Review: I tried the $6,000 Cathay Pacific Aria Business Suite

Let’s get personal: although my job as a lifestyle journalist means I get to experience all sorts of rarefied activities—fancy hotels, outrageous meals, a weird amount of boat rides—I’m an economy gal at heart. So when the BC Business team heard about Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite business class service to Hong Kong, we decided there was no better cheapskate to go check it out and find out once and for all if splashing out on a deluxe flight is actually worth it.

This is exactly the kind of hard-hitting journalism I got into this business for.  

If you’re not ready to splash out on the $6,000 one-way ticket (well, $5,963), read on for a totally selfless first-person account of just what happens in Cathay Pacific’s business class cabin.

 

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What it’s like in the YVR Cathay Pacific Lounge 

I usually prefer to arrive at the airport at the last possible minute, sliding through security by the skin of my teeth and right to the gate: life is too short to bum around eating sad airport sandwiches.  

But I want to really put Cathay Pacific’s YVR business lounge to the test, so I arrive promptly at 10 p.m. for my 1 a.m. flight to Hong Kong to make sure I have three solid hours to do nothing in style.  

All the beautiful mid-century inspired furniture here in the lounge looks extremely inviting—a womb chair overlooking the tarmac is my preferred spot to update my Instagram stories—but I’d heard rumours that there was fresh dim sum in the lounge, so I make a beeline for a seat at the bar.  

With the help of my travel companion/love interest, we test out wonton noodles in soup, har gao, deep-fried pumpkin rolls, gai bao jai and more. The dan dan noodles are absolutely worth the hype and pair perfectly with a cheeky little glass of bubbles (and then a cheekier gin and tonic, followed by a responsible decaf coffee and plate of mochi).  

I begin to wish we’d arrived maybe four or five hours earlier to really take advantage of the snack situation. There’s wifi, after all: doing a full workday here seems more than possible… and probably a good fiscal decision when you factor in the price of groceries these days. There are also showers. So maybe I live here now? Tragically, shortly after midnight, we’re invited to board the plane.  

Inside Cathay Pacific’s Aria Business Suite Pods 

I’m not exaggerating when I say that my jaw drops when I see the size of the seat. My six-foot-one husband gets almost teary eyed at the ample leg room. These are wide, cushy armchairs that are able to fold down completely flat; at my feet I find a bag neatly packed with a crisp, down-like white comforter and fitted sheet. I cannot wait to go to sleep.  

As the rest of the plane fills up, we busy ourselves gleefully pressing every button available—this one sets the mood lighting for getting some reading done; this one positions the chair just so for an optimal dining experience. Inside one of the storage cabinets, I find a chic toiletries bag packed with essentials (ear plugs, eye mask, toothpaste) and non-essentials (pillow spray, hand balm).  

I put on a cushy pair of slippers and accept both a glass of sparkling wine and a glass of cranberry juice, because why not? I have no idea what my spouse is doing or drinking because he’s slid his door closed to create a completely private cocoon. I miss him. (He later calls it the best flight of his life but I’m sure that’s not why.) 

Everything I ate on the Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong 

Eating everything on the menu at the lounge noodle bar seemed like a good idea at the time but as soon as we have taken off, the Cathay Pacific flight attendants are asking what I want for dinner. Oops. I really was not expecting to eat a three-course meal at 1 a.m. but in the name of good reporting, I put in my request for Italian lasagne rolls—though I don’t specifically know what that is.  

As I wait for dinner or pre-breakfast or whatever this is, I try to stay awake by drinking an extremely refreshing concoction of coconut milk and kiwi juice and cranking the volume of English Teacher on the 24K TV in front of me. There’s actually so much space between myself and the TV that my arm gets tired reaching out to tweak the settings. Thank goodness there’s also a remote. 

When the food comes (with real cutlery, ooh la la!) I’m impressed with the fare, which turns out to be more of a parpadelle dish than a lasagne, laden with fresh tomatoes and sprinkled with crispy panko crumbs. The crew attempts to give me a cheese plate and chocolate but I fend them off: I need to try to sleep. For journalism.  

Is it easy to sleep in Cathay Pacific’s Business Class Aria Suite? 

I hit the button to lay the seat down and set up the bedding. I go brush my teeth, even though there is no one close enough to be bothered by my lasagne breath. Is my husband still even over there? He could be lost in premium economy for all I know because I haven’t seen him in hours. I’ll find out in Hong Kong, I guess. 

I slide the door of my pod closed for maximum privacy. Earplugs: in! Eye mask: on! And then, suddenly, it’s six hours later. 

Of course it wasn’t the best sleep of my life… but it was hands-down the best night’s sleep I’ve ever gotten on a plane. No amount of money (or quality of earplugs) can cancel out the hum of the cabin or the bumps of turbulence, but I feel as refreshed as humanly possible in these (very comfortable) circumstances. I pass the last few hours of the flight in a little nest, cuddled up in the duvet with my legs stretched right out.  

The crew comes by with breakfast (they invited everyone to pre-order before hitting the hay) and I inexplicably am hungry again. I spread warm pastries with butter and tuck into some yogurt, compote and granola. I had intended to get some work done—especially since business class has complimentary wifi and each Aria suite is equipped with all sorts of charging ports—but it feels like the real work that needs to be done here is squeezing every moment of luxury out of my last few hours in the pod.  

I put on another episode of my sitcom, snuggle up against my pillow and congratulate myself on a job well done.  

Coming back to YVR from the Hong Kong airport 

We have an absolutely amazing time on our whirlwind visit to Hong Kong. The Shangri-La? Gorgeous. The prison that’s been converted to an arts complex? Inspiring. A beautiful boat ride (obviously) to see the sparkling city skyline from the water? Dazzling. But I’m counting down the days until we can get back on the plane. I’ve had a taste of the good life—and I’m hungry for more. 

Before we can hop on another late-night (well, early morning) flight home, we have to (have to) kill some time at Cathay’s Hong Kong airport lounges.

Though there are four to choose from—with another currently under construction—the best of the best is The Pier, First Class. It’s got that same Mad Men chic aesthetic as the YVR location but with some seriously upscale distinctions: namely, a Mott 32 tasting menu and a spa offering complimentary foot or shoulder massages.  

Once again, I’m sad to leave the limitless dumplings and cocktails behind—and even sadder to realize the flight back to Vancouver is two hours shorter than our journey here.

I strive to make the most of the 11-hour flight. I get the crew to bring me not one but two egg tarts (a special menu item on the HKG to YVR leg) in addition to an excellent eggplant dish. I even actually manage to do a little writing before putting myself to bed.  

My pod is next to my husband’s this time but we both have our noise cancelling headphones on the whole time and basically don’t talk at all. We fall asleep, together but separate in our little side-by-side cubicles in the sky, dreaming of a day when we can try this luxurious experience all over again.  

Aria Suite bookings are available on daily Cathay Pacific return flights between Vancouver and Hong Kong.