On Monday, Hong Kong’s de facto flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, quietly released a video on their social channels promoting their new cabin products. While there was no related press release, and no dedicated images, here’s a run down on what the video shared - and what it didn’t.

New ‘Aria Suite’ Business Class

Sliding doors, made popular by Qatar Airways’ QSuite and followed by a slew of others, are finally making their way to Cathay Pacific. While I don’t think they’re as great as many make out since people over 4ft can see over most, they can improve a sense of privacy - and soften noise from the cabin.

The airline will also introduce improved connectivity and entertainment systems onboard, which should flow across to other cabin classes. While the upgrade to a 4K monitor will be welcomed, let’s see if there is sufficient content to match as many airlines are still deploying SD-only content. The revamped entertainment system is already available on some Cathay Pacific aircraft and seems to be more intuitive - even if the previous version was already decent. Wireless charging will also be available.

The seat will come in a modern design that will not use the signature colour scheme of the airline. It appears to be in a reverse herringbone layout, i.e. the seat is angled towards the window, and is in a 1-2-1 layout - neither of which will come as a surprise.

And of course the toilets have received a minor refresh - although there’s not going to be tonnes of changes they could make here.

Premium Economy enhanced

While most outlets have focussed on the Business cabin, the airline also teased their new Premium Economy seat - which appears to be the same seating type that Lufthansa Group is using.

The promotional video focusses heavily on the improved privacy from the single winged headrest that juts out. That appears to be more of a gimmick to me and I suspect it won’t provide much privacy to passengers.

Recline appears to be both excellent and awful at the same time. If you’re in the front row (bulkhead), the recline will provide a good experience but if you’re sat behind it seems to be way too intrusive to personal space. While I get this is the trade off in Premium Economy, in recline mode it doesn’t feel like this will make the experience much better. This compares to some seats, such as those on China Airlines, which recline into a shell to reduce impact on the passengers behind you.

A smaller IFE display will be deployed but with the same system design and 4K resolution.

Minor changes in Economy

Economy is very stagnant and there’s very little airlines can do to innovate in terms of the hard product. Cathay Pacific seem to be making minor changes, such as an altered seat cover design and slightly more premium headrest.

While not detailed, the inflight entertainment system will be updated to match those in Premium Economy and Business. They do not state the resolution but some airlines are deploying smaller displays in Economy with 4K quality. There’s very little benefit, but there must be a reason for them to do so. Bluetooth connectivity is also made available and I assume this goes for the other classes too (although that’s not a given, e.g. Etihad have Bluetooth connectivity on some 787s in Economy but not Business).

When will the new cabins arrive?

The video only states it is ‘Taking Flight This Year’.

As the video is clearly aimed at the general public, we don’t know any details about:

• Which aircraft will receive the new cabins?

• Will all of the current long haul fleet be refurbished? Or will it only come to Boeing 777-300ERs?

• What is the timeline for the aircraft refurbishment programme?

• Which routes will the refurbished aircraft be placed on?

I’m sure this will be tackled in time but the video does create more questions than answers, one of which being…

First Class is not mentioned

While the airline has been rumoured to develop a new First Class called Halo Suites, more here on One Mile At A Time, this will only come on future delivered 777-9 aircraft. It is not clear whether the the refurbished aircraft will feature the new Halo Suite, keep the current Suite design (which are great but will appear dated to the rest of the plane) or banish the design altogether. Let’s see what happens here…

What do you think of Cathay Pacific’s new cabin designs? Let us know in the comments.

View the whole video here: