Cathay Pacific unlocks 'early bird' business class fares for 2019

Start planning your 2019 travel schedule this month and you can land some great business class fares through Cathay Pacific's 'early bird' deals.

On sale from now through to October 31, these competitively-priced fares apply across selected dates between March 1 and November 30, 2019.

Business class return to London: under $6,000

A sampling of Cathay's cut-price business class deals shows sharp prices to London; from Sydney it's $5,776 return, including taxes, with Melbourne from $5,760, Brisbane from $5,782 and Perth from $5,410.

There's a swath of European destinations around the $5,000 mark from some Australian cities, with premium economy available to the UK and Europe for about $3,000 return.

Business class return to the USA from low-$7,000’s

If you're headed stateside, Cathay Pacific's 'early bird' business class return fares to New York range start at $7,413 from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and an appealingly low $7,067 from Perth.

With Cathay now running direct flights between Hong Kong and Washington DC on its new Airbus A350-1000, those fares kick off at $7,188 from Sydney.

There are many significant advantages for Australians flying to the US via Hong Kong, including avoiding LAX, and that's always a plus.

Read: Six reasons to fly to New York via Hong Kong

Wherever you're bound, you’ll enjoy Cathay Pacific's highly-regarded business class seat...

... with many routes (including selected flights from Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, as well as services to London, Europe and the USA) featuring the latest business class suites and premium economy seats of Cathay's growing Airbus A350 fleet.

Read: Five things we love about Cathay Pacific’s A350

Some Boeing 777’s also have a compact first class cabin, to which you can upgrade with Asia Miles.

Earning points and status credits

These discounted 'early bird' business class tickets will usually book into Cathay Pacific's I-class fare category. A Sydney to London return trip could net you Silver status in either the Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club or Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme.

The Marco Polo Club's Silver tier is equivalent to Qantas Silver as far as the Oneworld alliance goes, but if you're going to be doing a lot of flying with Cathay Pacific or its regional offshoot Cathay Dragon, Marco Polo Silver offers the advantage of access to Cathay's business class lounges prior to any Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon flight, even in economy.

Read more: Your guide to Cathay Pacific's Marco Polo Club loyalty program

Brandon Loo

Based in Perth, Brandon enjoys tucking into local delicacies, discovering new cocktails, and making aeroplane food look good on camera.