Cathay Pacific A350 Economy Class Review from Johannesburg to Seoul Via Hong Kong

Disclaimer: Neither Cathay nor anyone else is paying us for this review of my flight experience. I paid the full fare and am not affiliated with Cathay in any way. This Cathay Pacific economy class review reflects my personal experience and opinion.

On this trip, I stopped over in Hong Kong for two days on the return leg to take the airport ferry to Shenzhen in Mainland China. More on that at the end of this review.

While I don’t smoke myself, I also decided to check out the smoking lounges at OR Tambo, Hong Kong International, and Incheon airports. I know it’s EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to some people. More on that at the very end of the post.

Before we take off with my Cathay A350 economy class review, let me be clear: I’m just a regular guy giving you a regular guy’s take. I don’t fly with a protractor or a magnifying glass, so you won’t get seat recline angles or thread count analysis here. I wear jeans and a T-shirt and drink my in-flight red wine from a paper cup. That’s how I roll fly.

Cathay is part of the Oneworld Alliance, meaning you can earn and redeem miles on 13 partner airlines, including Qatar Airways, Qantas, American Airlines, British Airways, Japan Airlines, and Finnair.

I’m a member of Cathay’s frequent flyer program, Marco Polo Club, and I racked up 11,600 miles on this round-trip Johannesburg–Seoul flight.

On the Incheon-Johannesburg return leg, I had no problem checking in online the day before departure.

I arrived at OR Tambo three hours before departure, and check-in was quick and efficient.

Boarding was done in tiers, and since I always book a seat towards the back of the plane, I was in the last group to board. I usually go for a rear seat in hopes of an empty spot next to me. I always find the back of the plane emptier than the front, regardless of the airline. But not this time

The Johannesburg–Hong Kong flight was completely full. My fellow passengers on this leg were mainly South Africans going on holiday to Southeast Asia, many South African expats heading to Australia, and a few Chinese businessmen returning to the Mainland.

Upon boarding, I remember being warmly welcomed and was impressed by the cleanliness and spaciousness of the cabin.

Cathay Pacific’s economy class seats are upholstered in a deep green fabric, perfectly matching the airline’s signature colour scheme. The design is sleek and modern, with subtle grey accents that give the cabin a polished and professional look. The seats feel premium for economy class, reflecting Cathay’s reputation for comfort and style.

The seat itself was just right—not too firm or soft, like Goldilocks’ bed. Compared to other airlines, I found the seats on CX economy the most comfortable.

While still comfy, the economy seats on our Turkish Airlines, Qatar, Etihad, and Singapore Airlines were much firmer than on Cathay. Or perhaps I’m just imagining it. But I’d say the A380 we’ve flown on Emirates is still the reigning king of comfort in economy.

On these long flights, I always get an aisle seat so I can walk around a bit, and I can also put out one leg in the aisle when sleeping.

My seat was waiting with a pillow and blanky. Once again, like Goldilock’s bed, they looked and felt durable and were not too fluffy or like cardboard.

In the seat pocket, I found headphones, the in-flight menu, and an in-flight magazine packed with stunning photography, travel articles, and duty-free shopping options.

Each seat has a USB port for charging devices and a plug socket—a must-have for long-haul flights.

One feature I really liked was Cathay’s dual tray tables. Besides the large tray table, there’s also a smaller mobile/tablet tray at eye level, perfect for watching movies on your own device without awkwardly propping it up. It’s a simple but smart touch, and I haven’t seen it on any of our other flights.

That said, I had already downloaded my own movies, so I didn’t explore the movie library much. Instead, I watched Chungking Express, a classic Hong Kong movie and Past Lives, a Canadian-Korean movie, to get me into the Asia spirit. I also enjoyed StudioCX’s music selection, pumping out some sweet Cantonese and Mandarin pop with a bit of Western music mixed in.

Every so often, I also checked the in-flight map to track my journey – spoiler alert – it’s hours and hours flying over the Indian Ocean.

Cathay’s elegant crew uniforms, the female flight attendants wear red jackets and skirts, while the men are dressed in dark olive-coloured suits, reflect their professionalism and complement their top-notch service.

