Review of Cathay Pacific flight Los Angeles → Hong Kong in Business

My mom and I needed to get to Bangkok from LA, and I found a routing through Hong Kong that fit our schedule perfectly. Flight 881 leaves at 1:15 AM, which means you can get a full day in LA and rest on the flight. The midnight departures from LA are many, and TBIT was a beehive of activity. I had previously flown to Hong Kong via Hong Kong Airlines, and was eager to see how Cathay compared. Thanks to TSA PreCheck, I was through security in minutes and headed with my mom to the OneWorld Lounge, which is a decent place to eat and spend time before the flight.

Once boarded, we were offered a predeparture beverage (I chose the orange juice). We were also offered hot towels.

I also appreciated that Cathay offered print menus (separate for food and beverages). I had preordered my meal (chicken with vegetables). The aircraft itself (the 777-300) is aging gracefully - the seat was quite comfortable and completely lie-flat with plenty of room to stretch. I do wish that for a flight of this length, they would consider switching to the A350 which is sometimes offered on the JFK frequency.

On the left side of the seat was the remote for the screen, a small reading light, power outlet, and seat controls. There was also a small storage cubby which included the headphones (which were okay quality - nothing compared to American's Bang & Olufsen), an amenity kit by Banford, and a bottled water. 

Below were the options for dinner. I had a deliberately light meal in the lounge so I could enjoy dinner on the flight.

There were also all-day options, which I didn't partake in as I wanted to get some rest after dinner, and to save my appetite for the pre-landing breakfast.

For breakfast, I chose the Wellness option.

The wine list had a nice variety of options from France, California and even some Chinese wines (not pictured).

There was also a decent collection of cocktails available, as well as Cathay's signature drink - the "Cathay Delight" which is an incredible mix of kiwi juice, mint and coconut milk.

Being a Hong Kong airline, there was also a great selection of teas.

After the cabin lights were dimmed, the cheery flight attendants served dinner, which was excellent.

After dinner I enjoyed the chocolate nougat mousse, which was delectable.

Below is the amenity kit and its contents, which included a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, hand cream and facial mist, plus an eye mask and ear plugs.

I watched the first two films of The Godfather series on the seatback screen, which had solid quality. 2 hours before departure, I enjoyed the Wellness Breakfast which was good - perhaps a bit too much on the sweet side though.

The lavatory was kept fairly clean throughout the flight, and we landed on time to make our tight connection onwards to Bangkok. HKG is an excellent airport, very easy to transit through!