Photos: Hong Kong Airlines' new Airbus A350 business class
By David Flynn, September 4 2018
Hong Kong Airlines' latest Airbus A350 jet will feature an all-new business class for the Asian carrier and Cathay Pacific competitor.
Look familiar? It should: Hong Kong Airlines has opted for the same Super Diamond international business class design (from Rockwell Collins) as Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways and American Airlines, to name a few.
And it's got all that Super Diamond goodness, from a 1-2-1 layout to a long (1.98m or 78in) fully-flat bed to a large flat working space for each passenger...
... with concealed nooks for AC/USB power and stowing the likes of smartphones, tablets, books, reading glasses and so forth.
Each traveller also gets a generous 17-inch HD video screen and touch-enabled handset controller.
When it's time to sleep, the seat will be dressed in a set of bespoke bedding.
Hong Kong Airlines describes its new A350 business class cabin as having "modern and neutral tones", although there's still that predictable dominance of red favoured by both Hong Kong Airlines and its sister Hainan Airlines.
While this isn't the first Airbus A350 in Hong Kong Airlines' hangar, all A350 deliveries from here on will sport the new seat.
Those birds already flying won't be upgraded – they'll retain the older (Solstys-based) business class seating, which still ticks the boxes of a 1-2-1 layout and fully-flat bed but is a noticeably last-generation design and far less appealing than the Super Diamond.
Hong Kong Airlines’ newest A350 will make regular appearances on the Hong Kong - Los Angeles route from October 2018.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Aug 2017
Total posts 116
For a cabin hard product almost halfway through its life (assuming a what’s generally considered a ten year life) it certainly has aged well this suite setup. Disappointing they haven’t taken the step for a HDMI in port like some carriers have now. These brilliant HD screens some have caught on we would like to beam our cameras and the like to our screen.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
Given that this airline is cancelling its CNS and OOL flights from 28 Octiober 2018, fewer Australians are likely to travel on it, even though it flies to Moscow and some other interesting destinations.
Cathay Pacific - Asia Miles
25 Apr 2013
Total posts 542
Didn't see you yesterday! And the aircraft will run HKG-BKK on HX771 over the next couple days.
09 Feb 2018
Total posts 5
Do they even fly to Australia anymore?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Mar 2014
Total posts 23
Looking forward to flying on this bird! A350 please come to Australia!
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Photos: Hong Kong Airlines' new Airbus A350 business class