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This evening, I am flying from Hong Kong to Taipei, in Business Class onboard an A330-300 with Cathay Pacific, after an all-to-brief stopover in fantastic Hong Kong. Today’s flight is a very short 1h50m. Cathay Pacific operate an impressive 10 daily flights on this route from Hong Kong International Airport to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. This route has the most Cathay Pacific flights per day of any flight route in their network, and is the busiest international air route, anywhere in the world.
It’s a great opportunity to see how Cathay Pacific can make a great impression in their impressive Business Class in such a short flight time.
Below, I will review Cathay Pacific Regional Business Class on this evening flight from Hong Kong to Taipei.
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Check In
Cathay Pacific Check in at Hong Kong International Airport is super easy and smooth. There are actually three aisles of check in desks. Aisle A is for Cathay Pacific First passengers and oneworld Emerald status holders. Aisle B is for Cathay Pacific Business Class and oneworld Ruby and Sapphire status holders. And Aisle C is for all other non-status Premium Economy and Economy passengers. There are plenty of staffed check in desks, so the queue moves very quickly.
The biggest reason to flying Cathay Pacific when flying from Hong Kong is that their check in desks are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you can check in early, up to 24 hours before departure. Do note you can only access airport lounges on the same day as your flight departure.
For oneworld Sapphire and Emerald status holders, this means you can maximise your time the amazing airport lounges at Hong Kong International Airport, including The Pier, The Wing, The Deck and the fantastic Qantas Lounge.
Hong Kong Security and Immigration
Hong Kong International Airport does not have a fast-track security and immigration line for frequent flyers or business and first class passengers.
They do have a “courtesy channel” for passengers with special needs, or for passengers aged over 65.
Hong Kong International Airport has a morning peak and an evening peak, so I made sure to head to the airport late afternoon to avoid any queues. There was a queue for security and immigration, but it moved swiftly and only took about 10 minutes to get through. Hong Kong has immigration e-gates, so the process was swift.
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Lounge Access
As Hong Kong is Cathay Pacific’s home, their three flagship lounges are incredible. Some of the best oneworld lounges in the world.
Cathay Pacific have three oneworld Sapphire and Business Class airport lounges, with two adjacent oneworld Emerald and First Class lounges available too. Fellow oneworld airline, Qantas also has a fantastic oneworld Sapphire lounge at Hong Kong Airport, well worth a visit if you hold oneworld Sapphire or you are flying Business Class.
In all, Cathay Pacific Business Class passengers departing from Hong Kong have access the the following 4 incredible airport lounges:
- Cathay Pacific The Wing, Business
- Cathay Pacific The Deck
- Cathay Pacific The Pier, Business (Cathay’s flagship)
- Qantas International Business Lounge
I got to the airport about 5 hours early to explore these fantastic airport lounges on a lounge hop, and I recommend you do too if you are eligible. I recommend starting from the gate furthest away from your departure gate, and working back towards the lounge closest to your departure gate.
All of the Hong Kong airport lounges are fantastic, but my must-visits are The Pier, Business and the Qantas Lounge.
Priority Boarding
Cathay Pacific Business Class passengers, Cathay Silver, Gold and Diamond, and oneworld Sapphire and Emerald passengers are eligible for Priority Boarding. There is a separate queue to all other Economy passengers, meaning that those priority passengers walking from the lounge can board straight away.
This boarding gate also had dual airbridges, meaning that Business Class passengers can board through a separate airbridge. For Business Class passengers, you can simply walk straight onto the plane, without the long queue that tends to form for Economy on a plane with 223 economy seats. A very easy boarding process indeed.
Cathay Pacific Business Class Seat
The Cathay Pacific A330 Business Class seat is great. A fully lie-flat bed, the seat has plenty of legroom for even the tallest of flyers. The reverse herringbone design maximises your view out of three large windows. The in-flight entertainment screen can be folded away for a better view through the furthest forward window. The seat is angle away from the aisle with the headrest wing acting as a privacy divider. It feels very private, even without closed doors (like Club Suite).
