logo
Flying 12 hours in business class — an honest review of the $6000 experience

Flying 12 hours in business class — an honest review of the $6000 experience

National Post22-05-2025
Article content
Cathay Pacific dining
Article content
Article content
The Duddell's abalone certainly lived up to the hype, and is arguably one of the best items I've enjoyed in the sky on any flight. Louise's sea bass was decent, however, a tad bland, and not quite to par with what I've come to know and love from the restaurant itself (which I highly recommend on a visit to Hong Kong). Regardless, it was still an elevated choice considering – and I would get it again, but maybe add a little salt. Cheese, Häagen-Dazs ice cream or fresh fruit followed, for some simple but solid dessert options (although the ice cream was very frozen – beware!).
Article content
Article content
Article content
Where the menu truly stood out was on the all-day options, which could be requested at any time during the flight. Noodles (a popular choice) and a burger with fries are on the docket, both of which were excellent. Key detail: the fries were delicious and not soggy.
Article content
For those looking to indulge in a drink, the cocktail and wine lists were extensive, edging out Canadian competitors. The Chateau Lynch-Bages from Pauillac is a tried and true choice, but for those feeling experimental, Chinese wine – not readily available in North America – is available. On the non-alcoholic front, the Hong Kong-style milk tea appeared to be a popular choice with those on my flight.
Article content
Article content
Cathay Pacific sleep
Article content
Following dinner and some work, it was time to get some shut-eye. Cathay provides a hotel-style pillow, 400-thread count cotton duvet and perhaps the most important details for a high-quality snooze — a mattress pad and eye mask. Combined with the Bamford pillow spray, I got in a full eight hours with zero interruption. The sleep was so solid, in fact, I nearly dozed through breakfast.
Article content
I'm glad I didn't, though, as the pre-landing meal was also impressive. In-flight breakfasts are usually nothing to write home about, however, there were a few nice touches here, like warmed cherry tomatoes, a shockingly decent croissant with butter and jam and – small detail – a tea bag dish (oversteeped tea is a no-no). Congee, a traditional rice porridge found in South and East Asia, was also available and looked delicious. Guests were invited to make a chocolate selection from a box, a nice touch before landing.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Michelin recognition boosts business for Montreal restaurants
Michelin recognition boosts business for Montreal restaurants

CTV News

time5 days ago

  • CTV News

Michelin recognition boosts business for Montreal restaurants

Two Montreal restaurants say Michelin recognition is driving business despite a dip in tourism. Whether you're eating food or you're making it, the Michelin mark means the crème de la crème. Mastard is one of three Montreal restaurants to have received a Michelin star in the inaugural Michelin guide for Quebec. And chef and co-owner Simon Mathys sees the difference. 'There's a little bit more reservations in advance than before for sure,' he says. After opening Mastard on a whim, Mathys is still wrapping his head around the success. He credits his 20 years in the restaurant business and a unique dining concept that was born out of the pandemic. 'It's a set menu. So when you come, you sit down and we take care of you. It's a five-course meal and you tell us about your allergies and things that you don't like to eat or whatever. And we send you some food,' Mathys says. Mastard's phones are ringing off the hook - and that's good considering Tourism Montreal says there are fewer tourists. 'Where we have a bit of an issue is on the international front. Because with the tariff, you know, and the war, economic war [...] this is the time where Europeans make their decision around traveling to Canada,' Yves Lalumière, the CEO of Tourism Montreal says. At the French-inspired restaurant Parapluie, co-owner Robin Filteau Boucher says since his designation, he is seeing more crowds - including from the U.S. 'It's pretty great for us because Michelin, it's all around the world,' Filteau Boucher says. Parapluie is one of seven spots in the city to earn a Michelin Bib Gourmand. It's awarded to restaurants that offer high-quality food at a moderate price. There will soon be even more room for tourists and Montrealers, as Filteau Boucher prepares to open Cave à Vin Parapluie in September.

