The new 777x better have an evolved design

Else CX will get further behind competitors.

I think the tech is market-leading. However, I am unsure whether it retains the comfortability. I did feel claustrophobic with the door shut.

Apparently good award availability on CX's HKG-SIN 777J Aria flights this month: https://milelion.com/2025/02/05/cath...-to-singapore/

Reminded me of an ‘accident’ when I travelled on Aria last December (my first time) from NRT to HKG.

First I heard the person in front of me broke his glass (found out later that it dropped into the sliding storage) and then 3 seconds later there was liquid dropping from the top of the footwell space – like a small waterfall – and the smell of Baileys filled the space. I was laying down at that time - my jeans (luckily in black) and socks got wet a bit and (also luckily) my shoes were on the side (not enough space under the footrest like A350). Good that I had not fallen asleep at that time.

The doubt in my head was how they clean the ‘inside’ of the suite - esp the sticky Baileys. Perhaps I was bad luck but spilling of liquid wouldn’t be rare on any flight, I guess. Now with Aria having 3 ‘levels’ of surface (in front of side cabinet, sliding surface, storage under sliding surface) it could bring more risks – which do not exist in the old/current design.

By the way the crew did excellent job ensuring I am OK and gave me more than enough wet towels to clean up. They also helped clean up the suite in front of me very swiftly.

Other observations:
My tray table wobbled even with a small push down with my finger - quite uncomfortable when typing on my laptop, though it did not bother me during mealtime..... Perhaps it was just my seat. Haven't had another chance to try Aria yet...
And I also felt that the screen was too big for me.

​​​​​​Adding a clip to my own post...

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useful observations (the whole post). On 3/3 flights, I had no issues with the tray table, I pretty much bang away at my laptop the whole flight. Must've been your seat/bird, although that's not reassuring to hear.

the TV is comically big for the seat positioning, but I would admit to being a little bit more okaywith it if the pilots would enable the darn cameras the whole time. the resolution is so amazing. of my 3 Aria flights so far, only 1x they were on from start to finish, 1x they were disabled on taxi, 1x they were totally disabled the whole time.

Thanks for the comment and sharing.

Perhaps the TV is just too close for its size. I definitely like the resolution and the responsiveness of the new system!

It is funny how one quickly adapt to big screens. The first time I flew in Qsuite seven years ago, I was almost disturbed by the screen size 22 Inches).
Now, I find anything smaller than 20 inches disappointing. At least for longhaul flights.
I often fly on the Qatar exCX 77A F/J and the screen size is the biggest disappointment.

Is it just some trick of the camera here, or does your keyboard have blue LED backlighting?

Thats the result of my phone's poor auto white balance! (affected by the warm ambience of Aria suite?)
The Mac backlight is white, as always.

Damn, and I got so excited for a moment LOL

I want to expand a bit on several advancements and issues.

Advancements:
1. The 4K TV is crystal clear.

2. The multiple charging ports are an improvement. A small caveat is that the storage door will hit your chargor.

3. The tray table is sturdier, perhaps because it is still new. It is bigger and easier to use your electronic products. Although the slot for iPads is angled a bit weird.


Concerns:
1. The perception of space. As mentioned, visually, I felt the space had decreased. Hence, I used AeroLOPA's seating plan to illustrate the problem better. Disclaimer: I am not a designer, and this is my amateur drawing.
- First, the green markings refer to the entrance. The entrance is much narrower, both physically and visually due to the inclusion of a door. The green circle on the top right corner highlights a slight difference between the mock seating plan and the demo configuration. The curved back resembles more of the old product. It is not a dealbreaker itself but it is part of the reduction in space.
- Secondly, the two sets of red arrows refer to visuals when not using the TV. With the 77W or the 350s, the TV is foldable. When you draw a line between where you sit and the furthest point of where you can sit, it is evident that the old products are not restricted by the TV and are more spacious. Meanwhile, the unavoidable 24-inch screen is placed right in front of you. The TV is so close to me that I can almost touch the screen whilst sitting upright. Also, the seat used to span two or more windows. The new seat would barely encompass two.
- Thirdly, the blue arrows refer to visuals when using the TV. The dotted blue arrows are my estimates of where the 350 TVs are located and how they are placed when slid out. I would say the 350 TVs are further back than the Aria ones. They are a bit smaller as well.
- Overall, the combination of different elements made me feel that the seat is more restrictive than before. I am not convinced that the TV needs to be that big. When speaking to one of the engineers on site, he explained that the reverse herringbone layout makes it harder to make a big screen work when compared to the boxed seats such as Q-suites or The Room.

2. The storage compartment. It is not big enough for a 13-inch MacBook. I am unsure what can be stored, maybe a magazine? This is an obvious downgrade.

3. The headrest. It is now non-adjustable. Another downgrade IMO.

4. The footwell is small. This has been widely discussed already.


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Market news shares that Vivian Lo will be promoted to Director Customer Lifestyle w.e.f. 1 April. While Vivian undoubtedly has very good taste and created a refreshed ambience for Aria, let's hope that her successor is of larger build so that the next generation J seat would be more accomodating to tall people.

What on earth is Director Customer Lifestyle....

Seems to be in charge of loyalty, Asia miles and other ancillary business (e.g. Cathay Shop)