Cathay Pacific A330-300 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Cathay Pacific operates the A330-300 in six different cabin configurations, and the gap between the best and the worst is enormous. On one you get a Safran Cirrus II reverse-herringbone suite that folds into a 75" flat bed. On another — and on two smaller sub-fleets besides — Business Class is a 2-2-2 recliner that does not lie flat at all. Same aircraft type, same booking class, completely different flight.
🚫 WORST VERSION LOTTERY IN THE FLEET: three of the six configurations have no lie-flat option in Business — 33P (12 aircraft), 33A (4) and 33B (4). That is 20 of the 43 aircraft, so it is close to a coin toss. If a flat bed matters, you want 33E, 33J or 33K.
The six configurations
| Code | Aircraft | Configuration | Business product | Layout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33E | 13 | 39J / 223Y (262) | Safran Cirrus II lie-flat | 1-2-1 |
| 33P | 12 | 24J / 293Y (317) | Recaro CL5510 recliner | 2-2-2 |
| 33J | 8 | 28J / 265Y (293) | Safran Cirrus II lie-flat | 1-2-1 |
| 33A | 4 | 50J / 230Y (280) | Regional recliner | 1-2-1 rows 11–12, then 2-2-2 |
| 33B | 4 | 42J / 265Y (307) | Regional recliner | 2-2-2 |
| 33K | 2 | 39J / 21W / 191Y (251) | Safran Cirrus II lie-flat | 1-2-1 |
The six published configurations account for 43 aircraft. Two things fall out of that table immediately. Twenty of the 43 have no lie-flat option at all — the 33P, 33A and 33B — against 23 that do, which makes the flat-bed question close to a coin toss rather than a safe bet. And Premium Economy exists on exactly one configuration: the 33K, with 21 seats across two aircraft. If you are counting on Premium Economy on a Cathay A330, you are betting on a 2-in-43 draw. Every other A330-300 is two-class.
Quick verdict
✈️ These three variants cover 33 of the 43 published aircraft. No row 13 on any of them. All three: StudioCX on Panasonic eX2, 110V AC power and USB-A at every seat, satellite Wi-Fi. No Bluetooth, no wireless charging, no privacy doors anywhere in the sub-fleet.
| 33P (12 aircraft) | 33E (13 aircraft) | 33J (8 aircraft) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total seats | 317 | 262 | 293 |
| Business | 24 · 2-2-2 recliner · 45" pitch · 9.5" recline | 39 · 1-2-1 Cirrus II · 47" pitch · 75" flat bed | 28 · 1-2-1 Cirrus II · 47" pitch · 75" flat bed |
| Business aisle access | 8 of 24 (33%) | 39 of 39 (100%) | 28 of 28 (100%) |
| Business screen | 12.1" | 15.4" | 15.4" |
| Business rows | 11–15, one cabin | 11–18 + 19–21, two cabins | 11–18, one cabin |
| Economy | 293 · 2-4-2 · 32" pitch · 4" recline | 223 · 2-4-2 · 32" pitch · 6" recline | 265 · 2-4-2 · 32" pitch · 6" recline |
| Economy rows | 39–76 | 39–50, then 59–75 | 39–55, then 59–75 |
| Best Business | 12D, 12G, 14D, 14G, 15D, 15G | 12A/K, 14A/K, 20A/K, 19A | 14A, 14K, then any window 12–17 |
| Avoid in Business | 11G, 11H, 11K | 19G, 18A, 18K, 11G, 11K | 18A, 18K, 18D, 18G, 11G, 11K |
| Best Economy | 39A, 39K, 40D, 40G, 67A/K, 69A/K | Row 39 (whole row), 68A/K, 70A/K | 39A, 66A/K, 68A/K, 70A/K, 72A/K |
| Avoid in Economy | 42K, 46A/K, 59 (all), 60A/K, 76 (all) | 49–50 (all), 59A/K, 59D–G, 75 (all) | 42A/K, 54–55 (all), 59A/K, 59D–G, 75 (all) |
If you're choosing between the two lie-flat variants: 33J has the better Business cabin — not a single seat in it rates as one to avoid outright, whereas 33E has 19G sitting directly against a lavatory. 33E's advantage is the small three-row rear mini-cabin (19–21), which is quieter than anything on the 33J.
