Cathay Pacific has unveiled an all-new business class, a new premium economy and a ‘refreshed’ economy cabin for its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Cathay said that ‘the customer experience is at the heart of the design and conception’ of the new business class seat, called the Aria Suite.
It’s laid out in a reverse herringbone configuration, with the seats at the side angled towards the windows, and has a ‘range of innovations and enhancements to take the business-class experience to the next level’.
The addition of a suite door will no doubt please those passengers keen on privacy at 38,000ft, with those in the centre seats having the option to deploy a movable partition for ‘an elevated level of privacy’, or have it open ‘for a shared business-class experience with their travel partner’.
Inflight entertainment comes courtesy of a 24-inch ultra-high-definition screen – the largest ever offered by the airline.
It says that customers can pair Bluetooth-enabled headphones to the screen and charge their devices on the ‘marble-style side console’.
What about storage?
Cathay says: ‘The console offers a slide-away drawer to reveal a compartment perfect for [a passenger’s] passport, glasses, watch and wallet.
‘The side cabinet, which sits on the upper console, includes a bespoke headphone hook, a dedicated tray for water bottle stowage, and a large personal mirror enclosed in the door.’
Manoeuvering the seat comes courtesy of the new ‘Touch Screen Passenger Control Unit’.
Cathay says that this can ‘control the settings of the signature Cathay lamp and its three built-in directional light modes, ‘meal, reading, and console’, and can ‘select different pre-set seating positions – including taxi, take-off and landing, lounge, and bed – with a single touch’.
Customisations can also be made digitally – for the first time – using the interactive seat controls on the in-seat entertainment screen, remarks Cathay.
The suite promises to be easy on the eye, and pleasant to touch, too.
Cathay says: ‘Its soft-touch suede walls, natural wool seat fabric, and gold-accented touchpoints all come together to create a calming sensory experience.
‘The main body of the seat is made of wool designed for comfort and breathability, with an all-in-one design to ensure a seamless bed surface.
‘The headrest is soft and made from premium leather, as is the ottoman that extends the length of the bed.
‘All these come together to ensure customers enjoy a truly restful experience surrounded by comfort.’
PREMIUM ECONOMY
The new premium economy cabin features ‘customised leather headrests and padded footrests’, seat wings with reading lights and 15.6-inch 4K screens with Bluetooth audio streaming.
ECONOMY
The economy cabin ‘retains the features and advancements’ from Cathay’s A350s, but has been ‘refreshed with a number of new features to enhance the customer experience’.
Cathay continues: ‘These include updated dress covers, improved front-row ergonomics, and additional overhead bin space.
‘The inflight entertainment system has been enhanced with the latest graphical user interface, and customers can enjoy Cathay Pacific’s extensive entertainment library using their own Bluetooth headsets.’
Plus, an ‘innovative’ headrest offers an ‘unprecedented degree of flex to cradle and support the customer’s head’.
