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Cathay Pacific is known for quality in-flight service, particularly in business class. In fact, the Hong Kong-based airline was ranked among the best in the world by readers of Condé Nast Traveler. The airline certainly has its fans, who are drawn to comfy seats, top-notch lounges (think noodle bars and quiet relaxation spaces), and onboard dining from some of Hong Kong’s best Michelin-starred restaurants.
All that goodness comes at a price, of course. But there are several options for booking Cathay Pacific business class at a good fare or by redeeming miles for an award ticket or upgrade.
What to know about flying Cathay Pacific business class
Cathay Pacific offers business class on all flights departing its Hong Kong hub. On shorter routes on all A321 aircraft, select Airbus A330 and Boeing 777-300 aircraft, Cathay offers Regional business class, with seats that are comfortable but not lie-flat. On all intercontinental routes, business class seats on Cathay Pacific are lie-flat, with dining service on demand, access to Cathay Pacific lounges, and onboard amenities including Bamford body care products, plush linens, and free WiFi.
Cathay Pacific is introducing the new Aria Suite on Boeing 777-300ER routes (it won’t be installed on the Airbus A350 or A330), with more spacious lie-flat beds, a larger entertainment screen, and extensive in-seat personalization controls. That’s not to say that the airline’s standard long-haul business class seats aren’t comfortable–they are, but without the added niceties of a privacy door.
The best routes to fly in business class on Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is a great choice for flights to and from their primary hub in Hong Kong. Cathay serves Hong Kong nonstop from several North American gateways, including:
Seattle/Tacoma (starting March 30, 2026)
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Vancouver
Toronto
Chicago (O’Hare)
Dallas-Ft. Worth
Boston
New York - JFK
Flying Cathay is an ideal choice for Hong Kong-bound travelers, but the airline also has good connections throughout Mainland China, Southeast Asia, and India.
What to expect when flying Cathay Pacific business class
Expect good quality airport lounges, plush accommodations and memorable dining onboard Cathay Pacific business class, all tied together by attentive, gracious service that highlights the East-meets-West heritage of its Hong Kong home.
Check-in and security clearance
In accordance with the standards of the Oneworld alliance, of which Cathay is a member, business class passengers are offered dedicated check-in desks and priority security lanes.
Luggage allowance
Between the U.S. and Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific business class passengers can check two bags up to 70 pounds each. This is an improvement over economy class, which allows one or two bags up to 50 pounds each, depending on the fare type purchased.
Lounge access
In North America, Cathay Pacific operates their own lounges in Vancouver (YYZ) and San Francisco (SFO). Cathay contracts lounge access in other cities, notably the Oneworld Business Lounge in Los Angeles (LAX), American Airlines Flagship Lounge in Dallas (DFW), and the Greenwich Lounge at New York-JFK.
In Hong Kong, Cathay operates three lounges for business class passengers: The Pier, The Wing, and The Bridge. Each of these lounges offers Cathay’s famous Noodle Bar, serving a variety of noodles with traditional condiments and other Chinese classics; a coffee bar; a cocktail bar; plus a variety of relaxation spaces. The Pier has additional amenities, including a tea bar and shower suites.
Seats
Business class seats on Cathay’s long-haul flights are pretty standard, aside from the new Aria Suite being progressively rolled out only on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
The standard seat is the Safran Cirrus III seat in a reverse-herringbone configuration. It’s a lie-flat seat with an 18” HD touch screen display. There’s no closing door, but the suites feel pretty private and spacious for long flights. Like many lie-flat seats, the mechanism doesn’t always work particularly well when adjusting from lie-flat back to upright. It’s sometimes easier to adjust your weight forward or stand up to adjust the seat for best results.
Aria Suites have a bed that is three inches longer than the standard business class seat, at 78” (or 6’6”). The seat is also nearly an inch wider and has a closing privacy door. There’s also a 24” HD touch screen display – a bit bigger than on the standard business class seat.
