Cathay chic
One of the lovely things about travelling Business Class is those little bags they give you with all the necessities of flight – a pair of socks, an eyemask, ear-plugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, sometimes a moisturiser and more.
It’s a little luxury that the folk down the back don’t get. I always take an old one with me when flying economy – which is most of the time – along with my inflatable pillow.
So it was a lovely surprise on a Cathay Pacific flight to Taiwan recently to find that the ‘amenities bag’ was also given to passengers in Premium Economy. And even nicer to find that these little bags were not the usual vinyl wash-bag sort, but a lovely black-and-white patterned material, specially designed so that if you have a collection of them, you can join them all together and hang them up somewhere (in your bathroom, maybe). I can’t really imagine anyone doing that, but it’s a thought.
A little pamphlet inside tells me that the bag – which feels a bit like felt – is made by a Hong Kong company called Goods of Desire, and it’s actually made (90 per cent of it) from recycled plastic bottles. I like that!
It was my first flight in Cathay Pacific’s Premium Economy – and it’s a real step up from economy without the hefty price tag of Business Class. Already available on flights from Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Cairns, as well as other international destinations, Premium Economy features a more spacious cabin than Economy, with between 26 and 34 seats (depending on the aircraft you are on).
The seat pitch is 38 inches – six inches more than in Economy – and the seat is slightly wider and has a bigger recline. It has a large meal table, cocktail table, footrest, a 10.6-inch personal television, an in-seat power outlet, a multi-port connector for personal devices and extra personal stowage space.
Passengers in Premium Economy also get priority check-in and priority boarding, an increased baggage allowance from 20kg to 25kg, or two pieces of baggage from 23kg to 25kg each (handy if you are heading to Asia for some serious shopping).
On board, Premium Economy passengers are welcomed with juice and champagne, and have a similar meal selection to Business Class, including a choice of entrée and three main courses.
Ours was a night flight, so the little comforts tucked into that amenities bag were more than welcome. My own old bag stayed stowed away in my carry-on bag.
By the end of this year, Cathay Pacific will feature Premium Economy seats on 87 aircraft in its long-haul fleet – so there’s a good chance you can take advantage of it if you wish, wherever you are flying to.
Cathay Pacific Australia operates four flights daily between Sydney and Hong Kong, three flights per day from Melbourne, eleven flights per week from Brisbane, seven flights a week from Cairns and Adelaide, and ten flights from Perth.
As well as offering more than 70 flights a week from Australia to Hong Kong, the airline also provides one-stop connections to more than 170 destinations around the world.
A Glass Half Full flew to Taiwan as a guest of Cathay Pacific and Taiwan Tourism.
A Glass Half Full 
5 Responses to “Cathay chic”
It sounds like first class or is that your business class?
No, it is a new class being introduced by some airlines, and fits between Economy and Business Class. Less expensive than Business but still with some of the trimmings. The seats are bigger than in Economy (and with more leg-room) but smaller than Business.
Wow! What am i doing booking on American and United?
I don’t know!! There are lots of options out there, depending on where you want to fly to.
Richard “Tommy” Campion: WOW! I can hardly wait to get my bag of goodies.