Early last year, the Hong Kong International Airport Authority (HKIAA) gave away thousands of free base fare tickets to people from all over the world to lure tourists back to the vibrant city. My friends and I joined the Philippines giveaway, answered 4 questions, and luckily made it to the first 21,000 people to get all 4 correct answers. The HKIA authority gave us a roundtrip free base fare ticket with Cathay Pacific valid for travel until December 2023.
We booked our tickets in April 2023 for a trip to Hong Kong in December 2023. We flew with the region’s flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, on both sectors. The Cathay Pacific CX 912 Manila to Hong Kong flight will be the topic of today’s flight report. Read on below to learn how my first ever Cathay Pacific flight went and why this flight became a memorable one.
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, commonly known as Cathay Pacific, is Hong Kong’s flag carrier. According to the airline’s website, two ex-Air Force pilots founded the airline in Hong Kong in 1946. Five years later, the airline acquired its rival Hong Kong Airways and gained additional routes to Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. Since then, the airline has expanded to more routes in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. It has emerged as one of the world’s leading airlines and lifestyle brands, connecting the world through Hong Kong.
Today, Cathay Pacific is primarily owned by Swire Group, a diversified Hong Kong-based corporation, Qatar Airways, and Air China. The airline flies to over 80 international destinations using close to 180 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with 60 more in order. It also has airline subsidiaries, namely Cathay Pacific Cargo, Air Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Express, the region’s budget airline. Cathay Pacific is based and headquartered in Hong Kong International Airport.
Cathay Pacific is a 5-star full-service airline. It offers a free checked luggage allowance, premium amenities, meals and snacks, and personal entertainment systems onboard. The airline is one of the founding members of Oneworld, a major global alliance with the likes of Qatar Airways, Qantas, American Airlines, and British Airways. It has a loyalty program called Cathay Membership Programme, where members can gain status points (previously Marco Polo Club) and Asia Miles when flying the airline or through its non-airline partners.
In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.
Airfare & Inclusions
As mentioned above, my friends and I got our complimentary tickets from the World of Winners campaign hosted by the Hong Kong International Airport Authority. We were rewarded with free return base fare tickets with Cathay Pacific, valid for travel until December 2023.
HKIAA sent out unique voucher codes to all winners. These codes need to be redeemed or booked within two months from the time they were sent out. My friends and I booked ours a few weeks after receiving our respective codes and paid US$66.30 worth of taxes and fees each. My bank charged me ₱3,638.99, including the 1.85% foreign transaction service fee.
The $66 return ticket included 7 kilograms of carry-on allowance, 2 x 23 kilograms of checked baggage allowance, inflight meals, inflight entertainment, and hospitable Cathay Pacific cabin crew service. The ticket was classified under the Economy Essential Fare Bundle, which included an additional 23 kilograms of checked luggage allowance (making it two) and complimentary standard seat selection in both sectors.
My friends and I were lucky to get picked for these free base fare tickets on a full-service airline like Cathay Pacific. We want to say thank you to the Hong Kong International Airport Authority for making this once-in-a lifetime chance and experience happen.
Do you want to know the difference between a full-service and a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.
Travel Requirements
Regular Philippine passport holders are allowed to enter the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region without a visa for 14 days. Anyone staying beyond the visa-free stay needs to apply for a visa to enter Hong Kong.
Locally, all passengers departing the country are required to fill out the online departure card and obtain a QR code from the E-Travel website.
Before the Flight
Just like any other airline, Cathay Pacific sent out several emails to its passengers, reminding them of everything about the flight. A week before our scheduled flight, I received an email from the airline reminding me that my flight to Hong Kong is a few days away. I also got a reminder about the travel documents and requirements needed, an offer to upgrade to business class, and/or to add additional checked luggage for the flight.
48 hours before the scheduled flight, Cathay Pacific sent another email announcing that online or web check-in is now available for our flight to Hong Kong. The airline included reminders about checked luggage, the airline mobile application and its access to online newspapers, the type of plug or outlet used in Hong Kong, and the weather forecast for our stay in the region.
