This Airline Just Restarted Flights to Hong Kong From This Major U.S. City

03.10.2023 - 16:53 / travelandleisure.com

After more than three years, Hong Kong’s flag carrier is resuming regular service to a major U.S. hub— Chicago O’Hare International (ORD). 

Starting on Oct. 3, Cathay Pacific will operate three weekly flights between Hong Kong and Chicago on modern Airbus A350-1000 jets. It’s a milestone for the airline — and in fact, an entire region —that was pummeled by strict lockdowns as a result of the pandemic. March 2020 was the last time regularly scheduled flights operated between Hong Kong and Chicago.

“For us, the recovery really only just started this year, January 2023, when Hong Kong finally opened up,” Chris van den Hooven, Senior Vice President of Americas at Cathay Pacific, told Travel + Leisure in an interview. “We're super excited about Chicago, our team there has really weathered through a tough storm, and [it’ll] be our fifth destination in the U.S."

The 7,793-mile route, with a scheduled flight time of a hair under 16 hours, departs Chicago on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Passengers can expect Cathay’s Airbus A350-1000, featuring a total capacity of 334 passengers: 46 in lie-flat business class with a 1-2-1 arrangement, 32 in premium economy with a 2-4-2 arrangement, and 256 in economy with a 3-3-3 arrangement. The aircraft features Cathay’s latest inflight entertainment system along with Wi-Fi connectivity. 

However, you won’t find a first-class cabin onboard the Airbus A350 as you would on Cathay’s Boeing 777-300ER. “[The A350s] are about 25 percent less in fuel burn than the 777s [that have first class]. They're quieter; they're more environmentally friendly,” van den Hooven explained in bringing the A350 to Chicago instead. 

Besides Cathay staple amenities in business class, such as 400-thread-count Bamford bedlinen and skincare products, for 2023, plant-based eaters will find a new in-flight menu, in collaboration with Hong Kong restaurant, VEDA by Ovolo. Long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong also feature meals from Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred Duddell’s. 

Pre-flight, passengers can enjoy Cathay Pacific’s luxurious airport lounges, all of which have fully reopened as of this fall. “We are especially proud of The Pier and The Wing first class sections in both of those lounges,” van den Hooven noted. 

Currently, Cathay flies to four other U.S. destinations from its Hong Kong base — New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Prior to the pandemic, the airline also had service in the U.S. to Newark, NJ, and Seattle. In 2024, Cathay Pacific will be unveiling a brand-new business class seat, branded the “Aria Suite,” across its fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs.