In this post:
Cathay Pacific’s new A321neo business class
Cathay Pacific’s state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft will enter into commercial service on 4 August 2023 when it takes its inaugural flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai (Pudong). Initially, they will deploy the aircraft on flights to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Kaohsiung, and Taipei during August. It will be interesting to see where else they use them longer term. It is always considering Cathay as an option for Avios redemptions as the inter-Asia routes can be decent value in business class compared to buying a cash ticket. Often, it can be easier to get BA Avios redemptions to Hong Kong than Singapore so using Avios for a connecting flight may be an option. These often have long-haul seats too.
In the meantime, Airbus A350 widebody aircraft will continue to serve long-haul routes connecting Europe and Hong Kong.
Cathay Pacific has already taken delivery of four A321neos, and will receive a further two during the second half of 2021. There will be a total of 16 A321neos in the fleet by the end of 2023.
Chief Executive Officer Augustus Tang said: “We’re incredibly excited to see our next-generation A321neo take to the skies for the first time next month as we continue to add more passenger services in the region. The single-aisle A321neo is the newest addition to our fleet and has been designed and fitted with an array of new features that offer the most enjoyable short-haul experience in the world to our customers. We look forward to deploying A321neos on more regional routes and welcoming customers on board.”
The A321neo is the first aircraft to feature the new Regional Business Class seat product. This next-generation hard-shell recliner seat has divider screens for maximum privacy and a 15.6-inch 4K Ultra-HD personal TV screen.
In addition, the A321neo will have a new and enhanced content selection providing one of the largest movie and TV libraries available on a regional single-aisle aircraft. High-speed Wi-Fi on board is being introduced progressively.
The aircraft also has new extra-large overhead storage bins in all cabins, providing 60% more space for passengers to stow their carry-on luggage.
For more information on the new Cathay A321neo, visit https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_HK/flying-with-us/aircraft-and-fleet/airbus-a321neo.html
SWISS partners with AirPortr for free luggage collections
SWISS has announced an offer for customers to have their luggage transferred from their home or hotel to the airport free of charge with Airportr. AirPortr launched in 2016 in partnership with British Airways, and now offers a mixture of departure and arrival baggage services at Gatwick, Heathrow, Zurich, Geneva and Vienna airports, with carriers including BA, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, Edelweiss, KLM and Austrian. I have used the service before and it can solve logistical problems when you don’t want to have to carry luggage around with you before heading to the airport. It also saves times by checking in the luggage for you on most airlines.
Another option is to use a service like Stasher if you just need to divest yourself of your luggage. I used this again recently when visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh on the way to the airport. Most major cities have a wide selection of shops and hotels where you can drop your baggage off for a few hours for a small fee.
The promotion is limited to 500 bags per day, for collections “from addresses all over Switzerland for all SWISS departures from Geneva or Zurich until 31 August.
Customers should use the code FLYSWISSSUMMER23 when booking their collection slot at airportr.com.
Air France new long haul routes to Abu Dhabi and US/Canada
After my recent trip back from Dubai on Air France in business class, I have definitely become a convert. I like that I can use Virgin points on Air France (or collect them) as they are generally better value redemptions in terms of cash than on Virgin. Air France has really upped their game in the last couple of years with improved business class seats and high-quality meals and wine.
As of October 29, 2023, the French carrier will start flying between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi. The daily service will be operated by Airbus A350-900 with business and premium economy as well as economy. If you are visiting Abu Dhabi this now gives an easy way to fly there from the UK regions using Air France to connect. It also gives additional options if you are trying to get to Dubai which can be tricky on redemptions.
- Flight times:
- AF638: Leaving Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 21h15, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 06h45 the next day
- AF639: Leaving Abu Dhabi at 08h45, arriving at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 13h15
This winter, in addition to Abu Dhabi, Air France will also be flying to these Middle East destinations: Beirut (Lebanon), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Cairo (Egypt) and Tel Aviv (Israel), with up to 49 weekly flights.
The airline also announced that it will be flying to more destinations in the US, Canada and the Caribbean. They will fly to Raleigh-Durham (North Carolina), 3 times a week on Boeing 787-9 from 30 October 2023.
Then as of 2 December 2023, Air France will resume flying during winter between Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) and Montreal, with 2 weekly flights Tuesdays and Saturdays on an Airbus A320 with WIFI. Montreal is among the 5 destinations served via Air France’s Caribbean regional network, which connects Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) and Fort-de-France (Martinique) to Belém (Brazil), Cayenne (French Guiana), Miami (US) and Montreal.
2 comments
Interestingly, and possibly slightly surprisingly, AF is also starting flights to Ottawa. Canada’s capital has never been well served by long-haul flights, so this is welcome. That said, I’ve never understood why AF gave up its BRS-CDG route (well before Covid); every time we used it the aircraft was full, with a high proportion of passengers connecting on to long-haul flights.
Thanks for the info Clive
Comments are closed.