Hi again everyone, welcome back to another review. Looking back on what I’ve written today, this is without doubt my longest one yet. (I nearly even hit the 150 image limit!) In many ways, whether in the airport or on the plane, this might have been one of the greatest flight experiences I’ve had. My apologies in advance for this extensively lengthy review, but I tried to squeeze in every emotion and subtle detail I could. I really hope you guys enjoy, and please join me along the way!
When I was younger, there were a few years where my family and I would fly from Beijing to Hong Kong and back nearly twice a month. Whether it was for leisure, my father’s job, or visa , it was really when my young-self began noticing planes were more than just a ways to get from point A to B. Every time we left HK, I began asking my parents to leave for the airport a bit early than last. I still recall having arguments with my dad where he asked why I or anyone would prefer walking up and down a noisy terminal rather than sitting peacefully in a restaurant or spending some extra time at the hotel. These were the days we barely flew Cathay Pacific, for some reason Cathay Dragon and Dragonair (remember them?) were always preferred. Some part of CX always mesmerized me, and one my first (of now a very large) model collection was theirs, a naive way from young me to compensate for never getting to fly them I guess! Perhaps nostalgia made this experience so much more special, part of our childhood that sticks with us even as adults. Please, join me on what was an incredible journey!
Cathay have a special F check-in area at HKG, distinguishable by the sleek white marble design.
The night before, I called Cathay’s customer service to double check when I would be allowed to enter the terminal. One agent said 180 minutes before takeoff, while another said I could go whenever. Crucially, the latter was over WhatsApp text while the prior was over call. My plan, with the text evidence in my hand, was to reach the airport as soon as my hotel kicked me out and take out my phone if they refused me entry :P. Luckily, no issues were present at all, and at 4:00pm sharp, SEVEN HOURS before my flight, I was in! I was also informed of a 30 minute delay, so that meant nearly eight full hours. I was left slightly down by the check-in agent’s nonchalant attitude. Nothing she did or said was wrong, but for one of CX’s flagship routes in F, I was hoping of a tad more enthusiasm to the occasion. For comparison, the BA agent on my flight from Porto to London seemed more excited to check us in than the lady today. But knowing I had one of the best plane spotting airports in the world and two incredible lounges to check out, it was all positivity and excitement. Arguably, the most excited I have ever been going into a security check.
Credit where its due, the ‘courtesy channel’ card offered at check-in helped me breeze through security and immigration in under five hours. When I flew the Aria Suite out of HKG in August, I was unaware the courtesy card extended to immigration too, and there were two rather long lines for visitors that day as there was today. I waited for a few minutes before realizing there was a separate channel, My mistake, Once we were past, I genuinely had too much excitement to decide where to head first, I received a card at check-in for access to three lounges, two being F lounges, and one Business, Since it was around 4:30 pm, I planned to spend an hour or so plane spotting before it got dark. As awesome as HKG plane spotting is, once it becomes dark outside you literally cannot see anything outside unless you press your face/phone right up against the glass. As I later realized, the pictures taken at night against the glass might have been ever cooler than the ones during the day. HKG has by far the greatest selection of international carriers in Asia, maybe even the world (perhaps other than LHR), plane spotting for an avgeek like us is truly the best feeling in the world! I ended up snapping shots of almost all the international carriers that fly through here during my extended trip! I took farrr too many pictures of planes to share, so here is just one:)
Now to what I really was excited about, the Pier F lounge.
The two F lounges at HKG are located on opposite sides of the terminal. The Deck is located near immigration at Gate 6, while the Pier is on the opposite end near gate 63. Popular opinion favors the Pier in almost all aspects, and I was ready to check it out. As we will see, the Pier has a far sleeker design than the Deck. The furniture and wood designs really add to the classiness of the area.
Starving, I headed over to the dining area, which was rather packed. I was offered four menus, pictured below.
I first went with the special set menu, before wandering off to a smaller self-serve section on the other end of the lounge. As opposed to most lounges who offer hot buffet options, the ones here focused on desserts, cold cuts, and fruits, since all the most were focused in the dining area.
Looking around, there was also a large lounging area with a bartender manning the bar.
In the retreat area, there were shower spas, day rooms, and a massage area. A card shows the massages provided, with all guests given a free 15 minute service of choice, listed on the menu below.
There were also some individual private cubicles for work.
Check out this gloriously elegant marble design, can you believe it's the hallway to the toilets?
The dining room, quite empty at this time. It would become far busier when I returned later on.
Back in the dining room, my food from the tasting menu began to come.It all tasted quite good, but had rather small portions. Particularly the chicken, which was the highlight, but I could have done three to four more portions of it.
Still hungry, I ordered the soup, dan dan noodles, and the duck.
