Best Ways To Book Cathay Pacific Business Class [Step-by-Step]
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When you look for the best business class products, Cathay Pacific is bound to be high on that list. Their reputation is well-deserved, and their long-haul business class product and service is top notch.
If you’ll be traveling to or through Asia, Cathay Pacific business class deserves your attention! Let’s give this product a look and talk about how you can book this great experience.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
A Look Inside Cathay Pacific Business Class
Before we dive into what you’ll get with your business class award ticket, we need to quickly talk about aircraft with this product. Cathay Pacific flies long-haul routes on the Airbus A350 and A330 and the Boeing 777-300ER.
Routes out of the U.S. are currently operated by the Boeing 777-300ER, so we’ll focus on that product.
Both aircraft provide roughly the same business class product with slightly different seat widths, in-flight entertainment screen widths, and a few other slight variations.
The Airbus A350 is the newest aircraft in their fleet, so you’ll see some additions to your business class seat there. Overall, the experience is great on either flight.
All business class seats on Cathay Pacific are lie-flat, so you can get some rest on those long international flights. That’s important when you consider the fact that flights from the U.S. are over 14 hours!
Additionally, their business class cabin is arranged in the famous reverse herringbone layout, so every seat has direct aisle access and is very private.
If you are traveling alone, pick a window seat for maximum privacy. If you are traveling with a companion, pick a middle seat. While you’ll still have privacy, it’s much easier to talk with your companion in these seats.
If there’s one area in which Cathay Pacific doesn’t completely knock it out of the park, it’s probably their in-flight dining. This is not to say it isn’t a quality meal for business class, but only that it doesn’t quite live up to what we expect from Cathay Pacific.
Not to worry, you’ll still receive your pre-departure champagne!
If you’re connecting in or departing from Cathay Pacific’s hub in Hong Kong, the fun really starts in the lounge. You will have access to The Wing, The Pier, and The Cabin lounges during your layover.
How To Book Cathay Pacific Business Class
There’s a reason people love to fly Cathay Pacific business class, so let’s dive into how you can book this great experience using miles.
Asia Miles
Asia Miles, Cathay Pacific’s loyalty program, allows you to book awards online. If you want to book a stopover and/or an open jaw or include other airline partners in the booking, you will need to call Asia Miles.
To complete a booking online, follow these simple steps:
- Go to Asia Miles
- Log into your account
- Scroll over “Redeem Miles”
- Select “Flight Awards” from the drop-down menu
- Enter your flight details
- Make sure you select “Cathay Pacific”
- Select your desired flight
- Standard Awards are what you want to find (otherwise you will be overpaying)
- Review the mileage cost and the taxes/fees
- Complete your business class booking
Cathay Pacific partners with American Express Membership Rewards points, Citi ThankYou Points, or SPG Starpoints which can help you earn the necessary miles for your award booking.
You can transfer from any of these partners at a 1:1 rate. You should expect transfers to take up to 24 hours with Citi ThankYou Points. Membership Rewards usually take 3-7 days to transfer while SPG Starpoints often take a couple days.
Remember: You can only transfer 79,999 SPG Starpoints to a particular airline per 24 hours. To ensure you receive the 5,000-mile bonus on each transfer of 20,000 SPG Starpoints, do not transfer more than 60,000 SPG Starpoints to one airline per 24-hour period.
Hot Tip: Use our Transfer Partner Calculator tool to quickly find out how many miles you will need to transfer to get to your award.
You have many options for using your Cathay Pacific miles outside of the business class experience, so don’t feel you’re locked into booking this specific award!
American Airlines AAdvantage
One of the most popular ways to book Cathay Pacific awards is through the American Advantage program.
Prior to American’s award chart devaluation in early 2016 it was probably the most popular way to book Cathay Pacific flights. That being said, booking with American miles can make connecting within the U.S. to your Cathay Pacific flight much easier.
The booking process isn’t difficult but it does require you to call American Airlines to book.
- Visit British Airways and log in
- Select your route, travel dates, and class of service
- Note the flight number, date, and time
- Call American Airlines (800-882-8880)
- Ask them to search for business class award space on Cathay Pacific on the appropriate date
- You might have to provide the flight number
- Provide all necessary info to complete the booking
If you need some American miles, SPG Starpoints transfer to American AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio. The nice part about booking with American miles is that they will hold your award ticket for up to 5 days. With transfers generally taking 2 days to process, this allows you time to put the award on hold before transferring the points.
There are other great award booking opportunities beyond Cathay Pacific thanks to American’s membership in the Oneworld airline alliance.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
If you’re looking for a way to use the fewest miles possible, check out Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. You can book one-way awards and include a stopover which makes this program a great choice for booking Cathay Pacific.
Notice: starting February 14, 2018 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan intra-Asia awards on Cathay Pacific must be booked at least 72 hours in advance. Other routing is not affected and can still be booked last minute.
You will need to call Alaska Airlines to complete the booking. The booking process is basically the same as booking with American miles.
- Visit British Airways and log in
- Select your route, travel dates, and class of service
- Note the flight number, date, and time
- Call Alaska Airlines (800-252-7522)
- Ask them to search for Cathay Pacific business class award space on the appropriate date
- You might have to provide the flight number
- Provide all necessary info to complete the booking
One thing to keep in mind is that Alaska Airlines representatives don’t always see the same award space that British Airways shows.