33P — the recliner variant (12 aircraft)
Business Class: 24 seats, 2-2-2, recliner
This is the variant that catches people out. Twenty-four Recaro CL5510 recliners in a 2-2-2 layout across rows 11, 12, 14 and 15 — row 13 is not used. Pitch is 45" and the seat reclines 9.5". It is a good regional recliner. It is not a bed, and only a third of the seats have their own aisle.
✅ Best seats: 12D, 12G, 14D, 14G, 15D, 15G. In a 2-2-2 cabin the centre pair is the prize, because D touches the left aisle and G touches the right aisle. Neither passenger climbs over anyone. 12K is the single best window seat: strong window alignment and clear of the lavatory bank. Best for couples: any A/C or H/K pair from row 12 back — a two-seat pod with nobody to negotiate with.
🚫 Avoid: 11G, 11H, 11K. These sit directly against the forward lavatory — noise, odours and a queue forming beside your shoulder for the whole flight. 11D is a softer version of the same problem: it keeps the direct-aisle advantage but the lavatory is still ahead of you.
Economy: 293 seats, 2-4-2
The 2-4-2 layout is genuinely the best thing about this aircraft. Window pairs are two seats — no middle seat to negotiate — which beats the 3-3-3 you get on Cathay's A350s and 777s. Pitch is 32", width 18", but recline is only 4" (the 33E and 33J get 6").
✅ Best seats: 39A and 39K. Row 39 is a part-row — outboard pairs only, no centre block at all — sitting at the bulkhead. Nobody reclines into you, nobody sits inboard of you. Trade-off: tray and screen in the armrest, so slightly narrower, and no underseat storage. Also excellent: 40D and 40G — a partial bulkhead ahead gives extra legroom while keeping direct aisle access. Best windows deeper in the cabin: 67A/K, 69A/K, 71A/K, 73A/K, 75A/K — a window entirely to themselves rather than straddling two.
🚫 Avoid on the 33P:
- 42K and 46A / 46K — no window at all at these positions, just wall.
- 43G, 43H, 43K — bulkhead legroom completely undone by the mid-cabin lavatory beside you. 43K is also a bassinet position.
- Rows 58 and 59 — hard against the rear lavatory bank of the forward cabin. Row 59 combines limited recline with constant traffic.
- Row 60, the exit row, is a trap: 60A and 60K have the door intruding into roughly 60% of the seat width and no window, and 60D–60G sit against a lavatory. Only 60C and 60H are worth taking.
- Row 76 — last row, limited recline, rear galley, and the cabin has narrowed so far that there are no H or K seats at all.
Cabin taper matters here. Rows 72–75 drop the F seat and run 2-3-2. Row 76 runs 2-3 with no H/K. If you're booking the back of the aircraft, check the letter exists before you pay for it.
33E — the lie-flat variant (13 aircraft)
Business Class: 39 seats, 1-2-1, Safran Cirrus II
This is the A330 you want. Thirty-nine Safran Cirrus II reverse-herringbone suites at 47" pitch, converting to a 75" flat bed, with a 15.4" screen. Every single seat has direct aisle access. The cabin splits into a forward section (rows 11–18, no row 13) and a small rear section (rows 19–21). Note there is no 19K — row 19 is a part-row of three suites.
✅ Best seats: 12A, 12K, 14A, 14K, 15A, 15K, 16A, 16K, 17A, 17K, 20A, 20K. Window suites with good alignment, clear of both lavatory banks. 19A is a standout — first row of the quiet rear mini-cabin. Best for couples: the D/G centre pairs, side by side with their own aisle each.
🚫 Avoid on the 33E:
- 19G — directly beside the lavatory ahead. The only red seat in this cabin.
- 18A and 18K — no window. A Cirrus II suite with a blank wall where the view should be.
- 11G and 11K — forward lavatory ahead brings queuing traffic. 11A and 11K are bassinet positions.
- Row 21 is fine, but bassinet positions sit behind it, so infant noise is possible.
Economy: 223 seats, 2-4-2
Same 2-4-2 layout and 32" pitch as the 33P, but with 6" of recline instead of 4" — a real difference on a five-hour sector.
✅ Best seats: the whole of row 39. The standout Economy row in Cathay's A330 fleet — a full 2-4-2 bulkhead row with 29–31" of clearance to the wall ahead. The usual bulkhead trade-offs apply: tray and screen in the armrest, no underseat storage. Best windows: 68A/K, 70A/K, 72A/K, 74A/K — one window each, entirely to yourself.
