Time is flying! With Chloe being part of the new team, we decided to go all out to maximize the infant perks when it comes to premium travel. After all, when she turns two… adult fare prices kicks in!
That being said, not all “infant perks” are created equal. Depending on the airline, the cost and policies can vary greatly. Unfortunately for Cathay Pacific… it is notorious for charging the most when it comes to babies in First Class. So how on earth did this flight happen?
Here’s the story…
Originally, Paul was booked in First Class in Seat 2K (where Miki is seating right now)
while Miki & Chloe were originally booked a row behind him in Business Class (the empty seat behind her in the picture below)
I know what you’re thinking. Best wife ever?! Yes, since Cathay Pacific First Class is also notoriously hard to book with miles for a whole family, Miki initially decided to “slum it” in Business Class to let Paul experience the product for the very first time. It’s a sacrifice we decided to make considering the regular cost of the flight is almost $10,000 USD.
For the romantics that follow this blog, you guys may remember that Paul once upon a time did the same thing for Miki 😉 With the airline’s help, Paul surprised Miki for the ultimate birthday experience for her 1st Cathay Pacific First Class flight.
Then, just days before the flight… First Class seats magically opened up!
Like it’s Christmas morning, Paul giddily jumped in excitement and booked it in a heartbeat. The big caveat was Chloe was still booked in Business Class and needed to be ticketed in First at the airport…
And for Cathay Pacific flights originating from North America, infant fare is 25% of the base rate. The flight agent(s) checking us in were able to kindly give us the lowest one-way base rate possible, which was $7800 USD for LAX-HKG-BKK
Thus, Chloe’s total cost became a “value ticket” at $1950 USD for First Class.
It was the first time Miki & Paul bought a plane ticket at LAX upon check-in. The flight agent(s) probably thought we were nuts.
The way we saw this airline’s value proposition was this — for a mere $650 USD per ticket (split 3-ways), Miki, Paul, and Chloe were able to fly Cathay Pacific First Class together… a rare moment for premium aviation experiences.
Unexpectedly being upgraded, you can imagine the level of excitement they had when they boarded!
The seats are enormousssssssssss
Like Singapore Airlines New Suite Class, they served Krug Vintage 2004 upon boarding.
Super exciting moment for the family. For reference, Paul’s new seat is 1K
To their fortune, Chloe immediately passes out upon take-off.
And since I’m such a nice bear, I prepared the bed for her to sleep by my side.
It was almost an empty cabin. Besides another passenger in Seat 2A, all the seats were available to convert to a nice comfy bed.
It was a rare uninterrupted date night in the sky.
In the middle of the night, Chloe decided to wake up and join the fun. So we opt for another midnight meal.
Then Chloe got sleepy (again) and put her in another bed for fun in front of the plane.
Can you tell Paul had a fantastic night?!
Thanks again Cathay Pacific for another amazing flight!
So was it worth paying cash for First Class? Chloe certainly thinks so!
Each to its own, but if the opportunity ever came, we would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s definitely worth the premium even if infant fares is 25% of the cost. Just think of it this way…. the ticket is 75% off!
Time is fleeting… one day flights likes this as a family will be extremely hard (and expensive) to come by. But for now, let’s enjoy this moment and show Chloe what life can potentially be like if she’s super successful in the years to come.
Who knows, maybe she’ll pay 100% at cost for us because it’s no big deal 😉
Chai Bear World 