16 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
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Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s largest airline, is a founding member of the Oneworld Alliance and offers flights to over 74 destinations. Its hub is located at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
In this post, we’ll show you all the ways to earn miles in the Cathay Pacific frequent flyer program, Asia Miles. Your earned miles can then be redeemed for various travel and lifestyle rewards!
Table of contents
Table of Contents
The Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Program
1. Enroll in Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
You can earn Asia Miles by taking Cathay Pacific flights and booking travel with its many partners.
Free memberships are available to travelers ages 2 and up, but consent is required from a parent or legal guardian for those under 18.
After enrolling in Asia Miles, you will receive a confirmation email with an attached temporary membership card so that you can start earning Asia Miles right away. You’ll use your membership number on any eligible activity to earn Asia Miles, which are valid for 3 years from the month the miles are credited to the account.
The Marco Polo Club Program
Cathay Pacific has a separate elite status program called the Marco Polo Club.
While Asia Miles members earn miles they can redeem for travel rewards, Marco Polo Club members earn tier miles. These miles are used to move up status tier levels and get access to flight perks like priority boarding and lounge access.
Unlike many other loyalty programs that offer bonus miles based on status, Marco Polo Club members do not earn bonus Asia Miles. This is in contrast with programs like United Airlines, which award bonus miles for the same flight over a lower-tier member. This means that your elite status will not accelerate your ability to get to the next elite status.
Note that Marco Polo Club members are automatically enrolled as Asia Miles members, but Asia Miles members are not automatically enrolled in the Marco Polo Club. If you are interested in the Marco Polo Club, you can enroll here.
Bottom Line: Asia Miles is the program used for earning miles toward award flights. Marco Polo Club is the elite status program.
2. Earn Asia Miles for Cathay Pacific Flights
Always provide your membership number when making a reservation. Then, present it during check-in to ensure you receive the applicable Asia Miles in your account. The airline advises keeping your boarding passes and tickets until miles have been applied to your account.
Asia Miles has the following earning table for Cathay Pacific flights:
| Cabin Class | Fare Class | Asia Miles Earned by Distance Zone (One-Way) | |||||
| Ultra-Short 1-750 miles | Short 751-2,750 miles | Medium 2,751-3,700 miles | Medium-Long 3,701-5,000 miles | Long 5,001-7,500 miles | Ultra-Long 7,501+ miles | ||
| Sample Destinations (Departing to or From Hong Kong) | |||||||
| Taipei, Kaohsiung, Manila | Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok, Mumbai | Cairns, Dubai | Bahrain, Sydney, Melbourne, Tel Aviv | Paris, London, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Vancouver | Boston, Chicago, New York, Toronto | ||
| Economy | S,N,Q | 330 | 1,000 | 1,850 | 2,300 | 3,330 | 4,350 |
| M,L,V | 590 | 1,800 | 3,330 | 4,140 | 5,990 | 7,830 | |
| Y,B,H,K | 650 | 2,000 | 3,700 | 4,600 | 6,650 | 8,700 | |
| Premium Economy | E | 650 | 2,000 | 3,700 | 4,600 | 6,650 | 8,700 |
| W,R | 750 | 2,300 | 4,260 | 5,290 | 7,650 | 10,010 | |
| Business | D,I | 810 | 2,500 | 4,630 | 5,750 | 8,310 | 10,880 |
| J,C | 880 | 2,700 | 5,000 | 6,210 | 8,980 | 11,750 | |
| First | F,A | 1,140 | 3,500 | 6,480 | 8,050 | 11,640 | 15,230 |
Hot Tip: Create a Redemption Group by nominating up to 5 friends and family members. As the Principal Member, you may transfer Asia Miles to group members in blocks of 5,000 with a 10,000-mile minimum. Service fees apply; see Terms and Conditions for more information.
Using Credit Cards to Earn Asia Miles
3. Cathay Pacific Credit Card
The Cathay Pacific Airways Visa® from Synchrony Bank directly earns Asia Miles. Bonuses have ranged from 25,000-75,000 Asia Miles.
4. American Express Membership Rewards Cards
You can transfer Membership Rewards to Asia Miles at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers from Amex to Asia Miles usually take 1-3 business days.
Keep in mind that there have been transfer bonuses of up to 30% from Amex, which boosts the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.3.
Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a new welcome bonus offer of 75,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points in the first 6 months on eligible purchases at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases). This is our #1 card for accessing 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass). We leverage ~$3,000+ in benefits and perks from the card every year. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery, and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x. Terms Apply). There's no better card in our opinion if you eat out and/or shop at supermarkets regularly; and you'll have access to many benefits and perks. With a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in your first 6 months, it's a strong choice. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. |
Recommended American Express Cards (Business)
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Right now, there's a new welcome bonus of 85,000 points plus earn 5x points on eligible purchases in 5 select business categories, up to 80,000 bonus points per category, all within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply. See how we get ~$5,525+ in value per year by leveraging many of the benefits & perks, including access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide. For rates & fees of the Business Platinum, click here. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card - probably our favorite Amex business card because we earn 4x points across the top 2 select categories that we spend the most money in each month, such as Facebook or Google ads. The 4x points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. After that, you earn 1x. Terms Apply. For rates & fees of the Business Gold Card, click here. |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express - A super simple, no annual fee card that earns you 2x points on everyday business purchase, up to $50,000 annually. After that, then 1x. That makes for an easy 100,000 points per year. For rates and fees of the Blue Business Plus, click here. |
5. Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards
Citi ThankYou points transfer to Asia Miles at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers to Citi take around 1 business day to execute. Citi has offered a 15% bonus on Asia Miles in the past, so it may be worth waiting for this.
You can see a list of the best Citi cards here.
6. Capital One Miles
Capital One miles transfer to Asia Miles at a 2:1.5 ratio. Instead of redeeming your Capital One miles in the Capital One Travel Portal for cash tickets, you now have the option to transfer them to your Asia Miles account. Just remember that transfers take around 36 hours.
Using Asia Miles can potentially save a ton of miles when looking to book first or business class tickets by using the Asia Miles award chart compared to 1 cent per point of the cash ticket price using the Capital One Travel Portal.
Make sure you have a Capital One card that has the transferable miles feature. Here are our picks:
Recommended Capital One Cards That Earn Miles (Personal)
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card - This card is packed with lots of benefits and perks. Earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 mile sign up bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. We recommend this as a no-brainer card if you even semi-regularly stay at hotels. |
| Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card - This is an excellent card for those looking to earn 1.25x miles per $1 on every purchase. With a 20,000 mile sign up bonus (worth $200 toward travel) after spending $1,000 within the first 3 months and no annual fee, it's a strong choice. |
7. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott points and transfer Marriott points to Cathay Pacific at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra bonus of 5,000 Asia Miles. Marriott transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles in around 10 business days, which is something you’ll need to keep in mind.
Recommended Marriott Cards
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card - Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Get automatic silver elite status each account anniversary year; and a free night award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Plus, earn 6X points per $1 at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 2X points per $1 on all other purchases. Annual Fee is $95. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card - Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. Earn 3X points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, earn 2X on other travel purchases, then 1x on all other purchases. A solid card for Marriott loyalists looking for a no-annual-fee card offering Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card - Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Earn 6x per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels plus 3x at U.S. restaurants and flights booked directly with airlines. Annual fee is $450. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card - earn 75,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. A solid card for business owners who will get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy silver elite status. Annual fee is $125. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. |
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Travel Partners
8. Cathay Pacific Partner Airlines
Cathay Pacific is a Oneworld Alliance member and has additional partner airlines. Earn Asia Miles by flying these partner airlines and crediting your Asia Miles to Cathay Pacific. Here are some current rates.
| American Airlines | Qantas |
| British Airways | Qatar Airways |
| Cathay Pacific | Royal Air Maroc |
| Finnair | Royal Jordanian |
| Iberia | S7 Airlines |
| Japan Airlines | SriLankan Airlines |
| Malaysia Airlines | |
Cathay Pacific also has its Asia Miles partners:
| Asia Miles Partners | |
| Air Canada | Iberia |
| Air China | Japan Airlines (JAL) |
| Air New Zealand | Lufthansa |
| Alaska Airlines | Malaysia Airlines |
| American Airlines | Qantas Airways |
| Austrian Airlines | Qatar Airways |
| Bangkok Airways | Royal Jordanian Airlines |
| British Airways | S7 Airlines |
| Cathay Pacific | Shenzhen Airlines |
| Finnair | SriLankan Airlines |
| Gulf Air | Swiss International Air Lines |
9. Cathay Pacific Hotel Partners
Cathay Pacific has a lot of hotel partners all over the world, making it easier than ever to earn loads of extra Asia Miles.
