Review of Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Osaka in Economy

Introduction and routing

The genesis of this trip goes back to an invitation received end of 2019 from a Chinese friend to go with her to the Zhuhai Airshow, which is to China what the Paris Air Show is to France, although being a mostly military affair. It is biannual, like the Paris Air Show, in November of even-numbered years. But from the first days of January, 2020, I cautiously postponed the purchase of plane tickets, and quickly understood that we would not attend the 2020 edition: the Covid crisis had already started in China.
In 2022, going to China was an obstacle course, and furthermore, there was no guarantee that the Airshow would not be postponed at the last minute to a later date, and we therefore waited until 2024.

Zhuhai is to Macau what Shenzhen is to Hong Kong: one of the Special Economic Zones created in the early 80s under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping at the gates of the capitalist world, and for both, HKG is the airport of choice for long-haul destinations (CAN is also possible, but reaching Zhuhai from there is less convenient).

In January 2024, an aviation newsletter alerted me to a promotion by CX for flights Europe to all their destinations in Japan, with a possible extended stopover in HKG. That clinched the deal: we also had Japanese friends not met since the Covid crisis.
This is the resulting routing, in three trips: CDG – HKG, HKG – KIX and KIX – CDG via HKG.

Journey to HKG, coming from Zhuhai

This story begins at the Zhuhai terminal of the HZMB (Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau Bridge), this gigantic road structure that crosses the Pearl River estuary, because since the previous FR (and its bonus), we have moved to Mainland China. (Citizens from a few countries including France are presently exempted from visa requirements for stays up to 14 days).

I had planned to take the ordinary bus, which is very cheap and runs very frequently, as on the way there, but it requires taking then a shuttle between the bus terminal on the HK side and the airport. For a much higher price (180 HKD against 33 HKD, per PAX), I chose the luxury of this van which goes directly to HKG. They run infrequently, but of them was going to leave within five minutes when we reached the terminal.

Cars must drive between 80 and 100 km/h, buses and larger vehicles between 60 and 80 km/h

The bridge is not a straight line

One of the three viaducts allowing ships to go up the Pearl River estuary and reach in particular Guangzhou.

The entrance to the tunnel, providing a way to ships whose air draft prevents them from passing under the viaducts

For the PAX of this van, immigration was one booth away in the tangle of ramps leading to HKG, without even getting out of the vehicle, and we were then dropped off in front of the terminal. Note the double registration of the van: Hong Kong (in black on a white background) and Chinese for foreigners (in white on a black background), because Chinese plates are not valid in Hong Kong and vice versa (and the same with Macau).

HKG landside

Here we are

Checked luggage is DIY, with passengers getting from one of these machines…

their checked luggage tags, and BP in option (I hadalready checked us in online)

One of the Marathon suitcases goes on the conveyor belt

We receive these receipts

And we came out of the baggage drop-off, 7 minutes after getting in the line at the entrance

Bad luck for our Japanese friend who was going to pick us up at KIX: our flight was delayed to 5:00 p.m.

HKG airside

Airside, the HKG terminal is functional, but quite cold

Reserved seating for PMRs

Desks which do not attract any passengers on a Sunday

A giant chess game

A few sculptures furnish the space

This one has the advantage of doubling as a playground for young children

Plane spotting

For older children, the large bay windows (inclined inward, which reduces rain stains) and the diversity of traffic make HKG ideal for airside plane spotting, at least in the daytime.
B-HPG, a Cathay Pacific A321neo

B-329N, a China Eastern Airlines A320neo

The Skybridge, spanning 130 m, with 28 m air draft above the apron, now connect the satellite which was previously only accessible by PAXbus

JA925A, an All Nippon Airways 787-9

B-KPW, a Cathay Pacific 777-300ER

9V-SMI, a Singapore Airlines A350-900

B-30CC, a China Southern Airlines A320neo

VT-IUE, an IndiGo A321neo

9M-LDT, a Batik Air Malaysia 737-800

V8-DLC, a Royal Brunei 787-8

B-16725, an EVA Air 777-300ER

RP-C9918, a Philippine Airlines A321ceo

Takeoff of HS-LUY, a Thai Lion Air 737-800

B-LAE, a Cathay Pacific A330-300

B-19651, a China Airlines 737-800

PK-GPU, a Garuda Indonesia A330-300

JA871J, a Japan Airlines 787-9

A7-BOB, a Qatar Airways 777-300ER

9V-SWR, a Singapore Airlines 777-300ER

HS-TXK, a Thai Airways A320ceo (and lots of reflections on the window)

G-ZBKD, a British Airways 787-9

The gate of our flight had changed …

… and I almost completely missed the arrival of the A350-900 which would operate our flight!

