Cathay Pacific Airways transported Sydneysiders to Spain the other night with a mini fiesta celebrating the launch of its four times weekly flights to Madrid.
The event came complete with tapas, paella, sangria and entertainment as Sydneysiders got a taste of culturally rich country.
The airline introduced four direct flights to Madrid (MAD) on 2 June 2016 offering even faster and more efficient connections to Europe from Hong Kong and Australia.
Cathay Pacific’s Sales & Marketing Manager Richard Jones was excited to announce the news referring to Madrid as a city rich in culture, mountain, beaches and of course incredible food and wine with a total travel time of less than 24 hours.
Flights are operated on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with the airline’s award-winning Business Class, Premium Economy and long-haul Economy Class seats.
“Madrid is our tenth European destination and we’re currently flying to Heathrow, Manchester, Paris, Rome, Milan, Zurich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Amsterdam and in September we’ll add Gatwick.”
Richard Jones, Cathay Pacific Australia Sales & Marketing Manager
Traditional Spanish ‘jamon’ – ham
Spanish entertaiment
The airline hosted a #WheninSpain competition giving away x 2 Cathay Pacific Premium Economy flights to Madrid.
To enter the competition the crowd was encouraged to upload photos of Spain including their own travel tips on to Instagram. The lucky winner was: travel blogger Jean from Holy Smithereens.
Madrid travel tips
San Miguel food market
There’s plenty to do in the electric capital city of Spain and thanks to Cathay Pacific we’ve rounded up few handy travel tips as well as four insider tips to try in Madrid…
1. Fuencarral at Metro Bilbao has cool, interesting shops and right at the very top is Café Comercial where the Movida took place after the death of Franco and it was a gathering place for poets, writers and other intellectuals. It’s a great place to stop for a hot chocolate.
2. It’s all about the jamon (ham) in Madrid, and where better to seek out the best than the San Miguel food market.
Look for “iberico bellota gran reserve” – it’s worth every Euro. You’ll also find a wide variety of produce and, of course, tapas and great wine.
3. Right near San Miguel Markets is a cute street called Calle de Cuchilleros packed with underground bars and great restaurants to visit.
4. Be like the locals – the perfect place to stop for a quick coffee and sandwich in the morning are museo del jamons.
Calle de Cuchilleros
5. Slip into a new time zone – We don’t just mean the time difference.
Expect things to open later in the morning and social activities including dining to kick off much later and carry on into the night.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself eating dinner at 10pm.
6. Embrace the graze – Instead of a meal at just one restaurant, enjoy a touring banquet of tapas.
Spanish tapas
Walk along the street hopping from one tapas bar to the next, sampling different tapas at different establishments.
One place may be known for one particular dish or another, so look out for what the locals are eating.
7. Pucker up – In Spain, greetings are with two kisses to the cheek, starting with the right cheek.
Generally it’s a light peck but if you are uncomfortable, a cheek to cheek is acceptable.
8. Travel there with Cathay Pacific from $1,707
With four direct flights a week to Madrid from Hong Kong and over 70 flights a week from Australia the great connections mean that the total travel time (including transfers) is less than 24 hours from Sydney to Madrid.
Before you leave, check out Cathay Pacific’s travel hub www.residentoftheworld.com.au for more insider tips to experience Madrid like a local.
