Cathay Pacific in Economy with Kids: Brisbane to Hong Kong

Are you planning to fly Cathay Pacific from Brisbane to Hong Kong with kids in economy, and want to know what to expect on board?

When I fly with my kids, I want to know what to expect, especially regarding meals, snacks, and entertainment. While these things change, for the most part, they are consistent. You can see what time meals are served. Learn about the food available. Prepare for your long-haul flight with kids by reading this review.

My kids and I flew Cathay Pacific’s Brisbane to Hong Kong route in September 2025. They were 10 and 11 years old. This was the first leg, with the second flight taking us from Hong Kong to New York City.

While we normally fly to California and then Florida from Australia, this time we decided to visit NYC first. I wanted to see if a longer flight and fewer layovers was a better option for us.

Keep reading to find out what to expect when flying Cathay Pacific in economy with kids from Brisbane to Hong Kong.

We usually use Cover-More travel insurance and get the middle tier option.

Cathay Pacific Economy Seating

When we first got on board and walked to the economy section, we saw that each seat had a pillow, blanket, pair of headphones, and a bottle of water.

Although there is limited space, we found the seats to be slightly spacious. This is especially compared to some of the planes we have taken recently in Asia. Also, it is spacious compared with other Asian airlines we have flown recently.

There were rows of 3-3-3. We opted to sit by a window so one child could lean against it to try to sleep. The plane is an Airbus A350-900.

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 11:55 pm and arrive in Hong Kong 8 and a half hours later.

Looking at the data, the flight ranges from 8 hours to 9 hours and 15 minutes. On the night that we flew, the Cathay Pacific flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong took 8 hours and 47 minutes. We arrived in Hong Kong at 6:37 AM Hong Kong time.

Onboard Entertainment

Before we even took off, the kids found their favorite game, 2048. If you haven’t played it on a long-haul flight, try it. It is our family’s favorite game, and it is addictive.

Each seat has a touchscreen on the back. There is a wide variety of movies, TV shows, and audio to watch or listen to. Both Western and Asian options are plentiful, as are kids’ options.

Unlike some airlines, it seems like there is a commercial each time you swap shows. I ended up watching most of season one of How I Met Your Mother, which I have seen before.

Supper Meal Service in Economy on Cathay Pacific

Thirty minutes into the flight, the flight attendants passed out menus.

We are not used to getting menus on airplanes. It was nice to know what meals to expect during our flight, along with the options.

I ordered my kids the kids’ meals, but they did not get a menu with that information. If you order a special meal, you will not know what it is until it arrives.

As soon as everyone received a menu, the kids’ meals were served, along with all other special meals.

The kid’s meal for the supper service was penne bolognese, a roll with butter, cheese, crackers, potato salad, and a piece of cake.

Adult meals are served about an hour and a half after takeoff. Drinks are served at the same time. We had received the drink menu on the back of the food menu. It does not specify soft drinks or juices.

Juice options are apple, orange, and tomato.

I do not remember all the soda choices, but there was Coca-Cola and Sprite. Beer, wine, and spirits are also available.

The regular meal for supper service on Cathay Pacific’s flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong in economy included 3 options.

While the sides and desserts were the same, we could choose between braised chicken with straw mushrooms in oyster sauce with rice, braised beef with whole-grain mustard, veggies, and mashed potatoes, or macaroni and cheese.

All of the meals included a roll with butter, cheese, crackers, cous cous salad with smoked salmon, and a Magnum ice cream bar.

I did ask for a second ice cream bar as I knew I would give mine to one of my kids and wanted to be able to give one to both of them. I was told that they would come back to me if there were any extras, but they did not.

While I knew it was probably a mistake to order macaroni and cheese on an Asian airline, it was 1 AM, and I did not want the meat options. The mac & cheese was very dry, but I ate some of the sides.

After the meal service is cleared, the lights are dimmed.

Breakfast Meal Service in Economy on Cathay Pacific

About 6 hours into the flight, the lights are turned back on.

The kids’ meals and other special meals are served immediately. As the morning approaches in Hong Kong, breakfast is served.

The kids’ breakfast meal on Cathay Pacific’s flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong was a vegetable frittata with beans and potatoes. They also received a roll with butter and jam, a fruit cup, and yogurt.

30 minutes after the special-requested meals are served, regular meal service begins. We had the choice of chive scrambled eggs with chicken sausage, mushrooms, tomato, and roasted potatoes, or pork and sweet corn congee

I would have ordered the eggs myself, as I do not eat pork, but my daughter loves congee, so I ordered it and gave it to her. She said it was delicious.

Spending a long layover in Hong Kong?  Check out the Regal Airport Hotel.

Brisbane to Hong Kong with Kids Wrap Up

For an 8-and-a-half-hour-long flight, sitting in the economy section of Cathay Pacific’s flight from Brisbane, Australia, to Hong Kong was pretty good.

This comes from someone who has taken yearly long-haul flights with kids on multiple airlines (including United, Delta, Air Nuigini, and VietJet).

While we were not hungry as the flight was in the middle of the night, there was at least one or two things we would all eat from each meal.

Cathay Pacific offers a variety of entertainment options, and none of us had to search for too long to find something interesting to watch or do.

If this were the only leg of the flight, I would have no complaints. We arrived in Hong Kong on time, fed, and entertained.

Click to read about our connecting flight from Hong Kong to New York City JFK, or the flight from NYC to Hong Kong.

We just had a short layover in Hong Kong this time, but if you are looking for fun things to do in Hong Kong with kids, here are some options that we enjoyed on our last visit.

Hong Kong Disneyland
Monopoly Dreams
Cup Noodles Museum
Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car
Victoria Peak Tram

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