The soup was very fresh, dan dan noodles complimented it well with the savory sauce, and duck very tender, I finished off with some Rose Champagne (influenced by the table next to me who had nearly emptied out an entire bottle!).
All around a great dining experience. When I asked a staff member about the day suites, not really intending to use one since I wanted to continue plane spotting and experience the other lounge, she insisted on checking for me and came back shortly with an offering of one. She also suggested to take a quick shower before resting, I really couldn’t fight her enthusiasm! Perhaps Cathay could consider bringing her bubbly personality to the F check-in!
There was no wait required for the shower spa, and it was quite spacious with solid amenities.
Afterward, another staff member took me over to the ‘day suites’, down this little hallway.
These were a nice space and offered great privacy. There are no doors but rather a curtain that hides you from the hallway. The entire area was dead silent, so if you planned on staying awake in there you had to be real careful with noise.
Lots of pictures I’ve seen online show great shots of the planes from these suites, but sadly none were parked in my vicinity. Another small point of confusion was that I’ve heard guests stay for over 6 hours waiting for their flight, but there was a small card hoping stays were limited to 90 minutes.
Regardless, I stayed for less than 10 minutes before beginning my trek over to The Deck through another round of plane spotting in terminal. Now pitch black, here are some of my highlights!
I briefly went through The Deck in my review on CX to Beijing, but that was breakfast service.
After seeing the menus, I realized the beverages were same, but the food options were far less extensive than The Pier, albeit with a few inclusions the other lacked.
Similarly, the buffet section also offered less options.
They had a small bar with no bartender until I passed through, but again less grandeur than the one at The Pier.
Something I did enjoy, that the Pier didn’t have, was some steaming hot cream of mushroom soup.
The small pork chop was one of the only food options exclusive to The Deck, and trying it I appreciated the small portion, and was very fresh.
The lounge was far emptier than The Pier, which was a nice and peaceful change. It often took a few minutes before I could grab a server’s attention over there, but here a lovely gentleman constantly checked up on me, I guess it helped there was essential two free servers for each customer.
I ended with some dim sum’s from the noodle bar, which are also available at breakfast.
Hoping to save some appetite for the flight, I left after grabbing some macaroons, and began my trip back over to The Pier, where my gate that was just announced was also located.
Again, a few new airlines showed up on trip number 3, and here are a few highlights!
I had around 2 hours left before my flight, and I hoped to spend them lying down in the day suites. Unfortunately, I was informed they were all booked. I felt quite glad that I managed to sneak some pictures earlier. I took a seat in the bar area, which was relatively empty, and sipped on a cognac on the rocks. There were two gentlemen at the bar having a nice tasting and chatting session with the bartender, nice to see everyone was in a jolly mood tonight! Around 11pm, I headed over to my gate which was right outside the lounge. Boarding quickly commenced with group 0, something I had never seen before, quite interesting. Once group 1 was called, we were on our way. I apologize for this extensively long pre-flight review, but I was simply so ecstatic and those 7 hours flew by, I hope I still have your attention!
The first look at our bird for tonight!
Aboard we go!
The second I stepped foot aboard, I instantly forgot about the rather distant check-in agent, as I was immediately greeted with exceptional enthusiasm by one of the two crew members taking care of F tonight. She struck up a conversation over my plans in London, how long I’d be staying, and whether it was my first time aboard. She helped me with my bags and coat, placing them in the storage area in front of my seat. No overhead cabins, really adding to the sense of space.
Here’s the first look at the cabin, some shots I managed to grab before it all filled up.
Juxtaposing CX’s classic green, the F cabin uses a rich red color. From seats to the carpet, distinguishing itself as something different to the rest of the plane. Waiting at my seat were two sleeping pillows and a red cushion pillow, a bottle of water, and some headphones. Many more amenities arrived in the coming moments.
I was offered some nuts, a wet towel, a fizzy cold tea, and a welcome drink, of which I chose the Krug, one of the best champagnes offered in the sky.
CX also provides a handwritten welcome card to all their F passengers, a lovely personal touch.
Looking down at my seat from this angle, you can see that it’s showing age. There is also little privacy with the lack of a door. The hard product in itself has far less privacy than CX’s new Aria Business suites.
On the bright side, there is an incredible amount of space. Not only is there always more footpace available when your legs are fully stretched, there is probably enough space next to me to seat another person on the chair.
Charging ports are available along the seat, which worked even before takeoff. The console is located next to a small screen, and beside it is a storage area.
CX offers great noisecancelling Bowers & Wilkins headphones in F, one of the best out there.
The IFE screen is absolutely massive and can be taken out from the holder, more on the entertainment options to come. Under the IFE screen is another small storage area, but rather too thin to place anything substantial. I struggled to squeeze the amenity kit in.
Pyjamas were then offered, in collaboration with Pye.
