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Review: Cathay Pacific in Economy with Kids Hong Kong to New York City JFK

ByLanie van der Horst Updated on

Are you flying Cathay Pacific in economy with kids and want to know what to expect?

When I fly long-haul with my kids, I prefer to know what it is like on board. I want to know what meals will be served. What will the entertainment be like? Is there something I need to bring with us to keep the kids occupied? How many snacks should I carry?

My kids and I flew Cathay Pacific in September 2025 when they were 10 and 11 years old. The first flight took us from Brisbane to Hong Kong in 8.5 hours. After a 2-hour layover, we boarded the next flight, which would take us to New York City’s JFK airport.

The flight from Hong Kong to JFK is 16 hours long, so we definitely wanted to be prepared.

If you want to know what it is like on board a 16-hour flight in the economy section of a Cathay Pacific plane with kids, keep reading.

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Cathay Pacific Economy Seating

Having just gotten off a Cathay Pacific flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong, I was a bit disappointed in the economy seats.

Our flight from Hong Kong to New York City JFK was on a Boeing 777-300ER, while the first flight was on an Airbus A350-900.

This plane was a lot squishier. The seats are 3-4-3. We again took a window, middle, and aisle seat.

When we arrived on board, each economy seat had a pillow and blanket on it. There was a wrapped pair of headphones in each seat pocket.

We did not get a bottle of water on our seats like we had on the last leg of the plane. We did notice that premium economy had bottles of water on their seats as well as an amenity bag.

On Board Entertainment

Cathay Pacific has touchscreen TV screens on the back seat of each chair.

There are plenty of options, including both Western and Asian TV shows and movies. Kids have plenty of choices as well.

In addition to movies and TV shows, there are music and podcast options as well as games. My family recommends the game 2048.

Thankfully, we were each given headphones, as my son’s headphones broke during this flight, and he took mine.

Cathay Pacific Menu

About 15 minutes after take off, we were handed a bottle of water and a menu.

Thirty minutes after take off, the drink cart came by and we were offered peanuts.

We learned that there would be 2 main meals, lunch and dinner. Plus, there would be snacks available for us to eat as needed.

Lunch Meal Service

Forty-five minutes after takeoff, the kids’ meals were served. I always order my kids the special kids’ meal in advance with the hope that they will eat something.

All special meal requests are delivered before the regular meal service begins.

For lunch, the kid’s meal included pasta with chicken and veggies in a cream sauce. They also received corn salad, a roll with butter, chocolate mousse, a macadamia shortbread cookie, a box of apple juice, and an ice cream.

An hour and 10 minutes after takeoff, or 25 minutes after the special meals were delivered, the regular meal service went by.

The lunch menu offered 3 options. The first choice was a stir-fried chicken with spicy chili crisp served with egg fried rice and mushrooms. The non-Asian option was meatloaf with spinach and mashed potatoes. For the vegetarian option, there was a cauliflower in cream sauce with roasted veggies.

All of the meals included fruit, a roll with butter, cucumber and mushroom salad, and ice cream.

I chose the chicken dish, and it is by far the best chicken I have ever had on a flight. It may be the best main dish I have ever had on a flight.

Mid-Flight Snacks

The menus let us know that there were snacks during the flight. It mentioned that there were snacks in the galley, plus Cup Noodles and Hong Kong egg tarts.

I have never been on a flight where I knew that there were unlimited snacks on offer. Sure, I have had flight attendants tell me I could go to the back to get the kids snacks if I wanted, but it has never been announced.

Also, I have never been on a flight where there is not a snack service, but instead you get your snack when you want it.

Typically, on long-haul flights, there is a meal after takeoff and another meal before landing. Usually, there is a snack mid-flight on flights longer than 10 hours.

We did not look for snacks much, but we did see pretzels, gummy bears, pita chips, muesli bars, and palmier cookies out at various times throughout the flight.

After lunch, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. When I opened them, I saw that someone had Cup Noodles. I wasn’t sure how they got them.

Around mid-flight, I walked to the back of the plane, which is where you ask for Cup Noodles and Hong Kong egg tarts.

Since I figured we wouldn’t be served a meal until the end of the flight, I got the kids Cup Noodles, and I got myself a Hong Kong egg tart, which was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten on an airplane.

Dinner Meal Service

With slightly less than 8 hours left to go in the flight, just over halfway, the lights went on, and everything I thought I knew about meals on long-haul flights was proven incorrect.

The kids’ meals and all of the special meals were served 15 minutes later.

It included pasta with cheese and meat, along with veggies. The sides were a roll with butter, potato salad, jello cubes, a macadamia shortbread cookie, and a box of apple juice.

Just 15 minutes later, the regular meal service went by.

As I had seen the menu earlier, I knew that I would not eat either main meal option. There were only 2 choices: pork with egg fried rice and veggies, or braised beef with pasta and veggies.

I do not eat pork or beef, and figured I would swap with a kid, but we weren’t that hungry. In the end, I just asked for a tray without the main dish.

The sides included fruit salad, a roll with butter, and chocolate coconut cake.

After dinner service, the lights dimmed again until the end of the flight. We weren’t offered any more food.

To be fair, we did not walk to get snacks or ask for anything else.

How to Survive a 16 Hour Long Haul with Kids

Long-haul flights aren’t easy in economy with or without kids, but there are a few things that we had that really helped us this time.

I am not one to pack a lot as it just gets in the way, but those items, in addition to snacks, made the flight more bearable.

Many people recommend an eye cover, and I always bring one, but I haven’t found one I like.

Want to know what the flight back is like?  We also flew Cathay Pacific from NYC to Hong Kong.

I have also learned that spending a night on the way is amazing. We have had overnight layovers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Hong Kong during our long-haul flights.

Cathay Pacific in Economy with Kids Wrap Up

When I booked our Cathay Pacific Flight from Brisbane to New York City JFK with a layover in Hong Kong, I had read that their planes are spacious.

The plane used in the longest leg of our flight, a 16-hour-long flight, had very little leg room in economy.

I would have preferred to fly the longest section on the 1st plane. They have to realize it is very uncomfortable in economy seating for a 16-hour flight.

Still, we used our foot hammocks and neck pillows and slept as much as we could.

When we were awake or not actively trying to rest, there was enough on the TV to keep us happy and occupied.

The first meal service was delicious, and while I wasn’t hungry for dinner, I wish they offered a vegetarian option or at least a chicken or fish dish. I know I could order a special meal, but I chose not to.

The kids didn’t love the main meal portion of their meals, but there was something they could eat on each tray. Their favorite, of course, was the ice cream.

I wish we had known the approximate times of the meal service. It seemed strange to wake everyone up mid-flight to eat.

Plus, I have never been on a long-haul flight that didn’t feed you right before landing.

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Lanie is the owner and author of Make More Adventures, a family travel blog that helps families make the most of their holidays. Lanie is an American living in Australia with her husband and 2 kids who love to travel almost as much as she does. When she is not traveling, working on her blog, or planning her next vacation, Lanie is watching Bravo, reading, or working with kids.

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