There were still almost no passengers near the gate; we waited for boarding, initially in the “general public” seats next to these “PRM and others” seats

… because they were the only ones around with a power port

We moved later to the other side of the gate

… where they were USB ports only

With these sculptures behind us; I was definitely not impressed

Boarding: the cabin of a Cathay Pacific A350

Fifty minutes after the A350 had reached the gate, it's was our turn

Door shot

The Y cabin in 3-3-3 (alas! it was supposed to be an A330, with 2-4-2 seating, when I bought our tickets)

Reaching our seats, with the wide A350 window very well aligned with our seat

The width between armrests meets the Airbus economy standard

The seat pitch is very comfortable, especially since the passenger in front will not recline his seatback during this medium-haul daytime flight

What's more, the seatback only reclines 8°, which leads me to assume that this aircraft is intended for medium-haul flights. (I checked on Flightradar24, he does long-haul flights from time to time.)

Here's what it will look like in flight

As often, there is a 110 V / 60 Hz multi-standard power outlet under the seat, and as often, there is no indication: you have to search for it without any visual clue – a better option is using a cell phone in selfie mode.

The IFE screen, waiting for the crew announcement

The USB port is hidden behind the mini-tablet that can be used to prop up your smartphone.

Safety card, both sides

CX has kept the tradition of the flight magazine

With the map of the HKG region and the cities where CX provides end-to-end transfer. It would have been possible for us to check in our bags at the port of Zhuhai, where this FR begins, but that would have actually made us lose a lot of time, because the proposed schedules are much spaced out.

The Cathay Pacific fleet, for those who want to check the completeness of their collection

Except that one model had not yet been delivered to any customer yet

Plane spotting during taxi

Pushback at 16:54

HL8509, a Korean Air A321neo

B-18667, a China Airlines 737-800

B-323G, a Loongair A320neo

A6-EGI, an Emirates 777-300ER

B-16215, an EVA Air A321ceo

A little quick taxi past the freight area in the distance:

Two A330-200P2F (passenger planes converted into freighters): SU-GCJ (Egyptair)…

… and OE-LAL, in the colors of Air Belgium on the tail, and with the name of Hongyuan Group which took 49% of the capital in 2022.

We were going to take off from Runway 07R

Aligning on the runway

There was a line behind us: B-1511, a Shandong Airlines 737-800

B-1907, a China Eastern Airlines 737-800

And HS-PGX, a Bangkok Air A319ceo

Takeoff

Takeoff: general view of the terminal

With the small satellite and the skybridge

The landside installations and part of the maze of access ramps

Asia World Expo, right

The end of the Hong Kong terminal of the HK – Macau/Zhuhai Bridge-Tunnel.

The Ting Kau Viaduct, between Tsing Yi Island and the mainland, New Territories

Turn over the sea of clouds at dusk

Night flight

The air route: I didn’t see anything of Taiwan, because of the cloud cover and the schedule. Too bad!

The meal, as served

After unpacking, with the fish and rice option for me

… and the vegetarian option (I believe) for my wife.

The Japanese noodles (top left on the tray) came with a scoop of sauce

And at the top right, it’s like on the CDG-HKG flight a 58g / 70 ml Hägen-Dazs ice cream

Descent and arrival at KIX

Nighttime descent on KIX: in th distance, this is the Akashi viaduct, the main bridge of the link between Honshū and Shikoku, which for a long time held the world suspension bridge span length record

Touch down at 21:28

Taxiing

And arrived at the gate

Deplaning: the Y+ cabin

And the J cabin

KIX

The reduced registration on the nose gear door was barely legible in my original photo at full resolution, but I was confirmed that the aircraft had been B-LQB.

Most of the passengers had completed in the immigration and customs forms online, and only had to present the corresponding QR codes; I had not checked about this and had to fill in the old-fashioned paper forms.

In short, I went through immigration where the policeman wished me “Welcome to Japan” in French while giving me back my passport, customs who simply took my form, reunited with one of our Japanese friends, bought a local SIM card (the counters are impossible to miss when arriving landside!)… an hour after the plane’s final stop, we were in his car for an hour and a half of expressway travel. I briefly saw our friend's parking fee stub: at 200 JPY for the first half hour, the (degressive) parking rate is very affordable: about a third of the rate at CDG-2!

Thanks for reading me!

Bonus: the Zhuhai AirShow 2024

As promised, I offer you an overview of this air show , seen by probably very few of my readers.