Index:

• Introduction, Positioning Flight to New York, and the Hilton JFK
  
• British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK
  
• Cathay Pacific First Class, New York JFK – Hong Kong
  
• The Pier First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City
  
• Park Hyatt Saigon
• Lunch at Pho Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City
  
• Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang
  
• Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa
  
• Vietnam Airlines Economy, Danang – Siem Reap
  
• Park Hyatt Siem Reap
  
• Angkor Wat and Other Temples
  
• Dragonair Business Class, Siem Reap – Hong Kong
  
• Turbojet, Hong Kong Airport – Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel
  
• The Venetian, Fernando’s, and the Ferry to Hong Kong
  
• Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Harbor View Suite
  
• Bo Innovation, Hong Kong
  
• Amber Restaurant, Hong Kong
  
• Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class Lounge, Hong Kong
  
• Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – New York JFK
  
• American Airlines JFK Flagship Lounge and New York – Washington National

I walked over from the British Airways lounge to the Cathay Pacific gate. Just as there’s nothing special about the first class lounge, there’s even less special about the gate area or even the terminal (though it’s my favorite at JFK due to its size, it’s quick to get out of on arrival). There is a Starbucks, though, and I picked up a coffee on my way onto the plane for the 9:05am departure. Sure, Cathay has coffee, but one last familiar American-style offering before two weeks in Asia felt right to me somehow.

Cathay Pacific offers one of the most consistent first class products in the sky, across the board.

The seats are spacious and private, though they do not have ‘doors’ that open. The service is very good, but it’s not generally fawning (in fact it’s somewhat reserved). The food is good but far from great. You get top notch amenities, good champagne (Krug), and designer pajamas.

But there’s nothing flashy about it in the way that Emirates offers an inflight shower on its A380, or Etihad has an inflight chef.

Instead, it just offers a fantastic product that delivers time and again, and that I consider to be my favorite all around first class.

I think Asiana has the best food (although Singapore has some of the best main courses, especially their pre-order choices and especially for departures from Singapore). I think Thai has the best ground experience in their spa. But Cathay Pacific — which has just 6 seats in their first class cabin on the 777, 2 rows of 3 seats across (rather than the standard 4 seats across) — gives me my best night’s sleep.

This would be my home for the next 16 hours.

I was actually slightly disappointed. Cathay Pacific is in the process of updating their first class cabins, and I was hoping to get one of the 777s with new finishes (although it’s really just new trim, the hardware is the same). I just wanted to try it, but this would be fine — and I’ve got multiple upcoming additional trips on the Cathay 777 in first class to look forward to so hopefully I still will.

Amenity kits, and pajamas were distributed. The male amenity kit was Ermenegildo Zegna.

And pre-departure beverages were served. I began with Krug, thank you very much.

Menus followed.

They were running a ‘wine promotion’ featuring Saint-Émilion.

The cabin was readied for departure and we were shortly on our way.

Brunch was served to start off the flight (although of course you can take your meal whenever you wish). One nice feature is the ability for a dining companion to sit across from you for the meal — the ottoman has a seat belt, and the flight attendants install a table extender, which combines to make the experience not unlike sitting across from each other in a restaurant.

Your first meal is always presented with a personalized welcome note from the crew.

I began with fruit

And then had the dim sum

The eggs, by the way, are freshly cooked to order.

A meal on Cathay Pacific always ends with petit fours — which I tend not to eat right away, but will snack on during the first movie I watch.

Shortly after the meal I went to change into my pajamas, and as I did that I was asked by the crew if I’d like my bed made. It was ready once I returned to my seat.

I settled in with a glass of Johnny Walker Blue, which I would have asked for neat had I thought to specify but was served with ice.

I watched some old episodes of Entourage and fell asleep, dozing in and out for the next three hours. I do like arriving in Hong Kong in the afternoon, and at any final destination ready to go to bed, but a morning departure for Asia means I’m not especially tired yet — and all things equal I would like to sleep as closed to bed time at my destination. That’s tough with this flight.

Once I was sure I wasn’t going to nap anymore I decided to ring for a flight attendant.

Cathay Pacific’s crews are always attentive, once you realize that they aren’t ignoring you, they’re just staying out of your way. Push the flight attendant call button, they are happy to be there to assist immediately. But they aren’t going to disturb your flight. Many Americans view the flight attendant call button as something to be used only in the event of a safety emergency. That’s the wrong way to think about it on Cathay Pacific.

With all the times that I’ve flown Cathay Pacific there are few experiences that stand out from the others, they’re pretty much all the same — except that I know I like it best when breakfast is the second meal, where I begin with some Krug and caviar and end with dim sum — and the snacks change, I like it when there’s a Chinese hot pot option and if I’m lucky egg tarts. In this case, they had the hot pot.

I watched some television shows I had downloaded to my laptop for the next few hours, took another short nap for an hour or so, and got up for lunch prior to arrival.

I began with caviar and salmon, and then switched to the Chinese meal – I’m often fond of the cold plate, and the lobster sounded good (it was), followed by dessert.

After the meal it was about 45 minutes to landing in Hong Kong. I changed out of my pajamas, and when I had returned to my seat the bedding was removed for me. I read a magazine for the remainder of the flight and then we promptly had landed.. about 20 minutes early. It was time to go through transit security and on to the nearest lounge for a shower.

This flight from New York JFK was like so many others I’ve taken. It’s a long flight, blocked at 16 hours, but between two meals and a snack, the extensive CX World entertainment system, and great bedding to sleep in (and plenty of width to stretch out and not feel closed in), it’s just like a long lazy Sunday. The only thing I would wish for is inflight internet, but I also do still enjoy on such a long flight the forced seclusion and a willingness that follows to succumb to bad television that I wouldn’t otherwise watch.

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