| Hotel | Offer | Hotel | Offer | Hotel | Offer |
| Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas | 500 Asia Miles/stay | IHG Rewards Club | 500 Asia Miles/stay | Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts | 500 Asia Miles/stay |
| Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts | Convert points at a 2:1 ratio | The Langham Hotels and Resorts | 500 Asia Miles/stay | Radisson Hospitality | Convert points at a 10,000:1,000 ratio |
| Best Western Hotels & Resorts | 250 Asia Miles/stay | Le Club AccorHotels | Convert points at a 2:1 ratio | Regal Hotels | From 500 Asia Miles/stay |
| Dusit Hotels & Resorts | 500 Asia Miles/stay | Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group | 500 Asia Miles/stay | Rosewood Hotel Group | 500 Asia Miles/stay |
| Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts | 500 Asia Miles/stay | Marriott Bonvoy | 2 mile/$1 | Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts | 500 Asia Miles/stay |
| Hilton Honors | Convert at a 10,000:1,000 ratio | Millenium Hotels | 500 Asia Miles/stay | Swire Hotels | 500 Asia Miles/stay |
| Hotel JAL City | 250 Asia Miles/stay | Nikko Hotels International | 500 Asia Miles/stay | WORLDHOTELS | 500 Asia Miles/stay |
| World of Hyatt | 500 Asia Miles/stay | Okura Hotels & Resorts | 300-500 Asia Miles/stay |
Note that most, if not all of these hotel chains have partnerships with all the applicable brands in their portfolio. Also, the earning structure is consistent across different brands in a hotel portfolio.
10. Converting Hotel Points
Earning Asia Miles with partner hotel stays is great, but it’s not the only way to get Asia Miles from hotel stays. The hotels in the table below also allow you to convert reward points to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles!
| Hotel | Transfer Ratio |
| Best Western Rewards | 5,000:1,000 |
| Hilton Honors | 10,000:1,000 |
| IHG Rewards Club | 5:1 |
| World of Hyatt | 2.5:1 |
| Jinling Hotels & Resorts | 3,200:500 |
| Le Club AccorHotels | 4,000:2,000 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3:1 |
| Park Plaza and Radisson Gold Points | 10:1 |
| Regal Hotels | 15,000:1,000 |
| Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts | 1:1 |
11. Partner Hotel Credit Cards
You can also use credit cards associated with hotel loyalty programs to earn reward points. Then, just transfer those points to your Cathay Pacific Asia Miles account. For example, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG, and World of Hyatt all have co-branded credit cards.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Apply Now (at Amex's secure site) |
|
Hilton Honors American Express Card Apply Now (at Amex's secure site) |
|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
|
World of Hyatt Credit Card Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
|
12. Partner Rental Car Agencies
Rent a car with a Cathay Pacific partner or spend with a transport partner and earn lots of bonus miles. The programs may have different qualifying rentals and earning structures, so double-check with the individual links below to find out more.
| Car Rental Agency | Earned Asia Miles | Car Rental Agency | Earned Asia Miles |
| Airport Express | 75 Asia Miles per round trip airport express ticket purchased | Hertz | Up to 500 Asia Miles/rental |
| Alamo Rent A Car | 500 Asia Miles/rental | Hertz Chauffeur | 2 Asia Miles/$1 |
| Avis | Up to 500 Asia Miles/rental | myDriver – by Sixt | 3 Asia Miles/$1 |
| Blacklane | 2 Asia Miles/$1 | National Car Rental | 500 Asia Miles/rental |
| Budget | 500 Asia Miles/rental | Rentalcars.com | 2 Asia Miles/HK$10 |
| conxxe | 2 Asia Miles/$1 | Shell | Transfer at a 1,500:400 ratio |
| Esso | Transfer at a 3:1 ratio in Hong Kong and 1.5:1 in Singapore | Sixt | 500 Asia Miles/rental and 1,000 Asia Miles/chauffeur service |
| Europcar | 500 Asia Miles/rental | Zuzuche.com | Up to 600 Asia Miles/rental at a rate of 3 Asia Miles/¥10 |
Shopping for Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
13. Asia Miles iShop
The Asia Miles iShop includes online retailers in categories including fashion, home, office, and so much more.
