Enter Dragonair
Dragonair
Dragonair (quickly to be rebranded as Cathay Dragon) is the regional subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, one in every of my favourite airways. Though many individuals consider Dragonair as a low-cost provider subsidiary (just like Scoot’s relationship with Singapore Airways) they’re really a full-service airline, simply to not the usual of Cathay Pacific. I’ve flown Dragonair earlier than in Enterprise class on an A330 and located it to be a superbly nice flight.
I had all the time been beneath the impression that Dragonair provided financial system, premium financial system, and enterprise. A lot to my shock, after I was trying to find award flights from Hong Kong to Beijing I discovered a Dragonair flight providing First Class! I used to be confused for a bit however after a little bit of Googling I discovered that Dragonair has in truth been providing First Class since early 2014. I couldn’t not e-book it, so right here we go!
The Seat
Dragonair’s First Class seat is the very same seat as Cathay Pacific’s latest Enterprise Class seat. You’ll additionally discover these extremely acclaimed seats on American’s 777-300ERs in Enterprise Class. Dragonair additionally shares regional enterprise class and financial system seats with Cathay Pacific, so this isn’t surprising. It’s the first case that I’ve discovered of an airline calling a Enterprise Class seat First Class, however it’s a subsidiary and never a mainline operator so it’s completely superb for a 3 hour flight.
Dragonair First Class seat
Dragonair First Class seat
Dragonair First Class seat
Seat controls
The cabin decor seems precisely the identical as a Cathay Pacific First Class cabin, so it felt oddly acquainted but totally different.
The Service
I used to be served an amuse bouche and requested some champagne in the course of the boarding course of.
Amuse bouche and ready champagne glass
As we took off in the direction of China my champagne glass was delightfully refilled and so they introduced by some macadamia nuts as effectively.
Champagne glass!
Macadamia nuts
Preserving within the spirit of “similar to Cathay Pacific however not fairly” they’d a caviar service! However there wasn’t as a lot caviar within the tin as there would’ve been on a Cathay flight.
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- Caviar!
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- Shallow tin
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- Mom of pearl spoon
After the caviar there was a prawn salad that was completely great. Clearly I needed to get away the macro lens for some close-up photographs.
Prawn salad
There was one a part of the flight that was simply nearly as good as Cathay: the buttery garlic bread!
Mmmmm….bread
The principle entree was a beef filet with a facet of prawn and inexperienced beans.
The dessert was a molten chocolate cake. Now, I don’t know a lot about something however I do know molten chocolate cake. Sadly this cake missed the mark a bit: there was no “molten”. It was completely good chocolate cake, however I had excessive hopes after seeing it on the menu. Oh effectively.
Appears to be like nice, however…
No molten, womp womp
After the meal service, they introduced by some heat towels for everybody.
Heat towel
I then set the seat again to get some sleep. Shortly earlier than we began our descent I requested some espresso, which they introduced promptly with some candies.
Me “ruining the espresso” by including milk
Mmmmm…candies
Last ideas
I loved my flight in Dragonair’s First Class. The service wasn’t fairly nearly as good as Cathay Pacific First, however I didn’t count on it to be. The service, seat, and all the pieces else had been on par with Cathay Pacific longhaul Enterprise Class, it’s in all probability the most effective comparability. The flight attendants had been dutiful, pleasant, and immediate and the in-flight leisure had an in depth assortment (it’s only a rebranded model of Cathay Pacific’s StudioCX system).
In enterprise class this may’ve value me 22,500 AAdvantage miles, First Class value 32,500 miles. Was it well worth the 10,000 mile premium? Most likely not for a 3 hour flight, however I simply needed to assessment it for you!
What did you consider the Dragonair First Class assessment? Have you ever flown it? What did you suppose?
