11 Ways To Redeem Cathay Pacific Asia Miles for Maximum Value

Key Takeaways

• Asia Miles can be redeemed for flights on Cathay Pacific and Oneworld partners, with better value often found in premium cabin redemptions.
• Cathay Pacific has non-alliance partners, including Air Canada, Air New Zealand, and Lufthansa.
• Some notable redemptions include Cathay Pacific first class, Qatar Airways Qsuites, and Qantas business class.

The Cathay Pacific Asia Miles program offers members a ton of excellent ways to redeem miles. The program is more nuanced than many other well-known award programs, but this article will cover everything you need to know about redeeming your Asia Miles.

The Best Ways To Boost Your Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is a transfer partner of several transferable points currencies. These include American Express Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards. All the points programs transfer at a rate of 1:1. Asia Miles is also a transfer partner of Marriott Bonvoy, which transfers at a rate of 3:1.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.¤
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

LAST CHANCE

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.

60,000 points + up to $100 back

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,420

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No lounge access

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
• Get the American Express^® Gold Card in either the Gold, Rose Gold or Limited-Edition White Gold metal design. White Gold design is only available while supplies last.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1X Membership Rewards^® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Dunkin' locations.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
• Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $325.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Recommended Citi ThankYou Cards

Citi Premier^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

*The information regarding the Citi Premier card has expired, and the card is no longer open to applicants.

Citi Premier^® Card

*The information regarding the Citi Premier card has expired, and the card is no longer open to applicants.

Welcome Offer

No offer available

No offer available

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$0

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.24% - 29.24% variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Premier^® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
• Access to Citi transfer partners
• Annual hotel credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• No welcome offer available
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
• Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
• 60,000 ThankYou^® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.24% - 29.24% variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Recommended Capital One Cards (Personal)

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome Offer

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Limited elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and transfer those to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you receive an extra 5,000 Asia Miles.

See our list of the best Marriott credit cards.

Cathay Pacific Credit Card

Synchrony Bank offers a co-branded Cathay Pacific credit card that allows you to earn Asia Miles from your credit card spend.

The 11 Best Ways To Use Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

In this article, we’ll cover some of the best ways to redeem your Asia Miles for maximum value.

Note: Many of these redemptions reference the Asia Miles award charts, which are found in the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles award chart section and further explained in the award redemption rules below the redemptions themselves.

Over the years, many award sweet spots from Asia Miles have been devalued. Fortunately, there are still ways to extract amazing value from Cathay Pacific’s frequent flyer program.

1. Plan an Epic Oneworld Round-The-World Trip

Amid the Asia Miles program lies the Oneworld multicarrier award. This award redemption allows you to book round-the-world trips for a huge bargain.

It’s a favorite redemption for many points travelers, and it represents one of the top ways, if not the top way, to spend Asia Miles.

There are a couple of rules you have to follow and keep track of, but if you do so, you can visit tons of countries all on 1 ticket!

The rules are at the end of this guide, but the major talking points of Oneworld multicarrier awards are:

• You can use up to 2 Oneworld airlines when Cathay Pacific is not one of the carriers.
• You can use 3 or more Oneworld airlines when Cathay Pacific is one of the carriers.
• The maximum distance allowed is 50,000 miles.
• You can have a maximum of 5 stopovers, 2 transfers, and 2 open-jaws.
• You must return to the original point of departure.

Here are a couple of epic trips you can take for super cheap!

1. New York (JFK) – Hong Kong (HKG) via Tokyo Haneda (HND) in both Japan Airlines business class and Cathay Pacific business class
2. Hong Kong (HKG) – Sydney (SYD) in Qantas business class
3. Melbourne (MEL) – Singapore (SIN) in Qantas business class
4. Singapore (SIN) – London (LHR) in British Airways business class
5. London (LHR) – Doha (DOH) in Qatar Airways QSuites
6. Doha (DOH) – New York (JFK) in Qatar Airways QSuites

This entire itinerary costs 265,000 Asia Miles, and it includes many of the best international business class products!

If you think this is phenomenal, just check out another example itinerary you can take:

1. Los Angeles (LAX) – Madrid (MAD) on Iberia business class
2. Madrid (MAD) – Johannesburg (JNB) on Iberia business class
3. Johannesburg (JNB) – Sydney (SYD) on Qantas business class
4. Sydney (SYD) – Hong Kong (HKG) on Cathay Pacific business class
5. Hong Kong (HKG) – Dubai (DXB) on Cathay Pacific business class
6. Doha (DOH) – Los Angeles (LAX) on Qatar Airways QSuites

All in all, this entire itinerary prices out at 210,000 Asia Miles. If you’d booked each ticket separately, you’d pay 400,000 miles. This represents a savings of around 48% of your hard-earned miles.

You’re pretty much limited only by your imagination and the Asia Miles routing rules, but you can truly generate some of the craziest flight itineraries out there using Asia Miles.

Once you’ve searched for award availability and found flights for all your segments, call Asia Miles to reserve your flights.