If you want some other ideas, we have put together the best ways to redeem Alaska miles!
Other Options For Booking Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific business class can also be booked with British Airways Avios or Japan Airlines miles.
Great Cathay Pacific Business Class Redemptions
Each program we have discussed is useful in its own way. Your current miles and points balances, where you live, and the flexibility of your travel dates can help determine which program is best for you.
Alaska Airlines will generally allow you to use the fewest miles to book your flight, while American Airlines makes connecting to your Cathay Pacific flight easier from many parts of the U.S. Cathay Pacific’s own program, Asia Miles, releases more award space to its own members.
Here are a few round-trip bookings to consider if you want to try Cathay Pacific business class:
| Departure | Destination | Asia Miles | American Miles | Alaska Miles |
| New York (JFK) | Hong Kong | 170K round-trip | 140K round-trip | 100K round-trip |
| Los Angeles | Hong Kong | 140K round-trip | 140K round-trip | 100K round-trip |
| New York (JFK) | Johannesburg | 170K round-trip | 150K round-trip | 125K round-trip |
| Los Angeles | Auckland | 170K round-trip | 160K round-trip | 120K round-trip |
The Los Angeles to Auckland route is particularly interesting, as the miles required with Asia Miles are identical to Alaska Airlines. As Cathay Pacific releases more award space, this gives you a much better chance of finding a spot!
This routing is even better when you consider that Cathay Pacific allows stopovers and open-jaws. You could easily stop in Hong Kong for a few days before heading to New Zealand.
Alaska Airlines also allows stopovers on award tickets – even on one-way bookings! However, you can only fly one partner airline per booking.
This means you can fly from the U.S. to South Africa and stop in Hong Kong for a few days, or even spend a few weeks in Asia before continuing to Johannesburg.
American Airlines does not allow stopovers, so you can only visit one destination on your itinerary if booking through them.
How To Earn Enough Miles for Cathay Pacific Business Class
Earning SPG Starpoints provides you access to all three booking options. Whether you want to transfer points to Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, or Alaska Airlines, SPG points will work for you. Don’t forget, when you transfer 20,000 Starpoints, you will receive a 5,000-mile bonus.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express |
|
Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express |
|
If you know you’ll be booking with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, earning Membership Rewards might be your best bet as there are tons of credit card options to fit your needs.
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| CREDIT CARD | BENEFITS & INFO |
|---|---|
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card |
|
Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express |
|
The Platinum Card® from American Express |
|
Recommended Amex Cards (Business)
| CREDIT CARD | BENEFITS & INFO |
|---|---|
The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN |
|
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express |
|
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN |
|
Cathay Pacific is also a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Points which gives you yet another option for earning Asia Miles to help you book your award flight.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| Citi Prestige® Card |
|
| Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card |
|
| Citi ThankYou® Premier Card |
|
When Should You Search for Award Space?
Cathay Pacific generally releases award space to partner airlines roughly 331 days before departure while they release space to their own Asia Miles members earlier. Often, they will also release award space within 2 weeks of departure.
Unlike first class, it’s much more common to find business class space throughout the year, so check back regularly.
While this is more of an issue with first class award space, you should also note that the Asia Miles program does have increased access to award space for business class. If you need to travel on a particular day, this can be very useful.
What Do You Get With Cathay Pacific Business Class?
Let’s talk a bit more about what you get from the Cathay Pacific business class experience.
Business Class Lounges
When departing or transiting Cathay Pacific’s hub in Hong Kong, you will have access to several lounges. The Wing, The Pier, The Bridge, and The Cabin are all fantastic business class lounges.
If you have a long layover, give them all a try! For a shorter connection, find the one that is closest to your gate. When departing Hong Kong, you can also just show up early to enjoy the lounges prior to departure.
The Wing Lounge
The Wing is Cathay Pacific’s flagship lounge, and you’ll see why as soon as you step inside. You can get a great meal at the noodle bar or choose a jolt of caffeine at the coffee bar.
If you need to freshen up before a flight, there are 24 shower suites at your disposal. This could be just what you need while waiting for your connection after a long flight from the U.S.
The Pier Lounge
At The Pier, you’ll also have access to a noodle bar, and you can visit the Tea Lounge instead of a coffee bar. There are ample food and beverage options and tons of seating for you to relax. Don’t forget to use one of the 14 shower rooms to really complete the experience.
The Bridge Lounge
The Bridge provides a homey feel and ample space to socialize. If you’re feeling hungry, check out The Bakery in the north wing (yes, this lounge has wings) or The Bistro in the south wing. The Bridge also has a coffee bar for those needing a pick-me-up.
The Cabin Lounge
The Cabin is a simpler lounge than the others, but don’t let that fool you; it’s still a wonderful business class lounge. From made-to-order meals at The Deli to fresh juice and tea at The Health Bar, it’s a great experience all around.
Business Class Seat
Once on board, you’ll enjoy a spacious seat with direct aisle access. The seat is lie-flat so you can sleep or just rest easily. Cathay Pacific’s business class seat has long been considered an industry leader, and it’s just what you need to make flying fun.
Final Thoughts
It’s clear why a business class seat on Cathay Pacific is so highly regarded! This is without a doubt one of the best business class options out there.
From the lounge experience to the great in-flight seating, you’re in for a treat! Make sure to consider Cathay Pacific the next time you are flying between the U.S. and Asia.
