The 16-hour experience of Cathay Pacific’s new nonstop flight from Dulles to Hong Kong.
Airbus A350-1000
Photo courtesy of Cathay Pacific
A distance of 8,153 miles in just under 16 hours. Let that sink in.
Cathay Pacific’s new nonstop flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to Hong Kong isn’t just the longest flight in the airline’s global network—it’s also the longest haul you can take anywhere in the world from Virginia soil, exceeding even Ethiopian Air’s 7,171-mile hop to Addis Ababa. Hong Kong’s flagship carrier launched its new service in September, building a direct bridge between Asia and Virginia for business travel and tourism.
While the idea of spending more than half a day cooped up on an airplane may be cringeworthy to some, to frequent fliers and aviation buffs like myself it’s a salivating proposal. I’m sure you’re wondering what it’s like traveling aboard Cathay’s new twin-aisle Airbus A350-1000 ultra long range airliner to a far-away destination—a plane destined to change the future of long haul travel. Last month, the airline invited me on a media trip to Hong Kong so I could find out for myself before you pull the trigger and book your ticket.
Courtesy of One Mile at a Time
Cathay Pacific flight CX861 departs four times per week at 12:15 a.m., arriving in Hong Kong the following day at 5:10 a.m. That’s right, because of the long flight time and the different time zones (Hong Kong is 13 hours ahead), you’re skipping an entire day while flying halfway around the world (but no worries, you’ll get it back on your return.) There’s a reason for the early morning arrival: It allows passengers to connect with every Cathay Pacific flight across Asia—including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and more than 22 gateways in mainland China—without a lengthy layover in Hong Kong, the airline’s hub that it considers the “Gateway to Asia.”
While this may be convenient, it also casts more than a full day of darkness over your life. When I hit the road on a late Thursday afternoon to drive from Richmond to Dulles, the sun had just set. I didn’t face it again until Saturday morning, several hours after my arrival in Hong Kong and a total of 25 hours after I had last seen it in Virginia. This means that even if you have a window seat, don’t expect a great view. Still, taking this flight on your next visit to Asia is an adventure in itself. And a very comfortable one.
The 46 business class seats on the Airbus are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone configuration.
Photo courtesy of Cathay Pacific
The seat comes equipped with a lot of well-designed cabinets, storage space and a divider separating you from your seat neighbor.
Photo by Markus Schmidt
Check-in
Here’s the good news: Because of the super-early departure time shortly after midnight, you’re likely going to miss the usual hustle and bustle that often makes Dulles Airport a nightmarish experience. I check in at 9:30 p.m., and after a quick and uneventful TSA screening kill some time at the British Airways Lounge. (Cathay Pacific’s own lounges are the stuff that legends are made of, but they do not have one at Dulles.) An hour before take-off, I board the brand-new Airbus—if you like new car smell, you’ll love new plane smell. The plane has no first class and instead features a three-class cabin comprising a refreshed business class, with some added oomph, as well as premium economy class and economy class seats.
The 46 business class seats on the Airbus are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone configuration. My seat, 20G, is in the middle (although I did get a window seat on my return flight a week later). If you’re a first class kind of traveler, don’t digress. Cathay’s business class nearly equals Delta’s first class. The 77-inch seat is fully reclinable and comes equipped with a personal 18.5-inch in-flight entertainment screen and a lot of well-designed cabinets, storage space and a divider separating you from your seat neighbor, allowing for almost as much privacy as any first class suite.
Cathay Pacific is known for its superb service, and attentive flight attendants offer a selection of drinks and take dinner and breakfast orders.
Photo courtesy of Cathay Pacific
Takeoff
Cathay Pacific is known for its superb service, and as I ooze into my seat and start playing around with the touchscreen remote controlling the entertainment system, attentive flight attendants offer a selection of drinks and take dinner and breakfast orders—“Good evening, Mr. Schmidt, would you like a refreshment?” We push back from the gate before midnight and are airborne shortly after—about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. One of the fun features on the Airbus A350-1000 is the exterior cameras feed, allowing you to watch the takeoff from the tail and wheel perspectives. Although the Airbus’ twin engines generate up to 97,000 pounds of thrust, the takeoff is smooth and almost eerily muted. While muffled engine noise makes for a much quieter flight, it sensitizes your ears to a wide array of other sounds around the cabin. The seat neighbor to my left later suspected me of being the origin of obnoxious snoring throughout much of our flight, and she was surprised when I told her that the source of her predicament had been a tired business traveler in the window aisle, a few seats down from me.
Cloud Nine—Cathay’s signature drink—is a combination of Cointreau, Sprite and vodka.
