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Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class Journey on the A350-900 from Hong Kong to London
- Faye Bradley
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Aircraft: Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-900
Route: Hong Kong (HKG) to London Heathrow (LHR)
Flight No.: CX257
Date Flown: June 7, 2025
Seat: 11G
Cabin: Business Class
Cathay Pacific has long held its own as a benchmark for long-haul premium service in Asia — and beyond. On June 7, I boarded Flight CX257 bound for London Heathrow, departing from Hong Kong International Airport, a journey of just over 13 hours aboard the Airbus A350-900. As one of Cathay’s most technologically advanced aircraft, the A350 is designed for long-haul comfort, environmental efficiency, and cabin tranquillity — a sleek vessel for a flagship route.
All images courtesy of CSP Times (with the exception of the last photo).
The flight boarded from Gate 69 with the efficiency one has come to expect of Hong Kong’s air travel infrastructure. Despite being assigned seat 11G, positioned next to the lavatory in the forward Business Class cabin, I was pleasantly surprised by the minimal foot traffic or noise. The seat’s cocooned design and staggered orientation absorbed sound and offered ample privacy. Cathay’s Business Class seats on the A350 adopt a reverse herringbone layout — angled away from the aisle, each one with direct aisle access, understated tones of jade and charcoal, and plenty of clever storage.
Placed in front of the seat were a mattress cover, a full-size duvet, slippers (an amenity often omitted by Western carriers), and a Bamford amenity kit — a minimalist yet practical collection of skincare essentials, including lip balm, face mist, and moisturiser, all in keeping with the airline’s new emphasis on wellness at altitude.
Pre-departure service began with a chilled glass of champagne. The cabin crew — immaculately presented and fluent in discretion — offered warm towels and greeted each Business Class passenger by name. From the moment I stepped onboard, there was an air of control and polish; not theatrical, but precise and quietly gracious. It’s this understated professionalism that sets Cathay apart.
Shortly after takeoff, the inflight dining began — perhaps the most anticipated component of any long-haul flight in a premium cabin. I began with the bacon and sweetcorn chowder, garnished with garlic croutons. It was unexpectedly excellent: creamy, deeply savoury, and served piping hot, with enough finesse to be served tableside at a New York bistro. It reminded me that Cathay’s kitchen — refined through partnerships with top restaurants like Duddell’s and Louise — has moved beyond standard airline fare into something far more curated.
For my main course, I chose the braised beef ribs in port wine reduction, created in collaboration with Duddell’s. The meat was fork-tender, luxuriating in its sauce, accompanied by Shanghainese vegetable rice, braised carrots and celery, and a side of apple and cordyceps flower pork bone soup, which added a nourishing, deeply umami counterpoint to the richness of the ribs. The layering of flavours felt thoughtful, not just complex for complexity’s sake, but built to sustain and satisfy.
Cheese came next: a trio of Appenzeller, Swiss Camembert, and Fourme d’Ambert, served with fresh grapes, crackers, and a plum and shiraz paste from Maggie Beer. Dessert was a chocolate panna cotta by Louise, paired with cocoa nib praline, whisky jelly, and a thin sourdough tuile. Silky, refined, not overly sweet — it struck the right note to close the formal meal.
One of the perks of a daytime flight is that you’re less pressured to sleep, and instead free to graze. Later in the flight, I opted for the classic beef burger from the all-day dining menu: Monterey Jack cheese, smoky bacon, pickled zucchini and onions, all inside a toasted brioche bun with crisp fries. It arrived hot and fresh — far better than expected, and more in line with what you’d find in the Cathay lounge than in the galley of an aircraft cruising at 35,000 feet. Ice cream, egg tarts, caramel popcorn, and other snacks were available in the galley for the rest of the journey.
Despite the generous bed space and turn-down service, sleep eluded me, being a daytime flight. White Lotus Season 3, newly released, was already available in full — a testament to Cathay’s focus on keeping its content offering fresh and globally relevant. The 4K screen was large and well-positioned, with an interface that was fast and modern, far superior to the aging systems still seen on many American or European legacy carriers.
The A350-900 itself plays an unspoken role in the journey’s comfort. The cabin is noticeably quieter, and the lower cabin altitude and increased humidity meant that my skin felt far less dry than usual by the time we began our descent into Heathrow. The mood lighting, programmed to simulate the time of day, was subtle and effective at guiding the body through a semblance of time zone acclimation. And the seat — converted into a fully flat bed with mattress topper and plush bedding from Bamford — was among the most comfortable I’ve flown in.
As we began our final descent into London, I reflected on what sets Cathay’s Business Class apart. It may lack the sliding doors of a Qsuite or the Champagne-trolley drama of Air France La Première, but it delivers something more enduring: consistency, elegance, and a sense of calm. The crew never missed a beat. The food was thoughtful and deeply satisfying. The seat was refined, private, and sleep-ready. The aircraft — an A350 marvel — was engineered for wellbeing.
In a sea of luxury carriers vying for attention through ever-grander flourishes, Cathay Pacific’s Business Class remains a sanctuary in the sky — quietly excellent, never overstated, and always reliable. For those who value substance over spectacle, this is a route — and an airline — that still understands the art of travel.
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