4 hours into the flight, the airline sent a final flight reminder, including the boarding time, scheduled flight time, and the assigned boarding gate. Props to Cathay Pacific for keeping their passengers informed about their flights.
Aircraft & Flight Information
This Manila to Hong Kong Cathay Pacific flight CX 912 was operated by a 10.2-year-old Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The plane, delivered to Dragonair (previously a Cathay Pacific subsidiary) in October 2013, has 42 lie-flat business class seats on a 2-2-2 configuration and 265 economy class seats on a 2-4-2 layout.
Flight CX 912 departed from Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 8:26 a.m. and arrived at Hong Kong International Airport at 10:10 a.m. The flight took around 1 hour and 44 minutes in total.
Ground & Airport Experience
Cathay Pacific flies out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
CHECK-IN
My friends and I arrived at the airport a few minutes past 4:00 a.m. We headed towards Cathay Pacific’s check-in counters and asked if we could already check-in for our 8:00 a.m. flight.
The ground staff allowed us to check in early. She got our passports and issued our boarding passes. She was quick and efficient; she managed to finish the whole check-in process in less than 10 minutes.
PRE-DEPARTURE
After check-in, we lined up for immigration and final security for 1.5 hours. We dropped by the Marhaba Lounge to get some snacks before heading to our assigned boarding gate, Gate 109.
BOARDING
Priority boarding commenced 45 minutes before the flight at 7:15 a.m. The staff called all business class passengers, those traveling with children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities to board the aircraft first. After 5 minutes, the ground staff called regular passengers and instructed boarding by rows, starting from those seated at the back. My friends and I were seated in the last few rows. We were one of the first regular passengers to board the aircraft.
The boarding process finished at 7:52 a.m. The cabin crew closed the aircraft doors and waited for departure. The plane was pushed ack at 7:57 a.m. and headed over to the runway for take-off.
Inflight Hard & Soft Product
SEAT FEATURES
This Cathay Pacific Manila to Hong Kong flight was operated using one of the airline’s high-density, two-class Airbus A330 aircraft. The plane sports the regional seat configuration with 42 angle-flat business class seats and 265 standard economy seats.
According to our friends at SeatMaps, each business class seat has a seat pitch of 47 inches, a seat width of 21 inches, and a recline of 9.5 inches. The seats feature spacious legroom with decent storage spaces and large entertainment screens. The business class section features 7 rows of seats formatted in a 2-2-2 configuration.
The middle and rear sections of the aircraft have 265 standard economy seats on a 2-4-2 layout. Each economy class seat has a seat pitch of 31 inches, a seat width of 18.1 inches, and a recline of 6 inches. Each seat has a personal entertainment screen, a foldable tray table, a coat hook, a USB charging port, a power outlet under the seats, and a small under-screen stowage space. Each thick-padded seat also features an adjustable headrest and a seatback pocket with an aircraft safety card, magazine, duty-free pamphlets, and headphones. The seats do not feature individual air vents and pillows. Blankets are available upon request.
I got aisle seat 72D for this quick hop to Hong Kong. I find Cathay Pacific’s thick-padded seats comfortable, but I also miss the individual air vents, which I can open or close whenever I want.
INFLIGHT BREAKFAST SERVICE
Cathay Pacific served a complimentary breakfast on this flight to Hong Kong. They only had one breakfast option for this flight: beef tapa with garlic rice and eggs. The cabin crew commenced breakfast service as soon as the aircraft reached its cruising altitude. They served the rice meal with a bottle of water and metal cutlery. They also went around for a second round of drink service and offered coffee or tea to those who wanted it.
The beef tapa meal was tasty and delicious. The garlic rice complimented the sweet and savory meat taste. 30 minutes before landing, my friends and I requested hot tea with milk, which the crew served in less than 5 minutes.
INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Cathay Pacific’s entertainment system on the Airbus A330 offered a decent number of movies, television shows, and music options. The choices may not be as extensive as those in their Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft, but these are enough for short flights like this to Hong Kong. The entertainment system also features a moving inflight map that shows the flight’s exact whereabouts.
