Cathay Pacific Aria Suite: They DELETED First Class For THIS!?

I flew Cathay Pacific's new Aria Suite business class from Hong Kong to Sydney on the retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER - 9 hours in the suite that replaced Cathay's First Class cabin. Cathay Pacific's Aria Suite launched in late 2024 and has since been named World's Best Business Class in the 2026 AirlineRatings awards. It's a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout with a sliding privacy door, a wrap-around seat shell, a 24-inch 4K screen (the largest Cathay has ever fitted), Bluetooth headphone pairing and multiple cabin lighting modes. There are currently only 17 planes in the 777-300ER fleet, with the full retrofit due to finish by the end of 2027. Flight details: Airline: Cathay Pacific Flight: CX161 Route: Hong Kong to Sydney Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER Cabin: Business Class - Aria Suites Flight time: 9h 5m Date: January 2026 This flight was paid for by me, and this is a fully independent review. #cathaypacific #AriaSuites #BusinessClass 0:00 Cabin intro and welcome 1:53 Cabin features and entertainment 4:20 Dining and drink selection 7:42 In-flight meal service 9:46 Amenity kit and cabin tour 13:12 Bedding and sleep quality 14:45 Final flight review