Photo by Markus Schmidt
Hour 1
As a seasoned traveler, one of my first tasks after takeoff always is to set my watch to the local time of my destination. This helps me adjust and plan my sleep schedule—a critical strategy in beating that jet lag. Next, I purchase a full flight pass ($19.95) for Panasonic WiFi. (One-hour passes for $9.95 are also available.) Some people enjoy the seclusion of air travel—but that’s not for me. Especially on a long haul like this, I appreciate staying connected with what’s happening back home. The WiFi is remarkably reliable throughout the flight, although it gets a little spotty and drops out for a while once we fly over the polar region. As we head north towards Canada’s Hudson Bay, I order a Cloud Nine—Cathay’s signature drink—a combination of Cointreau, Sprite and vodka. While Cathay’s in-flight entertainment has many features, including live television and a deep movie library, I launch the final episodes of Narcos Season 3 on my iPad’s Netflix watch list.
Western dishes for dinner service include a beef burger with Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, pickled onions and zucchini on a toasted brioche bun and served with chunky fries.
Photo by Markus Schmidt
Hour 2
There are several good reasons to not go to sleep right away on a Cathay Pacific flight, and one of them is … the food! In business class, there are a lot of options, and I want to try it all. A couple of hours into the flight, the cabin crew launches its dinner service. Since we are headed to Hong Kong from the United States, I opt for a Western dish—a beef burger with Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, pickled onions and zucchini on a toasted brioche bun and served with chunky fries. (I’ll try the Asian dish on the way back.) While the burger is tasty, it’s a bit underwhelming. I also order a glass of 2016 Argentinian Catena Zapata Appellation Agrelo Cabernet Sauvignon to compliment the beef. Actually, make that two.
Hours 3-9
After dinner, I get sluggish. I blame the melatonin in the wine, but maybe it’s just a good time for a nap. After all, it’s about 2 a.m. back home. It’s easy to just sleep away on an overnight flight, but I had vowed to myself to stay up for the full experience and limit my sleep time to six hours, which is enough to be rested for arrival. The basic seat controls to my left are fairly easy to handle, although finer tuning can be a bit tricky. I push one button that makes the seat flat, and another that makes it a few inches wider, grab the cotton eye mask from the amenity kit and get under the comfy blanket. It’s already dark and quiet in the cabin, and the noise-canceling headphones from the cabinet next to my seat eliminate any remaining background clamor. (There really isn’t any.) It doesn’t take me long and I’m out, and because we’re flying through the night, I don’t regret missing our crossing of the polar region. Not much to see here, folks, get some rest.
Hours 10-12
Refreshed from my five-hour nap (the cabin pressure in the Airbus A350-1000 is equivalent to 6,000 feet, about 2,000 feet lower than aboard a conventional aircraft, which means more oxygen in your lungs, more moisture in the air and a more comfortable sleep), I order a snack—a cheese plate with prairie cheddar, camembert, blue cheese, water crackers, grapes and quince paste—and switch on the IFE, browsing through a wide selection of Western and Chinese movies. Considering today’s flight destination, I decide to watch Way of the Dragon, starring Bruce Lee, while periodically checking my email and social media. Life is good.
The personal 18.5-inch in-flight entertainment screen features an interactive map tracking the flight path.
Photo by Markus Schmidt
Hour 13-14
As I follow our flight path on my IFE’s interactive map—after leaving Siberia behind us, we are now traveling at 38,000 feet over Mongolia—the captain turns on the cabin light, which gradually turns from complete darkness to a soothing blue. (Earlier in the flight, it was an ambient purple). Flight attendants are beginning with breakfast service. I had ordered Western breakfast with seasonal fresh fruit, a warm pastry selection, egg frittata, potatoes, roasted tomatoes, blanched spinach and croissant. After I eat, I’m headed to the lavatory to freshen up for arrival. I always carry my own toiletry bag when I travel, but for those who don’t, Cathay Pacific’s Business Class amenity kit packs most necessities, including a dental kit, ear plugs and a pair of black socks (although some slippers would have been preferable to trod around the cabin).
Photo courtesy of Cathay Pacific
Hour 15
After more than 15 hours in the air, we are now descending towards Hong Kong International Airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok. It is still dark when we touch down, 20 minutes early, and it will be another two hours until I finally get to watch the sunrise over Victoria Harbor from my hotel room on the 16th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
It’s been a long journey, but never before has Asia felt this close.
Details
Cathay Pacific’s nonstop flight to Hong Kong departs from Washington Dulles International Airport four times per week—Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Business class tickets start at $8,146, premium economy at $3,105 and economy at $1,651. CathayPacific.com
Look out for Markus Schmidt’s travel feature about Hong Kong and Shanghai in a future issue of Virginia Living.
