Last edit by: Eagle2000
This thread is for specific A350 discussion.
For discussion regarding the A350-1000 please discuss here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cathay-pacific-marco-polo-club/1909549-a350-1000-general-discussion.html
Seating Guide
A350 Seating Guide
Routes to be serviced by A350:
Cathay Pacific full fleet and route guide (search for 35G for A350): Cathay Pacific Fleet, Route and Configuration Guide
Useful thread: New route speculation for Cathay
Already operating or confirmed (date of commencement)
Amsterdam
Auckland
Barcelona
Brisbane
Brussels
Capetown
Christchurch
Dublin
Frankfurt (March 31, 2019)
London Gatwick
Madrid
Manchester
Melbourne
Newark
Paris
Perth
Rome
San Francisco
Seattle (March 31, 2019)
Toronto (Su,W,F Oct 31 2019)
Tel Aviv
Vancouver
Washington DC
Zurich (March 31, 2019)
Existing routes, speculated future equipment change to A350
Chicago
Milan
Los Angeles
Speculated future routes
For discussion regarding the A350-1000 please discuss here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cathay-pacific-marco-polo-club/1909549-a350-1000-general-discussion.html
Seating Guide
A350 Seating Guide
Routes to be serviced by A350:
Cathay Pacific full fleet and route guide (search for 35G for A350): Cathay Pacific Fleet, Route and Configuration Guide
Useful thread: New route speculation for Cathay
Already operating or confirmed (date of commencement)
Amsterdam
Auckland
Barcelona
Brisbane
Brussels
Capetown
Christchurch
Dublin
Frankfurt (March 31, 2019)
London Gatwick
Madrid
Manchester
Melbourne
Newark
Paris
Perth
Rome
San Francisco
Seattle (March 31, 2019)
Toronto (Su,W,F Oct 31 2019)
Tel Aviv
Vancouver
Washington DC
Zurich (March 31, 2019)
Existing routes, speculated future equipment change to A350
Chicago
Milan
Los Angeles
Speculated future routes
A350 general discussion
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 284
A350 general discussion
As I would like to take the inaugural A350 CX flight, does any one know whether the HKG-LGW route on 2-SEP would be the first ever long haul a350 flight by CX? I just afraid that CX may use a350 for existing long haul routes prior to that date.
thanks.
thanks.
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
2.) The first long-haul route is scheduled to be AKL, not LGW. Tentatively in May. Given the delivery schedule, it seems possible LGW won't even be the 2nd long-haul destination....it's possible an existing longhaul destination swaps from 77W or gets an additional frequency using A350 between the AKL launch and September's LGW launch. Although regardless, I don't think the first A350 long-haul flight will be treated as an "inaugural" flight. CX has already telegraphed its first commercial A350 flights will be regional.
3.) Both Airbus and Rolls have been alluding to potential delays to CX's first aircraft lately, due to a business class seat issue. Deliveries were scheduled to start Feb but Airbus recently implied the initial date could slip to March or later.
#3
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,347
There seems to be some delays with Cathay Pacific A350.
Since I was on the first commercial Boeing 777-300ER flight many years ago (HKG to ICN), I just want to warn you that CX does not really do much for these inaugural flight events. They might make an exception since it is a completely new aircraft type, but don't expect much. About the inaugural dates, it will come last minute. Join the hkadb (Hong Kong Aviation Discussion Board) facebook group page, you might get more accurate and up to date information there.
If I am going to do an A350 inaugural flight, Singapore Airlines might be the better choice. SQ treats these inaugural flights as a high profile PR event. While CX might do an event, it might be limited to a press con and media. IF you want to stay with CX, you might have a better inaugural experience if you fly inaugural London Gatwick to Hong Kong flight. I know Gatwick airport has been trying to get more major full service airlines to return, so even if CX does not care much about it, Gatwick airport might makes it a bigger PR event.
Carfield
Since I was on the first commercial Boeing 777-300ER flight many years ago (HKG to ICN), I just want to warn you that CX does not really do much for these inaugural flight events. They might make an exception since it is a completely new aircraft type, but don't expect much. About the inaugural dates, it will come last minute. Join the hkadb (Hong Kong Aviation Discussion Board) facebook group page, you might get more accurate and up to date information there.
If I am going to do an A350 inaugural flight, Singapore Airlines might be the better choice. SQ treats these inaugural flights as a high profile PR event. While CX might do an event, it might be limited to a press con and media. IF you want to stay with CX, you might have a better inaugural experience if you fly inaugural London Gatwick to Hong Kong flight. I know Gatwick airport has been trying to get more major full service airlines to return, so even if CX does not care much about it, Gatwick airport might makes it a bigger PR event.