🚫 Avoid on the 33E:
- Rows 49 and 50 — back of the forward cabin, against the lavatory bank. Row 50 is a part-row (no H or K) with limited recline. 48H and 48K are nearly as bad.
- Row 59, the exit row: 59A and 59K have the door eating roughly 45% of the seat width and no window; 59D–59G are up against a lavatory. Only 59C and 59H are sensible picks.
- 41A and 43K — poor window alignment.
- Row 75 — last row, no H or K, limited recline, rear galley.
⚠️ A quirk worth knowing: rows 51–58 do not exist on this variant. Economy runs 39–50, then jumps to 59. A missing row number does not mean a missing seat map.
33J — the high-density lie-flat variant (8 aircraft)
Business Class: 28 seats, 1-2-1, Safran Cirrus II
Same seat as the 33E — Safran Cirrus II at 47" pitch, 75" flat bed, 15.4" screen, direct aisle access from all 28 suites — but packed into a single cabin running rows 11 to 18, with no rear mini-cabin. Cathay traded eleven Business seats for 42 more in Economy compared with the 33E. This is the cleanest Business cabin of the three: nothing in it rates as a seat to avoid outright.
✅ Best seats: 14A and 14K — excellent window alignment, one window each. After that, any window suite in rows 12 through 17. Best for couples: the D/G centre pairs in rows 12–17. Rows 12 to 17 are the sweet spot — six clean rows in the middle, clear of the galley behind row 18 and the lavatory ahead of row 11.
⚠️ Compromises rather than disasters:
- 18A and 18K — no window. A flat-bed suite facing a blank wall.
- 18D and 18G — the galley sits immediately behind row 18. Noise and bright light through meal service.
- 11G and 11K — forward lavatory ahead. 11A and 11K are bassinet positions.
Economy: 265 seats, 2-4-2
Same seat, pitch and 6" recline as the 33E, but 42 more of them. The forward cabin runs rows 39 to 55 — seventeen unbroken rows, the longest continuous Economy cabin on any Cathay A330-300.
✅ Best seats: 66A/K, 68A/K, 70A/K, 72A/K, 74A/K — one window each, entirely to yourself. 39A is the pick at the front: bulkhead legroom with a well-aligned window.
🚫 Avoid on the 33J:
- 42A and 42K — no window at these positions.
- Rows 54 and 55 — back of the long forward cabin, against the lavatory bank, limited recline.
- Row 59, the exit row: 59A and 59K lose roughly 60% of their seat width to the door and have no window; 59D–59G sit against a lavatory. Only 59C and 59H are worth it.
- Row 75 — last row, no H or K, limited recline, rear galley.
Rows 71–74 run 2-3-2 as the cabin tapers, and row 75 is 2-3 with no H/K. Rows 56–58 do not exist on this variant.
33A, 33B and 33K — the three smaller sub-fleets
Ten of Cathay's 43 A330-300s sit outside the three main variants, and two of the three carry the same trap as the 33P: a Business cabin that looks like a premium product on a seat map and does not fold into a bed.
33A — 50J / 230Y (280 seats), 4 aircraft
The largest Business cabin Cathay fits to an A330-300, and it is two different products in one cabin. Rows 11 and 12 are an angled 1-2-1 (A | D G | K); rows 14 to 20 are 2-2-2 (A C | D G | H K). Neither is a lie-flat bed. Row 13 is not used.
✅ Best Business: 15A and 15K — the only two seats in the cabin with a properly aligned window. After those, take any D or G seat: in this 2-2-2 they are the centre pair, each with its own aisle and nobody to climb over.
🚫 Avoid in Business: 17A, 17C, 17H and 17K — a galley and lavatory sit immediately behind row 17. And 20A and 20K have no window at all: a windowless stretch of wall beside the last row of the cabin, which nothing on a booking map will tell you.
Economy runs rows 39 to 76. The best seats are 61A and 61K, with 50A, 50K and 59A/59K also well aligned with their windows — 59 is the exit row, so 59A and 59K add extra legroom but give up part of the seat width to the door. Avoid rows 49, 50 and 51, which sit around a lavatory bank; 51 is an outboard-only row (A C | H K) and 51A and 51K have no window. The centre block of row 59 backs onto the same monument. Rows 73 to 76 are the rear lavatory rows; 75 and 76 are centre-only and 76 does not recline.
