Cathay Pacific's Fantastic First Class Is Returning Soon

The ultimate in Cathay Pacific luxury is finally returning to the skies.

In line with the gradual reopening of the country to tourism, the flag carrier of Hong Kong is opening up first class bookings on its Boeing 777-300 aircraft — the only long-haul jet in its fleet to feature its world-renowned first class cabins.

Here’s what we know so far about the return to the skies of Cathay’s phenomenal first class.

Table of Contents

Cathay First Class Flights Now Bookable
When Will Cathay Open First Class Bookings to The U.S. and Canada?
Final Thoughts

Cathay First Class Flights Now Bookable

While the news is definitely worth getting excited about, Cathay’s first class will return only to its route between Hong Kong (HKG) and London Heathrow (LHR) for the time being.

The Boeing 777 workhorses have been operating on this important route for the airline throughout most of the pandemic, though seats in their coveted first class cabins have not been for sale.

That’s all about to change: as of December 5, 2022, first class tickets can be purchased on Cathay’s service between Hong Kong and London on flights CX251 and CX252.

The schedule for the flights featuring first class is as follows:

Depart Hong Kong (HKG) 11 p.m. — Arrive London Heathrow (LHR) 5:40 a.m. (+1)
Depart London Heathrow (LHR) 11:15 a.m. — Arrive Hong Kong (HKG) 7:40 a.m. (+1)

The lowest fare we’re seeing for a cash ticket on the route will set you back a cool £10,221 ($11,457).

Hot Tip: That’s a lot of cash! Thankfully, there are some great points options for booking Cathay Pacific first class!

When Will Cathay Open First Class Bookings to The U.S. and Canada?

While there’s been no official announcement as of yet, we can expect that you’ll be able to book Cathay’s first class to and from the U.S. in the not-too-distant future.

Cathay Pacific currently (or plans to soon) flies from Hong Kong to 6 cities in North America, including Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD) — from March 29, 2023, New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Toronto (YYZ), and Vancouver (YVR).

Cathay Pacific's routes from Hong Kong to North America. — Cathay Pacific’s routes from Hong Kong to North America. Image Credit: Great Circle Mapper.

As it stands, each of the routes are serviced with Cathay’s fleet of Airbus A350’s which don’t feature first class.

However, it looks like the Boeing 777 — complete with first class — will make a brief return on the LA and San Francisco routes from December 1, 2022, through March 25, 2023.

Unfortunately, at least for now, first class tickets on those routes are still not available for purchase.