Carfield
#4
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: HKG
Programs: AA 3MM EXP, SQ Solitaire, LH SEN, CX DM, Hyatt CC, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 3,179
Carfield is right... done a number of inaugurals on CX before.. New destinations, new planes, new hard products, etc.. none of them usually have much happening on them.. the pilot or ISM might say something about it over the intercom, and a few times I've gotten a small souvenir... but it's nothing special really and there's really nothing special with the flight itself... Unless you really want to be the first to be on it for your own reasons, don't expect too much...
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 284
Thanks all for your replies. Judging by your comments it isn't a good idea to secure a seat now just to be the first to fly.
I enjoy flying so to me it's something good for my memories. Now on second though it might not be so as even CX doesn't treat it so.
Thanks!
I enjoy flying so to me it's something good for my memories. Now on second though it might not be so as even CX doesn't treat it so.
Thanks!
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
Thankfully CX has chosen a 3-3-3 configuration in economy. Hopefully this means they won't go to 3-4-3 for the 777:
http://www.ausbt.com.au/inside-catha...ew-airbus-a350
http://www.ausbt.com.au/inside-catha...ew-airbus-a350
#8
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Some hole
Posts: 2,783
Thankfully CX has chosen a 3-3-3 configuration in economy. Hopefully this means they won't go to 3-4-3 for the 777:
http://www.ausbt.com.au/inside-catha...ew-airbus-a350
http://www.ausbt.com.au/inside-catha...ew-airbus-a350
As for 3-4-3 on the 777, it wouldn't surprise me if they do go that way. 3-4-3 will be standard on the 777X.
Last edited by maortega15; Jan 5, 2016 at 8:50 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: JFK 🇺🇸 (mostly); YVR 🇨🇦 (a bit less); HKG 🇭🇰 (even less)
Programs: Marco Polo GR 😂😂; HHonors Gold; Ritz Carlton Gold
Posts: 494
Rumoured Seats on the A350??
The new seats to be installed on the A350?
http://bbs.feeyo.com/posts/574/topic...2.html#5740585
The finishes on PEY certainly look much improved and there seems to be more room for your knees in J.
http://bbs.feeyo.com/posts/574/topic...2.html#5740585
The finishes on PEY certainly look much improved and there seems to be more room for your knees in J.
#10
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,421
The new seats to be installed on the A350?
http://bbs.feeyo.com/posts/574/topic...2.html#5740585
The finishes on PEY certainly look much improved and there seems to be more room for your knees in J.
http://bbs.feeyo.com/posts/574/topic...2.html#5740585
The finishes on PEY certainly look much improved and there seems to be more room for your knees in J.
the little pocket near the TV for electronics is gone...
and the colours are hideous
no shoe locker anymore
and otherwise not much change for J , not really a change at all...
I thought with the new Pier etc the current management was better...
bring back Alan Joyce
#11
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: JFK 🇺🇸 (mostly); YVR 🇨🇦 (a bit less); HKG 🇭🇰 (even less)
Programs: Marco Polo GR 😂😂; HHonors Gold; Ritz Carlton Gold
Posts: 494
Is there now under ottoman storage like on first?
Also gone is the flip open door which is now replaced by a sliding door on J...does that mean no more mirror? The flip open screen also acted as a privacy screen when travelling alone in the middle seats
They also need to fix the folding mechanism on the tray tables...the current ones open more than flat, like an inverted v-shape so trays and computers always wobble
Last edited by hl176; Jan 9, 2016 at 6:22 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 904
I wonder if the seats in those photos really are CX's new cabin products. The Y and Y+ seats certainly don't look "very CX" at all. But if those seats are in fact CX's new generation of cabin products, I must say that those Y seats do look like a downgrade from the current one. I hope it's just my illusion, but the width of those Y seats also look narrower than the current seat too. We will know for sure once the official dimensions are released. If the new Y seats are indeed narrower than the current one, I think our speculation of the 77W economy config going to a 3-4-3 layout is answered. I don't know why the cushion structure has been significantly simplified, the cushioning on the current Y seat is great! My first impression when I initially saw the photos was that the seats really looked like those "concept economy class seats" we see in magazine articles. The new Y seat also looks no where as appealing as the current one. It's also shocking to see the storage shelf for loose items below the PTV being replaced by a flimsy plastic tray that folds out.
J thankfully has marginal changes only, when I first heard that CX would roll out yet another J seat design, I was finding it hard to understand why they would want to change the current design given the positive flak it has gained ever since its launch.
J thankfully has marginal changes only, when I first heard that CX would roll out yet another J seat design, I was finding it hard to understand why they would want to change the current design given the positive flak it has gained ever since its launch.
Last edited by GE90-115B; Jan 9, 2016 at 6:31 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Silver (OWS)
Posts: 654
I have updated the wiki with a better seat map. This one suggests that there is indeed a mini cabin at the back of J similar to the 77G. It also shows which seats are reserved for elites (the ones with "P").
(The blue 'X' seats are blocked, presumably because those are the bassinets)
(The blue 'X' seats are blocked, presumably because those are the bassinets)