There is tons of storage space located around the seat, perfect for keeping all your in-flight essentials close to you. Blankets were provided on request by the crew, and a Bamford pillow was waiting at my seat. Even though this flight was a short night flight, it was nice to be able to relax after the meal service before landing.
The Cathay Pacific A330-300 Business Class cabin is a 1-2-1 configuration, so all passengers get direct aisle access.
Pre-departure Welcome Service
This Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Taipei was fairly empty, so service from the amazing crew was very responsive and swift. As soon as I sat down, the flight attendant came over and introduced herself, took my meal and drink order for after takeoff and offered a welcome drink. Champagne, orange juice and still water were offered on today’s flight as a welcome drink.
A hot towel was also offered before takeoff.
Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong to Taipei Food and Beverage Supper Menu
As this was a late evening flight, Supper was served. This was the regular Cathay Pacific Business Class Supper menu on this flight from Hong Kong to Taipei:
Appetizer
- Seasonal Fresh Fruit
Main
- Wok fried pork ribs with preserved Chinese olives and honey sauce, Shanghainese pak choy, carrot and steamed jasmine rice
- Pan-fried halibut with lemon parsley butter, zucchini, cherry tomato and mashed potato
Dessert
- Chocolate peanut butter mousse cake
Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong to Taipei VOML Supper
As I am vegan, I ordered the Vegetarian Oriental Meal (VOML). My Cathay Pacific VOML Supper consisted of:
Appetizer
- Pickled Vegetable Salad
Main
- Braised mushrooms with tofu, jasmine rice and gai lan
Dessert
- Seasonal Fresh Fruit
A really delicious VOML meal indeed, and one I would happily have again on another Cathay Pacific flight.
I generally prefer the VOML special meal when flying on Asian airlines, as the meals are generally of better quality and tastier than the VGML (Vegan Vegetarian) meal.
Liquor, Wine and Sprits Selection
As always, Cathay Pacific Business Class had a fantastic bar selection on this very short flight from Hong Kong to Taipei, including champagne, a Pouilly-Fuisse White, a Bordeaux Red, dessert wine and a selection of cocktails, spirits and liqueurs. The Cathay Pacific Business Class cabin was fairly empty on this flight, so service was very prompt.
This was the Cathay Pacific Business Class Bar Selection on today’s flight from Hong Kong to Taipei:
- Thiénot Brut NV Champagne, France
- Domaine Frederic Trouillet Pouilly-Fuisse 2018, Burgundy, France
- Chateau des Demoiselles Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux 2020, France
- Chateau Filhot Gold Réserve 2014, Sauternes, France
- Cloud Nine (Cathay signature cocktail)
- Cathay Delight (Cathay signature non-alcoholic mocktail)
- Garibaldi
- Bloody Mary
- Gimlet
- Manhattan
- Dry Martini
- Negroni
- Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve
- Jack Daniels
- Campari
- Bombay Sapphire
- Barcadi
- Absolut
- Hine Rare VSOP
- Cointreau
- Baileys Irish Cream
A very stellar bar selection indeed. So nice to have Champagne and cocktails on a sub-2-hour flight. That wine selection is great too.
Non-alcoholic Beverage Selection
In addition to the fantastic bar selection and signature Cathay mocktail, the Cathay Delight, there were plenty of non-alcoholic options for all tastes. Non-alcoholic options on today’s flight included:
- Orange Juice
- Apple Juice
- Tomato Juice
- Coconut Water
- Coke/Coke Zero
- Sprite
- Perrier
- Tonic Water
- Soda Water
- Ginger Ale
- Illy Espresso Coffee (and cappuccino, latte and Decaf also available)
- Jing Tea (Ceylon Breakfast, Earl Grey, Oolong, Jasmine Spring Tips, Japan Green, Peppermint Leaf and Chamomile Flowers)
- Hong Kong-style Milk Tea
- Hot Chocolate
In all, a great selection. Great to see Perrier, Coconut Water, and Espresso Coffee available onboard. Usually most airlines use coffee bags, so Espresso Coffee on a plane is an absolute treat.
Cathay Pacific A330 Regional Amenities
No amenity kits are available on Cathay Pacific on flights sub-3 hours. A Bamford pillow was provided, and a blanket was available from the crew upon request. Eyemasks and earplugs can also be ordered from the crew through the in-flight entertainment system.
Bamford toiletries also feature in the lavatories. I love the eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint scent, so it’s always great to see onboard.
Cathay Pacific In-flight Entertainment
Cathay Pacific has, according to Skytrax, the World’s Best In-flight Entertainment in 2023. And I have to agree.
Brand new movies that are still in the cinema, an extensive tv show library including HBO Max and Disney Plus shows, games, music, podcasts and more.
It really is fantastic.
Business Class features a large 15-inch touchscreen, that folds away to provide you more space, and a better view out of the forward window.
You can check out the in-flight entertainment on your next Cathay Pacific flight on their website.
Passive noise cancelling headphones were also provided in the window-side cupboard for use with the in-flight entertainment system.
Cathay Pacific Business Class Service
Cathay Pacific Business Class Service is truly wonderful, but on this flight from Hong Kong to Taipei, it was exceptional. There were only a few other passengers on this short flight in Business Class, so the flight attendant to passenger ratio was 1:2. This meant that drinks were served fast, service was attentive, and food was cleared away quickly after I had finished.
Arrival: Taipei Taoyuan Airport
This was the final Cathay Pacific flight of the night from Hong Kong, arriving into Taipei Taoyuan Terminal 1 just after 12:30am. Unfortunately, this meant the Taoyuan Airport MRT had finished (the last train is at 11:35pm from Terminal 2).
The only public transport available at this time is the 1819 bus to Taipei Main Station, which takes about an hour, then you need to walk or take a taxi to your accommodation. In my case, my hotel didn’t have 24-hour check in (at 2am) and I was a bit far from the main station to walk.
Instead, I booked into the CHO Stay Capsule Hotel in Terminal 2 at the airport, which I highly recommend.
The capsules were spacious, modern and comfortable, with great bathroom and shower facilities, toiletries, and you can purchase late checkout for an additional 3 hours if you need it. Perfect for a one night sleep before heading into Taipei the next day at a more leisurely hour on the Taoyuan Airport MRT. The express train takes only 35 minutes, and there are plenty of buses to take you to your accommodation once you arrive at Taipei Main Station.
Insider Tip: Cathay Pacific Hong Kong to Taipei is a great Avios Redemption
With 10 daily Cathay Pacific flights each way between Hong Kong and Taipei on the world’s busiest international flight route, there is generally plenty of Cathay Asia Miles and British Airways / Qatar Avios reward flight availability on this route.
Cash fares for this flight from Hong Kong to Taipei in Cathay Pacific Business Class are roughly £710 ($900 USD) for this short sub-2-hour flight.
I paid just 11,550 Avios and £94.90 ($120) for this flight through British Airways Executive Club.
This results in an excellent redemption value of 5.33p (6.8c) per Avios. Generally, I aim for a redemption value higher than 1.1p / 1.5c so this is an excellent redemption.
Conclusion
In all, a fantastic Cathay Pacific Business Class flight with great Cathay service. An impressive Regional Business Class product, delicious food and wine, and most importantly, a stellar check-in-to-arrival experience.
I absolutely love Hong Kong International Airport, and it’s four fantastic oneworld Sapphire airport lounges (The Deck, The Pier, The Wing and the Qantas Lounge). This flight was after a stopover in the city, which I would also highly recommend if you have the time.
I also loved Taipei, especially because of the incredible food around every corner, and I wouldn’t hesitate to visit again soon.