CX870 HKG-SFO
14 Aug 11
1405-1135
1433-1156
Boeing 747-400 B-HOX
Seat 1A

Boarding for what appears to be a full flight today on a Jumbo Jet could be frustrating with long lines and due to the need for extra security for flights departing to the United States, my flight to San Francisco was due to depart from Gate 4 which is the end of the terminal. The problem was another long distance flight was departing at gate 3 and there was a long queue to enter the enclosed compound. I went over to queue at the shorter premium line and upon checking my boarding pass, the boarding agent called her colleague who came over and breezed me past the rest of the queue, including Business Class passengers. So that's what First Class is all about, since the airline does really put you in first place. The agent allowed me to bypass everyone queueing for boarding and led me to the additional security check. From there, I stopped by to take some shots of the 747 before I headed to the First/Business aero bridge.


The 747 that flew me to SFO

As expected, upon showing my boarding pass with 1A on it, the flight attendant gestured for another crew member to bring me over to my seat. By the time I arrived at my seat, nearly half of the First Class cabin was occupied, which meant it was not possible for me to capture the whole cabin to my liking. No matter, I was still pleased to be seated on 1A at the nose cone of the 747, and with the unique design of the plane, it also meant I was seated even more upfront than the pilots! I stowed my hand carry under the ottoman, and the crew mentioned to me about the closet where I could store my extra shopping bag.


View from 1A

With 3 windows by my side, I admired the view of the terminal from this end and explored the very comfortable First Class seats. The flight attendant came back shortly with drinks order and I requested for champagne to complete the experience. She came back with a fresh bottle of Krug and showed me the bottle before pouring the bubbly over a flute glass. The little gesture made all the difference in the world between First and Business and it is no wonder Cathay First is considered one of the best! I was already wowed up to this stage!


Windows to the World


Shanghai Tang Pyjamas

The crew came around again and offered me newspapers but having taken a copy from the lounge, I was fine and she next came by with hot towels and another came to enquire about my pyjama size. I took a medium size thinking it would fit. When she came back with the medium pyjamas, I realized it was still too large and exchanged it with a small size. Since dinner will be served first after the flight, I decided to change to my pyjamas after the meal, and thus continued to play around with the seat features, browse through the entertainment choices available and just relax with my glass of champagne. It took a while before boarding was completed and there was an issue with some missing passengers which delayed our departure a bit. This short delay prompted the stewardess into action as they gave out immigration forms for passengers. And the long time I spent in the cabin on the ground also showed me how wide and long the First Class seats were. Even fully extending my legs, they were still too short to reach the ottoman. Well I am not too tall to begin with but it still showed how very large a space it is. The fold down armrests on the side also made the seats a lot wider when put up.


Orchids by the window


Seat 1A

The controls for the seats are all placed ergonomically by the large ledge beside the window. I do think seat 1A had a lot larger ledge which makes it easier to place one's newspaper, reading materials, passport, drinks and that hot towel. In first class, the stewardess were also nice enough to only collect the glasses and towels at the last minute of pullback. More time to enjoy the beverages! During our pullback, the crew ensured all the TV screens were pulled out and with the TV screen fully extended, it was no bother to me as mentioned by some reviews of this particular seat. I do admit it is a bit of a bother since they were stowed back to the sideways position for take off after the safety video which was screened in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. This meant no video of the take off or landing, so if they are truly important, other seats in the First Class cabin might be more suitable.


Flying over Wanshan Archipelago

Pullback was a long affair but being seated in 1A, the time just seems to pass by quietly though a ride on the nose of the 747-400 shows the age of the plane since it was a relatively bumpy ride when the plane decided to go full throttle for take-off. This is definitely not one of the best take-off experience! But as we took off on the southwesterly route, we were treated to excellent harbour views around Lantau Island, allowing me to spot the small village of Tai O. What is more amazing is the view as the plane passes by the group of islets known as the Wanshan Archipelago. With the clear blue skies and azure waters, it was a nice sight, and best of all was how I had all 3 windows in the prime vantage point to enjoy it!


