On March 25th, Cathay Pacific launched its non-stop service between Brussels Airport and Hong Kong. I was invited to attend the inaugural event and had the pleasure to join the first non-stop A350 flight from Brussel to Hong Kong.

Pic: Cathay Pacific inaugural event at Brussels Airport
After the inauguration festivities, it was time to board our flight to Hong Kong. I was assigned bulkhead window seat 12A in the Business Class cabin which featured 38 reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. If you wonder which are the better seats on the Cathay Pacific A350-900, check this seatguru map. In the business class cabin, seat 11D and 11G are best avoided, as they are really close to the galley and very exposed to passenger traffic using the front restrooms.

Pic: Cathay Pacific logo on the A350

Pic: Champagne by Billecart Salmon
After take-off, I ordered a glass of Billecart Salmon champagne which was served in combination with warm nuts. I was handed the menu which read as follows: Cover, Intro Culinary Team, Lunch, Snacks & Breakfast, Drink List, Champagne and White Wines, Red Wines and Dessert Wine, Aperitifs and Cocktails.

Pic: Cathay Pacific Business Class Amenity kit
Amenity kits by Seventy Eight Percent with Jurlique skin care products were also distributed in the business class cabin.

Pic: Marinated prawns with sweet potato
I had also ordered Cathay Pacific’s Signature Cocktail, the Cloud Nine (on the left in the picture), a refreshing combination of Vodka, Cointreau and Sprite with a touch of lemon flavour. As it took some extra time to get the cocktail prepared, it ended up being served together with my starter, the marinated prawns.

Pic: Pork Chop with garlic sauce
As I prefer to eat dishes linked to the airline’s home country, I selected the Pork chop with garlic sauce, broccoli and steamed jasmine rice as main dish.

Pic: Cheese and Fruit
And to finish lunch, a selection of fruits and cheese followed by a delicious Chocolate Bavarois (see first picture of this blogpost). The service was clean and polished. Not over the top friendly as with some of the Middle Eastern carriers but in an understated yet correct way they made me feel at ease as passenger.

Pic: Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class Seat 12A
As we had another 8 hours to go before reaching Hong Kong, I unpacked the provided duvet and got comfortable in the full-flat bed with some delicious chocolates on the side. The seat was wide and spacious with lots of space to put things away. The large IFE screen had a responsive multi-touch interface and featured some of the latest Hollywood releases.

Pic: Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class Seat 12A
One of the things I love about modern planes is inflight connectivity as it allows me to post those Instagram Stories on the go! I experienced fast WiFi for the duration of the flight for just 12.95 USD which I found very reasonable compared to what I sometimes have to pay at other airlines. I had expected a fee of 19.95 USD as indicated on the Cathay Pacific website for flights above 6 hours. Maybe the system wasn’t configured correctly yet for the new Brussels – Hong Kong route. Let’s hope it takes a while before they figure that out. 😉

Pic: Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class Seat 12A
My trip to Hong Kong was rather short, in fact, I was only in Hong Kong for 18 hours. Reason: I had another trip to Los Angeles that week which I had booked before I received Cathay’s invitation for the inaugural trip. With the departure in Brussels on Sunday March 25th at 1pm, I arrived on Monday morning around 7am in Hong Kong where I visited The Arrival lounge for a refreshing shower before heading into the city. You can see some of the highlights of that day in my Instagram Stories video at the end of this blogpost.

Pic: Cathay Pacific The Deck Lounge in Hong Kong
Eighteen hours later, on Tuesday morning March 27th at 00:35am, I had my flight back to Brussels. A few days earlier, the brand new The Deck lounge had opened at Hong Kong airport which offered an excellent opportunity for another shower session and some freshly prepared Wonton noodles before my flight to Brussels. The lounge wasn’t as big as The Wing or The Pier but certainly had the same cosiness yet distinctive vibe that made me feel home as a passenger. Cathay’s Business Class lounges are a design example for many other airlines and among my favourite in the world.

Pic: Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class Seat 18K
For the inbound flight to Brussels, I had selected window seat 18K. In retrospective, I was equality pleased with both seats (12A & 18K) I experienced on the Cathay Pacific A350. I slept most of the return flight, as I was exhausted from the very long day visiting Hong Kong’s highlights.

Pic: Cathay Pacific Business Class Breakfast
Before arrival in Brussels, I had an excellent breakfast. Look at that perfectly crafted Cappuccino! Really appreciated the extra effort the flight attended had put in brewing me a fantastic coffee.

Pic: Cappuccino and Orange Juice at Cathay Pacific

Pic: Cathay Pacific Business Class Breakfast
Conclusion: My Cathay Pacific inaugural trip to Hong Kong was a short but great experience. I rarely fly non-stop long-haul flights from Brussels Airport, but this trip reminded me how convenient flying direct to your destination can be. Definitely for frequent business travellers, the new non-stop connection from Brussels to Hong Kong will be great hit!

Pic: Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class Seat 18K

Full disclosure: I was a guest of Cathay Pacific on inaugural flight CX338 on March 25th and on inbound flight CX339 on March 27th. Economy roundtrip flights from Brussels to Hong Kong start at 620 EUR all-in. More info at http://www.cathaypacific.be