A day after Cathay Pacific unveiled its new Business Class seats amidst much fanfare in Hong Kong, SimpliFlying visited CX City to indulge in some general geekiness (read: check out flight simulators) and fun (read: have a look at the mock-up cabins used for crew training). Eventually, I also got the opportunity to test the new seats at length.

On the launch evening, among almost 3000 people, it had been difficult to get more than a minute or two with the seats. Indeed, on that day, at first look, I could hardly evaluate how much of an incremental difference the new seats made. This time, however, I had (quite literally) the run of the seats. To add to the fun, I was slated to fly the current Business Class the same evening. What better opportunity would I have to do a hands-on, extended review?

To be quite truthful, unless you notice the electrical ports first, you’re unlikely to think that much has changed with the seats. They look rather similar. However, once you sink into the seat, you actually realize that there’s a marked difference in comfort and seating space. Compared to the seats I flew later in the evening (which were not bad at all), the new seats allow you to spread out much more. In the air, every extra inch added is invaluable because (especially in long-haul flights) you end up feeling cramped no matter how good the seat. I’m really looking forward to travelling on these seats when they come into service early next year, just for the additional space it gives me to move about. I was hardly able to sit with such “arrogant comfort” in the current seats (see pic for evidence). And yes, the bed is indeed spacious enough to let you “sleep in any position”, however funny that might sound.

However, the clincher, at least for gadget-geeks like myself, are the new electrical ports that let you hook up a number of electronic devices without worrying about battery life. On long-haul routes, this is going to an absolutely killer feature.

All said, I really think Cathay’s got a great new product here. What do you think?