Cathay Pacific is redefining the art of travel with its new award-winning Aria Suite in the Business Class cabin on refurbished 777-300ER aircraft.
AirlineRatings was invited to step aboard and experience the new cabin first hand, and it is nothing short of spectacular.
*Pressed for time? Check out our highlights video below to discover why this seat is unmissable *
First Impressions
As you enter the cabin, the familiar herringbone layout remains, but with a significant evolution. Each seat is now a private suite, complete with a door and divider that creates an uninterrupted sense of personal space. For those travelling together, the design also allows two passengers to share the dining and flight experience side by side.
Cathay Pacific’s Guillaume Vivet, General Manager of Customer Experience and Design, highlighted how the Aria Suite gives passengers travelling together the option to talk, work, or dine side by side.
Design and Comfort
The Aria Suite blends understated luxury with functionality and if you’re someone that likes texture in design you‘re in for a treat. From the curved design lines and soft-touch suede walls to the wool seats, smooth leather armrests, and a fully lie-flat bed with soft cotton bedding and a seat cover, every detail has been considered. The cabin mood lighting enhances this environment, providing an immediate sense of calm after the usual rush of getting to the airport. The amenity kit impresses with a pillow spray, luxurious multi-balm and cooling gel, complemented by essentials such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, and earplugs, with plush slippers completing the experience.
Cathay Pacific’s collaboration with the UK’s Bamford brand delivers exceptional luxury in both bedding and onboard amenities
The seat design, with extra knee room on one side is a real delight for side sleepers. Just be sure to select the right seat for your preferred sleeping side: choose A or G for left-side sleeping, or D or K for right-side sleeping.
Technology at Your Fingertips
Functionality is at the heart of the Aria Suite. Passengers no longer need to juggle cords or devices: each suite features a built-in wireless charger, Bluetooth audio streaming, and a 24-inch 4K ultra-definition touch screen. The screen however is more than just a window into Cathay Pacific’s extensive entertainment library. Its brightness adjusts automatically depending on the time of day, dimming during night flights to avoid disturbing sleeping passengers and brightening during the day for optimal viewing. In a thoughtful touch, passengers can even sync their screen with a friend or family member to enjoy a movie together. Another clever innovation is a lavatory display that shows real-time availability.
The Head of Cathay Pacific Inflight Customer Experience, Laurent Trembley Simard, highlighted another feature that embodies understated luxury: passengers can personalise their seat and save preferences for sleep, work, relaxation, and dining. This thoughtful functionality is especially valuable on long-haul flights, where these modes will be used multiple times, and it exemplifies Cathay’s commitment to delivering a seamless and luxurious experience. He also drew attention to the individual artwork in the galley of each refurbished 777-300ER, noting that no two planes feature the same piece.
Dining Elevated
A Business Class experience is only as strong as its dining, and here Cathay Pacific excels. With its deep Hong Kong roots, strong links to China, and global network, the airline offers an exquisite range of dishes that reflect both regional and international influences. The wine list mirrors this international selection, and if you have not yet tried Chinese wine, this is your opportunity—it will not disappoint. Passengers can, and for the sake of reducing food waste should, preselect their meals between 10 days and 24 hours before departure, choosing from the full inflight menu or the curated Cathay Signatures collection.
Onboard, meals are created in collaboration with Michelin-starred restaurants Louise and Duddell’s, and the results are exceptional. The author of this article had the chance to sample a wide selection of these Michelin-starred offerings, and the taste and presentation were on another level. This is fine dining in the sky, and Cathay deserves high praise for delivering it with such consistency and flair.
Everything about this scene says luxury, comfort, quality and prestige
A Commitment to Travellers
Whether flying for business or leisure, the Aria Suite sets a new benchmark in premium travel, combining cutting-edge technology, thoughtful design, and world-class comfort with Cathay’s renowned service. Passengers can choose to rest, be wined and dined, or focus on work, either alone or alongside a travel companion, with every option thoughtfully provided. This seamless experience is a credit to the entire Customer Experience team and the immense effort and execution that has gone into creating it. T
The retrofitted B777-300ER, featuring the new Aria Suite, is currently operating daily on select flights between Sydney and Hong Kong. In August, the aircraft was introduced on the Melbourne–Hong Kong route, operating one flight daily, and it also serves select daily flights to London, Vancouver, and Beijing, bringing the enhanced Business Class experience to key international routes.
