Trip Report: Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK (Singapore to Bangkok)

Airline: Cathay Pacific | Aircraft: A330-300 | Class: Business | Flight: CX712 (SIN-BKK)

I do not get to travel out of Terminal 4 very often but when I do, I will make it a point to drop by Blossom – SATS & Plaza Premium Lounge for that signature laksa and a glass of G&T (even though it is just Gordon's gin, unfortunately) before my flight. Compared to the other three terminals in Changi Airport, there is comparatively fewer shops and things to do there in this terminal. If you are on the mezzanine level of the terminal, you will notice that there are only two airport lounges here - one is the Blossom – SATS & Plaza Premium Lounge and the other is the beautiful Cathay Pacific Lounge which sits directly across.

Click HERE to check out photos from the Cathay Pacific Lounge in Terminal 4 of Changi Airport!

Cathay Pacific Lounge (Terminal 4)

Singapore Changi Airport

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I do not currently hold any significant status with any frequent flyer program (apart from having MVP Gold with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan) so the only way for me to access the Cathay Pacific Lounge was to actually travel in Business Class. While I typically do prefer to travel on Singapore Airlines (they do have a fantastic Regional Business Class product after all), I was also personally interested to check out the Cathay Pacific Lounge in Changi Airport since I really enjoyed the one in Haneda Airport (which has beautiful interiors!). Cathay Pacific operates a fifth freedom flight between Singapore and Bangkok so I thought that it would be a fantastic opportunity to check out both the much talked about lounge as well as the A330-300 Business Class product.

Seat 18A
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

A Business Class flight between Singapore and Bangkok (direct) on Cathay Pacific will set you back approximately S$1,000 for a return-trip and this is roughly how much Singapore Airlines charges as well. If you wish to travel on Cathay Pacific on a redemption flight, you may consider using some Avios (from British Airways Executive Club) instead - a one-way flight in Business Class will cost 16,500 Avios + SGD 74.20 (subject to slight fluctuations). For the sake of comparison, it will require 21,500 KrisFlyer Miles + SGD 52.10 to fly one-way from Singapore to Bangkok on Singapore Airlines in Business Class. Therefore, it is actually not a terrible idea to transfer some of your credit card points (which you can convert from Citibank or American Express) into Avios (so long you have a goal in mind).

Business Class Cabin
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

I do believe that Cathay Pacific operates an A350-900 mostly between Singapore and Bangkok now but when on my day of travel, an older A330-300 was utilised. Featuring reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, the Business Class seats on Cathay Pacific's A330-300 features 82 inches of seat pitch (as compared to just 32 inches in Economy Class) as well as 20.2 inches of seat width (versus 18.45 inches in Economy Class). I have actually pre-selected Seat 18A for my flight which is really close to the galley but I typically do not find that a problem on shorter day flights since I will be awake throughout the flight anyway. Obviously, you will be able to look across to the seats located direction opposite you but each one of these seats are actually quite private due to the way it is shaped.

Seat 18A
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

While the hard product on Cathay Pacific's A330-300 may not look as sleek as the one found on Singapore Airlines 787-10 Dreamliners, they do feel a lot more spacious. The seat pitch is excellent on Cathay Pacific and being in Seat 18A actually gave me access to two full windows (just as an indication to how much legroom there actually is). There is plenty of storage space here in by the seat where you can place your personal belongings and devices on but unfortunately, there was no WiFi available on the flight (not excruciatingly important but it is definitely great to have the option to stay connected).

Side Panel
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

Located on the side of the seat is where you will find all the important controls for your flight - the IFE Controller (not touch-enabled) is stowed away here and the fairly basic seat controls can also be found here. An adjustable reading light is located directly above the seat control panel and if you do need to charge your devices, a universal power outlet is made available as well. There is a small door on the side of this panel which opens up to reveal a pair of headphones - you may also choose to store some of your smaller personal effects here but you do have to make sure that it shuts properly prior to take-off and landing.

