Cathay Pacific has unveiled its new Aria business class seat, part of the airline’s new-look 777-300ER long-haul offering.
The new-look 777-300ER interior features a whole new cabin experience in Business, Premium Economy and Economy
The airline’s retrofitted 777-300ER has debuted on its Hong Kong-Beijing and will be progressively deployed on other regional and long-haul routes.
In the highly anticipated Aria Suite, Cathay Pacific has placed customer experience at the heart of the design and conception of its new Business class. Artistry and craftsmanship have gone into every detail to create a holistic and immersive experience where comfort, privacy and a sense of personal space are completely reimagined for customers. The result is an inflight journey that is intuitive and effortless.
The retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER is configured in a three-class layout with a total of 361 seats, comprising 45 flat-bed Business, 48 Premium Economy, and 268 Economy seats.
The customer experience is at the heart of the design and conception of the all-new Aria Suite. In addition to retaining some of customers’ favourite features of Cathay Pacific’s existing Business class seats — such as the reverse herringbone arrangement, a generous bed and ample storage — Aria Suite features a range of innovations and enhancements to take the Business class experience to the next level.
Aria Suite features an enhanced level of privacy with the addition of a suite door that creates a unique space designed for the customer and uniquely adapted to enhance the immersive suite experience. In addition, centre-seat customers have the option to deploy the movable partition between seats. Cathay Pacific has paid extra attention to creating a personal in-suite space that instils an air of relaxation from the moment customers step inside. Customers can customise the ambience of their suite through the various lighting options at the touch of a button or let CX set the mood for passengers with the airline’s activity-based pre-sets.
Aria Suite also builds on Cathay Pacific’s award-winning inflight entertainment experience by providing customers with a 24-inch 4K ultra-high-definition screen — the largest ever offered by the airline. Customers may pair their Bluetooth-enabled headphones to enjoy an even more personalised entertainment experience.
Aria Suite also caters to the evolving digital needs of customers, who will delight in finding that the marble-style surface side console has a built-in wireless charger while USB-A, USB-C, and AC power outlets are also available.
Cathay Pacific has listened to the needs of customers to have a place for everything and has created a unique space for customers to stow their belongings safely and securely with added surprises that are sure to delight. The console offers a slide-away drawer to reveal a compartment perfect for their passport, glasses, watch and wallet.
In addition to creating a space for relaxation, Cathay Pacific has paid close attention to the trims and finish of the suite. Its soft-touch suede walls, natural wool seat fabric, and gold-accented touchpoints all come together to create a calming sensory experience. The main body of the seat is made of wool designed for comfort and breathability, with an all-in-one design to ensure a seamless bed surface. The headrest is soft and made from premium leather, as is the ottoman that extends the length of the bed. All these come together to ensure customers enjoy a truly restful experience surrounded by comfort.
The seat features a multi-tier design that comprises the side cabinet, sliding drawer, and side stowage sections. The side cabinet, which sits on the upper console, includes a bespoke headphone hook, a dedicated tray for water bottle stowage, and a large personal mirror enclosed in the door. Located in the lower console section, the sliding drawer allows customers to easily access the ample stowage with a push-to-present button. The console offers optimal protection for valuables such as passports, watches, wallets and glasses. An internal light illuminates the space, making it easy to view the contents.
The side stowage is thoughtfully designed to provide additional storage for customers while extending the bed surface area. The lid is covered in premium leather for added comfort. Customers can easily lift the latch to access the stowage inside, which accommodates small items like shoes and handbags, and features an internal light for added visibility.
The suite also includes a large meal table which customers can pull down or towards themselves using the handle conveniently located under the monitor. It features a bi-fold design and a dark wood grain, complete with a personal electronic device (PED) holder at the front for added convenience.
The new Touch Screen Passenger Control Unit (TSPCU) allows passengers to control the settings of the signature Cathay lamp and its three built-in directional light modes — meal, reading, and console — and select different pre-set seating positions including Taxi, Take-off and Landing (TTL), Lounge, and Bed with a single touch. Secondary buttons are easily accessible to customers looking to change the seat’s position while lying down.
The refit of the 777-300ER aircraft also sees a new Premium Economy, complete with a leather headrest with customisable wings, customised seat cushions and leather-padded footrest. Between the centre-most seats, an arm-level divider helps to create a defined personal space while high-quality inflight entertainment via a 15.6-inch 4K ultra-high-definition screen with Bluetooth screening, ensures customers can enjoy Cathay Pacific’s award-winning inflight entertainment experience in incredible quality.
At each seat, customers also have space to store their amenities as well as a bottle holder located in front of them and a touch-sensitive side-storage light makes looking for personal items in the storage compartment even easier.
The Premium Economy cabin also has two dedicated lavatories, each featuring a touchless flush, a foot-activated waste bin, an infrared-activated faucet and three-stage lighting to minimise disturbance to the cabin.
“At Cathay, we believe in moving people forward in life,” says Cathay Group Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau. “This purpose goes beyond simply flying customers to their destinations; we are deeply woven into Hong Kong’s identity as a global aviation hub. To solidify our role in both the industry and the community, we’ve committed a significant investment of over HK$100 billion over the next seven years into our fleet, cabin products, lounges, and digital and sustainability leadership, reflecting our confidence in Hong Kong’s long-term growth and its position as a key player in global aviation.”
“As part of this evolution, we are excited to introduce new seat products over the next three years, each designed to elevate the inflight experience for our customers,” says Lau. “First, we are launching our all-new Business and Premium Economy cabins, and a refreshed Economy cabin on our retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER. These will be followed by a new world-leading First class experience onboard our 777-9s, and a brand-new flat-bed Business class product on our Airbus A330s. Through our investments in cutting-edge aircraft, innovative technology and groundbreaking facilities, we are dedicated to moving beyond expectations – in the air, on the ground and in every experience we create.”
For more Airline & Airport stories click here.
STAY IN THE KNOW BY FOLLOWING US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, & LINKEDIN