[Anonymous]

[BusinessTraveller]

Here’s our news piece on the launch of Cathay’s new business class seat, which we’ll be updating with further details and images as they become available.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/asia-pacific/news/no-premium-economy-for-cathay-a-yet

And for those who wish to view it on our sister Asia-Pacific site:

http://asia.businesstraveller.com/asia-pacific/news/no-premium-economy-for-cathay-a-yet

The carrier’s existing business class product has been discussed extensively on this forum – here are some of the links below.

For the sake of keeping everything together and thus easier for readers to search for, it would be great if posters could use this forum topic for discussion of the latest seat – thanks.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Cathay-Pacific-New-Business-Class-Seat

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Cathay-Pacific-new-business-class

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/CX-new-Business-Class

[BusinessTraveller]

We’ve just added some official images of the seat to the news piece, and will be adding more images (taken by a colleague at the event) later today:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/asia-pacific/news/no-premium-economy-for-cathay-a-yet

And for those who wish to view it on our sister Asia-Pacific site:

http://asia.businesstraveller.com/asia-pacific/news/no-premium-economy-for-cathay-a-yet

[oldchinahand]

I was fortunate today to be able to preview the new business class seat that will installed progressively from March 2011

It is in my view Cathay have done a spectacularly good job and this seat more than addresses all of the myriad of failings of the ‘coffin’

This seat at first pass looks to be the biggest advance in business class since the BA seat was introduced 7 (?) years ago and will set the standard for a few years

Wide and off -set (perhaps 40 degrees towards window) and forward facing for middle seats. The cabin is 1-2-1 in 777 aircraft.

Fully lie-flat bed- heaps of personal space and good storage. Clever design so that there is room to use both computer and food tray.

In the lie flat position the seat widens with a fold up flap that allows sleeping on ones side

The middle seats move forward (as in a car seat) to allow passengers travelling together to see one another and easily communicate. otherwise there is a permanent divider in place

Finally simple seat controls that echo the Mercedes Benz controls….very easy to use.
Large TV and the latest in in-seat power with i-Pod etc being able to feed through to the noise cancelling headphones

A very good product that others will struggle to match for some years

[InterestedObserver]

It is good news, but in the meantime we are all going to have to continue to put up with the existing business class, which no matter how often they have tweaked it, is still not good. (It’s also another new seat from the same team with hardly an enviable track record. They say they conduct lots of research, and then get it wrong – the new economy seat is awful, so that will be the next one to be replaced.)

Those middle seats are better, but it still looks like it is a fair lean forward to talk to a travelling companion. I think it’s a mistake to assume every one is anti social or doesn’t want to chat with their travelling companioins.,

[oldchinahand]

There is also a new economy seat for long haul later in 2011

[InterestedObserver]

It’s good to know, but again, if it’s from the same team, it does affect your confidence of what they’ll present.

That said, it’s good they are listening to feedback. I’ll be intrigued to see what the configuration on their four-class aircraft will look like when premium economy comes in

[oldchinahand]

Different management team different design team same Cathay service

[FlyingChinaman]

Oldchinahand

I was in the product launch just now (you might even have seen me with my beautiful Chinese female companion hovering around the Grand Hall! I was wearing a Azul blue tie and a dark suit).

Going back to the new Cathay Business Class Seats, they are extremely nice and I certainly agreed with you that this NG seating will leave many airlines existing business class products behind for a few years.

The refreshed uniforms for genders are also good improvements, Stylish and yet contemporary, Not to mention those artistic wall picture hangings for the new cabin.

I am sure I shall love the new business class cabin once retro-fitted progressively in their aircrafts.

InterestedObserver: You have a rather critical and negative opinion on the ability of new Cathay product design team by basing your judgement from their past mistake! From what I have just seen at the launch event, my conclusion is the new team has got it right this time!

Remember there is no such thing as the “Perfect Seat”. Just like a perfect house!

Current and past Cathay supporters can look forward to enjoy the old Cathay experience.again soon.

[BradCarle]

Well, I’m one of – I think – the few who revelled in the isolation of the so-called coffins. This NG seating however is truly awesome. For a business traveller, the offset angle appears to provide the separation from one’s colleague that I personally crave, but it also offers the lesiure traveller an option to commune with one’s companion. Problem solved. I’m very happy to continue travelling in the herringbone but look forward to experiencing CXs new product which, as I understand, will be ex Sydney early 2011 on the 330

[wanula1]

I also like the current seating style, in fact being 2 metres tall its one of the only business class seats that is long enough when fully flat.

However of more interest is that no reference is made to refitting the 747 fleet which possibly means:

– the fleet has a short shelf live and therefore why retrofit?
– on the London routes it’s always full so if people are still flying the old style why change it?
– or more likely they haven’t worked out how that seating style will fit on the upper deck of a 747?

Will be interesting to see what they do with the 747’s

[robsmith100]

Wanula1 – i strongly suspect Cathay will discontinue the 747 on passenger journeys and continue using them for Cargo as most of their 747’s are now converted to freighter. They also currently have 5 more on order all of which have a cargo build.

[oldchinahand]

robsmith100, wanula1 : Cathay need to run the the 747 for another 5 years or so until the A350’s on order start to arrive. It is unlikely that they will ever retrofit these747’s but may perhaps need to if the A350 is years late being delivered. Having seen the seat it looks as though that it could be retro fitted to the 747 upper deck with ease if need be.
Cathay have dedicated 747 freighters on order and would seem to have no need to convert the existing 747 passenger fleet any time soon.

[robsmith100]

Here’s demo vid of Cathays new business class product, must say. it looks very impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiMIKtcZglY

Regards,

Rob.

[Tom0706]

So, I’m a little surprised that no one has asked yet but is there a schedule or some way of knowing which 777s have the new business class product? I’m looking to fly from JFK to HKG… I would hate to miss out on the new experience because I picked the wrong flight!

Cheers,
Tom

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