Originally Posted by
QRC3288
CX hasn't had PEY on the DXB route in a long time (if ever!). CX serves DXB with the 33E equipment: 2 class A330, with long-haul J. No PEY. 262 seats total. Fwiw, it's one of those "guaranteed" long-haul J destinations, although this doesn't apply to your query.
By ditching PEY for more regular economy, CX gains 11 more seats for sale over 33K( A330 with identical J class, PEY cabin, and slightly smaller Y).
My instinct tells me the reason is because most CX pax to/from DXB are connecting elsewhere in Asia. Especially lots to/from China. And the regional flights for the most part don't have PEY.
Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon Fleet, Route and Configuration Guide
You may remember in the initial PEY rollout, CX was quite aggressive but in the end removed a row of PEY from the A330s, and then removed PEY from some otherwise long haul configured aircraft. These also fly to India. But many passengers from India fly on to USA and not other places in Asia. So I'm not sure this bolded sentence is the reason why there isn't PEY to Dubai - it just seems like that market doesn't work.