Service straight from the heart

Cathay Pacific has added a new level of on-board comfort with the introduction of new seating on its aircraft operating from Canada and a number of other key destinations around the world. The carrier celebrated the official Canadian launch in Toronto last night (May 8) at a festive event at the city’s Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex. Along with new economy class seating and a new flatbed business class seats, CX introduced what it’s describing as its “Premium Economy experience” that includes a separate cabin from economy with between 26 and 34 seats per aircraft. Seat pitch is 38 inches — six inches more than Economy Class — and the seat itself is wider and has a bigger recline. It also features a large meal table, cocktail table, footrest, a 10.6-inch personal television, an in-seat power outlet, a multi-port connector for personal devices and extra personal stowage space. In many ways, the onboard changes reflect, Cathay Pacific’s commitment to providing its customers “service straight from the heart.” Lavinia Lau, vice-president Canada for the carrier, told the Toronto audience that while times are both challenging and volatile in the airline business today, Cathay Pacific takes the “long view” and as a result has made a significant investment in the new seats and its on board product. Along with the onboard changes, Lau also said that the carrier, which now has 135 aircraft in its fleet, has orders in for over 90 new planes. CX’s Canadian boss said that the vision of the carrier is to be the “best airline in the world” and it will do that by excelling in everything it does. Key to achieving that goal, Lau observed, is the fact that the people who work at Cathay Pacific provide service that comes “straight from the heart.” And she added that this is not simply a slogan, it is something that is “in our DNA” and “that’s what makes us the best airline in the world.” For more, go to http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_CA/homepage .