Review: Cathay Pacific A350-900 Business Class

In June, we finally took a long-haul Cathay Pacific flight for the first time: Singapore to Brussels via Hong Kong. We have done the short hauls between Singapore and Hong Kong plenty of times before, but never the long haul to Europe. It has been a while since we have been to Europe, too, so this was a trip we had been looking forward to.

Booking

We booked this flight back in October 2025, locking in our seats for June 2026, about eight months out. The redemption cost us 88,000 Asia Miles per ticket plus S$225.60 in taxes and fees. For a 12-hour flight from Hong Kong to Brussels in Business Class, that is pretty reasonable value.

Asia Miles can be transferred from a number of credit card programmes in Singapore, including DBS (Altitude, Vantage, Woman’s cards), HSBC Revolution, Citibank Rewards, UOB Lady’s Card, and American Express. We transferred our points across and the miles landed in our Cathay Pacific Asia Miles account within a couple of days.

Airport Lounge Access

Since we were departing from Hong Kong on a Business Class ticket, we had access to Cathay Pacific’s lounges in HKG. We headed straight to The Pier, our favourite among Cathay’s lounges. The Pier is located near Gate 65, which is on the opposite end of the airport from where our departure gate ended up being.

The lounge itself is spacious and has a sit-down restaurant with made-to-order noodles and dim sum, plus a quiet zone if you want to rest before the flight. There is also a bar area and plenty of seating, so even during peak hours, it never felt crowded.

Here is a review of our lounge visit a couple of years back.

Seat Map

Cathay Pacific’s A350-900 features a Business Class cabin with 38 seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. Every seat here has direct aisle access.

The cabin is split into two sections: a smaller forward cabin with 14 seats (Rows 11-17) and a larger main cabin with 24 seats (Rows 19-30). The forward cabin sits between Door 1 and Door 2, so it is quieter and more exclusive. Rows 11 and 19 are the bulkhead rows with extra legroom and bassinet mounting points.

The seat itself is the Collins Aerospace Cirrus reverse herringbone. Every seat faces diagonally toward the window, giving you a sense of privacy.

Boarding

Boarding was a bit chaotic, partly because of Hong Kong International Airport’s facial recognition gates. Even though Business Class boards in Group 2, there were plenty of elite-status passengers boarding alongside, so the queue took a while. Once we got to the gate, though, boarding itself was smooth.

After we settled into our seats, the crew came around immediately with juices and water. The hot towel service was aggressively hot (and I mean genuinely burn-your-fingers hot), which is a nice touch.

Seats

Our aircraft was one of the refreshed A350-900s in Cathay’s fleet. Cathay has been retrofitting a portion of its A350 fleet with updated cabin interiors, including new seat upholstery, refreshed cushions, and upgraded IFE hardware. The cabin felt noticeably modern throughout.

The seat is generously proportioned, with a seat pitch of 44 inches that converts into a 78-inch fully flat bed (about 2 metres). At its widest point, the seat measures 21 inches across, enough space to sit comfortably without feeling like you are rubbing shoulders with the aisle.

Storage is decent: there is a side cubby near the window for small items, a compartment near the armrest, and overhead bins for larger bags. The seat controls are intuitive and easy to use, with one-button preset positions for takeoff, lounging, and sleeping.

That said, while the refreshed cabin looks good, the core seat design is largely the same as the older cabin. If you have flown Cathay’s A350-900 before, the experience will feel familiar, just with a nicer coat of paint.

Lay Down Seats

When it was time to sleep, the seat converted easily into a fully flat bed. The padding is firm but comfortable, not too soft and not too hard. The bedding includes a light duvet and a reasonably plush pillow. I managed a solid 6 hours of continuous sleep out of the 12-hour flight.

Accessories

Each passenger received a Bamford amenities kit. Bamford is a British luxury brand, and the kit itself felt premium. It came in a fabric pouch that is actually nice enough to reuse. Inside you will find:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Bamford moisturiser
• Lip balm
• Eye mask
• Socks
• Earplugs

On a long-haul flight like this, Cathay also provides bedding and slippers. The pyjamas are comfortable and lightweight, and they are yours to keep after the flight.

There were also noise-cancelling headphones stowed by the side of the seat: these are the wired type plugged into the IFE system, and they do a reasonably good job of blocking out cabin noise.

In-Flight Entertainment

The IFE screen on the refreshed cabin is noticeably bigger and sharper. Cathay’s new system features a 24-inch HD touchscreen, up from the 18.5-inch screen on the older cabins. The difference is immediately obvious when you start browsing the menu. The touchscreen is responsive, and there is also a handheld remote if you prefer not to reach up.

Shows & Content

The content library was solid. There is a good mix of international blockbusters, Asian cinema, and Cantonese favourites, which makes sense given Cathay’s Hong Kong base. The selection of TV shows was decent, with enough variety to keep me occupied for 12 hours.

The moving map is also comprehensive, with the usual camera views from the belly and nose of the aircraft.

Bathroom

There are 3 lavatories for the Business Class cabin. They are functional and generally clean throughout the flight, but they are honestly not any larger than the economy bathrooms. They are standard airplane bathrooms. The crew does a good job keeping them tidy.

Amenities are basic: there is hand soap and a small cup of mouthwash, nothing from a luxury brand.

Meal Service

Meal service began after reaching cruising altitude. The menu offered a selection of Western and Asian options, and as expected on Cathay, the Asian dishes were the standout.

For mains, I went with the “Roast duck lai fun noodle soup” which was pretty good! The duck meat was tender and not too dry. The soup itself wasn’t too flavourful, but not completely bland either.

About 2 hours before landing, the crew started serving breakfast. We chose the congee with century egg and shredded chicken, again the Asian option won out. It was piping hot and comforting, exactly what we wanted before landing in Europe.

Service Quality

The cabin crew on this flight were professional and polite. When we needed something, it arrived quickly.

Right after boarding, the main purser immediately came up to us and introduced himself. He also took extra note and care when we specified our requests to him.

Summary