Cathay Pacific: setting premium class service levels

Cathay Pacific's premium class travel is a mixture of old-fashioned service culture and the very latest in modern technology. This harmonious balance produces the optimum experience for the business traveler.

Courtesy and consideration for the customer really seem to mean something with Cathay Pacific. From the moment that you are greeted by your own name to the ever-attentive service, you feel that this is an airline that has got it right.

There is never a question of waiting for anything. The flight attendants are almost telepathic in their ability to anticipate requirements, and appear genuinely hospitable and pleased to be serving the customer. And on how many flights have you found the service disappointing in recent years?

But Cathay does not stop there. The entertainment system in First and Business Class is rather special. There are movies-on-demand, TV-on-demand and audio-on-demand. So this is exactly like having your own DVD and CD player in front of you, except that the organization into neat files on a screen in front of you means that making a selection is even easier.

Seating is also very comfortable, and the little extras like a silk pillow and generous toiletries bag help to enhance the sensation of luxury travel. Fully reclining seats are reserved for First Class but on the A330 Airbus from Hong Kong to Dubai the Business Class seats have ample legroom for a good night's sleep.

The dining in First and Business is also right up the top end of the scale. It is a full silver service with a choice of three hot main courses, with menus from Hong Kong's finest chefs, and a heavily-laden desert trolley. The beverage selection is outstanding.

Perhaps some Middle East airlines could learn from studying such Asian service standards. To be fair this is probably the model that many do follow with their five-star ambitions. But the point should not be lost on the traveler that there is no need to take an inferior service when the real premium service is already there.