Unsettling photos show the effects of climate change projected onto our everyday lives
Unsettling photos show the effects of climate change projected onto our everyday lives

CTV News

time6 days ago

  • CTV News

Unsettling photos show the effects of climate change projected onto our everyday lives

Through confronting and visually arresting images, Delille and Piermartiri hope to challenge viewers to be more reflective — and proactive — about protecting the planet. (Giulia Piermartiri and Edoardo Delille/Courtesy L'Artiere via CNN Newsource) It takes a moment to fully grasp what you're seeing in Edoardo Delille and Giulia Piermartiri's photographs of the Maldives. In one picture, a sea turtle appears to swim beside a couple on a motorbike; in another, a family of five pose in the hallway of their home, apparently standing beneath a diver floating in full scuba gear. Appropriated from tourist snaps taken underwater in the Indian Ocean, the engulfing images allude to the scenario scientists believe could play out by the end of the century, if the climate crisis isn't promptly addressed. With an average elevation of just one metre (3.3 feet) above sea level, the Maldives is the world's lowest-lying country and therefore at substantial risk. Some reports predict that by 2050, 80 per cent of its land could become uninhabitable if sea levels continue to rise at their current rate. Delille and Piermartiri's images illustrate this potential future. Shot in 2019, and previously titled 'Diving Maldives,' the series became the starting point for 'Atlas of the New World,' a photobook recently published by L'Artiere (the images are also currently exhibited at Cortona on the Move, a photography festival in Tuscany). The photographers travelled to six highly-climate vulnerable areas in an effort to make tangible the extreme environmental realities forecast for this century. Their technique married scientific data with oneiric visuals, and they produced the images via an analog process involving a battery-operated projector connected to a flash. 'We found that to show the present was not enough,' Delille explained on a video call. 'So we looked at how global warming will change the morphological shape of the landscape, directly at the end of the century, which better shows the gravity of the problem.' Atlas of the world Those that will be most impacted in the future are the less wealthy, according to the photographers. "Poor people are suffering. They cannot simply move to a cooler place," said Delille. (Giulia Piermartiri and Edoardo Delille/Courtesy L'Artiere via CNN Newsource) Each of the book's chapters — which additionally include California, Mont Blanc, Mozambique, China and Russia — employs the same tools to highlight a different version of a similar narrative, with striking results. In one image made in Paradise, California — a state where the average area burnt by wildfires is set to increase 77 per cent by 2100 if planet-heating pollution continues to rise — a man is pictured casually scanning the contents of his fridge as bright orange flames fill his kitchen. In the series looking at Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps and the site of rapidly melting glaciers, flowery green meadows are superimposed onto snow. Acquired from different image banks, the visuals in each photograph are of landscapes that already experience similar weathers to those forecast; for example, images of the Nevada desert are projected onto homes in California, while those in the Mozambique series come predominantly from the Namib desert in Namibia. Atlas of the world On their decision to tackle the climate crisis in their images, Delille explained that "you cannot feel the problem" and "to show the present was not enough." (Giulia Piermartiri and Edoardo Delille/Courtesy L'Artiere via CNN Newsource) Throughout, the pictures are accompanied by comparative data — primarily pulled from the United Nations Environment Programme, or sourced from more localized databases such as those that predict wildfires in the US — illustrating the disparities between current statistics and those projected for 2100 (presented both in text and infographics). Further underscoring the work is a collection of accompanying essays authored by various experts. 'Everything is shocking,' continued Delille, alluding to the weight of their research. Typically based in Florence, the photographers first became motivated watching global climate protests unfold in September 2019, as people around the world took to the streets demanding action; in Italy, more than one million reportedly took part. Atlas of the world Márcia Sambo, a farmer, is pictured in front of her house on Inhaca Island. (Giulia Piermartiri and Edoardo Delille/Courtesy L'Artiere via CNN Newsource) Delille and Piermartiri, who spent a month or two in each place they covered, explained that while the photographs are obviously central to the project, the conversations they had with people on the ground, who appear in the images, were the real nucleus. 'It was really important, before shooting, to do interviews,' Delille shared. 'We really care about what they think about how global warming is affecting their lives. And in every place they had a totally different mentality about the problem.' 'The contrast in the Maldives was really strong,' explained Piermartiri. 'It was totally green — electric motorbikes, solar panels — because they live with the nature. The main pollution came from tourists.' These visitors, added Delille, had everything imported: 'Champagne, beer, Italian wine, American things… It was really strange to see. The local people will be submerged because of us — I also say me, because I went there by plane — but they live very ethically.' In Mozambique, where they spoke to farmers and worked alongside an NGO focused on migration, the photographers were struck by how much the country is suffering from a climate crisis overwhelmingly driven by rich countries. As a continent, Africa contributes just 4 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions globally, while Mozambique, which in the last decade has suffered two of the worst droughts in its history, contributes only 0.22 per cent. Atlas of the world Delille and Piermartiri's images illustrate a future that includes desertification, climate migration, rising sea levels and forest fires. (Giulia Piermartiri and Edoardo Delille/Courtesy L'Artiere via CNN Newsource) 'Global warming is not democratic,' said Delille. 'The richest people are doing these things (polluting the planet and impacting climate change) and poor people are suffering. They cannot simply move to a cooler place.' Delille and Piermartiri decided early on, from those initial pictures made in the Maldives, that 'Atlas of the New World' should be an academic-adjacent project as opposed to an artistic coffee table book. Then they started to see a wider potential. 'We only understood later in the process that this project had been made for future generations,' Delille observed. 'We would love to have this be used in schools.' 'It's a kind of manual,' agreed Piermartiri, reflecting on the engagement they've already received from talks and exhibitions. 'When kids look at our pictures, they become immediately conscious about the problem. These pictures speak about the future, and the most important thing is that the message passes on to them.' By Zoe Whitfield, CNN