The amenity kit is in collaboration with Bamford, and offered quite a few nice products. Other than the kit exterior, the offerings were not far from that in Business.
The slippers were located inside the Pye pajama bag, and fit perfectly.
Now, to what we all love to see. The food and beverage menu. CX does a nice job of fitting a lot of information into a few pages, helps not having to have tens of pictures. . I was delighted to see they had Johnny Walker Blue Label, my absolute favorite whisky. Along with Krug, you can see they’re going all out for the alcohol choices. I’m not too much of a wine connoisseur, please feel free to share your thoughts on their offerings,
Onto the food. An international and Asian set was offered, and upon inquiry I was told I could mix and match. I ended up going purely for the Asian option, as I doubt CX could do anything less than perfection especially originating from one of the greatest culinary hubs in the world. There was also an order anytime menu, as well as a pre-landing breakfast offering. More on the food later.
After boarding completed, I was offered a fleece blanket complete with the F red color scheme. As I always do, immediately tossed it over my legs and kicked back.
There is a small light on the right side, and you can see when you pull lean back there is a decent bit of privacy courtesy of the partition.
But again, privacy not up there with the newer F or even many J seats. I do love the red walkway, feels like a celebrity walking the red carpet.
There is a mini closet area at the front of your seat, which housed my coat and hoodie. Easily accessible if you're ever feeling chilly.
I then took a quick visit to the restroom, which has a sleek wooden finish. They had the basic amenities offered, and were very cleanly kept throughout the journey. Two restrooms at the front of the cabin, for the six F passengers.
As we began taxing back, the captain came on the PA and welcomed us onboard, apologizing for the delay as they needed some time for transiting passengers to fully board. CX’s safety video then began to play, with an emphasis on Hong Kong’s infrastructure and beaches.
3 windows, how could this get any better?
The lights were then dimmed as we edged closer to takeoff. We pushed out of HKG at 23:36, 36 later but only 6 minutes later than our eventual scheduled departure time.
Once the seatbelt sign was turned off, the crew began service. A king crab and mango salsa amuse bouche was offered, a wonderfully tasty and light way to kick off meal service.
I also grabbed a refill of the Krug. For some non-alcoholic options, I chose my goto Diet Coke and a cathay delight.
CX offers a caviar service, which would have been the next course. However, I opted to save mine for breakfast, as I wanted to jump straight into the Asian set menu.
Both the male and female F attendants were exceptional. In particular, the gentleman was always happy to strike up conversations, and it really felt they were both genuinely happy to be there and maintained an incredible balance of being social and professional.
Before my meal was served, I checked out the IFE. I had previously mentioned that Thai had one of the better IFE choices out of the Asian airlines, and CX is a big reason why. CX has, without doubt, the best IFE in Asia. Multiple options for each genre of TV, with full seasons as opposed to individual episodes.
The same can be said for films, with endless options from Mandarin to English, Drama to Horror. You want it, CX most likely will have it, You could take this 14 hour flight multiple times a day for a year and you probably won’t make it through 1/3 of the options.
Here comes the first course, crystal pork terrine with black vinegar and double-boiled chicken soup with convoy, pan chow and bamboo pith. CX collaborates with Michelin-starred venue Duddell for parts of the Asian menu, here the pork was part of it.
Both these dishes were incredibly, light and delicious. A quick side note, although I requested the caviar be saved for breakfast, it was still brought over before these dishes came, along with the bread basket. I informed the crew I had received the green light for it to be saved for later, and they gladly removed everything but the bread basket. I ended up being proud of my decision not to have any bread, or else I never would have made it to the end of this feast!
Up next was the pork ribs with duo of Chinese and duck liver sausage on jasmine rice clay pot, garnished with chow sum and seasoned soy sauce, accompanied by some chili sauce.
This was probably my least favorite of the set menu, mainly because there wasn’t enough sauce for the amount of rice. The meat featured in this dish were just alright, not exactly up to the quality of the other dishes. Also, a quick side note, the exact clay pot dish was offered in Business on my flight from HKG to PEK in January. Unsure why the same dish on a 3 hour Business flight would be offered on a 14 hour F flight.
Luckily, the braised chicken with abalone, sea cucumber and matsutake mushrooms, another collaboration with Duddell, came next.
This was awesome, on par with the first two dishes and upgrade from the clay pot. A bowl of jasmine rice came alongside it, but I had more than enough rice to accompany the seafood and chicken in the clay pot. It also helped resolve the poor meat to rice ratio, now I had enough to accompany the rice. The sauce was also incredible, great work CX and the restaurant.
The crew constantly came by to check up and ask how everything was tasting, again impeccable service.