I did not watch any movies because I knew I would not finish them. Instead, I made the aviation geek in me happy by starting at the inflight map throughout the flight.
INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY
At the time of the flight, Cathay Pacific did not offer inflight connectivity services on their Airbus A330 aircraft. I read on the airline’s website that the inflight Wi-Fi service will soon be available on their A330 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
LAVATORY
This Airbus A330 aircraft only has four lavatories shared by all 265 economy-class passengers. These lavatories are found in the middle part of the aircraft. The lavatories on this aircraft were clean, fragrant, and spotless. It also had extra amenities like a bottle of hand soap and a bottle of antiseptic hand gel, which can be used by all passengers.
Cabin Crew Encounters
I had minimal interactions with the cabin crew on this flight. I noticed the crew on this flight were very serious during the breakfast service. I rarely see them smile at the passengers. I asked for hot tea with milk a few minutes before landing, and I got my request in less than 5 minutes. Quick service, eh?
Disembarkation & Luggage Claim
Prior to landing, Cathay Pacific already displayed the assigned boarding gates of passengers with onward connecting flights with the airline. The flight landed at Hong Kong International Airport at 10:10 a.m. and reached the assigned gate at 10:28 a.m.
Passengers disembarked in an orderly manner. Business class and forward economy class passengers first left the plane. Rear economy class passengers, including our section, deplaned last. My friends and I finished the immigration and baggage claim process in less than 30 minutes. Our luggage was already in Belt 10 when we got to the arrival hall.
Flight Experience
It was a memorable and enjoyable first flight with Hong Kong’s flag carrier, Cathay Pacific.
This flight wins in a lot of aspects. First, my friends and I won complimentary base fare tickets in the Hong Kong Airport Authority’s World of Winners campaign. We only paid US$66.30, a little over ₱3,600, for taxes and fees for a full-service return ticket to Hong Kong. Winner indeed!
Second, the airline made sure that the passengers were well informed about the upcoming flight. They sent emails containing reminders about travel requirements, online check-in, and airport check-in reminders. Third, the airline’s mobile application is updated with all the necessary flight information. It contains the assigned gate, the airport terminal, and the flight status.
Fourth, the airline’s check-in counters at Ninoy Aquino International Airport opened as early as 4 hours before the flight. Fifth, the airline’s Airbus A330 aircraft used here had more spacious seats arranged in a 2-4-2 economy class layout. The airplane’s seats also feature soft and thick back padding, which makes them more comfortable to sit on. Lastly, the airline offered a complimentary, tasty, and savory breakfast on such a short flight. This flight only had one breakfast option, but it was better than not offering breakfast at all.
The only feature I missed on this flight was the presence of individual overhead air vents. The cabin temperature was hot during boarding, and it took some time before it cooled down. The individual air vents could have addressed this issue.
Another thing I did not like during this flight was the long immigration line we had to endure. It was not the airline’s fault. The airport authorities underestimated the number of passengers flying out of the country during that time. I hope and pray for better airport facilities and experiences here in the Philippines.
Anyway, it was still a lovely first-time experience with Cathay Pacific. I will surely consider flying with the airline again in the future. I am keen on trying the excellent Cathay long-haul experience many are raving about.
Allow me to share with you more of a summary of this flight to Hong Kong:
Airline: Cathay Pacific Airways
Flight Date: 8 December 2023
Flight Number: CX 912
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Hong Kong, SAR (HKG)
Duration: 1 hour and 44 minutes
Seat Number: 72D
Aircraft: Airbus A330-343E
Aircraft Registration: B-HWM
Engines: 2 x RR Trent 772B-60
Age: 10.2 years old
Delivered: October 2013
Have you flown Cathay Pacific recently? How was your experience? Will you fly them again soon? By any chance have questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to share your ground and flight experiences or post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope you can check out my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Philippine Airlines. I hope you also look forward to more flight reports in the future.
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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.
