Cathay Pacific vs HK Express
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cathay Pacific
Manage your entire travel experience from booking flights to checking in and accessing your boarding pass. The app provides personalized updates on upcoming flights and available actions, simplifying trip planning and management.
- Book flights
- Plan trips
- Manage bookings
- Personalized home screen
- Check-in
- Seat selection
- Digital boarding pass
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Cathay Pacific app lets you book, plan and manage your trips all in one place. On your personalised home screen, you will always see your upcoming flights and what you can do next. You can also search our flight timetable, book your flight, check in, choose your seat, get your boarding pass, check your baggage allowance, view your departure times, and get details of any connecting flights – all with a few taps.
HK Express
Easily book flights and manage your travel plans with this redesigned mobile application. Discover deals, book to over 30 Asian destinations, and personalize your trip with extra services. Enjoy a seamless check-in process with e-boarding passes and self-service baggage drop at select airports.
- Discover flight deals and promotions
- Book flights to over 30 Asian destinations
- Personalize trips with extra services
- Easy check-in with e-boarding pass
- Self-service baggage drop
- Travel tips and inspiration
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The newly redesigned HK Express mobile app makes booking flights and managing your trips a breeze. Start your exciting journey in just a few simple steps: - Discover the latest flight deals and promotions - Book flights to over 30 destinations across Asia - Personalize your trip with Extra services like checked baggage, seat selection, meals, and more - Check-in with ease, get your e-boarding pass, and enjoy self-service baggage drop at selected airports. - Find travel tips to be inspired and enhance your journey. Download now!
Screenshots
Verdict
Cathay Pacific and HK Express both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Cathay Pacific's written reviews are positive against 18% of HK Express's. Cathay Pacific also leads on chart position (#131 vs unranked). HK Express's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Cathay Pacific against 4.4 for HK Express. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.7K and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Cathay Pacific's written reviews are positive against 18% of HK Express's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.
| Parameter | Cathay Pacific | HK Express |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (2.7K ratings) | 4.4 (1.8K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews — better | 17.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.7K — better | 1.8K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #131 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 338 MB | 221 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cathay Pacific Airways Limited | HK Express |
Customer experience
Cathay Pacific
HK Express
User reviews
Cathay Pacific
From 2.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 📱 Convenient mobile experience
- 💻 Seamless online booking
- 🤝 Great customer service
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔑 Complicated login process
- 🔄 Constant need to re-login
- 🚫 Limited functionality compared to website
- 🤔 Inconsistent user experience
HK Express
From 1.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Smooth and intuitive user experience
- 🚀 Quick and responsive app
- 💳 Seamless payment processing
- 🛫 Efficient check-in and boarding process
- 🤝 Helpful and polite customer service
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Login and authentication issues
- 💻 Compatibility problems with various devices
- 💰 Unexpected fees and charges
- 🗓️ Difficulty managing bookings and reservations
Bugs and requests
Cathay Pacific
Reported bugs
5 issues- Unable to view/manage bookings
- Errors during check-in and boarding pass retrieval
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Unreliable flight status updates
- Inconsistent behavior across different devices
Requested features
5 requests- Offline access to booking details
- Ability to redeem miles/points within the app
- Improved seat selection and upgrade options
- Integration with digital wallets for boarding passes
- More personalized and customizable features
HK Express
Reported bugs
5 issues- Blank screens during booking process
- Inability to save booking history and details
- Inconsistent currency and language support
- Errors when attempting to check-in or manage bookings
- Unreliable performance and frequent crashes
Requested features
5 requests- Integrate Cathay login option
- Improve boarding pass integration with digital wallets
- Implement better offline functionality
- Enhance payment methods and options
- Provide more transparent pricing and fee structure
In-app purchases
Cathay Pacific
No in-app purchases
HK Express
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cathay Pacific free?
Is HK Express free?
Which has better reviews, Cathay Pacific or HK Express?
Do Cathay Pacific or HK Express have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cathay Pacific or HK Express?
Other comparisons