Food and drink
Cathay Pacific has partnered with some of Hong Kong’s best restaurants for their onboard menus on flights departing Hong Kong. Recent flights had an Iberico pork pluma with jus from the Michelin-starred French restaurant Louise, or sautéed chicken with Sichuan pepper from Duddell’s. There are five entree choices on long-haul menus, in addition to entrees that can be pre-ordered from ten days up to 24 hours prior to departure.
Cathay’s long-haul onboard menus feature a mix of Cantonese and Western cuisine. On long-haul flights, the main lunch or dinner service includes a starter, mains, cheese, and dessert, followed by “All Day” dining with a selection of on-demand dishes like noodle soup, Cathay’s popular beef burger or Hong Kong egg tart.
For breakfast, Cathay offers four different set plates: Wellness, Lighter, Chinese, Western, or an express breakfast of just pastries and coffee.
Another passenger favorite is Cathay’s signature Cathay Delight mocktail, made with kiwi juice, milk, coconut milk, and fresh mint. For alcohol drinkers, there’s the Cloud Nine signature cocktail, a mix of vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice, and Sprite with fresh mint.
Service, amenities, and in-flight entertainment
Onboard service is both gracious and efficient. Flight attendants take orders on tablets, noting preferences (is it milk and sugar with that coffee?), then hand-deliver them from the galley instead of on carts.
Amenity kits and bedding are from Bamford. Amenity kits consist of a leather pouch in four different colors and include the standard selection of hygiene amenities and sample-size skincare products. Bedding includes a comfy mattress pad, a 400-thread-count cotton duvet comforter, and a large fluffy pillow.
The in-flight entertainment selection is extensive, and it takes a while to scroll through. Major U.S. channels like HBO Max and Disney+ provide content, and there’s an extensive selection of global films with titles ranging from American and Latin hits to European cinema, Bollywood, and a large selection of Chinese films. Cathay’s in-flight entertainment has also won awards, including the German Design Award in 2025 and the Red Dot Design Award in 2024.
How much it costs to fly Cathay Pacific business class
Cathay Pacific’s business class is one of the higher-priced transpacific business class products,particularly for travelers bound for Hong Kong and not connecting onward.
Round trips from North America start att over $5,000, and award availability in business class can be pretty tight if you’re not redeeming Asia Miles, Cathay’s own mileage currency. That said, there are plenty of options for upgrades or award travel on Cathay business class.
When paying in cash
Cathay Pacific’s business class doesn’t come cheap. A round-trip fare from most North American gateways to Hong Kong starts around $5,300 for mid-week, off-season dates.
When paying via points in a credit card portal
Chase Bank, Citi, Capital One, and American Express have their own travel portals, where travelers can book using the bank’s points currency instead of transferring them to an airline program.
These programs generally offer a value of 1 to 1.5 cents per point, making them a less-than-ideal value for redemption. But redeeming points this way can be worth it in some circumstances.
These portals work best when you have a lot of points to spend, are looking at flights that don’t have award space in the airline’s program, or if you need to book quickly and can’t depend on the points to transfer in time (although many programs are getting much quicker with transfers). At 1-1.5 cents per point, you can expect to spend at least 353,333 points for a round-trip flight in Cathay Pacific business class.
When booking using Asia Miles
Round-trip awards across the Pacific start at 176,000 Asia Miles, depending on your travel dates. Cathay Pacific uses dynamic pricing, so the number of Asia Miles varies depending on seat availability on individual flights. You can determine the number of miles needed by using the award flight tool.
When booking via partner airlines
Cathay Pacific business class flights can also be booked by redeeming points from a Oneworld alliance partner, such as American Airlines AAdvantage or Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, but seat availability in business class tends to be much more limited than for economy. To find the best partner program redemptions, be sure to check point.me for the best options.
