Cathay Pacific Airways - Reviews and experiences

I got home after a long haul from Hong Kong to Melbourne and five checked bags didn’t show up. That set the tone. Flight crew moved our carry-on without asking; only after we spoke up did they check if it was OK. Then customer service replied with a template email, zero empathy and no real ownership. Felt like they were blaming us, offering patronizing tips rather than fixing things. I’ve had issues with other carriers, but usually someone calls or follows up properly. Here, the follow-through was missing. I wouldn’t rush back to book with them. Small gestures matter. They need to show responsibility and train staff to handle these situations better.

Weirdly, I was half expecting the usual squeeze after flying with Qatar or Emirates for years, but Cathay surprised me. Booked direct from their site, flew business from Toronto to Colombo via Hong Kong. At first I was a bit skeptical—new plane, new crew, you know—but the crew were calm and helpful, not over the top, just good. The seat had that extra foot-well space you hear about, actually made a difference on a long haul. Meals were solid, service attentive. Baggage came out quick and the flight landed on time, so delivery was flawless. For anyone who cares about smooth arrival and real people service, this hits the mark. I'll definitely consider them again.

roomy, quiet, and I had a row to myself so I actually slept a bit. That did raise my hopes, but the return on a 777 wiped those away. The 3-4-3 layout is cramped, you’re bumping elbows every few steps and it feels like you’re on a short-haul budget carrier, even though you’re not. I’m 5'3", by the way, and still couldn’t get comfortable. The crew were on a different page — woke people to lower blinds, nudged me upright when I’d dozed, all so the person behind could eat. It felt strict and a little unfriendly, which surprised me given the brand’s rep. I didn’t eat on board, and refilling my water bottle was oddly like asking for a favour, the water tasted… off, not fresh. So my pre-booking doubts weren’t really addressed: one flight shows what’s possible, the other shows inconsistency. Would I fly Cathay again? Maybe, but only if I can pick the A350 sector or if I go indirect. Glad one leg went well, annoyed the other didn’t — mixed bag, really.

my two-year-old had to be on our laps for the whole 13‑hour leg, my wife carried him most of the time and was exhausted and upset by the end, and some of her clothes smelled so bad we threw them out after landing (crew saw it and noted it — I kept receipts). We paid for three seats and effectively had two usable ones for the whole trip. I spent months trying to get proper redress — emails, hotline calls, even stopped at the airport desk on the return — and the airline’s “maximum” offer was 30,000 Asia Miles, which I rejected as inadequate. I’m not looking for drama, just reasonable accountability. The small satisfaction I had was that the crew acknowledged the problem right away; beyond that, the operational response and the compensation fell short. If you travel with a toddler, this was a hard lesson about what can go wrong and how far an airline will go to make it right.

standing at the check-in desk in Singapore, explaining my neurosurgeon's note for the hundredth time and getting that polite shrug. I had booked Premium Economy on purpose, paid extra because my back needs space and an aisle so I can stand and move. I called ahead, I wrote emails, I even asked whether they could block an aisle seat for medical reasons. The answer kept bouncing back: "first come, first served" and "try again at check-in." At check-in they said they couldn't help for the Hong Kong–Dallas leg; in Hong Kong they shrugged and sent me on. Passed around like a clipboard.