James_SC

Hi Travellers,

We have been looking at flights back to the UK and noticed Cathy Pacific seem to have developed a new economy seat. It appears to remove the reclining element, however there seems to be some clever design which still allows a more relaxed seating position??

Has anyone seen or experienced this yet??

Cheers James

bcworld

I've had the same style of seat on Air Asia. The seat back is fixed but the seat cushion slides forward and the back cushion can then move into a reclined angle.

I think how it works for you all depends on how tall you are.....if you are tall then all that will happen is your knees will be pushed into the seat in front and you won't be able to get much recline.

I'm short, and was in the premium economy cabin on Air Asia....i.e. loads of knee room and even then I found it all a bit cumbersome. Can definitely see the advantages of this design though from the point of view of other passengers being inconvenienced.

bcworld

What the experts say:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11220613-post7.html (5.3)

SNH

I have made two long haul flights with Cathay Pacific, using those horrendous seats.

I have never been so uncomfortable in my life.

If you are the Hunchback of Notre Dame they're probably quite comfortable, but for anybody else they're just terrible.

Both flights I with a group of people, and I have not yet spoken to a single person who liked these new seats.

If you must fly Cathay Pacific (I wouldn't again - apart from anything else the staff at Hong Kong Airport are grossly incompetent), make sure you are seated in the centre - something I would not usually recommend.
The reason is that the seats on the sides have airbags attached to the seatbelts, and you cannot move them. It's like a big, hard, heavy pillow over one side of the seatbelt. I am pretty small, but in order to be able to move at all I had to loosen the seatbelt as far as it would go - the airbag does not curve around your waist.
It makes sleeping impossible, and sleeping is something you’re probably going to want to do at some point in the journey.

bcworld

Here's a photo of the Cathay Seats where one is 'reclined'. Doesn't look v comfortable to me.....and those colours!!

spadgersdad

Hi,
Wouldnt advice Cathy pacific, our daughter flew with them in October 08 had a terrible time delayed nearly three days, incompetent staff, lack of communication, no support from them at all she had a very distressing time and said would never fly with them again

briwi

I got shunted onto them in September last year - worst flight of my life. Absolutely hideous - the most uncomfortable seat I have ever sat in, only one drink outside of meal time, incredibly rude staff at Hong Kong - would never, ever fly them again. I was on the flight as a typhoon was hitting Hong Kong and my Virgin flight was cancelled - I'd rather have sat it out in the rain.

bu1lder

thats just great, i've just booked 5 seats to Perth with them yesterday. I read all the info on cp on here and every on said they were really good and better than emirates (who we have used before and were great) I've saved £600 going with cp.
one drink outside meal times? wtf? do you mean to tell me you are only allowed 1 drink between meals?

Hutch

Flown with 'em three times now and they've been superb on every occasion. You'll get shit flights on occasion no matter who you fly with.

DadAgain

Amazing how many people seem to struggle with this concept! Most of my flying is done with BA/QA for frequent flyer point reasons and despite them having an appalling reputation I've very rarely had a bad flight experience.

Any airline suffers occasional delays, mechanical problems and can have you sat next to unpleasant fellow passengers - its just luck of the draw!

For GBP600 savings I'd say you made a good choice going with Cathay. You can always hope that you dont get a refitted plane and will still have old style seats!

Having said all that - those seats do look horrendous and I think Cathay are not doing their reputation any favours using them. I hope all the other airlines dont follow suit!

desperatehousewife

We're flying Cathay in June, I have to say an economy flight with any airline to Australia from the Uk is never going to be the best 24 hours you've spent, though having done this flight with BA, Qantas and Cathay, (not in the new seats though)I'd choose Cathay every time the level of service was heads and shoulders above the other two.

Safe Journey

Lindsay x

Hutch

Malaysian are always well worth looking at. The fleet's not the most up-to-date, but they have more leg room in economy than any other airline, seats that recline and usually amongst the most competitive pricing. Worth adding as well that Kuala Lumpar airport is superb and, if you choose to split the journey mid-way, the Pan Pacific Hotel (in the airport complex) is both luxurious and amazingly good value.

IvanM

For me Malaysian for the space. Cathay used to be a great airline. Boy that picture of the recline looks uncomfortable.

ozoz

Flown with cathay twice before and just booked up a third time, simply because of the price - quantas, ba are still really expensive in comparision. First flight london sydney was really good, second flight sydney london return was f*** horrendus - it was an old 1970 rustbucket i got thought it was going to fall apart in the turbelence and extremely noisy, Hopefully better flight this time, But you cant go wrong with $1740 sydney - london return.

DadAgain

$4600 return BNE-LHR for 4 people in May? - Thats $1150 return per person!!!! Expensive? I think not! Crappy, crowded rust buckets - perhaps, but QA/BA are often the cheapest out there.