I Flew On Cathay Pacific’s First Flight From Dallas to Hong Kong—Here’s What the Business Class Experience Was Like

On April 24, Cathay Pacific launched flight CX875, its inaugural flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). This route is not just the only direct flight between Texas and Hong Kong, but it is the longest flight, distance-wise, within the Cathay Pacific network. And I was lucky enough to snag a seat.

Cathay Pacific has been flying cargo flights to Dallas for more than 20 years, but April marks its first passenger flight ever to the city. “The U.S. market is very important to us.” Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s chief commercial officer, told Travel + Leisure. “Texas is booming, so commercially, it makes a lot of sense.”

The airline is famous for its high-end service and specialty dining, so I knew I was in for a treat. (Spoiler: it lived up to my high expectations.)

I arrived at the airport a few hours early to enjoy some time in the lounge. Cathay Pacific’s partnership with American Airlines grantsbusiness-class passengers access to the Admiral’s Club at DFW. The lounge is very large, equipped with ample seating, a fresh food buffet, and a self-serve bar.

The lounge was a short walk from my gate, where I joined the kick-off celebration: speeches, ribbon cutting, and traditional lion dancers alongside food and Cathay merch. Shortly after the festivities, I boarded the Airbus A350-1000. (This vessel is the most modern addition to Cathay’s long-haul fleet and is equipped with special features like adjustable air pressure to supposedly limit jet lag.) 

I was met with a welcome drink to hold me over as I found my business-class seat—a comfy window cubicle with a lie-flat seat, stocked with bedding, slippers, a bottle of water, and an amenity kit from Bamford. (The amenity kit included the classics like sleep mask, earplugs, toothbrush, and toothpaste, as well as a few special extras like relaxing pillow spray and cooling body gel.) The suite also had a little cubby and discreet shelves around the cubicle to store my personal things.

After our 11 p.m. departure, I attempted to beat jet lag by pushing through the first few hours with the delicious assist of the incredible meal service. Cathay has an impressive culinary line-up with Hong Kong classics like shrimp wonton soup and its passenger-favorite burger.

I opted for the burger, which lived up to the hype and was so big I could barely take a first bite. I paired it with its Betsy Beer, a pale ale that was created specifically to drink at altitude, and indulged in double chocolate nougat mousse for dessert. For breakfast, I chose the “Wellness Breakfast” that featured warm pastries, fresh fruit, and a chia seed pudding. (For the HKG to DFW leg, Cathay Pacific partners with famous Hong Kong restaurants Louise and Duddel’s for catering.)

I was also impressed by the amount of entertainment available on the flight. In fact, Cathay has previously won an award from airline rating company SkyTrax for Best Inflight Entertainment. I had so many movies, shows, games, and more at my disposal that I had to make a list of the top things I wanted to watch. 

When it was time to snooze, I unpacked the bedding kit, which included a seat pad for extra comfort and a large, extra warm blanket. I found the bed quite comfortable and easy to adjust to my preferred position. 

Seventeen hours seemingly flew by, and before I knew it, we landed in Hong Kong at 5 a.m. local time. I made my way through security before checking into the Rosewood Hong Kong, where I normally would have stayed in to enjoy the harbor views and amenities to recover fresh off a long flight. But this time I was spoiled for choice: I was so well adjusted from my flight that I could pick between exploring the stunning hotel or taking on the bustling city.

The Dallas-to-Hong Kong route flies four times a week with plans to increase the route to a daily service. But Cathay Pacific isn’t stopping there. “Dallas to us is not just Dallas. We want to use Dallas as a hub to build into other parts of the U.S. and down to Central and South America.” Lau said. “This is the perfect gateway for us.”