This is a video of me taking a Cathay Pacific First Class flight from London to Hong Kong, on my way to Penang for my holiday. I originally bought a discounted Business Class open jaw ticket for a little over £2000 and spent 50000 Asia Miles to upgrade this flight to First Class. London Heathrow Airport provides a fast track for Business Class passengers and above to clear security, so it took me less than 5 minutes to go airside. I immediately headed to the First Class Lounge which was surprisingly crowded. There is a restaurant inside the lounge, but I decided not to order anything because I had to save space in my stomach for all the nice food they were about to serve me on the plane. I had some chicken wings, smoked salmon and a glass of Baileys. Cathay continued to use Gate 31 for this flight – Maybe since they finally recorded a profit after quite some time, they could finally afford to use a closer gate.

I occupied seat, or I should say suite, 2A, for this flight. I sat down and sipped a glass of 2004 Krug champagne. A member of the crew gave me a set of pajamas for the flight – they were dark green in colour to match the colour of Cathay, came with a pair of matching sandals and a HK$500 gift card to use in Pye fashion stores throughout Hong Kong. As the plane taxied for take off, I took the time to read the menu. Another drink was served with nuts shortly after take off.

Dinner came soon after. There was just so much to eat! I started with the Italian caviar, followed by a white zucchini soup. Afterwards, there was a prawn and avocado salad. For the main course, I picked the lamb rack which was fresh from the oven. Overall, the quality is on par with a mid to high class restaurant. For dessert, I picked a local favourite, the red bean soup, which tasted as you would expect from the typical Chinese restaurant or dessert shop. Boy, I never expected to eat a 5 course meal on the plane and was literally stuffed.

I watched a film after my meal before getting ready to sleep. I asked a crew member to make my bed, which was slightly wider than the one found in Business Class. Thanks to all the alcohol I have drunk, I slept very well, but woke up severely dehydrated. I did not have any midnight snacks, but drank a cup of Hong Kong Style Milk Tea served with a biscuit.

Breakfast was served while the cabin was still dark. I started with a mango smoothie, followed by some fresh fruit, toast and a small tub of natural yogurt. The main course, cod congee with turnip cake, however, was too much for me and I could not finish it. I guess my stomach has its limits! One last cup of Hong Kong Style Milk Tea before I land would be enough.

As the plane descended for Hong Kong, I started to plan my flight connection. I would enter the terminal through Gate 65 and the flight to Penang would use Gate 27 located a short distance down the hallway. Therefore I would be able to use the Bridge Lounge in the middle shortly after clearing security. The plane approached the airport from the northeast, giving me a clear view of the border checkpoint for the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge. This flight was a bit delayed, so by the time I got off the plane, I had just over an hour to change flights.

In conclusion, First Class is good as an occasionally indulgence. The food and space is excellent but could also be excessive. Hence it is never worth paying for First Class entirely with cash! I will advise looking out for Business Class sales, buy a (relatively) cheap ticket and use your miles to upgrade when you feel like treating yourself.y

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