2. Fly Cathay Pacific From the U.S. to Asia: 125,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way 

Cathay Pacific flies nonstop to Hong Kong from several U.S. airports, which makes finding award availability to Asia much easier than with other airlines.

With 125,000 Asia Miles, you can book a one-way, first class flight between the U.S. and Hong Kong (HKG). as long as it’s between 5,001 miles and 7,500 miles. Anything longer than 7,500 miles is priced at 160,000 miles in first class.

Some examples of flights less than 7,500 miles are:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Hong Kong (HKG)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG)
• Vancouver (YVR) – Hong Kong (HKG)

You also need to look at what aircraft Cathay flies to these destinations. The Airbus A350-900s that Cathay flies to destinations like San Francisco and Chicago do not feature a first class cabin. However, if a route features a Boeing 777, that means it has a first-class cabin.

If you’re looking to save some miles, consider business class, which only requires 70,000 Asia Miles one-way for the same distance range.

These routes cost 160,000 miles in first class and 110,000 miles in business class each way:

• Boston (BOS) – Hong Kong (HKG)
• Chicago (ORD) – Hong Kong (HKG) 
• New York (JFK) – Hong Kong (HKG)
• Toronto (YYZ) – Hong Kong (HKG)

Best of all, Cathay Pacific doesn’t levy surcharges on their own award flights, which makes this redemption even sweeter.

Hot Tip:

Check out our definitive guide to Cathay Pacific’s direct routes from the U.S. with plane types and seats.

Need help booking an award ticket? See our step-by-step guide for booking Cathay Pacific first class.

3. Fly Cathay Pacific From the U.S. to Europe via Hong Kong: 160,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way

How does experiencing the wonders of Hong Kong before flying to Europe in Cathay Pacific first class sound? Not only is this possible with Asia Miles, but it costs the same as if you were to fly from the U.S. East Coast to Hong Kong in first class.

This is thanks to Asia Miles’ ultra-long distance band on its award chart. All itineraries that are farther than 7,500 miles are priced at 160,000 Asia Miles.

What we mean is that these 2 itineraries are the same price:

• New York (JFK) – Hong Kong (HKG) – London (LHR) in Cathay Pacific first class
• New York (JFK) – Hong Kong (HKG) in Cathay Pacific first class

This provides an excellent way to experience the luxury of Cathay Pacific twice for the same price!

4. Fly Qatar Airways From the U.S. to the Middle East: 84,000 Miles Business Class, One-Way 

Qatar Airways Qsuites is arguably the best business class in the world. With Asia Miles, you can experience the suite yourself. To learn more about the Qsuites experience, check out our review of Qatar Airways Qsuites on the Boeing 777.

Depending on the distance, you can book a one-way business class flight from several U.S. airports to Doha (DOH) for 84,000 to 110,000 Asia Miles.

Here are some of the nonstop QSuites flights that cost 84,000 Asia Miles:

• Boston (BOS) – Doha (DOH)
• Chicago (ORD) – Doha (DOH)
• New York (JFK) – Doha (DOH)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Doha (DOH)

Here are some of the nonstop QSuites flights that cost 110,000 Asia Miles, as they fall in the longest distance band:

• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Doha (DOH)
• Houston (IAH) – Doha (DOH)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Doha (DOH)
• Seattle (SEA) – Doha (DOH)

Search for Qatar award space on either the British Airways or Qantas website. When you’re ready to book your award flight, fill out the Flight Award Request Form.

Cathay adds fuel surcharges for partner awards, so you can expect to pay a high cash component.

5. Fly Qatar Airways First Class on the A380 From Australia to Europe via Doha: 160,000 Miles in First Class, One-Way

Another excellent first class redemption is on Qatar Airways on the Airbus A380. From Doha, Qatar Airways only flies its A380s to a few select destinations. These include Perth (PER) and Sydney (SYD) in Australia, and Paris (CDG) and London (LHR) in Europe.

From Doha, Sydney is 7,687 miles away, placing it in the ultralong distance band. According to Cathay’s award chart, this award can be booked for 160,000 Asia Miles in first class. This route alone is in the highest distance band, so any further distance can be booked at the same rate.

In this case, a one-way first class award on Qatar Airways between Sydney and Doha prices the same as a first class award from Sydney to London or Paris connecting through Doha.

On all of these routes, you can book this product for 160,000 miles in first class. Business class is cheaper, at 110,000 miles. The total time you’d spend aboard these flights is around 25 hours.

6. Fly Royal Jordanian Airlines From the U.S. to Jordan: 84,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way

Ever wanted to visit the site of some of the oldest civilizations in history? Jordan, which has been inhabited for at least 200,000 years, remains one of the world’s most historically, culturally, and religiously significant places in the world.

Jordanian culture and food are among the highlights of this Middle Eastern country. Royal Jordanian Airlines offers comfortable B/E Aerospace Diamond seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. While not cutting-edge, the service tends to be fantastic.