Beyond appearances, the crew was genuinely helpful. When I had an issue with my phone charger, a flight attendant quickly offered me another cord, a small but thoughtful gesture. They remained professional, approachable, and always ready to assist throughout the flight.

The bathrooms were clean and stocked the few times I had to use the loo.

It truly felt like they were there to help, whether serving meals with a smile or responding promptly to requests. This level of service is one of the reasons I keep choosing Cathay. They consistently make the effort to focus on class rather than economy.

When hunger strikes between meals, you can head to the galley for snacks like biscuits and nuts. But what sets Cathay apart is the extra touches; they go beyond standard snacks by offering instant noodles and Hong Kong favourites like egg tarts and milk tea, which you can request from the flight attendants.

The meals themselves were tasty and well-portioned. The Häagen-Dazs ice cream served with dinner was a definite highlight. Any airline that serves ice cream in economy class earns extra points in my book. My meals came with stainless steel cutlery and paper cups for drinks.

While the food tasted good, it didn’t always look the most appetizing (urgh… first-world problems). Cathay could definitely take a few presentation tips from the likes of Turkish Airlines, Emirates, and Etihad, who do a better job of making economy-class meals look good.

Hong Kong International Airport is a fantastic place to transit, with excellent facilities, shopping, and dining options. If you’re staying airside, there’s no shortage of restaurants, but if you’re heading landside, I highly recommend waiting to eat at Ho Hung Kee in the arrivals area. This Michelin-starred spot serves some of the best dim sum in Hong Kong.

On my return journey, I had more time and visited the Plaza Premium Lounge using my DragonPass. It was crowded, but the food and drink selection was decent and definitely beats waiting at the gate.

The in-flight entertainment system was just as sleek and user-friendly, offering the same quality experience as my Johannesburg–Hong Kong flight.

Sitting in seat 60A, a window seat I pre-booked, I got wonderful views after takeoff over Hong Kong’s skyscrapers and Shenzhen, just across the border in Mainland China. There’s a tinge of melancholy as we fly over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, a journey we’ve taken many times before on the 55km long bridge when we lived in Zhuhai. Few other airports provide such good views from your window.

I’d love to share more about this flight, but after a delicious pancake and bacon breakfast, I passed out completely. I slept like the dead because the next thing I knew, the flight attendant was waking me up for landing in Incheon.

After clearing customs, my luggage was already doing laps on the carousel. Incheon Airport is also a fantastic airport to arrive at. If Seoul is your final destination, check out our Seoul itinerary.

• Can passengers use their own headphones in Cathay Pacific economy class A350?
  Passengers can use their own headphones, provided they have a compatible jack (standard 3.5mm audio jack).

• Is Wi-Fi available in Cathay Pacific economy class?
  Yes, Wi-Fi is available for purchase on most Cathay Pacific flights, including economy class on the A350. Packages start from USD 9.95 for one hour of continuous use to USD 24.95 for your entire flight.

Destinations from HKIA’s SkyPier include Dongguan, Guangzhou, Macao, Shenzhen Fuyong, Shenzhen Shekou, and Zhongshan.

The ferry transfer to Shenzhen Shekou is an efficient way to skip Hong Kong immigration and customs, allowing you to enter mainland China directly. You can buy tickets onsite for the next ferry, or book online from the official CKS website,

Here’s how to do it:

• Collect your baggage BEFORE passport control! There must be signs saying Baggage or Luggage or whatever, but I missed this step and went through immigration without my suitcase. There is no way to return after getting your passport stamped. A security guard directed me to the information desk, where I had to sign a form and describe my suitcase. After 5 minutes or so, the suitcase miraculously appeared.

Shekou Port is easy to navigate with signage in Mandarin and English. I followed the sign to taxi/rideshare and ordered a Didi (Chinese Uber). Before long, my friend Frankie and I ate BBQ and chugged beer in Nanshan.

And that, I think, is all I need to tell you for this Cathay Pacific economy class review. Have a good flight, and drop us a message in the comments below if you have any questions or want to add anything
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