I’ve booked a review trip that’s happening approximately a month from today. While I booked this trip a while ago and was going to share it closer to the time (this is happening in early March), I’m struggling to contain my excitement about this review trip, so thought I’d jump the gun and share it a bit earlier.
I’m going to Australia!
J and I are going to Sydney in March to attend a friend’s wedding. I’m excited for the wedding, and also to spend time with her and her family in Australia. However, I’m also excited about the prospect of going back to Australia (or the Southern Hemisphere, for that matter) for the first time in eight years.
I’ll only be in Sydney this time round – I’ve got a week there before I come back to London to start a new role. However, I really hope I’ll be back for more extensive travels soon!
I may have been a flight reviewer last time I went to Australia, though mainly I was a little 16-year-old
I’m finally flying Cathay Pacific’s economy class longhaul
While I’ve reviewed Cathay Pacific’s business class, their premium economy, and even their first class, I’ve not flown Cathay Pacific’s economy class longhaul in over a decade. That’s not intentional – there have just been much better opportunities to review premium economy and business class cabin products by flying crazy routings.
Given that I’m flying with J and am a bit time-pressured on the outbound (meaning I can’t do a crazy circuitous routing to Australia), I figured it’d be worth putting Cathay Pacific’s economy class to the test. So after not flying Cathay Pacific longhaul economy since 2014, I’m now flying them on the Kangaroo Route from one end of the world to another.
I booked a one-way economy ticket from Hong Kong to Sydney with 38,000 Asia miles and HK$3,512 (£329.27) in taxes. Also, J doesn’t know this (if you’re reading this, J, hi…and sorry!), though I may or may not have specifically chosen flights that would allow me to sample both Cathay Pacific’s A350-900 economy class (which I haven’t even flown before on a shorthaul flight), and their new 777 economy class onboard their Aria Suite-configured aircraft. These flights worked out best for our schedule anyway, though I’m not complaining about the opportunity to write these reviews.
Cathay Pacific’s 777 Economy Class
J and I are parting ways after the wedding, which is fair enough, as I’m not sure whether she’d enjoy the crazy routing below as much as I would…
I’m flying my first trans-Tasman flight!
From Sydney I’ll be positioning to New Zealand, in order to catch my next flight. This will be my first-ever trans-Tasman flight. I remember reading AusBT (now Executive Traveller) growing up and learning lingo about the Australian aviation scene, so I’m so glad to finally have the opportunity to see what a trans-Tasman flight is like.
To celebrate the occasion, I splurged (using Asia Miles) for business class on this short route. Now, sadly I was fairly schedule-constrained, and couldn’t choose a flight that was operated by one of the airline’s longhaul aircraft. However, I haven’t set foot onboard a Qantas 737 before, so I’m still excited to do so.
Qantas business class (sorry, couldn’t find a stock photo of the 737)
The flight gets into Auckland late in the evening, and I’m flying out mid-morning the next day. I would’ve loved to explore Auckland properly (it’s one of the cities I most want to go back to), though am sure there’ll always be a next time!
I’m then flying an award-winning premium economy class product
From New Zealand, I’ll then be flying back to Hong Kong on an Air New Zealand 787 in premium economy (this flight is 11h 10m – longer than what many people expect!). I’ve long wanted to find the world’s best premium economy product, and I’m curious to know why Air New Zealand wins so many awards for theirs.
Air New Zealand was running a global fare sale last month, so I managed to book this ticket for 1,500 NZD (£665/HK$7,084) one-way, which I’d consider to be pretty good for a flight of this length. This is definitely one of the flights I’m most excited for.
I would love to know why this airline wins so many awards for their premium economy product
I’m flying Korean Air economy class
From Hong Kong, I’ll then fly Korean Air to Seoul, in order to position for my next booking. While I’ve flown Korean Air’s business class a few times, I’ve not flown their economy class before. I’ll be flying their economy class from Hong Kong to Seoul, a flight I secured for 15,000 Korean Air SkyPass miles plus US$70 (£51.28/HK$547) in taxes. The flight I booked was operated by a 737 – it was the only flight I could get that would get me to Seoul in time for my next flight.