33B — 42J / 265Y (307 seats), 4 aircraft
The densest A330-300 in the fleet. Business is a straight 2-2-2 across rows 11 to 18 — again not a lie-flat bed — and no seat in it rates as one to avoid outright.
✅ Best Business: 11K, 12K, 16A, 17K and 18K for the window, or any D/G centre pair for the aisle access. As on every 2-2-2, D and G are the only seats with an aisle each and nobody climbing over them.
Economy runs rows 39 to 75. Best: 66A, 66K, 68A, 68K, 70A, 70K and 72K — window seats with a properly aligned view. The tail drops the F seat from row 70, so 70G, 71G, 72G and 73G have no seat beside them.
🚫 Avoid: 42A, 42K, 59A, 59K and 75A have no window at all. 59A and 59K are the dangerous pair, because they are exit-row seats: the map advertises the legroom and says nothing about the wall, and the exit door takes roughly 60% of the seat width at 59A. Also avoid 39G, 39H and 39K against the forward lavatory, rows 54, 55 and 58 around the mid-cabin monument, and row 75 — a two-seat row that does not recline.
33K — 39J / 21W / 191Y (251 seats), 2 aircraft
The only Cathay A330-300 with a Premium Economy cabin, and one of the three with a genuine flat bed. Business is Safran Cirrus II reverse herringbone across rows 11 to 21, 1-2-1, every seat with direct aisle access. Row 13 is not used and row 19 has no K seat.
✅ Best Business: 14A, 14K, 19A and 20K — the four seats with a well-aligned window in a cabin where every seat already has the aisle. Best Economy: 68A, 68K, 70A, 70K, 72A and 72K. Premium Economy is rows 30 to 32 in 2-3-2; take row 30 or 31, because row 32 has limited recline.
🚫 Avoid: 59A and 59K have no window at all, and the exit door takes part of the seat width at both — the same exit-row trap as the 33B. Rows 45 and 46 sit against the mid-cabin monument, row 39 has a tighter bulkhead than most, and row 75 does not recline.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Cathay A330-300 have lie-flat Business Class?
Not always. Three of the six configurations have no flat bed: the 33P (12 aircraft) has 24 Recaro CL5510 recliners in 2-2-2 with 45" pitch and 9.5" of recline, and the 33A (4) and 33B (4) are regional recliner cabins too. Only the 33E, 33J and 33K have the Safran Cirrus II flat-bed suite — 23 of the 43 aircraft.
Which A330-300 has Premium Economy?
Exactly one airframe: the 33K, with 21 Premium Economy seats. Every other published A330-300 configuration is two-class.
Why is there no row 13?
Cathay skips row 13 on the A330-300, so Business runs 11, 12, 14, 15 on the 33P and 11–12, 14–21 on the 33E. It is a numbering convention, not a missing cabin section.
Is the exit row worth paying for?
Usually not, and the outboard seats are the problem on all three variants. The exit door eats roughly 60% of the seat width at 60A/60K on the 33P and 59A/59K on the 33J, and about 45% at 59A/59K on the 33E — and none of those six seats has a window. The centre seats sit against a lavatory. Only the two seats immediately inboard of the window (60C/60H on the 33P, 59C/59H on the 33E and 33J) deliver the legroom without a major penalty.
Which A330-300 seats have no window?
In Economy: 42K, 46A and 46K on the 33P; 42A and 42K on the 33J. In Business: 18A and 18K on both the 33E and the 33J. The outboard exit-row seats also lose their window to the door — 60A/60K on the 33P, 59A/59K on the 33E and 33J. Separately, 41A and 43K on the 33E have poor alignment rather than no window at all.
Which is better, the 33E or the 33J?
The seat itself is a wash — identical Cirrus II flat beds with direct aisle access from every suite. The 33J has the tidier cabin: a single block of rows 11–18 with no seat that rates as one to avoid, and rows 12–17 are six clean rows in the middle. The 33E splits its 39 suites into rows 11–18 plus a quiet three-row rear mini-cabin at 19–21 — the single nicest place to sit on either aircraft — but it also contains 19G, hard against a lavatory. In Economy the 33J carries 42 more seats and has a worse exit row.
Comparable Aircraft
- Cathay Pacific 777-300ER Seat Guide — New Aria Suites on flagship routes
- Cathay Pacific A350-900 Seat Guide — Medium/long-haul comparison
- Cathay Pacific A350-1000 Seat Guide — Flagship long-haul