Flat-lay beds, fancy beauty kits and restaurant-style menus — these days, there isn’t much that differentiates one business-class cabin from another.
But as I prepare for a super-long-haul flight from London to Hong Kong (just under 13 hours) with Cathay Pacific, I spot something I have never seen before: the option of a liquid meal.
I’ve encountered everything from kosher to vegan menus in the skies, but never one where my dinner is, essentially, a drink.
It sounds bizarre, but there is method in the madness. Before taking the plunge, I speak to medical specialists, including leading cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, who tells me he is on a plane almost every other week.
He agrees that the idea of a liquid meal while flying is interesting, particularly because cabin pressure can affect digestion and most plane food is ‘toxic and ultra-processed’.
So, my curiosity sufficiently piqued, I board Cathay Pacific to find out whether this is the future of flying or simply an elaborate way of having soup at 35,000ft.
First stop: Cathay Pacific Business Class
On my outbound flight, I start with the more conventional Cathay Pacific experience.
I’m flying in one of the airline’s new Aria Suites, currently available on selected Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Cabin crew manager Sia tells me the seats are popular and pretty much booked out on every leg. Settling into mine, I can see why.
It’s probably the most user-friendly business-class seat I’ve experienced to date.
A simple touchscreen system allows me to recline or sit upright with a single press; no need to keep my finger held down while the seat slowly lurches backwards.
The charging points are easy to find, while a cupboard beside the seat houses a pair of efficient noise-cancelling headphones.
It’s the sort of setup that makes you wonder why every airline doesn’t do things this way.
As we take off, I dig into the amenity kit, filled with goodies from Bamford.
My favourite is a balm that feels like a more luxurious version of Vaseline—exactly the sort of thing you want when your skin starts feeling parched halfway across the world.
There are, however, a couple of niggles.
Pyjamas are no longer provided, stripping one of those small but satisfying perks of flying business class.
The entertainment offering feels a little thin, with what seems to be a heavier selection of Asian films than the latest Hollywood releases. Then again, this is Cathay.
After recently flying with Middle Eastern airlines where Wi-Fi is extra, even in premium, however, I’m pleased to find complimentary connectivity.
Most importantly, it actually works well.
The food is no afterthought
Another highlight is the cuisine — although, for now, I stick to solid food.
My outbound flight departs London at 6pm, which proves to be almost the perfect business-class schedule.
There’s enough time to settle in, enjoy dinner, watch a film, then get a decent chunk of sleep before landing in Hong Kong.
I go for grilled tuna sashimi with a lovely pickled mustard sauce, followed by pan-fried scallop and prawn in an equally as tantalising XO sauce.
It’s a far cry from the usual image of airline food being something to endure rather than enjoy. Once the cabin settles down, I recline my seat and manage around six hours of solid sleep.
We touch down around 2pm after I have polished off stir-fried egg noodles for breakfast and, despite the long journey, I arrive feeling fresh.
Would you drink your dinner?
Back on board after a stint in Cathay Pacific’s Deck lounge in Hong Kong (which doesn’t quite have the wow factor of some of the business-class lounges I’ve experienced elsewhere), it’s time to dabble in the liquid meal.
Sia is working on the return flight, too, and tells me that relatively few passengers order it.
As the meal is so infrequently requested, my tray arrives without the usual menu. Instead, I’m presented with a selection of drinkable dishes.
The main event is a rich, flavoursome soup that I eventually decide must be pumpkin. There’s also a carton of milk, a bottle of orange juice, and a creamy tofu dessert.
I order a glass of Bordeaux to go with it, and surprisingly, I find the whole thing quite satisfying. I recline into bed, pull the 400-thread-count duvet cover around me and nod off.
In fact, I sleep better than I ever have on a flight.
I wake with about an hour and a half to go, just in time for my liquid breakfast: a bowl of congee, a traditional Asian rice porridge.
It goes down a treat, accompanied by a pot of plain yoghurt and a bottle of fresh watermelon juice. And then something rather unexpected happens.
As we land in London at around 6am, I realise my stomach feels better than it usually does after a long-haul flight.
I don’t feel as though I’ve spent the night eating my way through an airline trolley, and there’s none of that horribly stuffed feeling I sometimes get after flying.
Of course, one flight is hardly a scientific experiment—and there are plenty of other reasons I may have slept better.
But I’m surprised by just how much I enjoyed eating this way.
After all, business class has spent years trying to make flying feel more like a five-star hotel or restaurant.
Cathay Pacific, meanwhile, has given me dinner in a glass.
I’m still not entirely sure whether I love it or simply love the novelty. As they say, try everything once.
How much does it cost?
Cathay Pacific Business Class return flights from London Heathrow to Hong Kong start from £3,700 in December.
Fares vary depending on dates and availability.
