Cathay Pacific’s ARIA suite proves a hit with Australia market

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Cathay Pacific’s new ARIA Suite is making waves across Australia’s luxury travel market, drawing strong interest from premium travellers and trade alike since it first launched on the Sydney-Hong Kong route in March 2025.Currently operating on one of Cathay’s four daily Sydney services and one of three daily Melbourne services, the business class suite has been well received, with healthy load factors and high praise from frequent flyers, Cathay Pacific’s Regional Manager Frosti Lau told LATTE.The product aims to redefine business class by pairing high-end design with Michelin-level cuisine, premium wines and enhanced privacy, according to Lau.“The ARIA Suite actually elevates the level of travel experience,” he said. “The seat is very comfortable. You have different lighting for your work, dining.”The premium offering is part of a broader upgrade across Cathay’s business and premium economy cabins, featuring touches like 4K screens, Bluetooth headphone pairing, sliding privacy doors, and enhanced seat comfort.

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The culinary offering is also setting it apart. “You can actually have the taste of a Michelin high-grade restaurant on a flight,” Lau said. The airline collaborates with a number of high profile restaurateurs from the Hong Kong foodie scene and takes pride in serving a “perfectly cooked” steak in the air, he continued.In addition to this, it has also introduced a special Chinese menu that showcases the cuisine of China’s eight regions on a rotating basis. Another standout addition to the inflight menu is the airline’s carefully selected Chinese wine list, also available on Australian routes.“Two years ago, we actually introduced a good Chinese wine selection – premium wine that we offer. Most of them are organic,” Lau shared.Among these wines are varietals from Chinese wine regions Ningxia, Xinjiang, Shanxi and Yunnan, which are generating an overwhelmingly positive reaction from passengers who have not tried them before, he added..To build awareness of the ARIA offering among the trade and consumers, Cathay recently launched high-profile activations in Westfield Chatswood and Melbourne Chadstone to showcase the ARIA Suite which were well attended.“It’s thousands of people, not just hundreds,” Lau said, with the number later confirmed as exceeding 25,000. “People could come to get a personalised boarding pass, and then take part in an on-the-spot lucky draw… and the grand prize was for them to win a pair of business class.”The airline is also ensuring travel advisors fully understand the ARIA product, bringing key trade and corporate partners onboard to experience it first-hand when it first launched.Looking ahead, Cathay plans to maintain momentum with new marketing initiatives, while continuing to expand capacity. Lau pointed out that by the end of the year, the airline will operate close to 100 weekly flights between Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong, including seasonal services to Adelaide, Cairns, and Christchurch.“It’s very exciting to see more Australians and Kiwis on board,” Lau said.

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