6 Things I Wish I Knew Before Flying 15 Hours in Cathay Pacific Economy Class Seats

I’d had a summer trip to Thailand planned for nearly a year in advance, which I was thrilled to take — I had impeccably organized every single detail ahead.

Everything was set until political tensions in the Middle East made me feel nervous about flying through Doha (DOH) on Qatar Airways. Rather than worrying about whether things would stabilize, I canceled my flights, which I had booked with AAdvantage miles, and searched for alternatives.

But when it came to flying to Thailand on my dates, I couldn’t find any AAdvantage award availability on other airlines, and I was fresh out of credit card points. So I decided to book tickets from my home in Madrid (MAD) to Bangkok (BKK) with a stop in Hong Kong (HKG) on Cathay Pacific. Tickets cost $950 per person, one-way on my peak summer travel dates.

I realized I’d be taking a 12-hour flight, having a 7-hour layover in Hong Kong, and then another 3-hour flight, all in economy, with my 5-year-old. I wasn’t in panic mode, but I knew I’d be pushing everyone’s limits of sleep, crankiness, and comfort.

Spoiler alert: I survived 15 hours in Cathay Pacific economy — we all did — but there are a few key things to know about flying with the airline for such a long time. Here’s how it went and what I learned from the experience.

1. Your Experience Depends on the Aircraft

The first leg of my flight was on Cathay’s A350-900 from Madrid to Hong Kong. The next leg from Hong Kong to Bangkok was on an A321neo aircraft. Both aircraft surprised me, each for different reasons.

First Leg on the A350-900

This plane had a 3-3-3 layout in economy, and my husband, son, and I occupied row 24 on the left side by the window. Yes, the seats were small, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of legroom I had. Just 5 days earlier, I’d flown economy on Iberia’s A330 from Chicago (ORD) to Madrid, and Cathay had significantly more legroom.

I’m not one to bring a tape measure on planes, but I really did notice the level of spaciousness, and I appreciated it considering this seat would be my home for 12 hours. The legroom made a huge difference, and I felt more comfortable during and after the flight than I usually do on long-haul flights with other airlines. For this reason, I’d likely fly Cathay’s economy long-haul again.

I also noticed the tray tables, which I could fold down into 2 separate levels. It made it easy to watch my phone on the top tray table without straining my neck while eating on the lower table. I didn’t really use the IFE screens, but my son did, and they had a large selection of movies, shows, and music.

Second Leg on the A321neo

I couldn’t believe how modern this plane was. It was retrofitted with the same double-style tray tables as the larger A350 and had even sleeker IFE screens than the A350, which I wasn’t expecting on a 3-hour flight in a single-aisle aircraft.

The main difference was the lack of legroom.

While the plane felt new and modern, with many amenities I didn’t expect on an A321 (I’m used to flying around the U.S. and Europe on these planes, nearly none of which have long-haul-style amenities like screens), the legroom was tight because the plane was much smaller.

Still, for a 3-hour flight, the IFE screens were helpful, as I was sick of watching what I had downloaded on my phone.

I also appreciated the smaller netted pocket with the larger pocket in the back of the seat, which even the A350 didn’t have, which was perfect for my earbuds and phone.

2. Don’t Expect Much With Low Oneworld Status

I have Oneworld Ruby status, and so does my husband. He has Iberia Club Plata, and I have American Airlines AAdvantage Gold. I never expect much, but we have gotten upgrades before, especially when flying Iberia and American. The last time I flew Cathay Pacific in economy to Hong Kong (approximately a decade ago), I was upgraded to premium economy thanks to my status.

I had no expectations for this trip, and I’m glad I didn’t, because I didn’t get any upgrades or special perks, save for being able to check in at the priority line. I was even in boarding group 7 out of 9 groups, so I didn’t get priority boarding — this is why you’ll notice lots of people in my photos. I wasn’t able to get on the plane early enough to get pictures without other humans in them, so I’m giving you a real-life boarding and flying economy experience crowded with other passengers.

