Fleet breakdown
Cathay Pacific A330-300 Business Class
2 versions · 4.9 to 8.7 out of 10 · 9 tracked routes
We have measured 2 physically different business-class cabins that Cathay Pacific flies on the A330-300. They score 4.9/10 to 8.7/10 — a 3.8-point gap on the same aircraft type, with the same airline, often on the same route.
Booking sites show one “Business” fare for all of them. Below is what each version actually is, how much of the flying it accounts for in the flight data we track, and which routes tend to get which.
The Versions, Ranked2 versions
Shares are the observed mix across the routes we track, from Flightradar24 flight history resolved to individual registrations. They describe our tracked network, not Cathay Pacific's whole A330-300 fleet — and a version we haven't measured would not appear here at all.
How to Tell Which One You're Getting
Cathay Business8.7/10
Cathay Pacific's primary A330-300 business class uses the Safran Cirrus II reverse-herringbone seat in a 1-2-1 layout. Every seat has direct aisle access; the seat converts to a fully lie-flat bed approximately 75 inches (191 cm) long. A side-folding panel widens the sleeping surface. There is no privacy door, but the high shell and wing-shaped head panel provide a meaningful sense of enclosure. The cabin is split into a larger forward section and a smaller aft section. Because the A330-300 has a narrower fuselage than the Boeing 777-300ER, the ottoman and overall footprint feel somewhat tighter than on the 77W or A350-900, though the core seat product is the same Cirrus family. StudioCX IFE runs on Panasonic eX2 hardware; satellite Wi-Fi is available. A second sub-fleet carries a 2-2-2 angled-flat recliner product on higher-density regional configurations; this product describes the dominant 1-2-1 Cirrus II long-haul fleet (roughly 25 of 44 A330-300 aircraft).
- Reverse-herringbone seats in 1-2-1: window seats angle toward windows, centre pairs angle toward each other
- Wing-shaped privacy panel beside the head — no door
- Side panel folds up to extend the sleeping surface
- Two-cabin split: larger forward J cabin and smaller aft J cabin
- Narrower feel than 77W/A350-900 variants due to the A330-300 fuselage width
- Entertainment screen pops out from the seat in front
Cathay Business (Regional)4.9/10
Cathay Pacific's regional A330-300 sub-fleet flies an older 2-2-2 angled recliner business class product, not the lie-flat Cirrus II found on the long-haul A330-300 cabin. Seats are forward-facing, 21 inches wide, with approximately 47 inches of pitch and a deep cradle-style recline (not a fully-flat bed). The cabin is configured 2-2-2 across the centre and side sections. There is no privacy door and no seat shell. Window-aisle pairs share an armrest with their neighbour; centre-section pairs are open. The product is materially less competitive than the lie-flat Cirrus II on the same airframe — passengers booking Cathay regional A330-300 routes may receive either product depending on tail.
- 2-2-2 cabin layout — distinguishes from the 1-2-1 Cirrus II A330-300 sub-fleet
- Forward-facing recliners with cradle motion, no flat-bed conversion
- AeroLOPA subtype codes for this sub-fleet: 33A, 33B, 33P (vs 33E/33J/33K for the Cirrus II sub-fleet)
- Centre-section seats are paired with open shared armrest, no divider
- No privacy shell or door
Routes Cathay Pacific Flies the A330-300 On9 routes
The percentage is this cabin family's observed share of Cathay Pacific's flying on that route. Each route page shows the full equipment mix — including the other aircraft types Cathay Pacific and its competitors schedule on it.