We got a sneak peek at Cathay Pacific's sleek new premium economy seats

10.04.2024 - 18:21 / thepointsguy.com / Airlines

When Cathay Pacific revealed plans for its new suite-style "Aria" business class back in March, the aviation world was aflutter. But what might have gotten lost in the news was the fact that the airline will also be introducing a refreshed, third-generation premium economy product.

TPG got a first look at these new seats at the airline's "Customer Experience Showcase," which took place April 8 in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District. Here are the exciting developments the airline shared and what passengers can look forward to once these seats go into service toward the middle of this year.

"Human-centric design is what we're known for – listening to customer insights is at the core of what we do," Cathay Pacific's general manager of customer experience and design, Vivian Lo, said as she welcomed media to the showcase. "All the product design you see today are the product many rounds of customer research and validation about what is important to the customers."

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Like the airline's current Boeing 777-300ER premium economy section, the cabins aboard refitted 777-300ERs will feature seats in a 2-4-2 pattern. The cabin will have 48 seats total, spread across six rows. That's a 50% increase over the airline's current 777 configurations, which have just 32 to 34 premium economy seats.

The current versions are like wide recliners, whereas the new fixtures feature a more sculptural, futuristic design. They are about 19 inches wide between armrests and have 40 inches of pitch.

They have hard shells that cradle the cushions and angular privacy wings adjacent to their headrests that extend about eight inches from the seatback. Seats on the aisles and windows only have these wings one the single side between them and another seat; the two seats in the center of each row have them on both sides. There is a flip-out reading light embedded in the wings as well.

The headrests are adjustable up and down with comfort wings of their own to help cushion passengers' heads, and they will tip up to support passengers' necks.

Unlike similar-looking seats on Japan Airlines' A350-1000, these seats do physically recline (rather than sliding down within their shell) and lean back about 8 inches, just as the airline's current premium economy recliners do. They measure about 19 inches wide between armrests.

Also unlike JAL's seats, the Cathay Pacific ones will not be motorized; rather, their individual parts, including the seatback and leg rest, will be operable using buttons.

The seats have leg rests for ergonomic comfort with footrests that flip out from their bottoms and can be adjusted closer or farther, depending on the passenger's