Wednesday newsletters function a lodge or flight evaluate.
I just lately loved an exquisite journey in Southeast Asia. You may learn my journey studies right here:
- Evaluation: Finnair A350 Enterprise Class from Helsinki to Hong Kong
- Evaluation: Rosewood Hong Kong Lodge
- Evaluation: Cathay Pacific A330 Enterprise Class from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh (at this time)
- Evaluation: Six Senses Krabey Island (Cambodia)
- Evaluation: Shinta Mani Angkor, Siem Reap (Cambodia)
- Evaluation: Rosewood Phnom Penh Lodge (Cambodia)
- Evaluation: Track Saa Non-public Island (Cambodia)
- Evaluation: Thai Airways A350 Enterprise Class from Bangkok to Munich
Evaluation: Cathay Pacific A330 Enterprise Class from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh
I just lately flew Enterprise Class on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh, a brief flight that supplied a transparent take a look at the airline’s regional Enterprise Class product. Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A330 fleet options completely different Enterprise Class configurations, which means the onboard expertise can differ fairly considerably relying on the plane assigned. Throughout its A330 fleet, the service has put in 5 completely different Enterprise Class layouts, starting from fashionable reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle entry to older regional merchandise in a standard 2-2-2 association.
Sadly, my Hong Kong to Phnom Penh flight was operated by certainly one of Cathay’s older A330s that includes the outdated 2-2-2 Enterprise Class cabin. Whereas the seat clearly felt dated in comparison with the airline’s long-haul merchandise, it was nonetheless a fairly comfy recliner for a brief daytime flight, particularly when paired with Cathay Pacific’s constantly robust tender product. A full meal service was supplied, and the cabin crew had been attentive all through, serving to to take care of an excellent onboard expertise regardless of the ageing laborious product. It could not match the airline’s flagship Aria Suites long-haul product (which I reviewed right here), however for a comparatively quick hop inside Asia, the regional Enterprise Class was completely sufficient.
In some ways, Cathay Pacific’s older regional Enterprise Class nonetheless compares favorably to what’s supplied on many short-haul Enterprise Class merchandise in Europe or the USA. Nevertheless, it’s tougher to benchmark in opposition to main Asian carriers akin to Singapore Airways, EVA Air or ANA, which are inclined to function extra constant and fashionable regional cabins throughout their fleets. That mentioned, Cathay Pacific has already introduced a serious upcoming improve: the brand new Airbus A330 Aria Suite regional Enterprise Class, anticipated to enter service from the top of this yr, will substitute the present recliners with totally flat beds in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle entry, considerably elevating the usual for regional journey.
On a facet be aware, the arrival into Phnom Penh additionally introduced an fascinating expertise, as we landed on the new Techo Worldwide Airport. On the time of arrival, our Airbus A330 was the one plane on the bottom, and the airport felt utterly abandoned (it has been dubbed the “ghost airport” for good purpose). This impression is partly defined by the truth that it’s a brand-new, purpose-built substitute for Phnom Penh’s former airport and has been designed on a really giant scale, with long-term capability targets within the tens of hundreds of thousands of passengers yearly, elevating the query of whether or not Cambodia will be capable to realise that ambition in follow. That mentioned, architecturally, the terminal is spectacular, that includes large-scale Khmer-inspired design parts and huge open areas supposed to evoke conventional temple-like spatial qualities, positioning the airport as a symbolic gateway to Cambodia reasonably than only a transport hub.
Have you ever ever flown in Cathay Pacific’s regional Enterprise Class? Depart a remark.
Flight particulars:
- Journey: Hong Kong (HKG) to Phnom Penh (KTI)
- Airline: Cathay Pacific
- Plane kind: Airbus A330-300
- Plane registration quantity: B-HLN
- On time departure: Sure (8:40 am)
- On time arrival:Sure (10:40 am)
- Distance: 962 miles (1550 km)
- Flight time: 2 hours
- Seat: 14K
- Class: Enterprise Class
On this Cathay Pacific A330 Enterprise Class evaluate (extra info & photographs under my YouTube video):
- Price of my ticket
- The Pier Enterprise Class Lounge
- Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 fleet
- Enterprise Class cabin
- Enterprise Class seat (+ finest & worst seats)
- Facilities
- Meals
- Leisure
- Onboard web
- Last ideas & my verdict (rating)
1. Price of My Ticket
In complete, I paid 10,000 Avios plus €63.02 in taxes and charges, which made this a really good-value redemption for a regional Enterprise Class flight. This additionally occurred to be the final remaining steadiness in my British Airways account, so I used to be glad to lastly put these miles to make use of reasonably than allow them to expire.
2. The Pier Enterprise Class Lounge
Situated close to Gate 65 within the northwest concourse of Hong Kong Worldwide Airport, The Pier Enterprise Class Lounge is the biggest lounge within the Cathay Pacific community, providing seating for roughly 550 visitors. The lounge is accessible to eligible Enterprise Class passengers, chosen Marco Polo Membership members, and eligible oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members touring by way of Hong Kong. The lounge operates each day from 5:30am till the final Cathay Pacific departure.
The general structure is organised across the idea of a avenue, divided into “quick” traces and “gradual” lanes. The quick lane is centered across the lounge’s eating areas and contains three distinct areas: The Meals Corridor, the Noodle Bar, and the Tea Home:
- The Meals Corridor encompasses a self-service buffet alongside a espresso cart impressed by conventional Asian avenue distributors, the place baristas put together recent espresso all through the day.
- The Noodle Bar stays one of many signature options of Cathay Pacific lounges. Company can select from a choice of freshly ready dishes together with dan dan noodles, wonton noodle soup, dim sum, steamed buns, and different Asian consolation dishes served all through the day.
- Essentially the most distinctive areas inside the lounge is the Tea Home, designed as a quieter transition area away from the busier eating areas. A tea specialist serves a variety of teas, permitting visitors to get pleasure from a extra conventional and slower-paced expertise earlier than their flight.
Situated alongside the quick lane is the gradual lane, an extended and slender area devoted to leisure and lounge seating. Right here, giant floor-to-ceiling home windows convey pure mild into the seating areas whereas providing views throughout the airport runway. Seating is diversified, with a mixture of lounge chairs, communal areas, and Cathay Pacific’s custom-designed Solo Chairs, which embody built-in studying lamps and facet tables for passengers searching for a extra personal area to work or chill out.
A wellness part is positioned on the far finish of the lounge and contains fourteen bathe suites in addition to a devoted leisure room. The relief space options upholstered loungers and softer lighting supposed to supply a quieter atmosphere for passengers in transit.
Designed by London-based studio Studioilse, led by Ilse Crawford, The Pier Enterprise Class Lounge focuses on creating a peaceful and comfy atmosphere impressed by up to date Hong Kong design. The lounge decor combines pure supplies akin to limestone, cherry wooden, leather-based, and tender textiles to create a heat and understated aesthetic. Greenery is integrated all through the lounge, and a choice of art work from Hong Kong-based artists provides native character to the area. Lighting and acoustics have additionally been rigorously thought of to take care of a quieter and extra comfy ambiance regardless of the lounge’s measurement.
3. Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 Fleet
The Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 fleet continues to play an necessary position throughout the airline’s regional and medium-haul community in Asia. As of 2026, the service operates 43 Airbus A330-300 plane, making it one of many largest A330 operators on this planet. The plane have a mean age of round 17 years, with a number of planes presently present process cabin refurbishments as a part of Cathay Pacific’s broader fleet modernization program.
Whereas Cathay Pacific more and more makes use of newer Airbus A350 plane on long-haul routes, the A330 stays a key a part of the airline’s regional operations. The A330 is primarily deployed on high-density regional routes from Hong Kong to locations throughout Asia, together with cities in Japan, mainland China, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The plane is especially effectively suited to those medium-haul sectors because of its spacious cabin structure and operational flexibility.
Cathay Pacific just lately introduced an order for 30 Airbus A330-900neo plane, which can steadily substitute the older A330-300 fleet from 2028 onwards. The brand new-generation plane will supply improved gas effectivity, up to date cabins, and better flexibility for each regional and longer-haul providers.
4. Enterprise Class Cabin
On this explicit Airbus A330, Enterprise Class was configured with 24 seats unfold throughout 4 rows in a single 2-2-2 cabin. Whereas this isn’t Cathay Pacific’s best premium product, it stays completely sufficient for shorter regional sectors, particularly on daytime flights of two to 4 hours. The design of the Enterprise Class cabin felt useful, with impartial tones and gray material seat covers creating a peaceful ambiance. Whereas the general aesthetic mirrored an older era of Cathay Pacific interiors, the cabin nonetheless felt effectively maintained and comparatively timeless. A colourful art work displayed on the rear bulkhead added a welcome distinction to the in any other case muted palette.
5. Enterprise Class Seat (+ Greatest & Worst Seats)
The Cathay Pacific Enterprise Class seat on this explicit Airbus A330 was primarily based on a shell-style recliner design. As a substitute of reclining backwards into the area of the passenger behind, the seat slid forwards inside its mounted shell, serving to to protect private area all through the cabin. The seat’s beneficiant 45-inch (114 cm) pitch and 20-inch (51 cm) seat width supplied a snug quantity of private area for a brief daytime flight.