Cathay Pacific is redefining the art of travel with its new award-winning Aria Suite in the Business Class cabin on refurbished 777-300ER aircraft.
AirlineRatings was invited to step aboard and experience the new cabin first hand, and it is nothing short of spectacular.
*Pressed for time? Check out our highlights video below to discover why this seat is unmissable *
First Impressions
As you enter the cabin, the familiar herringbone layout remains, but with a significant evolution. Each seat is now a private suite, complete with a door and divider that creates an uninterrupted sense of personal space. For those travelling together, the design also allows two passengers to share the dining and flight experience side by side.
Cathay Pacific’s Guillaume Vivet, General Manager of Customer Experience and Design, highlighted how the Aria Suite gives passengers travelling together the option to talk, work, or dine side by side.
Design and Comfort
The Aria Suite blends understated luxury with functionality and if you’re someone that likes texture in design you‘re in for a treat. From the curved design lines and soft-touch suede walls to the wool seats, smooth leather armrests, and a fully lie-flat bed with soft cotton bedding and a seat cover, every detail has been considered. The cabin mood lighting enhances this environment, providing an immediate sense of calm after the usual rush of getting to the airport. The amenity kit impresses with a pillow spray, luxurious multi-balm and cooling gel, complemented by essentials such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, and earplugs, with plush slippers completing the experience.
Cathay Pacific’s collaboration with the UK’s Bamford brand delivers exceptional luxury in both bedding and onboard amenities
The seat design, with extra knee room on one side is a real delight for side sleepers. Just be sure to select the right seat for your preferred sleeping side: choose A or G for left-side sleeping, or D or K for right-side sleeping.
Technology at Your Fingertips
Functionality is at the heart of the Aria Suite. Passengers no longer need to juggle cords or devices: each suite features a built-in wireless charger, Bluetooth audio streaming, and a 24-inch 4K ultra-definition touch screen. The screen however is more than just a window into Cathay Pacific’s extensive entertainment library. Its brightness adjusts automatically depending on the time of day, dimming during night flights to avoid disturbing sleeping passengers and brightening during the day for optimal viewing. In a thoughtful touch, passengers can even sync their screen with a friend or family member to enjoy a movie together. Another clever innovation is a lavatory display that shows real-time availability.
The Head of Cathay Pacific Inflight Customer Experience, Laurent Trembley Simard, highlighted another feature that embodies understated luxury: passengers can personalise their seat and save preferences for sleep, work, relaxation, and dining. This thoughtful functionality is especially valuable on long-haul flights, where these modes will be used multiple times, and it exemplifies Cathay’s commitment to delivering a seamless and luxurious experience. He also drew attention to the individual artwork in the galley of each refurbished 777-300ER, noting that no two planes feature the same piece.
Dining Elevated
A Business Class experience is only as strong as its dining, and here Cathay Pacific excels. With its deep Hong Kong roots, strong links to China, and global network, the airline offers an exquisite range of dishes that reflect both regional and international influences. The wine list mirrors this international selection, and if you have not yet tried Chinese wine, this is your opportunity—it will not disappoint. Passengers can, and for the sake of reducing food waste should, preselect their meals between 10 days and 24 hours before departure, choosing from the full inflight menu or the curated Cathay Signatures collection.
Onboard, meals are created in collaboration with Michelin-starred restaurants Louise and Duddell’s, and the results are exceptional. The author of this article had the chance to sample a wide selection of these Michelin-starred offerings, and the taste and presentation were on another level. This is fine dining in the sky, and Cathay deserves high praise for delivering it with such consistency and flair.
Everything about this scene says luxury, comfort, quality and prestige
A Commitment to Travellers
Whether flying for business or leisure, the Aria Suite sets a new benchmark in premium travel, combining cutting-edge technology, thoughtful design, and world-class comfort with Cathay’s renowned service. Passengers can choose to rest, be wined and dined, or focus on work, either alone or alongside a travel companion, with every option thoughtfully provided. This seamless experience is a credit to the entire Customer Experience team and the immense effort and execution that has gone into creating it. T
The retrofitted B777-300ER, featuring the new Aria Suite, is currently operating daily on select flights between Sydney and Hong Kong. In August, the aircraft was introduced on the Melbourne–Hong Kong route, operating one flight daily, and it also serves select daily flights to London, Vancouver, and Beijing, bringing the enhanced Business Class experience to key international routes.
