Cathay Pacific’s A330s might be among the airline’s oldest aircraft but their business class is more than comfortable enough for a regional hop in style.

Believe it or not but the Hong Kong – Denpasar (Bali) route is a pretty competitive one. In addition to Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and Garuda Indonesia also ply the route with daily flights. Where you’re likely to spot the difference is in business class.

Check-in/The Lounge

I skipped the in-town check-in at Hong Kong Station as Hong Kong International Airport has insisted on the use of kiosks here, replacing what was once one of the most ground-breaking and seamless travel innovations in Asia with a skeleton staff and a very mechanical, impersonal check-in experience (which is why only Cathay Pacific has returned post-pandemic) and instead took the Airport Express directly to HKIA, which was very busy due to the long weekend.

After a quick check-in for my Bali flight at the designated Cathay business class section, I made my way through security and immigration and, because my gate had not yet been allocated, by-passed Cathay’s The Wing lounge (which I can’t stand) and made my way to the all-but-hidden Qantas lounge. As the Australian carrier is a fellow oneworld partner, I was allowed immediate access and at 8 am it’s all but empty.

The 2,000 sqm lounge, which was recently refreshed with a warmer colour palette and new furnishings by Australian designer David Caon, is a spacious, modern setting with a small but well thought out food selection by celebrity chef Neil Perry and views across the apron. I’m glad this detour worked out as my gate was eventually announced as 503, meaning I was just steps from the bus lounge beneath the duty free shopping.

I wasn’t particularly thrilled to be taking a bus out to a Cathay A330, especially with two carry ons and a slight drizzle beginning but crew offered disposable ponchos and the process onto the wide-body was relatively quick.

The Cabin

This particular Cathay Pacific A330-300 featured 191 economy class seats, 21 premium economy class seats (which we’re also a fan of), and 39 lie-flat business class seats spread across one large cabin, in which my window seat, 15A, was located, and one smaller one. Young, cheerful crew members welcomed us onboard, guided passengers to their seats, and promptly served glasses of Ayala Brut Major Champagne, water or juice. The cabin was mostly full but crew managed to settle us all in quickly as the pilot apologised for the remote gate and advised a flight time of four hours and 25 minutes.

As our designated departure time arrived and past, the captain advised an additional 40 minute wait before we could taxi. Crew did their best, replenishing drinks and many passengers tuned into the in-flight entertainment. Finally we began push back and were airborne another 20 minutes later.

The Seat

While the A330s are older work horses for the airline, the business class product is in keeping with the rest of the fleet. The seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration, include a pitch of 82-inches and a width of 20.2-inches. Combined with broad arm rests, a large if not slightly dated personal monitor, and plenty of storage space, they offer a competitive business class product for regional hops like this flight from Hong Kong to Bali. There are easy to reach controls and personal reading lights, and, if you need a little more shut eye, the seat converts into a very comfortable bed.

Dining

After bumping our way through brooding Hong Kong skies, we reached cruising altitude and the staff began a brunch service. This took the form of a bowl of warm nuts and in my case a cup of illy coffee, followed by a seasonal salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; and seared tuna with Ligurian olives, green beans, semi dried tomatoes and fingerling potatoes. The dish was perfectly presented and fresh and I paired the tuna with a glass of Moillard-Grivot Macon Villages from Burgundy.

For mains, we were offered a choice of stir-fried beef and potatoes in a black pepper sauce with chow sum and lily bulbs, goji berries, and steamed jasmine rice; pan-fried halibut with lemon parsley butter, zucchini, cherry tomato, and mashed potato; and Hainanese Chicken Rice. I opted for the beef, which was pure comfort food – hot, rich and sating.

The meal concluded with a choice of international cheeses, fresh fruit and Häagen-Dazs ice cream but I decided to try and be good and simply had fruit and another cup of coffee.

Entertainment

While Cathay Pacific’s entertainment selection is very comprehensive, it’s a little too broad and lacks many of the classics that are ideally suited for flying and which you’ll find on other carriers like Emirates. I decided instead to binge watch the third instalment of True Detectives, an HBO thriller that I had started on my flight up to Hong Kong. While business class includes CX’s own headphones, they’re a little plasticky so I prefer to use my own Bose headphones, which I paired with a bluetooth transmitter that plugs into the headphone jack, allowing me to watch the inflight entertainment without chords.

Service

As with most Cathay Pacific flights, the business class crew were efficient and effective, if not perhaps as warm as those you will find on the likes of Emirates. There’s no doubt that they will do anything they can to make you comfortable but on this flight they were not particularly proactive, although four hours is a fairly short time to fit all their duties into. At the end of the day, I’d choose efficiency over charm anyway.

Conclusion

The Hong Kong Bali service is on the cusp between short haul and medium-haul – throw in delays like the 40 additional minutes we needed to stand at our gate in Hong Kong before we could push back and the circles we fly over Nusa Penida before we’re cleared to land in Bali, and you have the makings of an almost six hour journey so business class is a welcomed comfort and the airline clearly works hard to make passengers feel dotted on.

Note: The author travelled on a fully paid business class ticket without the airline’s prior knowledge

For more Reviews click here.

STAY IN THE KNOW BY FOLLOWING US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, & LINKEDIN