One of many most important drawbacks of the seat was the entire lack of cupboard space as there have been no devoted storage areas across the seat. Privateness was additionally just about non-existent, with no divider or shell separating passengers from each other.
The leisure display felt very small and old school by present requirements. A tray desk was saved under the TV display and folded out from the seatback forward; it could possibly be prolonged additional when wanted for eating or working. Common 110V energy shops had been positioned midway alongside the middle panel separating the paired seats, making it comparatively straightforward to cost gadgets throughout the flight.
Seat controls had been completely guide and built-in into the middle armrest, permitting changes to each the recline and legrest independently. Recline itself remained pretty restricted, and the seat was removed from lie-flat — and even angled-flat — although for a two-hour daytime flight the general consolation degree was nonetheless completely acceptable.
What are the finest Enterprise Class seats in Cathay Pacific’s A330 Enterprise Class?
- For passengers touring collectively, the paired set-up of each the window and heart seats works moderately effectively.
- IMHO, the most effective seats are the window seats within the final row of the cabin (15A and 15K). These seats are inclined to really feel barely quieter, with much less foot visitors in comparison with the entrance rows close to the galley and bathrooms. In addition they supply a bit extra privateness than the middle seats, even when privateness total stays very restricted on this configuration.
What are the worst Enterprise Class seats in Cathay Pacific’s A330 Enterprise Class?
- On this explicit 2-2-2 regional Enterprise Class cabin, the seats are usually very comparable, although there are nonetheless a couple of rows price avoiding. The worst seats are usually the bulkhead seats within the first row, particularly since bassinets are put in for households touring with infants. These seats are additionally closest to the galley and bathroom space, which means extra noise and passenger motion all through the flight.
Click on right here for a seat map of Cathay Pacific’s A330 Enterprise Class.
6. Facilities & Bedding
On this quick regional flight, the onboard providing was stored pretty minimal given the roughly two-hour period. An amenity package was not supplied, which is typical for a sector of this size, however Enterprise Class passengers had been nonetheless supplied a pillow and a light-weight cover, making it straightforward to settle in for those who wished to relaxation throughout the journey.
7. Meals
A full breakfast menu was served shortly after takeoff, and passengers got a printed menu to select from. The meal consisted of a choice of seasonal recent fruit and fruit yoghurt, together with a selection of most important programs, all served collectively on a single tray. Choices included a Western-style crepe with scrambled eggs, chorizo-style sausage, portobello mushrooms, vine tomato, and potatoes, or a dim sum choice. I opted for the dim sum, which featured objects like a rooster beancurd roll, shrimp enjoyable gor, pork siu mai, a seafood dumpling with spinach pores and skin, and a sticky rice roll. Whereas it was properly introduced and applicable for the route, I discovered it pretty normal reasonably than particularly memorable in flavour or texture. Nonetheless, for such a brief flight, the truth that a correct multi-choice scorching meal service was supplied felt beneficiant.
8. Leisure
The in-flight leisure system featured a really small touchscreen, which made the general expertise really feel considerably dated. Nevertheless, regardless of the compact show, there was nonetheless an honest choice of films and TV exhibits out there, providing sufficient selection to maintain passengers entertained on this shorter regional flight.
9. Onboard Web
Enterprise Class passengers acquired complimentary Wi-Fi on this flight, permitting full web entry throughout the journey at no further value. For different passengers, Cathay Pacific supplied completely different Wi-Fi packages relying on utilization. A messaging-only possibility was out there for round USD 3.95, whereas a 1-hour web move value roughly USD 9.95. For full-flight entry, the value was about USD 12.95 for limitless connectivity all through the journey.
10. Last Ideas & My Verdict
Total, Cathay Pacific’s regional Enterprise Class expertise felt considerably combined. The older 2-2-2 cabin on the A330 was clearly dated and lacked the privateness and direct aisle entry of extra fashionable merchandise, but it remained comfy sufficient for a brief intra-Asia sector and was supported by the airline’s constantly robust tender product, with attentive service and a well-executed meal service. From a worth perspective, redeeming 10,000 Avios plus €63.02 in taxes was a superb deal, particularly for a Enterprise Class ticket on this route, and a satisfying manner to make use of up the final steadiness in my British Airways account.
Right here’s my verdict for Cathay Pacific’s regional Enterprise Class on the Airbus A330:
- Seat consolation (upright): 6/10
- Seat consolation (mattress place): 3/10
- Meals (high quality): 7/10
- Meals (amount): 6/10
- Inflight leisure : 6/10
- WiFi: 8/10
- Service: 9/10
- Cabin design: 3/10
- Total expertise: mediocre – 6.5/10
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