I enjoyed my last intra-Asian economy class flight, so am keen to see how this one goes.
Korean Air 737 Economy Class
I’m flying ANA’s new(ish) 777 premium economy
Here’s the other flight that I’m really looking forward to. In January 2026 I flew Japan Airlines’ A350 premium economy, and found the product to be super interesting – I actually ranked it the second best premium economy I’ve flown so far, despite the fact that they serve the same meals as they do in economy. Japan Airlines’ biggest competitor, ANA, introduced their flagship 777s a few years ago, and I’m so keen to see how they compare.
There’s basically never any award space on this route (and pricing ex-Haneda is ridiculously expensive), though I managed to slash the fare by half by flying out of Seoul Gimpo. Sadly, while two of the three ANA flights to Seoul-Gimpo are operated by 767s (and had a much more conveniently timed connection), only the very early morning flight operated by a 787 was included in the lower fare. So I’ll be flying ANA’s 787 economy class from Seoul Gimpo to Tokyo Haneda, and the next day I’ll be flying the morning ANA flight from Tokyo Haneda to London Heathrow. This cost £803 (HK$8,570).
ANA 777 Premium Economy
Also, have people just caught on really quickly with booking seats in the back of the premium economy cabin!? While I managed to secure window seats on both premium economy flights in this itinerary, both window seats in the back row were already taken on these flights. This didn’t use to be the case.
Hotels I’m excited about
At Sydney I’ll be staying at an Airbnb, as the priority will be spending time with J and family. However, I then have a night each in Auckland, Seoul, and Tokyo (I’ve got an extended time in Tokyo, whereas Auckland and Seoul will be quick overnights).
I’ve currently just got a night booked in the ibis budget Auckland Airport – I land in Auckland after midnight, so my plan is to sleep for a few hours in a cheap hotel close to the airport, and try and hit the town in the early morning (and get more sleep on my Air New Zealand flight). Is that a good idea, or is that too crazy?
ibis budget Auckland Airport
The flight out of Seoul Gimpo is very early, so I figured I’d head from Seoul Incheon (where my Korean Air flight lands) into the city and try the Royal Square hotel, which is extremely close to Gimpo Airport. This seems not only to be a great option if you’re overnighting at Gimpo Airport, though also a good base for exploring the city.
Royal Square Hotel Seoul
Then in Tokyo my plan is to stay at the Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport, which is directly connected to the airport’s Terminal 3. Go figure that ANA actually flies out of Terminal 2, so I’m not maximising the huge convenience factor to staying here – however, I know the shuttles from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 run round the clock, so I’m still keen to try this hotel out.
Lounges I intend to review
The lounges I’ll review at each airport will depend on how crowded they are on the day (as well as how my travels play out), though here’s my plan so far:
- Qantas currently has a makeshift business class lounge setup at Sydney Airport as they wait for their Sydney lounge to be renovated – they did move over their barista coffee, so I’ll be sure to have one before my flight to Auckland
- The Chase Sapphire lounge at Hong Kong Airport recently was rebranded to another Kyra Lounge, so I might check out what’s available there
- I’ll also be sure to review ANA’s lounge at Haneda Airport Terminal 2
Conclusion
I’m excited to make it to Australia next month, and spend some time with J and family. From an airline reviewer’s angle, though, I think I’ll make really good progress towards finding the best premium economy product in the world, given that I’ll be reviewing potential candidates ANA and Air New Zealand. I’m also looking forward to flying my first trans-Tasman flight in business class, reviewing Cathay Pacific longhaul economy class, as well as reviewing Korean Air and ANA’s economy class products.
Any travel tips you’d recommend (especially for my overnights in Auckland and Seoul, where I’d love to make the most of the time)? Which product are you most excited to read a review of?