I’m not sure how someone with a higher level of status would be treated, but in case you’re wondering: Oneworld Ruby members likely won’t get any perks beyond priority check-in when flying Cathay Pacific. My suggestion would be to keep expectations low, and if you do end up with additional perks, it’ll feel like a real prize.

3. Small Details Made the Flights Bearable

Two main things made my Cathay economy experience bearable: the legroom and the double tray table (the top part even had a cupholder, which was helpful).

But a couple of other small details made the flights go smoothly. I thought it was really nice that the airline offered headphones for kids, which I found really cute. My son was obsessed with them.

The airline also had food menus that made the experience feel slightly nicer. I liked being able to look at the menu and think about what I could order, versus having an apathetic flight attendant utter “chicken or pasta” without making eye contact with me.

Both flights also took off and landed on time and had working IFE screens, which I honestly don’t take for granted these days.

And one rather silly detail that the reader in me loved: Cathay Pacific still has an inflight magazine. Call me a nerd, but I’m a sucker for an inflight magazine! I always read them cover to cover and wish airlines would bring them back — especially the (in)famous SkyMall magazine.

4. Food Was Palatable

While I wouldn’t expect anything overly fancy (this is still economy class, after all), the food was decent. On both flights, my son and I got the chicken, my husband got the pork, and we each finished our meal. While this should be standard, it’s really not — I can usually barely stomach airline food in economy — so the fact that the food was edible and fairly tasty was a plus.

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The chicken meal on the A350 flight between Madrid and Hong Kong.

I also appreciated that the airline offered both Asian and Western dishes. Although I didn’t order any congee for breakfast, it was nice to have the choice.

5. Service Was on Point

I found Cathay Pacific’s flight attendants to be pleasant, available, and helpful on both flights. When my husband had an issue with his headphones, the flight attendant immediately helped him, even though it was just after takeoff and she was trying to get beverage service started.

The flight attendants were also very kind to my son, asking him questions, and one flight attendant brought him an extra ice cream. On such a long flying experience, feeling well cared for made the physical discomfort of squeezing into economy seats easier to handle.

6. Hong Kong Airport’s Amenities Made Things Easier

If I’d had Emerald or Sapphire Oneworld status, I would have been able to enter the Cathay Pacific lounge during my layover, but I was limited to Priority Pass lounges.

Luckily, the main Kyra Lounge in Hong Kong is actually an award-winning airport lounge, but I could only access it 3 hours before my flight.

After sleeping only about 20 minutes on the 12-hour flight (I truly wish I were someone who can fall asleep at any hour on a plane, but I’m not), I was a zombie starting off my 7-hour layover. My son had only snoozed for about 3 hours, and the crankiness was real on all of our parts.

Luckily, I wandered past a Be Relax Spa and Suites. It would have cost about $60 to get a private room for 2 hours, which included a bed and desk, even earplugs. Rates would’ve been slightly higher if we’d wanted to use the shower, but I couldn’t even think about that as I was so tired. I immediately threw down my Chase Sapphire Preferred card (no foreign transaction fees!), and in we went.

I practically fell into the plush double bed, and we all got about an hour and a half of sleep in this delightful and very random “hotel.” I credit Be Relax with helping me get through the second leg of my trip, and I highly recommend it if you have a long layover in Hong Kong, especially if you don’t have lounge access.

Final Thoughts

Nobody wants to fly 15 hours in economy and have a nearly 24-hour travel experience. But when I needed to get to Asia from Europe on specific dates and points and miles weren’t offering anything I could use, flying with Cathay Pacific in economy was the right choice.

I appreciated Cathay’s extra legroom, newer short-haul aircraft with all the extra amenities, decent food, and friendly service. I think they could extend perhaps an earlier boarding group for Oneworld Ruby members, but all in all, if I had to fly halfway across the world in economy, I’d do it again with Cathay Pacific.