Up close with Cathay’s new premium economy seat

“More premium than economy”: that’s the thinking behind Cathay Pacific’s newest premium economy proposition, which will take wing from mid-2024 on its flagship Boeing 777s alongside Halo first class and Aria Suites business class.

With their greater comfort, extra legroom and recline, added features and upgraded meals compared to economy class, premium economy has become a hot pick for business travellers and holiday-makers alike.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

“Although the cabin is called ‘premium economy’, when we are designing the product we are very much thinking about designing a premium cabin” explains Vivian Lo, Cathay’s General Manager of Customer Experience and Design.

“Our overall approach is to really focus on customer needs, on research and listening to customers, so our products evolve around human-centric design.”

Privacy is high on the list of what premium economy travellers are looking for, Lo says, so the new Recaro seat incorporates extended ‘wings' which extend from the cushioned leather headrest.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

And they certainly do the job: sitting in a mock-up of the seats at an invitation-only launch in Hong Kong this week, I wasn’t able to see my neighbour’s face at all – although leaning forward a little makes conversation easier if you’re flying with a friend.

(And as before, those paired seats at either side of the plane are the place to book for couples.)

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

These wings also provide another place to rest your head when napping or sleeping – although seats adjacent to the aisle in this 2-4-2 layout have only one winged headrest, leaving the aisle-side unobstructed.

The seat’s physical dimensions haven’t changed from before: you’re looking at 21” width set at a 40” pitch.

So how’s the comfort? Based on this brief sitting session, I’d rate Cathay’s third-gen premium economy seats ahead of the current A350 model, with the padding hitting a sweet spot between firm and yielding – there was still that pleasing feeling of sinking into the seat.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

A swing-up legrest (with extra padding on all but the front row) combines with a steep 8” recline to cradle passengers for maximum comfort.

And with the seat tilted fully back, the legrest raised and the T-bar footrest in place, it certainly feels like the ticket to as good a sleep as you’ll get without paying for a lie-flat bed in business class.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

Even with with the seat in front fully reclined, one doesn’t need to be a contortionist to get in and out if sitting next to the aisle.

Thoughtful passenger-friendly touches abound, such as an adjustable LED reading lamp built into the headrest wing so it effectively ‘follows’ where you’re sitting or leaning, compared to an the feed to reach up and fiddle with an overhead lamp.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

(Cathay’s current A350 premium economy seat uses an LED lamp on a flexible stalk, but I prefer the simplicity of this inbuilt solution.)

The spring-loaded meal table effortlessly rises at the touch of a button, so there’s no fiddling with latches and levers, while the water bottle holder is tucked away in front of the seat, adjacent to the leg-rest.

The video screen is a whopping 15.6” (up from a modest 11”) which occupies almost the entirety of the seatback.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

The sheer size of this tablet-like 4K HD video screen can’t be fully appreciated until you’re in the seat and it’s right there in front of you like a personal IMAX screen, piping through movies and TV shows (live TV is also on the cards, but not at launch).

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

As a bonus, audio is streamed via Bluetooth to your own headphones or earbuds.

A seat-back pocket finished in caramel leather has room for a 13-inch laptop, while another wide pocket nestles under the armrest of each seat.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

Just above and in front of that compartment is a handy USB-C power outlet. Rated at 45 watts, it’s up to par for phones and tablets – but you’ll want to pack your laptop’s AC adaptor and plug it into the AC socket at the front of the seat, where you’ll also find USB-A socket.

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

And in a vote of confidence for the premium economy market, the upgraded 777s will have six rows of premium economy rather than the current four, resulting in a 50% boost from 32 seats to 48 seats – and they’ll will also sport two dedicated premium economy washrooms, one on each side of the cabin.

“That was actually a very, very important learning that we had from previous experience,” Lo shares – “and with lavatories on both sides, customers won’t have to try and cut across the front of the first row of the cabin.”

Cathay's new 777 premium economy seat.

Lo says the new premium economy seat is also under consideration for Cathay’s A350 jets, and any eventual refit would add a washroom to the premium economy cabin.

But premium economy is about more than just the seat, Lo says, with the airline investing in ”a new dining experience” in partnership with popular Hong Kong restaurant group Pirata focussed on Italian comfort food.

Some of the Pirata dishes behind Cathay's latest premium economy menu.

Available on selected medium- and long-range flights departing from Hong Kong, Cathay’s Pirata premium economy menu includes starters such as Caprese salad and baby octopus with crushed potato, while mains range from Parma ham with provolone and sage, to chicken pizzaiola with roasted zucchini and saffron rice, orecchiette pasta with Italian sausage and an ‘Italian meatloaf’ of ground beef and pork, paired with sautéed spinach and creamy mashed potatoes.

The new premium economy seat will join Cathay’s Aria Suite business class across all 30 Boeing 777-300ERs in an extensive refit program running from mid-2024 to early 2027 – although those 777s will lose first class, which will become exclusive to the new 777-9 fleet due for delivery from 2025.

And at this stage, this premium economy seat will be seen only on the 777s, with CX exec Lo revealing that an eventual upgrade for the A350 workhorses would see even fresher designs for and premium economy and business class under consideration.

David Flynn travelled to Hong Kong as a guest of Cathay Pacific