Our Economy fares
Choose the fare that suits you – because no two journeys are the same
We’ve designed our Economy fares to give you total choice and flexibility when booking flights. Our Light, Essential and Flex fares are tailored, so you never pay for what you don’t need.
Each fare offers you increasingly more control and greater benefits, from enhanced baggage allowances to flexible rebooking and upgrade options.
Light
Jetting off for a weekend getaway or happy to just simply pack less? Book great value fares that give you the freedom and ease to travel light.
Essential
If you’re travelling with family or heading off on a longer trip, our essential fares offer extra luggage and seat pre-selection: the perfect balance of comfort and value.
Flex
Give yourself complete flexibility for your next business trip or holiday, with full control over your travel plans for maximum convenience and protection.
Pick the fare that's right for you
Category |
Light |
Essential |
Flex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin baggage | 1 piece, 7kg | 1 piece, 7kg | 1 piece, 7kg |
| Checked baggage | 1 piece, 23kg | 2 pieces, 23kg each | 2 pieces, 23kg each |
| Free seat pre-selection (regular seats) | - |  |
|
| Free seat pre-selection (preferred seats & extra legroom seats) | - | - | |
| Free flight changes | - | - | |
| Status Points and miles | |
|
|
| Upgrade with miles | - | |
|
| Free same-day earlier flight change | - | - | |
Your questions, answered
No, assuming that there are still seats available in Economy class, all three fare types (Light/Essential/Flex) will always be available in every booking class.
Yes, these fares are applicable to all routes in Economy class.
You have the flexibility to choose the elements, like baggage allowance and seat selection, that suit your needs best. You can also save by selecting a higher fare tier instead of purchasing a lower fare type and then adding these elements later.
Not necessarily. The system will compare the fare options and return with the lowest fare, which may be mapped to a fare type or not. The original change fee will be applied, and the reissued ticket will then follow the new fare rules and fees if further changes are required.
Premium Economy/Business/First class offerings remain unchanged, although they display the Light/Essential/Flex label. These new fare types only affect Economy tickets.
Cancellation fees remain unchanged and follow the fare rules/conditions of the original ticket you purchased before the new Economy fares rollout.
You can change and re-issue your ticket to a higher fare type. This can be done in Manage Booking, or by contacting our customer care team or your handling agent. A change fee may apply as per the fare rules and conditions.
You are not able to change your ticket to a lower fare type.
No, we have introduced Light/Essential/Flex for Economy class fares only.
Yes, it is possible to combine different cabins on one itinerary. An example would be flying Economy (any fare type) at the start of your trip, and returning in Premium Economy.
Yes, it is possible to combine different fare types on one itinerary. An example would be flying Economy Light outbound and Economy Flex inbound. Please note that you are not able to combine different fare types when you purchase via the Cathay Pacific app. Please purchase via the Cathay Pacific website or a travel agent.
Yes, as of March 2022, the new Economy fares are available in all markets.
The new Economy fares are still supported by interline booking, with Light, Essential and Flex fare types available.
Yes, we have transitioned our checked baggage allowance from a weight system to a piece system that applies worldwide on all routes.
| Cabin class | Checked baggage allowances | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | Light fares | 1 piece (23kg) |
| Essential fares | 2 pieces (2 x 23kg) | |
| Flex fares | 2 pieces (2 x 23kg) | |
| Premium Economy | 2 pieces (2 x 23kg) | |
| Business | 2 pieces (2 x 32kg) 3 pieces (3 x 23 kg) for Hong Kong–New Zealand flights |
|
| First | 3 pieces (3 x 32 kg) | |
The new baggage system is applicable to all cabins across all markets. These changes have been rolled out to all markets together with new Economy fares.
Your baggage allowance will be determined by the new ticket. The new ticket could be associated with either the weight system or piece system if it is fully unused. The weight system will remain if it is a partially used ticket.
Log in to Manage Booking or refer to your e-ticket to find the most accurate baggage allowance information.
Yes, this practice remains unchanged. Baggage pooling is still allowed at the airport if passengers travel / check-in together.
Yes, booking additional prepaid baggage is still available for purchase online, and extra baggage options are also provided at the airport during the check-in process.
Yes, under the piece system, extra baggage fees are charged per piece instead of per kilogram. Purchasing additional pieces of baggage comes with a fixed maximum weight allowance. Please refer to extra baggage charges for more details.
There is no change – extra baggage allowance can be still redeemed according to the baggage allowance system (i.e. weight or piece) shown on the ticket. Please refer to extra baggage charges for more details.
Heavy baggage charges under the piece system are applied as usual.
No, the charges and policies remain the same. Please refer to baggage information for further details.
Yes, baggage allowances for redemption tickets have been changed to a per piece system for tickets issued on or after 28 February 2022 as follows:
| Cabin classes | Checked baggage allowance |
|---|---|
| First | 3 pieces (3 x 32kg) |
| Business | 2 pieces (2 x 32kg) 3 pieces (3 x 23kg) for Hong Kong–New Zealand flights |
| Premium Economy | 2 pieces (2 x 23kg) |
| Economy | 1 piece (23kg) |
Please refer to our baggage information page, your e-ticket or log in to Manage Booking to find the most accurate baggage allowance information.
No, the entitlement still follows the carrier policy of your booked flights. Please check with respective carriers accordingly.
For redemption tickets containing interline sectors, please check the “most significant carrier” of your ticket – this determines the baggage allowance for air travel. If the “most significant carrier” is not Cathay Pacific, please check the respective airline’s baggage policy. Refer to carrier rules for more details.
The baggage allowance for interline bookings remains the same according to the corresponding fare type, provided the most significant carrier for the itinerary is Cathay Pacific.
No, our optional add-ons (advance regular seat reservations, extra legroom seats, prepaid extra baggage etc.) are still available for purchase on top of the ticket.
No, early standby can only be used on the date of travel. It must be an earlier flight departing on the same day from the origin airport.
No, redemption upgrades and bookable upgrade vouchers are available for Essential and Flex fares only.
Yes, eligibility for airport and inflight cash upgrades remains the same, and is available to all fare types.
Yes, the number of points and miles will be determined by the airline, cabin, fare class or fare type, and distance travelled. To find out how much you’ll earn from a flight, check out our Status Points and Asia Miles calculator.
You can earn more Status Points and Asia Miles with Essential and Flex fares. Use our Status Points and Asia Miles calculator to enter your destination and learn how much you can accrue per fare type. The exact number of points and miles earned from a particular flight will appear during the booking process and on the Manage Booking page once you’ve booked your flight.
Yes, effective from 1 March 2022, the updated Cathay air accrual scheme also applies to Premium Economy, Business and First class cabins. The higher the cabin class, the more you’ll earn. Discover the latest possible earnings using our Status Points and Asia Miles calculator.
Status Points and Asia Miles for flights are on a flown-basis, meaning that the points and miles will be credited to your account after you’ve taken the flight. Therefore, you’ll receive the new earnings if your flight is scheduled after 1 March 2022.
Don’t worry, we know there may be a difference in the points and miles earned when comparing the new and original air accrual scheme, so we’re ensuring these discrepancies are addressed proactively. For those who purchased a ticket before 1 March 2022 to fly on or after this date, the difference in points and miles will automatically be credited to your account within 90 days after the flight is flown.
Only tickets issued and updated before 1 March 2022 with a departure date between 1 March 2022 and 28 February 2023 will be eligible to receive the adjustment in points and miles accrual.
Baggage allowance explained
Our new baggage policy has shifted from a weight allowance to a piece allowance.