No false notes marred the teams' recital Cathay Pacific and their new star on 4 February, at the London launch of business class Aria Suite. This will even have made its debut on the European stage in the most tasteful of settings, the majestic - and completely renovated - setting of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in the heart of London. London. After all, it is the British capital that is claiming the status of the first long-haul destination to benefit from this new business class, launched in Januaryon board Boeing 777-300ER of the airline. This is a legitimate and logical choice for Cathay's biggest market in the region, with no fewer than 5 daily flights between the two cities. London and Hong Kong and whose 3rd departure (flight CX250 at 5.50pm) will therefore sing this new tune. As will the return flight (CX255) scheduled for 23:35, arriving in the UK more rested than ever. As for the France, Paris is well on Cathay's roadmap. But we'll probably have to wait until after 2025 to board the Aria Suite from Paris-CDG.. In the meantime, the airline hopes to return to Terminal 2 of the Paris airport, where its modernised lounge will welcome business travellers in a few months' time - before the end of the year, Cathay hopes. And perhaps even increase the density of its programme on the Paris-Hong KongThis will bring the number of weekly flights back up to the ten (or even dozen) that used to link the two business destinations via night flights before Covid.
at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
" The Aria refers to a musical aria which is an elaborate melodic performance sung by a single voice. In our case, the star of the show, surrounded by the orchestra, is the customer, in his or her Aria Suite. Every detail has been designed with the customer in mind, and our aesthetic is what we call quiet luxury. ". This is how Brian Tsoi presented Cathay Pacific's new business trump card to the international press on Tuesday.
The company's Regional General Manager for Europe has already received rave reviews from passengers: " Customers have told me that every time they visit the Aria Suitethey discover something new! The detail of the design is exactly what they need, when they need it. ". It has to be said that, despite the lavish launch celebrated this week in London, the new star of Cathay is not on her first singing tour. She has had time to get her bearings on the airline's regional network since its launch in the autumn. More precisely on 18 October, on the Hong Kong-Beijing route. That's just a few weeks after the arrival of the brand new Premium Economy of Cathay Pacific, which also gave a simultaneous a facelift for its economy class (268 seats). The 30 Boeing 777-300ER s fleet will be gradually upgraded, at a rate of around one aircraft a month. Cathay can therefore look to the future with confidence and ambition, after the health turbulence and policies which had severely affected the Hong Kong carrier and the destination as a whole in the not too distant past.
"Please mind the gap
So what does this mean in practical terms? Aria Suite making its debut in the skies over London? And quid its innovative aspect in the history of the Cathay Pacific ? " Please mind the gap "between the passenger and the rest of the aircraft. For its most striking feature is undoubtedly this sliding door which guarantees business travellers the privacy they always appreciate on a long-haul flight. Whether working on a strategic contract, or recharging the batteries before negotiating it in situ... An intimacy that will be reinforced once the "do not disturb"This is indicated discreetly - but effectively - by the colour of the seat number. Visit 45 business class seat-beds (2.02 m unfolded) are arranged in a configuration 1-2-1In addition, customers in the centre seats can raise the suite's movable partition for greater privacy, or lower it if they are travelling as a duo. Note that the new Premium Economy launched last year by Cathay, also played the intimacy card, albeit on a smaller scale. Visit 48 seats in this Premium are equipped withside wings on each side of the headrestThis is complemented by a partition in the armrests between the centre seats, which defines the personal space of each passenger.
A matter of detail
More intimate than ever for CathayThe new headquarters also offers travellers a window on the world, with a vast 24-inch ultra-high-definition 4k screen (compared with 15.6 inches in Premium Economy), a record format for the airline. In addition to the "classic" catalogue of multimedia content - and Bluetooth connectivity, which is becoming the norm in IFEs - it offers practical functions, such as locating toilets by indicating their availability. The Aria Suite also plays the customisation card, offering an 'à la carte' ambience. This applies both to the lighting, which passengers can adapt to their own taste, and to the seat position, with several predefined modes. All of this is complemented by a meticulous design, such as the marble-effect side console, the top-of-the-range leather upholstery on the headrest and ottoman, and the all-in-one design that guarantees a seamless bed surface. The devil is in the detail, they say. Cathay has made a deal with a genius...
