Inflight Experiences - Premium Economy on CX690 and Economy on CX635
When I travelled to Hong Kong in February 2026 for a weekend trip, I flew on Cathay Pacific return. My outbound flight from Singapore to Hong Kong onboard CX690 was serviced using a Boeing 777-300ER and the return flight CX635 was serviced using an. Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
On this trip, I flew on mixed cabin class, in Premium Economy onboard CX690 and Economy onboard CX635.
The service from the crew on both flights were similar, generally very good. Despite the crew being more busy in Economy due to the relatively larger number of passengers to attend to, they still managed their workload really well.
As a passenger, I usually require very little or no assistance from the crew, preferring to sit quietly in my assigned seat during the flight, watching the inflight entertainment system or plugging in my AirPods to listen to my favourite music. Therefore, my only interaction with the crew was during the meal service.
Check-In
The check-in for my outbound flight, CX690, at Singapore's Changi International Airport Terminal 4 was straightforward. I walked to one of the many check-in kiosk, inserted my passport and after the required confirmations that I had read and agreed to the terms and conditions of the flight, proceeded to print and collect my boarding pass from the kiosk. All these completed in only a few minutes. My only complaint (a minor one though) was that the boarding pass printed from the kiosk was on a flimsy piece of paper that was thinner than a piece of toilet paper. I am those who keep my boarding pass as mementos for my travel journals but the thin and flimsy paper on which my boarding pass was printed was simply not fit for purpose of keeping it beyond the flight. While I understand the need for sustainability and care for the environment but the airport taxes and fees collected by Changi Airport certainly do not reflect the cost of printing such flimsy boarding pass. They could and should have charge less in fees. But that is only my personal opinion as I face the same issue each time I fly on Premium Economy or Economy outbound from Changi Airport. A very minor grouse but still not a pleasant experience for me, personally. Most passengers seem fine and happy with their flimsy pieces of boarding passes so I believe the airport must have done something right after all. I am certainly in a very very minority group in this context.
The inbound flight check-in experience for flight CX635 at the Hong Kong International Airport was similar. I approached one of the self-service kiosks, confirmed my personal details, acknowledged the standard terms and conditions of the flight, printed out my boarding pass and I was ready to clear security and immigration for my return trip. Despite flying in economy class and using a self-service kiosk, my boarding pass was printed on a standard hard paper. This boarding pass is a keeper as a flight memento and also doubled up as a bookmark for my reading materials during the flight and at home. No complaints whatsoever.
My check-in process for both my outbound and inbound flights were relatively straight forward partly because I had no check-in luggages for my very short weekend trip.
Lounge
No lunge access for me because I am flying Premium Economy and Economy and my membership status with Cathay Pacific's frequent flyer programme was too low to qualify for complementary lounge access. Too bad!
Boarding and Seating Arrangement
On my outbound flight, I was in boarding Group 3, behind the the passengers flying Business as well as those with higher tier status on Cathay Pacific's frequent flyer programme. Group 3 was still quite good hough. Premium Economy passengers still do qualify for some small benefits.
On my return flight, I was in boarding Group 4 because I chose to sit at the back of the aircraft and was thus amongst the first economy class passengers to board. That is my usual travel hack, choosing seats at the back of the aircraft to qualify to be amongst the first economy class passengers to board the aircraft.
Food and In-flight Service
I had mentioned my opinion on the inflight service earlier at the beginning of this article so I am not going to repeat myself to avoid sounding like a broken record.
The in-flight meals for both my flights were good, as far as I am concerned.
On the outbound flight onboard CX690, the Premium Economy in-flight meal came with a little bit more "style" to reflect the more premium travel cabin while the Economy in-flight meal on my return flight onboard CX635 was more basic, but still very much acceptable considering the cost off my air ticket.
The meals tasted great for both flights. I enjoyed my meals and finished every morsel on my in-flight meal trays, both times. I have always been a really easy customer.
Arrival
Arrivals at both the Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore Changi International Airport were great experiences. The efficiencies of both airports were truly amazing and highly commendable. I simply love flying between both of these asian cities because of their highly efficient and awesome airports. 10/10 and zero complaints! 🛫
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