There are only a handful of airline experiences in this world that are so consistently good that they probably aren’t even worth reviewing.
Cathay Pacific 777-300ER business class is one of them.
I mean, how shocked are you going to be when I tell you that the seats are extremely comfortable (and private)? That the video screens are huge? And that the service from the cabin crew will make you feel cared for in ways that would give your own mother a run for her money?
I probably could’ve skipped this one.
CX903
Hong Kong (HKG) – Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Aircraft: 777-367ER
Registration: B-KPA
Duration: 1 hour 49 minutes
Seat: 14A (Business Class)
My full review of Cathay Pacific 777-300ER business class from Hong Kong to Manila
Quick note: there are two different versions of CX 777-300ER business class flying around at the moment:
- The regional / high density version
- The long haul / super comfy version
This is a full review of the newest / fancy pants / ultra comfy / long haul version.
Arrival at Terminal 1 / Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
I arrived from Seoul in Cathay Pacific A330-300 business class approximately 4 hours before this flight was scheduled to depart for Manila. I spent the majority of that time hanging out in The Pier (Cathay Pacific’s best business class lounge IMHO) – as one does during long layovers at HKG.
The boarding process
A last-minute aircraft swap resulted in the boarding process being delayed by eight minutes. That was fine by me considering that the originally scheduled aircraft featured the less fancy / higher density regional business class cabin. Score!
Business class seat and cabin overview
Business class on the long haul Cathay Pacific 777-300ER is arranged in a 1-2-1 layout. The seats themselves are fully enclosed suites (what they call “Aria Suites”) with sliding privacy doors. It’s awfully nice.
Amenities
Despite the lack of amenity kits (which were not provided because of how short the flight was going to be), noise canceling headphones, a large pillow, and menus for drinks and food were at the seat upon arrival.
The cabin crew also came through the cabin offering a nice variety of pre-departure drinks (water, juice, champagne) as everyone was getting situated.
The departure
Not only was the boarding process delayed by 8 minutes, our gate departure was 8 minutes behind schedule as well. Isn’t 8 a lucky number in Chinese culture? Maybe this was on purpose!
The taxi over to runway 25L took 22 minutes, and we were in the air at 5:10 PM (which ended up being 20 minutes behind schedule). So much for lucky number eight.
In-flight entertainment
This aircraft featured the latest version of Studio CX, which is Cathay Pacific’s legendary in-flight entertainment system. Combined with that huge (but ultra reflective) video screen, it reminded me a lot of the amazing (but equally reflective) in-flight entertainment experience in Starlux A350-900 business class.
The selection of content (movies, TV shows, games, music, etc) is very good, but not quite as extensive as what I recently experienced in United 777-300ER Premium Plus. United has them beat unfortunately.
Food and drinks
The meal service on this flight was admittedly a bit too ‘fast and furious’ for my liking, but with a flying time of only 1 hour and 49 minutes, the cabin crew had to rush it a bit. They did the best they could with the time they had.
There were two main course options offered on this flight (beef or chicken). Both sounded good, but come on. I’m a chicken man through and through.
The quality of the food was pretty good. It was hot, fresh, and quite substantial. I’d rate it a solid 7.5 stars out of 10.
Seat and cabin comfort
These are fully lie flat seats (with a privacy door) that are fairly comfortable in most positions. The padding is a bit firm, but it’s better than being a bit too soft IMHO. That’s what she said…
Warning: these seats are a wee narrow, which might make it slightly uncomfortable when trying to sleep in a fully lie flat position. Especially if you flop around like a dead fish as you try to fall asleep.
The descent and arrival into Manila
A majority of the Philippines was under a typhoon warning at the time of our arrival, which made for a slightly spicier than normal approach and landing.
Despite all of the drama on the way in, we actually landed on runway 24 one minute ahead of schedule at 6:59 PM. It was a fairly leisurely taxi over to the gate though, and by the time that we got there (7:16 PM), we were 6 minutes late. Not all that bad considering the high winds and poor visibility at the time.
Pros and cons of Cathay Pacific 777-300ER business class
Remember: Cathay Pacific has several different versions of 777-300ER business class at the moment, so choose wisely when booking your flight. Anything with a 1-2-1 seat map will be good. Avoid the 2-2-2 version if you can.
Pros
- It just looks premium. Easily one of the best looking business class cabins of any airline in the world at the moment IMHO.
- The video screens are huge. Watching your favorite movie is an experience these seats.
- Even without the sliding privacy door (which I very much appreciate), these seats are very cozy and cocoon-like.
Cons
- The high-gloss coating on the video screen is maddeningly annoying at times.
- RIP to your feet as they get crushed in the tiny footwell.
Another fantastic video. Could you please tell me what program or app you used in the beginning that mapped out your flight from Hong Kong to Manila? Fantastic graphics!
Thanks Christopher! That map was made with the Mult.dev app on my iPhone. It’s really good, but I’m bummed that they don’t allow 4k export anymore.
Enjoyed the review, Scott. For comparison, I flew CP for the first time back in July, JNB-HKG, and HKG-LAX. The first flight was an A-359 with a senior crew who kept the business class restrooms absolutely spotless. The second flight was a B773 with the previous generation business seat. This flight had a more junior crew who seemed a bit overwhelmed, and the restrooms were not so clean; disappointing. The food was likewise disappointing. And neither flight offered any salt/pepper in any form with the meals; go figure. So I came away with mixed feelings about CP. With the right aircraft and crew, it can be good; otherwise, meh. Keep traveling…
Thanks Dave! Bummer that there was so much inconsistency between the two flights. That’s not so common (from what I hear), and I too would’ve been disappointed if I didn’t get the “proper” CX experience. Especially on long haul!
Been reading you ever since I was a 6th grader in 2023 with my friend at school. We love to make liveries using your templates and probably spent most of 8th period in 6th grade reading these! We don’t have any classes together anymore, but still always come back to read these once or twice a month! Great website and keep up the good work!!!!!
Glad that I’ve been able to provide so much value (and entertainment!) over the years. I’m actually surprised that I’ve been able to keep this going for as long as I have lol…