First Cessna SkyCourier in Mongolia to Join Hunnu Air Fleet, Enhancing Operations in Asia-Pacific Region
First Cessna SkyCourier in Mongolia to Join Hunnu Air Fleet, Enhancing Operations in Asia-Pacific Region

National Post

time11-08-2025

  • National Post

First Cessna SkyCourier in Mongolia to Join Hunnu Air Fleet, Enhancing Operations in Asia-Pacific Region

WICHITA, Kan. — The Cessna SkyCourier is making its entry into Mongolia with charter operator Hunnu Air placing the first order for the versatile twin-engine turboprop aircraft in the country. Hunnu Air will use the Cessna SkyCourier to enhance domestic tourism and cargo operations within Mongolia. The order includes two passenger variants of the Cessna SkyCourier aircraft and one Cessna Grand Caravan EX, with deliveries of their new aircraft expected to begin in 2026. Article content Article content The Cessna SkyCourier is designed and produced by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company. Article content Article content 'Designed for versatility and performance, the Cessna SkyCourier is a strong fit to support Hunnu Air's services across Mongolia,' said Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing. 'The increasing global popularity of the aircraft underscores its exceptional adaptability in supporting air freight, charter and special missions use cases, showcasing its broad appeal across diverse operational sectors.' Article content Since 2011, Hunnu Air has served as a pivotal player in the Mongolian aviation sector, demonstrating a robust commitment to expand both domestic and international air travel. As the second-largest airline in Mongolia, Hunnu Air has carved a niche for itself by offering reliable and efficient air transport solutions to its passengers. Article content With its exceptional performance, reliability and capacity, the SkyCourier is well-suited for VIP operations across Mongolia's vast and diverse landscapes, providing greater accessibility to remote and scenic destinations. This strategic investment underscores Hunnu Air's commitment to expanding air travel options and supporting Mongolia's growing tourism sector. Article content Textron Aviation recently celebrated the first Canadian delivery of the twin-engine, high-wing turboprop to Air Bravo Corporation, as well as the achievement of certification for the Combi configuration from the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil and first delivery into South America. Article content The Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine, high-wing turboprop offers a combination of performance and lower operating costs for air freight, commuter and special mission operators. Article content The freighter variant is sized to handle up to three LD3 shipping containers with an impressive 6,000-pound payload capability. The 19-passenger variant includes crew and passenger doors for smooth boarding, as well as large cabin windows for natural light and views. Both variants offer single-point pressure refueling to enable faster turnarounds. Article content The SkyCourier is powered by two wing-mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC turboprop engines and features the McCauley Propeller C779, a heavy-duty and reliable 110-inch aluminum four-blade propeller, which is full feathering with reversible pitch, designed to enhance the performance of the aircraft while hauling tremendous loads. The SkyCourier is operated with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and has a maximum cruise speed of more than 200 KTAS and a 900 nautical-mile maximum range. Article content About Textron Aviation Article content We inspire the journey of flight. For more than 95 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. For more information, visit Article content | Article content . Article content About Textron Inc. Article content Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: Article content Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations of orders. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact: Article content Heaven Cedeno Article content Article content +1.316.285.4578 Article content Article content

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store