Cathay Pacific to fly Airbus A350 to Brisbane from March 2017
By David Flynn, December 5 2016
Cathay Pacific will begin flying its new Airbus A350 between Brisbane and Hong Kong from March 2017.
The advanced jet will slot into the daily CX156/157 service and feature the airline's latest generation of business class seats, which are a measured evolution of the current popular business class...
... with new and improved storage spaces, a sliding meal table and an 18.5-inch HD video screen with free satellite television channels (BBC World News, CNN and Euronews).
There's also all-new premium economy seating with a leg rest for each seat, a dedicated tablet holder and in-seat AC and USB power sockets.
You can also stay connected above the clouds with inflight Internet, at US$13 (A$17.40) to stay online for six hours of the eight hour flight – which is better value than the US$20 'full flight' pass.
That said, with CX156 departing Brisbane at just before 1am for a 7.35am touchdown into Hong Kong, you might just want to skip the surfing and get some sleep.
The Airbus A350 has some 12% more seats than the Airbus A330 it will replace, "enabling us to bring more passengers into Brisbane and take Queenslanders seamlessly to more than 170 destinations around the world" says Nelson Chin, Cathay Pacific's General Manager for the Southwest Pacific.
This will be Brisbane's first Airbus A350, and will follows Cathay's Australian A350 debut on the Melbourne-Hong Kong route from February 2017.
Read more:
- AusBT review – Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 business class
- AusBT review – Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 inflight Internet
- Up close with Cathay Pacific's new Airbus A350 premium economy seat
- The best seats in Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 business class
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Feb 2014
Total posts 144
Best news all week!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2011
Total posts 363
As its only Monday....probably is.
18 May 2016
Total posts 5
Melbourne now Brisbane. It won't surprise me if they replace a Sydney service with an A350
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2555
Sydney is definitely on CX's A350 list, as are all other Aussie cities, because the airline will be phasing out its Airbus A330s in favour of the new birds... however, expect to still see some Boeing 777s on some flights in order to deliver yet more seats.
05 Dec 2016
Total posts 1
Any idea which SYD flights could be replaced first by the A350?
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2555
Probably one of the two not currently flown by the Boeing 777
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@David Flynn:
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 372
Why do you feel the need to pick everybody's comments apart? It seems to be a pretty common theme where you are only replying to others comments to pick them apart, and no original comments of your own.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@Dave:
20 May 2015
Total posts 583
Its good to see Cathay updating their product for the Brisbane market. I'll be flying back to Brisbane with Cathay in mid-April but it'll be on the via-Cairns service so I think that means I'll be stuck on an A330. Ahh well, I still congratulate CX on their Fleet Renewal.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Feb 2015
Total posts 150
CX said they're going to progressively replace all of their A330s with A350s so I guess all ports here will get them eventually as they use a lot of A330s on Aus flights. Great to See MEL/BNE gets them first instead of SYD though.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Sep 2012
Total posts 225
It would be great if the A350-1000 could replace one of the daily A330 flights to Sydney! But awesome news for Brisbane!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Jan 2012
Total posts 261
Perhaps if CX order the -1000 they may do that. In the meantime SYD flyers will have to hold out for the -900!
28 Nov 2016
Total posts 3
CX has ordered -1000. 26 of them in fact. First delivery sometime in 2018.
04 Nov 2012
Total posts 218
I thought the BNE service always rotates via CNS?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2514
Cathay Pacific has two distinct flights to/from Brisbane. The flight gaining the A350 is the daily non-stop service between Brisbane and Hong Kong. The other flight instead runs four times per week via Cairns and retains the A330.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 May 2011
Total posts 2
Any idea if PER will be moved to the A350 next year too?
07 Dec 2016
Total posts 37
Hi David,
07 Dec 2016
Total posts 37
Oops, just noted that it will be in addition to the services via Cairns on the weekend and Wed and Thurs.... Phew!! xx
21 Aug 2015
Total posts 86
Good on you CX, delivering a great product. Pity QF is still flogging 747's to HK...............just not in the race.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
@zoomzoom:
29 Oct 2016
Total posts 35
Fantastic to see more alternatives opening up for avoiding 3-3-3 787s.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 622
How is the 3-3-3 350s a good alternative for avoiding 3-3-3 787s?
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