If you’re flying regionally out of Hong Kong, there’s a big chance that you’ll be flying in one of Cathay Pacific’s regional business class products. Sometimes you’ll be able to fly a longhaul-configured aircraft on a regional route, which is always a treat – the airline’s highest-yield, thickest routes (such as Tokyo, Singapore, etc.) are bound to see some longhaul-configured aircraft once in a while.
However, if you’re stuck between regional business class seats on the 777/A330 and A321neo, which one is better? Neither of these seats offer lie-flat capability or direct aisle access, and both of these seats have their pros and cons. The 777/A330 seats are older with less privacy, whereas the A321neos are smaller, making for a less exclusive experience. I figured it’d be worth a post breaking down these differences, and then I’ll state my personal preference.
Do note that Cathay Pacific is introducing a new business class product on their A330s, which is substantially better than either of these two products.
Cathay Pacific Regional 777/A330 vs A321neo: The Seat
Cathay Pacific’s regional 777s and A330s feature business class seats in a 2-2-2 (A330) or 2-3-2 (777) configuration. Most of the planes currently have a “refreshed” regional business class configuration, as shown on my flight I reviewed from Hong Kong to Shanghai recently.
Cathay Pacific A330 Regional Business Class
The seats have no privacy, though they do recline a bit. Some people find the recline akin to a dentist’s chair, and I don’t disagree – I don’t think that’s a major criticism, though, as it’s still comfortable in the grand scheme of things. I do find this product to be too similar in comfort to the airline’s own premium economy seat, though, which is excellent.
Cathay Pacific A330 Regional Business Class Recline
Storage at these seats is limited to a literature pocket underneath the centre armrest.
Cathay Pacific A330 Regional Business Class Storage
Non-refreshed planes have the same seat, just with an older sea-green upholstery. The only changes to the refresh are the introduction of USB-C charging, and the refreshed seats actually feature one fewer storage compartment per seat (as the old phone holder couldn’t fit most phones anymore).
Cathay Pacific Regional 777 Business Class
How about the A321neos? Well, the colour scheme is equally drab, and the seats are very similar (down to the level of recline they have). There’s also (marginally) less legroom than with the A330s/777s, especially when reclined, due to the lack of a footwell in these seats.
Cathay Pacific A321neo Business Class
However, you won’t really notice the reduced legroom unless you’re very tall. The seat itself has a few more bells and whistles than the 777/A330. Namely, it has a few more storage options, and there’s a privacy partition between seats.
Cathay Pacific A321neo Business Class
I also find the tray table on the A321neo to be bigger and sturdier. However, the actual height of the tray table is a bit low, especially for eating – that might be worth taking note of.
Cathay Pacific A321neo Business Class Tray Table
Which is better? From a seat standpoint, I marginally prefer the A321neo seat, though not by that much.
Cathay Pacific Regional 777/A330 vs A321neo: The Tech
Here’s the category for which I do have a strong preference. Let me start with the basics – Cathay Pacific gives business class passengers free WiFi on all flights, regardless of aircraft type. This worked similarly well across the 777, A330, and A321neo for me, and I’d attribute any differences to the geography we were flying over as opposed to the plane’s capability.
However, when it comes to the entertainment system, both the A330s and 777s have screens that feature a lot of glare, and the touchscreen isn’t very responsive.
Cathay Pacific A330 Regional Business Class Screen
While the A321neo is loaded with the same entertainment system, there’s Bluetooth audio (whereas there isn’t on the 777/A330), and the touchscreen itself is far more responsive. That’s simply because the aircraft is newer, though I wish the refreshed regional business class would’ve addressed this.
Cathay Pacific A321neo Business Class Screen
In terms of charging, you’ll get a 110V power port either way. However, on the 777/A330s, you’ll only get USB-A charging on the non-refreshed jets, whereas you’ll only get USB-C charging on the refreshed jets. You get both on the A321neo.
Which is better? The A321neo, by a long shot – granted these are newer aircraft, though it really makes a difference if you’re watching a movie or getting some work done.
Cathay Pacific Regional 777/A330 vs A321neo: Cabin Ambience and Service Flow
Alright, this point may provide a bit of balance. On most of Cathay Pacific’s regional 777/A330 configurations, you’ll get a dedicated business class cabin at the front of the aircraft. If you’re seated in the mini-cabin on one of the Cathay Pacific A330s with an ex-Cathay Dragon first class cabin, you’ll get economy passengers boarding past you during the boarding process – even then, once boarding is complete, the cabin feels relatively spacious.
Cathay Pacific A330 Business Class Cabin
Meanwhile, there’s just something to be said about the single-aisle A321neo. Boarding is a more chaotic process as everyone boards past you, even the pre-departure beverage service can feel rushed, and the overall cabin just feels a bit more cramped. Granted there are only 12 passengers so the meal service usually happens a bit more quickly, though even then I wouldn’t say that the cabin ambience is particularly pleasant (the same goes for crew, as they have a much smaller galley space to work with).
Cathay Pacific A321neo Business Class
At least with the A330 and A321neo you don’t get middle seats in business class (whereas you do on the 777) – this may matter more if you’re booking last minute on a full flight.
Which is better? While some might find the intimate A321neo cabin appealing, and the meal service can be quicker on the A321neo, I much prefer flying on a widebody generally.
Which Is Better: Cathay Pacific Regional 777/A330 or A321neo?
If you don’t manage to fly a plane featuring Cathay Pacific’s longhaul business class product on a regional flight, there are upsides to flying both the 777/A330 configuration, or the A321neo configuration. The 777/A330s have older seats with much worse tech, and I’m frustrated by the lackadaisical “refresh” – however, the widebody configurations do afford a more relaxed experience. The A321neos have a marginally better seat with much better tech, though there are downsides to flying business class on a narrowbody aircraft, including the cabin ambience feeling more cramped, and a more chaotic boarding process.
I’m going to give the win to the A321neo, though I don’t have a strong preference. If I could only fly Cathay Pacific’s business class once, I think the A321neo has a better seat, and the better tech upgrades are a win for me, especially if the flight time is closer to 3-4h. However, the difference isn’t big enough that I’d go out of my way to fly the A321neo (whereas I’d absolutely go out of my way to fly a plane with a longhaul configuration, even if the flight time didn’t suit me as much).
Do you have a preference between Cathay Pacific’s regional business class products?