After I finished off my meal, I was asked if any dessert was desired. I asked the crew which of the two sweet desserts they recommended, as I planned on getting one of the two along with a cheese plate. He ended up insisting I try both the sweet desserts, and before I had a real chance to contemplate he was in and out of the galley with them on my table!
The Mandarin orange jelly was another collaboration with Duddell’s, which the Chocolate panna cotta with sourdough tuiles was in collaboration with Frech Michelin restaurant Louise. This was also around the time I first became aware Blue Label was on the menu, and I grabbed my first of many.
I actually have an orange slice necklace I wear, so I thought it was cute I took this picture! I much preferred the orange jelly over the panna cotta.
Usually I always love chocolate desserts, but this one tasted rather bitter and not as enjoyable. After this feast, I couldn’t manage any cheese, so I headed to the restroom and asked the gentleman to help set up my bed.
After changing into my shorts, I came back to see the bed already made.
What CX lacks in privacy, they really make up with the bed. This was one of the most comfortable beds in the sky, and the spacious area really stands out. A little bottle of pillow mist was also left for me, and I was encouraged by the crew to give it a spray.
The lights were quickly dimmed as everyone headed to bed. CX offers a total of three pillows, two for sleep and one more so a cushion. I’m the type of person who thinks the more pillows the better, another point in CX’s favor! The gentleman asked if I wanted to be woken up for breakfast, ETA 120 minutes before landing, and I confirmed, although I wasn’t expecting to still be sleeping.
Around three hours into my sleep, I woke up thirsty. I asked for some apple juice and another water bottle., Seeing I was up, the crew asked if I wanted a quick bite, to which I happily accepted! First I grabbed the fruit place, extremely fresh and also very, very cold.
Normally I’m not a big fan of burgers, but this was probably the fourth time I’ve seen one on a dine anytime flight menu, so I thought it was time to try it out. Fifteen minutes or so later, it was brought over, accompanied with some fries.
I was impressed, the patty was extremely juicy which must not be easy to do on a plane. I’ve heard fries often being soft/soggy in the sky, but these hit the spot.
After I finished up with my midnight snack, it was back to bed for a few more hours. Around two hours before landing, the crew turned on the cabin lights ahead of breakfast service. More often than not, breakfast is the least desired meal on a flight, but CX continued their culinary perfection. Again, I chose the Asian option, and again, it delivered. I began with another iced Americano, and a CX wakeup smoothie was offered, a tad too sweet or me but still very refreshing.
Then came the main meal, the Hong Kong sampan congee with Chinese dim sum (Shrimp dumpling, asparagus dumpling, spinach sit mai, and beef siu mai). Everything here was as delicious as it looked, as good as the best dim sum restaurants on land.
I then received the caviar I saved for breakfast. I do appreciate F cabins adding the luxury of serving caviar, but it really isn’t my cup of tea
Another glass of apple juice accompanied the meal. After an incredibly filling meal, another fruit plate was served, this time with different fruit offerings than the first.
Shortly after meal service, to my extreme pain and sadness, this incredible (including airport fun, near 24 hour) journey was coming to its end. Time really flies when you’re having fun. The captain came on and announced no imminent delay for our morning descent into Heathrow, despite the heavy traffic.
It was only around this time I finally opened up the small storage space next to me. Guess I could have used it a bit more if I discovered it sooner:(.
Before wrapping things up, some final notes from the flight. CX offers free wifi to F passengers, and this was the fastest in-flight wifi I’ve experienced. I was able to watch Youtube and scroll through tik Tok with almost no delay. Although I didn’t see the purser too often except boarding and landing, she and both the F crew members always had a big smile on their faces. Whether it’s just checking up on us, delivering food, or just passing by, their positivity never disappeared. Especially on long flights like this, they must have been extremely tired, but never did any hint of fatigue show. They were always happy to chat, and first to recommend their favorite food and beverages.
As we began our descent, the purser and both crew members came by to thank us for flying, and for a quick chat about our plans in London. Right as I thought the gentleman may have forgotten the souvenirs he promised, he came by with an enormous bag of gifts. I was expecting just a little deck of cards as I saw online, but this was extensive!
After settling down on land a while later, I opened it up and found some very unique souvenirs. A giant box of chocolates, and some other Cathay goodies. Crazy coincidence that out of all their destinations, I received a 1. Beijing and 2. Vancouver themed souvenir, both my homes!
We landed in Heathrow T3 at 05:57, 32 minutes behind schedule. We departed from the middle door, which gave me a chance to walk through the mini Business cabin, which seemed extremely cozy too and a great way to spend 14 hours.
CX doesn’t offer fast track immigration for F passengers, which wasn’t a problem with the low early morning traffic. A quick note is that now ETA’s are required upon entry, I wasn’t aware of this new change and the officer mentioned if I came next time without one I’d be sent back. Just a heads up for anyone traveling in the near future.
