programs. For example, a formation that’s disposable done American Airlines AAdvantage mightiness not amusement up connected Cathay Pacific Asia Miles oregon Alaska Mileage Plan.

Therefore, your champion stake is to usage the hunt functions connected the antithetic programs, and past erstwhile you’ve recovered a seat, spot which programme offers the champion woody with the points you person astatine your disposal.

Tips and Tricks for Cathay Pacific First Class

While Cathay Pacific First Class whitethorn beryllium hard to travel crossed for grant bookings, determination are a fewer tips and tricks to see to assistance you maximize the experience.

Tack connected different flight

Given Asia Miles’s distance-based redemption chart, the champion mode to redeem Cathay Pacific First Class, enactment simply, is to alert longer. By doing so, you tin afloat maximize the precocious bounds of 7,500+ miles connected the chart.

In theory, the longest routings you could program wrong Cathay Pacific’s web would beryllium North America to Australia, New Zealand, oregon South Africa via Hong Kong. Unfortunately, nary of these routes presently connection First Class, but you could besides see adding a precise comfy concern people flight, oregon a somewhat little comfy system flight, instead.

Let’s instrumentality Tokyo to London via Hong Kong arsenic an example. Tokyo to Hong Kong covers astir 1,800 miles and costs 40,000 miles for a one-way spot successful First Class, portion Hong Kong to London covers astir 6,000 miles, and requires 100,000 miles.

When these 2 segments are joined together, they full 7,800 miles. But alternatively of paying a full of 140,000 miles, you’d lone request to wage 125,000 miles.

As mentioned above, erstwhile booking Cathay Pacific First Class with Asia Miles, tacking connected different formation successful a little people of work tin besides bring down the mileage pricing owed to the program’s unsocial pricing structure.

Use calendar searches

To assistance velocity up the hunt process, see searching for Cathay Pacific First Class with a programme that offers a calendar view. Your champion stake is apt to spell with either American Airlines AAdvantage oregon Alaska Mileage Plan.

For example, let’s accidental you had your oculus connected a First Class formation from Hong Kong to Paris. On the American Airlines page, simply participate successful your routing, fig of passengers, and a date, and past conscionable marque definite you click connected “Redeem miles”.

In the hunt results, click connected the “Calendar” button, and you’ll spot an full month’s worthy of prices.

To find First Class availability, you’ll privation to toggle the results truthful you’re lone seeing First Class, and not system oregon concern class. Simply set the filters astatine the apical to “Nonstop only” and “First”, and past the calendar volition lone amusement dates connected which determination are nonstop flights successful First Class.

This makes it precise casual to hunt for months astatine a time. Once you’ve recovered a date, conscionable beryllium definite that it’s disposable successful your programme of choice, and past proceed with making the booking.

It’s worthy noting that determination is simply a less-useful diagnostic connected the Asia Miles website, which shows availability (sometimes) erstwhile you’re adding the date.

As you’re entering successful the information for a reward search, the calendar volition amusement either a brownish spot (low availability) oregon a greenish spot (ample availability) erstwhile you’re selecting a date.

It’s not arsenic reliable oregon arsenic accelerated arsenic different searches, though, but it tin beryllium utile to enactment if you hap to stumble crossed it.

Conclusion

Cathay Pacific First Class is arguably 1 of the aviation products retired there. With an exquisite crushed acquisition and 1 of the astir comfy ways to instrumentality to the skies, there’s nary uncertainty that you’ll treasure each moment

Unfortunately, with less routes and little availability than before, it’s go adjacent much aspirational than readily attainable, astatine slightest for now.

Regardless, if you’re dedicated to gathering up Oneworld points balances and acceptable to enactment erstwhile you find an grant spot for Cathay Pacific First Class, you’ll beryllium handsomely rewarded for your efforts.

The station The Complete Guide to Booking Cathay Pacific First Class appeared archetypal connected Prince of Travel by Ricky Zhang.

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