‍DALLAS — Welcome to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS), where Cathay Pacific (CX) flies its Airbus A350-1000 daily. Despite being home to KLM (KL) and hosting the SkyTeam headquarters, Amsterdam has been the object of recent interest from the oneworld Alliance, of which CX is a member.

In 2024, oneworld opened its second-ever lounge in the Dutch capital, which can be accessed by oneworld business class and status holders' passengers travelling to extra-Schengen destinations. The latest oneworld member, Oman Air (WY), has recently announced its new non-stop connection between AMS and Muscat International Airport (MCT).

The oneworld expansion in Europe is not limited to Amsterdam, as CX aims to serve over 100 destinations in 2025. CX operates both Airbus A350 and Boeing 777-300ER versions to its European destinations, which will soon see the addition of Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Munich (MUC).

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

The Dutch hub is one of Europe’s busiest airports, handling over 66 million passengers in 2024. It can be easily accessed by train from virtually anywhere in the Netherlands and represents one of the best examples of integrated public transport in the world.

Our flight was initially booked in premium economy. The travel class has been increasingly popular amongst the world’s largest airlines; premium economy cabins are getting larger onboard widebody aircraft as they often represent the sweet spot between travel comfort and ticket price.

While the seat is always an upgrade over the traditional economy class experience, airlines can decide how much to increase the fare and provide enhanced services in a premium economy, closing the gap with business class. Finding an optimal compromise is far from straightforward, with some airlines opting to keep the same dining service as in economy, and others providing lounge access like in business class.

Airport Experience

Today, we are travelling as guests of Cathay Pacific as part of our extensive Airline Review. On this route, the difference between economy class and premium economy can be as low as US$300, which is a great deal on a 12-hour long-haul flight.

As always, I arrived at the airport by train, and upon checking the latest information on the Cathay Pacific app, I noticed that my premium economy seat 31K had been swapped for 17G, which is in the middle of the business class cabin. At the check-in desks, the ground staff confirmed the upgrade and issued all my business class boarding passes and printed lounge invitations for this adventure.

After security and passport control, I headed to the oneworld lounge 40, one of AMS's best – if not the best – business class lounges. 

The new lounge was inaugurated over a year ago, and attending the opening ceremony was a real pleasure. It features a sleek, modern design, good dining options, and elevated amenities such as shower rooms and offices. The lounge also offers great aircraft traffic views, and I spent almost my entire stay staring at the countless aircraft movements.

At check-in, I was told to allocate some time to walk from the lounge to gate G3, on the opposite side of the airport. Here I first found a rare A340-600 heading to Paramaribo (PMB). Our aircraft for today’s flight is an Airbus A350-1000, B-LXB, one of the few A350-1000s to operate out of AMS. 

The aircraft landed early in the morning from Hong Kong (HKG) and was parked at a remote stand, as per the routine at AMS.

Onboard

Business class guests, status holders, and passengers with special needs were invited to board first. Despite an initial delay in towing the aircraft to the gate, boarding proceeded smoothly. CX270 is scheduled at just under twelve hours, and we did not accumulate any delay during this phase.

B-LXB is the second A350-1000 to join CX’s fleet. The aircraft has a large business class cabin at the front, featuring 46 seats in the traditional 1-2-1 configuration. The premium economy is arranged in a 2-4-2 layout, with 32 Collins Aerospace MiQ seats, after which 256 economy class seats are found.

At my seat 17G, I found the stylish amenity kit from Bamford, a bottle of water, headphones, the bedding kit, and a pillow. Three menu cards were also available for dining, drinks, and breakfast. The cabin manager personally welcomed every passenger, and we were offered a welcome drink and a hot towel before taxiing to runway 18C and taking off.

WiFi

Immediately after takeoff, the Wi-Fi service was enabled. This is complimentary for passengers travelling in business class and is priced depending on the flight for the rest of the passengers. 

I connected immediately and used the service reliably throughout the whole flight. The service allowed me to use emails, chats, and even post videos and pictures on social media. It also allows me to browse the extensive Cathay Pacific shopping selection.

Meal Service

Shortly after, the lunch service started. First, an amuse-bouche was served, and I opted for the prawn appetizer. I chose beef for the main course and enjoyed a lovely chocolate and coffee mousse for dessert. The menu contains five main options, countless drink choices, and even some “discovery wines”, a selection of three different underrated wines from lesser-known regions. 

The meal portions, presentation, and timing were on point, and the cabin crew worked relentlessly to provide the service. CX also offers an all-day dining option where passengers can request some items from the menu, including the famous Cathay Burger, which I tried for the first time. 

I also swapped the traditional breakfast options for the noodle soup, as we would land at dinner time in the Netherlands. All in all, I have never had so much food on an aircraft before.

In-flight Entertainment, Amenity kit, Bed

Cathay Pacific offers one of the most impressive selections of movies and TV series I have ever seen. This includes Disney+ and HBO Max titles, over 1000 music albums, games, and more. The A350 has a nose and tail camera; however, only the nose one worked on this flight. The IFE screen can be stored. 

However, I was never sure why one would do that, as there is more than enough space in the footrest area even with the screen. The touchscreen IFE system can be controlled with a touchscreen remote on the main control panel next to the seat. The panel also houses the seat control and light options, while the IFE system controls the leading light.

The bedding is in a large box with a mattress and a blanket. The mattress is not the thickest; however, the blanket makes up for it. The seat can be turned into a lie-flat bed with one button, which is further extended by a “bed extender” panel under the armrest and the flat part of the storage and footrest. As all seats face away from the aisle, privacy is guaranteed thanks to the large divider. 

There is room for improvement, as when lying down, passengers can always see the IFE screen of the passenger across the aisle, which can be disturbing.

Like the bedding, the amenity kit is also designed by Bamford. The pouch is one of my favorites from any airline and includes essentials like a toothbrush, moisturizer cream, lip balm, eye mask, and more. More toiletries are available in the lavatories. The cabin has three dedicated lavatories, two at the front, and features a window.

Throughout the flight, I explored the IFE system, watched movies, worked, and texted with my friends and family. Snacks are also available in the rear galley, and I ensured to keep hydrated on this long flight. The A350-1000's noise and pressurization levels contribute to everyone’s onboard comfort.

Landing, Conclusions

The breakfast service started before our descent into HKG, and I opted to try the fish ball and shrimp ball noodle soup instead of any of the five breakfast options. This was served with a selection of pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, and soft drinks.

Our flight from Europe was one of the first to land in the morning. We touched down on runway 07C before taxiing to our gate, disembarking from door 1L after an incredible in-flight journey, where both the hard and soft products were some of the best I’ve ever experienced. 

Hong Kong is one of the global aviation capitals. Few cities in the world can boast the rightfully held sense of heritage that Hong Kong has regarding aviation. From the legendary Kai Tak, the city’s success has always been linked closely to its airport and airline.

Landing in Hong Kong was a first for me. Back in 2009, I flew from this airport back home in Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) on board what was my first and last (so far) flight on a Boeing 747. Despite not even being ten, the memories of the modern terminal and the excitement of flying on a double-decker aircraft have not faded.

While the A350 business class product is nothing short of excellent, CX has recently launched its cabin refreshment program on the Boeing 777-300ER, including the new, award-winning Aria Suite, which I will review in a separate article.

Special mention goes to the inflight service manager, Sahlee Bravo, for her warm hospitality, passion, and insights.

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