It doesn’t cost more to shop through the iShop links. Most times, the prices are the same as if you shopped with the merchants directly, but you’re earning Asia Miles at the same time!
Making purchases through the Asia Miles iShop is simple:
- Sign in to the Asia Miles iShop website.
- Enable the “cookies” function, so Asia Miles can track your path from iShop to the merchant’s website and allocate miles.
- Click “Shop Now” under the merchant’s description.
- Purchase the items you want.
You’ll receive an acknowledgment email within 5 days and another email once the merchant approves your transaction, which can take up to 120 days. After that, Asia Miles will appear in your account within 30 days.
Special Offers from Asia Miles
14. Asia Miles Offers and Promotions Page
Find deals from Cathay Pacific travel partners and non-travel partners worth extra Asia Miles on the Special Offers page. Check back frequently for new deals!
15. Cathay Pacific Holidays
Purchase travel through Cathay Holidays Limited right from the Cathay Pacific website. Check out the table below to find out how many Asia Miles you can earn when booking a personalized package.
Each package will earn different amounts of Asia Miles depending on which class of service you book. For economy, you’ll earn:
| Eligible Countries | Bonus Miles |
| Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States | 500 Asia Miles |
For premium economy packages, you’ll earn:
| Eligible Countries | Bonus Miles |
| Australia, China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom | 500 Asia Miles |
| Canada, Hong Kong, United States | 1,000 Asia Miles |
For business or first class packages, you’ll earn:
| Eligible Countries | Bonus Miles |
| Australia, China, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom | 500 Asia Miles |
| Japan, South Korea | 1,000 Asia Miles |
| Taiwan, Thailand | 1,500 Asia Miles |
| Canada, Hong Kong, United States | 2,000 Asia Miles |
16. Other Travel Partners
Asia Miles partners with a number of other companies, including top-tier booking portals and online travel agencies (OTAs). Here are some other ways to earn Asia Miles for travel expenses:
| Travel Partner | Earning Structure | Travel Partner | Earning Structure |
| Agoda.com | 2 Asia Miles/HK$10 | Macau Golf & Country Club | Convert at a 25:1 ratio |
| AsiaYo | 1 Asia Mile/NT$40 | Niceday | 1 Asia Mile/NT$40 |
| Booking.com | 2 Asia Miles/HK$10 | OwlTing | 1 Asia Mile/NT$40 |
| Cathay Pacific Holidays (hotels) | 2 Asia Miles/HK$10 | Plaza Premium Group | Variable earnings |
| E-DA Theme Park | 1 Asia Mile/NT$30 | Rocketmiles | 500 Asia Miles/night |
| Go By Train | 250 Asia Miles/NT$10,000 | Trip.com | 3 Asia Miles/HK$22 |
| Hotels.com | 2 Asia Miles/HK$10 | TripAdvisor | 5-50 Asia Miles/review |
| Kaligo.com | 12 Asia Miles/HK$10 | W Cruising | 1 Asia Mile/HK$4 |
| KKday | 1 Asia Mile/NT$40 | Wota Lifestyle | 1 Asia Mile/NT$40 |
Even though you might get bonus miles for your spending, be sure that you aren’t paying significantly more for the same hotel room just to earn some more Asia Miles.
Earn Asia Miles for Booking a Hotel Meeting
If you book a qualifying event at some of the participating properties that Asia Miles partners with, you can earn bonus miles. Here are some options you can use should you decide to book a hotel event or meeting:
| Hotel Brand | Earning Structure |
| The Langham Hotels and Resorts | 1 Asia Mile/$1 with a minimum of $6,500 and a maximum of $25,000 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1 Asia Mile/$1 |
| Regal Hotels | 4,000 Asia Miles if spending a minimum of HK$9,000 in Hong Kong or a minimum of ¥9,000 in China |
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article has shown you how to maximize the Asia Miles you earn with Cathay Pacific in very simple ways. For an international airline based in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific provides plenty of opportunities for members in North America to earn Asia Miles.
If you haven’t already enrolled in the Asia Miles loyalty program, it’s time to do it now! Then you can start racking up the miles in your Cathay Pacific Asia Miles account.
It’s worth mentioning the Budget Car Rental is also a Cathay Pacific partner and when you use the dedicated link in Asia Miles website you actually get a very cheap rate as they apply automatically a promo code unique to Asia Miles.