- February 9, 2023
- Cathay Pacific 771
- Hong Kong (HKG) – Phuket (HKT)
- Departure: 0951(HKG)
- Arrival: 1216(HKT)
- Duration: 3:25
- Aircraft: Airbus A330-343
- Registration: B-LBJ
- Seat: 60H (Economy Class)
I have spent nearly 15 hours at Cathay Pacific – The Wing – First Class lounge and it was time for my next flight to Phuket, Thailand. My initial departure time was at 8:30 AM the morning, while I was in the lounge, I was notified that the flight got delayed by an hour.
This was some relief for me as I had to wait for another 10 hours in Phuket before connecting to Doha the same evening.
Cathay Pacific HKG-HKT Boarding
The boarding gate for my flight was way too far. It was gate 66 which was after the Pier lounge so I left the lounge early to get photos of the cabin before others board.
There were quite a number of Cathay Diamond or Oneworld Emerald members on this flight.
Cathay Pacific A330-300(33J) Economy Class Cabin
Earlier on my flight review from Seoul to Hong Kong, I mentioned that Cathay has five different versions of the A330-300 fleet. While I took the 33E version on the previous flight, this time, to Phuket, I was on the 33J version. With the exception of few features and layout, there are no difference on both versions.
The 33J version has more economy class by removing the mini-business class cabin with a total of 293 seats.
The aircraft I took, B-LBJ is an 8-year-old aircraft delivered back in 2015. It was temporarily stored between 2020 to the end of 2022 due to the pandemic so it was recently reactivated.
Cathay Pacific A330-300(33J) Economy Class Seats
The A330-300(33J) version has a total capacity of 293 seats: 28 flatbed business class seats and 265 in economy.
This aircraft has three sections, with a business class at the front of the plane followed by two economy class sections. The economy class seats have a wide 32 inches (81cm) pitch and 18.2 inches (46cm) of width. Seats are configured in a standard 2-4-2, 8-abreast layout.
Each seat has a great recline angle with comfortable cushions.
The general design and specifications do not differ from the initial flight but the latter has upgraded in-flight entertainment software which I will explain below. Also, the seats are much newer given that it actually flew for 5 years only.
Seat rows 7- through 75 have a seating layout of 2-3-2. Except for being at the aft section and taking time when deplaning, it feels less compact.
Each seat features a coat hanger beside the monitor and two separate storage spaces.
A foldable tray table with a cupholder both when expanded and folded is equipped on each seat.
Cathay Pacific ICN-HKG Economy Class Dining
An hour after takeoff, the cabin crew started to serve breakfast. Before reviewing the breakfast, I want to explain the bottled water offer for welcoming by the cabin manager. I really like the custom Cathay Pacific does greeting elite members with Evian bottled water.
There are two different types of breakfast offered from Hong kong to Phuket. Between omelet and congee with noodles, I chose the latter.
Both the presentation and the taste were great. The meal was great in addition to the first class lounge breakfast I had before the flight.
Cathay Pacific A330-300(33J) Economy Class In-Flight Entertainment
Now here is where the difference comes from other versions of the A330 fleet. Of course, some are being retrofitted with updated in-flight entertainment software. The older ones have somewhat buggier touchscreen interactions while the newer ones have much smoother interfaces.
Under the touchscreen monitor, there is a USB charging port and a separate universal power socket available underneath the seat.
Cathay Pacific is progressively rolling out Wi-Fi services on the Airbus A330s. And this particular aircraft also featured inflight connectivity. However, the service was unavailable during the flight. I guess the flight was too short.
Cathay Pacific A330-300(33J) Economy Class Lavatories
In the economy class, there are five lavatories and all are located between the forward and rear sections of the cabin. A lavatory suitable for passengers with reduced mobility is located at the front of the forward economy class section.
Summary
l flew Cathay Pacific A330 from Hong Kong to Phuket in economy class. There is not much of a difference compared to my flight from Seoul however, this select aircraft featured an updated entertainment system software as well as Wi-Fi service.
I am glad to fly onboard Cathay Pacific for the first time in almost four years. Cathay cut costs due to the pandemic however I did not notice that much of a cut when I fly.