How much it costs to upgrade to business class on Cathay Pacific
It’s possible to upgrade to Cathay Pacific business class after booking, but generally only with points or an upgrade bid. Otherwise, you’ll pay the regular business class fare. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for upgrading after booking.
When paying in cash after booking
After booking, upgrades are only confirmable by exchanging the ticket to the applicable business class fare and paying the fare difference, unless you bid for an upgrade. Bids are accepted to move one cabin class higher, meaning you must be booked in premium economy in order to bid for business class.
When upgrading using Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific has a set award chart for upgrading to business class using Asia Miles after booking. Redemptions on long-haul flights start at 59,000 Asia Miles each way for awards from economy to business, and 42,000 Asia Miles each way for premium economy to business class. Upgrade awards are subject to availability.
How to save on Cathay Pacific business class tickets
Cathay Pacific rarely advertises business-class fare sales, but signing up for their e-mail updates is a good way to ensure first notification in the event they happen. A good way to save is to bid for an upgrade, redeem points for an award ticket, or upgrade using miles after booking. Keep in mind that points bookings and upgrades are always subject to availability.
How to book Cathay Pacific business class with points
Cathay Pacific business class can be booked with points through a credit card portal, with Asia Miles (Cathay’s own rewards currency), by transferring miles to your Cathay account, or by booking through a Oneworld partner.
How to book Cathay Pacific business class using your credit card portal
Cathay Pacific business class seats can be booked using credit card points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards. Points are generally worth 1-1.5 cents each when booked through the portal, which isn’t the best redemption value.
There can be value in booking this way if you have a ton of points and your preferred travel dates are blacked out, which isn’t an issue when redeeming points for a booking this way. Redemption rates are tied directly to the fare cost, so there are no availability restrictions — if there’s a seat for sale, it can be booked. But bear in mind, this will cost more points and miles.
Which credit card points transfer to Asia Miles?
The following credit card and rental payment points currencies transfer to Cathay Pacific Cathay’s Asia Miles currency at a 1:1 ratio:
American Express Membership Rewards
How to book Cathay Pacific business class using Asia Miles
To redeem Asia Miles for a Cathay Pacific business class award, click on the Redeem Flights tab on the Flights booking page.
Be sure to select business class for the search. Continue with the booking process as normal after searching and selecting flights.
What other loyalty programs can you use to book Cathay Pacific business class?
Cathay Pacific business class can also be booked with points from Oneworld alliance member airlines, including:
Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards
American Airlines AAdvantage
Finnair Plus
Club Iberia Plus
JAL Mileage Bank
Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
Royal Jordanian Royal Club
SriLankan Airlines FlySmiLes
How to book Cathay Pacific business class using points from a partner airline
It’s posible to book Cathay Pacific business class using points from a partner airline–in theory. Cathay Pacific is not known for being generous with releasing business-class inventory to partners for award redemptions. To check availability, search as you normally would with your preferred airline.
Tips for finding business class award availability on Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific releases award space up to 360 days before departure. It’s worth checking back frequently if the flights and dates you prefer aren’t available, as space may be released periodically. We’ve also seen that availability may be more favorable when booking with an airline program that uses Avios as its currency, such as British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair, or Iberia.
Cathay Pacific business class vs first class
Cathay Pacific’s first class is offered in addition to business class on select long-haul flights and offers the most private accommodations. The quality of everything is bumped up in first class–higher thread-count linens, more exclusive lounges, and onboard dining with more choice and premium dishes like caviar served alongside Krug Champagne. In Hong Kong, Cathay partners with Chinese restaurant Mott 32 for its first class lounge, The Pier.
Should you book Cathay Pacific business class?
Cathay Pacific is well-known for its business class, with devotees loving its scrumptious Michelin-starred cuisine with plenty of personalization options, comfy seats with fluffy Bamford mattress pads and comforters, and gracious service both onboard and on the ground. Cathay Pacific’s business class is one of the most comfortable ways to cross the Pacific, and travelers should find their journeys comfortable and relaxing.
