Cathay was a new one on us, heard good reports, but we needed a sensible one-way routing in Business to get to NZ. Various options looked into, Plat Amex deal of instant upgrade to Etihad First on any business booking looked enticing and was available for one-way fares, however by the time added in getting to LHR and a further change at SYD! It really didn't start to stack up at circa 4k each...
I played around with various options and touted our fall back position of a travel agent,Trailfinders (always shown to be class leading). Now they had a "package", raising an instant skin rash and eye twitching from me..... But wait, new NZ employers had offered to cover the Y costs and the J uplift was on us, they offered a business fare which came back with a stupid suggestion of something called KLM and something about Paris and China, at which point I deleted the email.
Trailfinders man (let's call him Seth- this is Leeds after all) advised me he could manage to get this "package" through CX on a one-way which apparently is quite unusual... Ok let's see the details...was coming out beginning with a low 3k and included 3 nights in Island Shangri La...
3 x Cathay Business a "compulsory" stay in HKG for min 3 nights and onward to AKL again with Cathay (on CX metal).. We were keen to try and make the flights as proactive as possible. SQ was Man via Munich via Singapore, the getting to man bit also a pain with mucho luggage. EK, lovely limo pickup. But then a shortish flight to DBX followed by a long slog to MEL for a piss stop and refuel and again up and away to AKL.
All in all the concept of a 15 min trip to Leeds, check luggage through to HKG, a BA shuttle to LHR a short connection, not rushed but a quick drink and loo stop in CX lounge before re boarding to HKG seemed the most productive- HKG taking a single flight and eating up half our required flight time to NZ in one hit..
I'd been looking into CX, they run their new business seat on the LHR-HKG route plus some others and had rave reviews, the 2nd leg to AKL was on their older "coffin" class, which appeared to be a bit of a Matalan UC suite.....(so I was pre-warned expecting the worst).
Luggage was also an interesting factor, we were emigrating, so we needed to take as much stuff as possible to live with until our containers arrive in early Sept... CX's business allowance is rubbish - 30kg each (45 for Marco Polo Gold, via Amex plat). But no restriction in bag numbers. However for us, the HKG to AKL leg is piece based 3x25kg! Sounds like shopping in HKG then.. The savings on the flights could not be ignored so we streamlined our bag weights... Appeared to be mainly mrs NH's shoes anyway!
CX's LHR lounge is small and functional, we were only in there for circa 20 mins, so no real comment.
Long slog to gate to board, and a very large section of business, from boarding at front of the plane a couple of rows of first, and then business appeared to take up half the plane...
Found seat and sorted vastly overweight cabin bag and sat down..... Wow! From a first impression of a large impersonal cabin you felt you had your own little suite- not in the UC concept of some dividers with chrome edging your space felt private and roomy, acres of flat space to put stuff, pockets to put things- where you'd like them to be, a locker for your shoes. You are not hemmed in by high dividers on the aisle side, but the head area has cleverly designed "wing" which shields you from surroundings...Some one has designed this seat through sitting in it, and working on the detail..........your arm rest is where you'd want it to be,angles sloped where you are likely to be applying body pressure, etc etc.
CC, quick, functional and not fawning over people, lovely oriental smiles and a general feel of welcome.. Their interaction with mini NH was pitched ideally, friendly without being dismissive or inappropriate for her age (8), they were used to high umber of kids doing the LHR-HKG run...
Our luggage was never queried, we'd taken a fair bit of artistic licence on weight, I think an advantage of checking in via BA, stating one world and flashing a Gold card from another airline..
Food was great, wine, as per other thread. CC seemed to be always watching out for any wants, even given the bulk of the flight headed into a red eye. The seat slid down into a really long bed, very wide, even feet area although being reverse herringbone, I.e. Feet at the window, felt a bit strange a first your overall shoulder room didn't encroach on the aisle, which I thought it might.
No sleep suits, loo's fairly normal, prob a little less sticky than VS, blanket/ pillows more than adequate, cabin temperature kept at a sensible average level. Some bumps on route and a massive apology from the pilot for this on landing (these were judders and a seatbelt sign, nothing major)....
Overall highly impressed. Service and product over style and acceptance.
Food was lovely, mini NH made up with mid flight proper noddles and chopsticks...a hit with CC for a white Western Yorkshire girl undertaking with no fumbling...
Downsides, low luggage, but unless you are after serious weight a non issue
Sleep suits would of been handy, bar? Well always nice, but your personal environ area made up for this...as an aside the seat is as wide as VS and didn't feel narrow. A point which EK on paper seems tight on.
Would we use again, def. second leg slightly different, but that will have to wait to next instalment. Sorry guys, struggle to add photos in current situation as purely tablet and not an IT guru..
NH
NH, Hobbit Land.
So you'll be fine 