Flying over South China Sea

Upon reaching cruising altitude and when the seat belts sign were off, I headed to the toilet and noticed the occupied signs on the lavatories, but the crew mentioned it was due to passengers in the Business Class using these toilets that they had to make it look occupied. Similarly in First Class, the lavatories have a huge difference, and this lavatory sure have enough space and even comes with 2 private windows, making the lavatory feels much airier.


First Class Lavatory

After returning to my seat, the flight crew took down drink orders and I went with a cup of Hong Kong style milk tea which came along with a small bowl of warm assorted nuts, whereby in Business only almonds were given out. The senior purser then returned to give out menus for the flight. Today's crew serving first class was led by Irene, a senior purser from Malaysia with her assistants from China and HK and the flight crew manager was from Philippines. During this whole time, I was always addressed by name, making the experience much more personal indeed. As expected, the food in First was definitely much better and I was looking forward to an excellent feast! The senior purser returned for my meal order and went through the list with me, including asking me if I would like the caviar for starters, and my preferences for the soups and main courses. I just requested for food from the Chinese favourites since I think Cathay's chinese food offering is perhaps the best amongst any airline in the world. I also requested for a fruit plate in addition to the dessert, and she told me she would try to get one from the Business Class section for me as it wasn't in the menu.


Cathay Pacific First Class Menu


First Class Cabin onboard Cathay 747

Shortly after my food orders were taken, I relaxed on the seat and switched on the IFE. This was the minor flaw though it made some special incident as the inflight destination and route that was inputted showed a HKG-LHR routing on flight CX253. I sure hope the plane wasn't flying in the opposite direction to my planned destination. To reassure passengers, a ticker was screened on the IFE screen to indicate a malfunction in the destination routing and the captain also reiterated that we are indeed flying across the Pacific to San Francisco. This I continued to watch Thor that I had left from my previous flight.


Welcome screen showing incorrectly that it is flying to LHR

It was then at this time that the flight duty manager came over and introduced herself. She saw my that my face had turned quite red from drinking the champagne earlier and seems to fear that I have become slightly drunk. Thus the words she mentioned to me was about getting her passengers to just relax and drink lots of water. Upon enquiring about my route, she was surprised I did not board the direct HKG-YVR service, instead choosing to take the longer route. To me this longer route was more interesting in that I get to try out a new routing, and with more availability on the 747 it was an obvious choice. I would also be able to take this opportunity to visit one of my favourite cities - San Francisco once again!


Cathay Pacific First Class dining set-up


Cathay Pacific First Class starters

Just as we approached the southern tip of Taiwan, my table was prepped for the meal service. The much larger table also meant more weight and more force required to pull it out from the armrest. Again, no need to do anything as the crew member came over to help you set up the table. It makes me feel really helpless and lazy though! The plate of caviar was brought out promptly and served with potatoes, the complete condiments, toast and the Balik Salmon. Being a fan of roe of all sorts, I really enjoyed this starter, and the taste will probably linger for years to come.


Flying over Tainan

The icing on the cake was the view provided out of the window as we flew past the city of Tainan, Chiayi, the eastern mountain ranges of Taiwan and finally into the Pacific Ocean. All these while I slowly savour the caviar and the salmon! Wonderful to be in First Class on Cathay eh? The highlight of the meal doesn't stop here though as the next course was equally spectacular. Choosing from the Chinese selection, I had the papaya with pork, almond and peanut soup which was sweet and doesn't reek of the papaya scent. It came along with the cold plate of marinated sliced abalone served with chilli soya sauce. The abalone was tender and full of flavour by itself, which surpassed my expectations for abalone served on a plane. As with service in Chinese restaurants, chopsticks were offered and this was something missing from Business Class as well.


Soup and cold plate


Abalone for cold platter

Given the high quality of the starters, the main course might seem a bit underwhelming, but it was a nice pairing for Chinese cuisine. I had the sesame salt-baked chicken with sesame sauce which was better than what I expected though the accompanying stir-fried pak choy was a bit overcooked and didn't look too nice. Still, the ability to have freshly cooked jasmine rice with a pair of side dishes was a great finish to the main meal. Throughout the meal service, I only requested for water and the crew made sure my glass of water is frequently topped up with fresh Evian mineral water!


Steamed rice for main course


Sesame Salt-baked Chicken 芝麻鹽焗雞


Stir-fried Pak Choy 炒白菜