The addition of Cathay Dragon First Class lifts the regional luxury benchmark in Asia, discovers Nick Walton.

Cathay Pacific’s regional carrier, Cathay Dragon has reached luxurious new levels with the recent introduction of a contemporary first class product on its three-class A330-300 aircraft. Designed to enhance the overall first class passenger experience, the new product provides passengers a space in which to sleep, dine, work, read, watch TV, or simply relax.

Regional Innovation

As passengers enter the First Class cabin, which is essentially Cathay Pacific’s long-haul business class product, they will immediately appreciate the sense of space and openness. Clean, sculpted lines define private seats with direct aisle access. Warm-tone natural leather is used on most interior surfaces of the seat for a luxurious feel and soft touch and is complemented by abstract patterns, richly woven fabrics, and original artwork, which harmonises to create a warm, premium residential feel.

Passengers will also notice generous storage spaces in a side storage compartment, suitable for handbags or laptop cases, while a side cabinet and a shoe locker provide additional storage for small valuables and personal belongings. A vanity mirror is concealed under a flap inside the side cabinet door. During the flight, the side cabinet can be fixed in the open position to double as a privacy screen.

Settling into the contemporary 22.2-inch wide wing-back chair, passengers are cocooned in their own private area, which has been sculpted to maximise living space. Individual privacy is assured without compromising freedom of movement. The outboard seats are gently angled towards the windows, giving passengers a perfect view.

User-Friendly Design

Everything passengers need to control their environment is close at hand. The entertainment handset operates a widescreen on-demand entertainment system. A premium car-style seat controller enables passengers to adjust their seat at the touch of a button – from upright, through the relax position, and into a fully flat bed, which allows passengers to sleep in any position. The foams of the seat have been ergonomically designed to optimise comfort for sitting, relaxing, or sleeping, during which a novel feature called the bed extension deploys automatically, increasing the 82-inch long bed width. The retractable armrest can be lowered to further increase sleeping space or raised to act as a privacy screen.

Passengers can enjoy the privacy of the new First Class seats or enjoy company; the cabin’s centre seats are gently angled towards each other, making them perfect for those travelling with a companion. When a passenger is reclined into the seat with the screen deployed, privacy is assured. However, at the touch of a button, the seat slides forward, allowing passengers to interact with their travel companions over a central Cocktail Table.

Work & Play

Each seat is a space of both work and play. The large cocktail table can be used in conjunction with the main table to allow passengers to spread out while they work. A reading light can be adjusted for brightness and angle. In addition, Cathay Dragon’s entertainment has been upgraded to an Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) system to allow passengers to select their own choice of movies and music during the flight.

Each seat is equipped with a universal power supply outlet to keep electronic devices fully charged. A multi-port connector includes an RCA port, an iPhone/iPod connector, and a USB port. The RCA and the iPhone/iPod connector allow passengers to connect their own devices and watch video through the personal TV. The USB port can be used to charge devices such as mobile phones and tablet devices.

The new product will initially be available on the airline’s Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and Kaoshiung services.

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