Foot Rest
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

One thing I really do like about the Business Class seats on Cathay Pacific's A330-300 is the foot rest - there is plenty of space here (even though you really should not sit on it for a photo) so it is actually really comfortable. One of the things that I struggle with on Singapore Airlines flights is the amount of space when your seat is actually reclined - that confined feeling is really not great on a long-haul flight so I typically try to avoid red-eye flights even on Business Class. While my flight from Singapore to Bangkok took only slightly over two hours, I would imagine this seat to be much more comfortable as far as legroom is concerned when the seat is completely reclined.

IFE Screen
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

The in-flight entertainment system on Cathay Pacific is not especially exciting so I watched the flight path for most parts of my flight - the adjustable screen can be pushed back-and-forth but it cannot be tilted otherwise. Once again, this was a really short flight so it did not bother me much at all.

Noise-cancelling Headphones
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

If you do not travel with your own headphones, noise-cancelling headphones are provided in Business Class and they are actually quite comfortable.

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The IFE handset is pretty basic and it looks rather dated so it is not touch-enabled at all.

Champagne
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

Cathay Pacific offered Piper-Heidsieck Brut N.V. Champagne on my flight and it was delicious - I do like Charles Heidsieck (on SQ) more but the Piper-Heidsieck Brut definitely sits above Laurent-Perrier (which SQ now offers in Business Class) for me. Like most airlines, the crew on-board my flight was pretty eager to clear my Champagne flute after one glass - I actually had to explicitly ask them to leave it alone (and top it up) which annoyed me slightly - in comparison, the crew on Singapore Airlines typically stay on top of refills throughout the flight (especially if it is a day flight). I bring up Singapore Airlines a lot on this trip report and the reason is simple - they offer a comparable product at a similar price point so a comparison seems crucial in helping people (including myself!) decide which airline to take.

Garlic Bread
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

One of the small things that people look forward to on Business Class during meal service (regardless of whether they admit it or not) is garlic bread and Cathay Pacific serves a really good one in the air. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the Business Class cabin was mostly empty and the garlic bread actually arrived to me at the right temperature (depending on the crew, Singapore Airlines sometimes serve cold garlic bread which is annoying) and it was delicious!

Braised Duck with Preserved Vegetables, Broccoli, Shimeji Mushrooms, Carrots and Steamed Jasmine Rice
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

Cathay Pacific does meal service a little differently from Singapore Airlines - instead of taking your orders, they push out a meal trolley with all the available options and while this may not be an elegant solution, seeing a dish visually does help you to make your decision fairly quickly. On my flight, I had the the following options for main course but I went with the first because I rarely get to eat duck on a flight so there is definitely that novelty factor:

• Braised Duck with Preserved Vegetables, Broccoli, Shimeji Mushrooms, Carrots and Steamed Jasmine Rice

• Roasted Chilean Seabass with Peas, Broad and Edamame Beans, Potatoes and Mustard Dill Cream Sauce

• Beef Rendang, Vegetables in Coconut Milk and Jasmine Rice

Ice-cream
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

There was no option for dessert on this flight so I was offered a small tub of Häagen-Dazs ice-cream which was almost rock solid. I get that ice-cream should be kept in the freezer but they should have taken it out minutes before serving it to passengers. Not a big deal of course and nothing my hot cup of black coffee can't melt.

View from Window
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

Cathay Pacific has a decent A330-300 Business Class product which is definitely more than sufficient (in terms of comfort) to get you from Singapore to Bangkok but I can't help thinking that Singapore Airlines has a much better Regional Business Class product which is offered on the same route. Sure, it will cost you 'more miles' when you redeem your KrisFlyer Miles on SQ instead of Avios/Asia Miles on CX but my experience with the former airline has been a lot better.

Business Class
Cathay Pacific Business Class CX712 A330-300 - SIN to BKK

I am not part of the PPS Club (since most of my flights in Business and First Class are on redemption) so I do not get any special treatment on the flights but Singapore Airlines definitely have a much nicer-looking product on this route. I like being able to Book the Cook for a 2-hour flight but more importantly, having proper refills throughout the whole flight certainly makes all the difference. Now I am not saying that I would never fly Cathay Pacific again but let's just say I would always go with my KrisFlyer Miles on a Singapore to Bangkok flight first.