Cathay Pacific's $19 billion upgrade includes new premium economy and business-class seats. I got a sneak peek — take a look.
I tested out Cathay Pacific's business-class Aria Suite.
I tested out Cathay Pacific's business-class Aria Suite.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

  • Cathay Pacific is rolling out new premium economy and business-class seats on Boeing 777-300ERs.
  • The new premium-economy seats feature a winged, cushioned headrest and a footrest.
  • Cathay's business-class Aria Suite comes with storage bins, lie-flat seats, and an art gallery.

As Cathay Pacific marks its 80th anniversary, the airline is investing $19 billion into upgrading its fleet, cabins, lounges, and digital products.

This includes new-and-improved premium economy and business-class seats, available on select routes aboard its fleet of retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs.

Cathay Pacific's upgraded offerings arrive as airlines increasingly pursue passengers willing to spend more for extra comfort and amenities.

Across the industry, carriers are investing in larger premium-economy sections, lie-flat suites, upgraded dining, and lounge access as high-end fares bring in outsize revenue compared to standard economy seats. Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, for example, recently unveiled new premium-economy cabins and upgraded business-class suites for long-haul flights.

At an event in New York City on Thursday, I got to test out Cathay's new premium cabins for a closer look at the enhancements.

Cathay Pacific is rolling out the new premium economy and business-class seats on its Boeing 777-300ER fleet.
A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER plane prepares for landing at the Capital International airport in Beijing on October 22, 2024.
A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777.

ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images

The upgraded offerings are available Boeing 777-300ERs flights between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver, and will be available on flights between New York-JFK and Hong Kong in 2027.

The upgraded seats come with a steep price tag.

Mid-November flights from Los Angeles to Hong Kong aboard a retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER range from $1,500 to $2,900 one-way in premium economy and between $3,700 and nearly $5,000 in business class, per Cathay's website.

I started in premium economy, where a Cathay Pacific executive told me that "the entire experience is designed from the customer perspective."
Cathay Pacific's premium economy seats.
Cathay Pacific's premium economy seats.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Jason Li, Cathay Pacific's vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas, said that the airline focused on providing "enough differentiation between the premium economy and the economy seat" to make the upgrade worth the higher price.

"From the cabin seat perspective, there's more privacy with the little winglet design," Li said of the headrest, elongated on one side to block its neighbor. "The angle of reclining is also much better compared to the economy for our new premium economy class."

After I sat down, a flight attendant cheerfully popped the footrest and tilted the seat back to its reclined position for the full premium economy experience.
Testing out Cathay Pacific's premium economy seat.
Testing out Cathay Pacific's premium economy seat.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

I felt like I was sitting in an armchair, not an airplane seat.

An added bonus is the leather pillow with foldable sides cushioning the headrest, which felt comfortable enough to render a travel neck pillow obsolete.
A leather headrest with movable wings.
A headrest in Cathay Pacific's premium economy seats.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The longer side of the headrest also featured a built-in reading light.

Other amenities include Bluetooth-capable in-flight entertainment on a 15.6-inch 4K screen and numerous charging ports.
Call buttons and a remote in premium economy on Cathay Pacific.
Cathay Pacific's premium economy seats.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

In-flight WiFi is complimentary for Cathay members traveling in premium economy.

Next, I explored Cathay Pacific's business-class offering, the Aria Suite.
The Aria Suite.
The Aria Suite.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The Aria Suite, the first version of which debuted in October 2024, comes with a sliding door and divider for maximum privacy.

The seat can also recline all the way back for a lie-flat bed on long-haul flights.

The Touch Screen Passenger Control Unit, or TSPCU, allows passengers to control their lights and seating positions.
The Touch Screen Passenger Control Unit (TSPCU) in the Aria Suite.
The Touch Screen Passenger Control Unit (TSPCU).

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Travelers can choose from three light settings — reading, mode, and console — and three seating positions — taxi, takeoff, and landing (TTL), lounge, and bed.

The Aria Suite has several hidden compartments.
Hidden compartments and wireless charging in the Aria Suite.
Hidden compartments and wireless charging in the Aria Suite.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

A flight attendant told me these are useful for storing headphones or other items during bathroom breaks or walks to get blood flowing.

The Aria Suite also has a wireless charging station indicated by subtle markings in the side console's marble design.

There's also a mirror that folds out of a small cabinet that holds the in-flight entertainment remote.
A cabinet and mirror in the Aria Suite.
A cabinet and mirror in the Aria Suite.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

At 24 inches, the Aria Suite's in-flight entertainment screens are the largest ever offered on Cathay Pacific.

Aside from the upgraded seats, the Boeing 777-300ER business-class cabins include a new amenity: an in-flight art gallery.
A rendering of Cathay Pacific's Gallery in the Skies featuring a painting by Stephen Wong.
A rendering of Cathay Pacific's Gallery in the Skies featuring a painting by Stephen Wong.

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific partnered with artists who share a connection to Hong Kong to display their original works of art in a "Gallery in the Skies."

"It's something that we're very proud of in terms of product differentiation and the experience that we offer in flight, which I think is very unique and also brings us to the next level in terms of customer proposition," Li said.

Cathay’s retrofitted 777s aim to win over travelers willing to pay for more space, privacy, and elevated amenities.
In the Aria Suite.
In the Aria Suite.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

For passengers willing to pay a premium, Cathay's new seats could help make long-haul flights a luxurious experience — more than merely bearable.

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