For a one-way flight in business class, you can expect to pay 84,000 Asia Miles. The same flight in economy is 27,000 Asia Miles.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• Chicago (ORD) – Amman (AMM)
• Detroit (DTW) – Amman (AMM)
• New York (JFK) – Amman (AMM)

7. Fly American Airlines From the U.S. to Europe: 58,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way

Although you can use American Airlines miles to fly American-operated flights, it is not generally recommended, as American Airlines uses dynamic pricing for its flights. You could consider using Asia miles to book American-operated flights.

You can book a one-way American Airlines business class flight from many U.S. airports to several European destinations. Pricing depends on the distance you fly. However, you can expect to pay 58,000 to 84,000 Asia Miles.

Examples of nonstop American flights that can be booked for 58,000 miles include:

• New York (JFK) – Paris (CDG)
• Philadelphia (PHL) – Amsterdam (AMS)
• Chicago (ORD) – Barcelona (BCN)

Farther flights, between 5,001 and 7,500 miles, such as flights from the U.S. West Coast, can be booked for 84,000 miles. These include:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – London (LHR)
• Dallas (DFW) – Rome (FCO)
• Chicago (ORD) – Athens (ATH)

8. Fly AA or LATAM From the U.S. to Southern South America: 58,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way

Oneworld partners American Airlines and LATAM offer several nonstop flights between the U.S and South America.

Depending on the distance flown, you can book a one-way business class flight between the U.S. to South America for 58,000 or 84,000 miles. This provides excellent value, as prices to South America tend to be high.

Routes that can be booked for 58,000 Asia Miles include:

• New York (JFK) – Rio De Janiero (GIG)
• Miami (MIA) – Santiago (SCL)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Lima (LIM)

Meanwhile, routes that can be booked for 84,000 Asia Miles include:

• New York (JFK) – Buenos Aires (EZE)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Santiago (SCL)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Sao Paulo (GRU)

9. Fly American Airlines From the U.S. to Asia: From 84,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way

Another excellent option for flights between the U.S. and Asia is American Airlines. American Airlines flies nonstop to several destinations in Asia, and many can be booked for just 84,000 miles in business class, as these routes fall in the long-distance band (5,001 to 7,500 miles).

Some of these routes include:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT)
• Dallas (DFW) – Seoul (ICN)
• New York (JFK) – New Delhi (DEL)

Hot Tip:

American Airlines flies several nonstop routes to various destinations in South America. Check out our guide on the best ways to redeem American Airlines AAdvantage Miles for maximum value.

10. Fly British Airways From the U.S. to Europe: From 58,000 Miles in Business Class, One-Way

British Airways offers nonstop flights between London and more than 20 U.S. airports, which offers a ton of options in terms of pricing and award availability.

All flights in the 2,751-to-5,000-mile distance band can be booked for 58,000 miles one-way in business class. Examples include:

• London (LHR) – New York (JFK)
• London (LHR) – Chicago (ORD)
• London (LHR) – Atlanta (ATL)
• London (LHR) – Dallas (DFW)

Meanwhile, flights in the 5,001-to-7,500-mile distance band can be booked for 84,000 miles one-way in business class. These include:

• London (LHR) – Los Angeles (LAX)
• London (LHR) – San Francisco (SFO)
• London (LHR) – Las Vegas (LAS)
• London (LHR) – Phoenix (PHX)

Best of all, Asia Miles charges lower surcharges on British Airways awards than British Airways’ own program, Executive Club.

Need help booking an award ticket? See our step-by-step guide to booking British Airways business class.

11. Fly Qantas From the U.S. to Australia: From 84,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way

Lastly, another great way to use Asia Miles is with Oneworld partner Qantas. Qantas is among the best airlines in the world and offers an excellent premium cabin experience.

One-way business class awards between the U.S. can be booked for as few as 84,000 Asia Miles, depending on the distance flown.

Two incredible sweet spots include Sydney (SYD) to San Francisco (SFO) and Sydney to Los Angeles (LAX), as both routes fall just under 7,500 miles. These routes can be booked for 84,000 Asia Miles one-way in business class.

Other great example routes include:

• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Sydney (SYD) for 110,000 Asia Miles
• Honolulu (HNL) – Sydney (SYD) for 84,000 Asia Miles
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Brisbane (BNE) for 84,000 Asia Miles
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Melbourne (MEL) or 110,000 Asia Miles
• San Francisco (SFO) – Melbourne (MEL) for 110,000 Asia Miles

The main downside of Qantas is that award availability is incredibly difficult to find, especially in premium cabins. However, if you can find award space, you will get a ton of value using Asia Miles.

Need help booking an award ticket? See our step-by-step guide to booking Qantas business class.

Booking Award Flights on Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific has made several changes to its award program over the years, which makes it important to read through the general conditions to understand what is allowed.

Using Your Asia Miles

Asia Miles is the frequent flyer currency of Cathay Pacific. Cathay Pacific is part of the Oneworld alliance and also has individual partnerships with airlines outside of the alliance.

Oneworld Alliance Cathay Pacific Airline Partners

Cathay Pacific’s airline partners include the Oneworld alliance:

Nonalliance Cathay Pacific Airline Partners

Nonalliance airline partners of Cathay Pacific include the following:

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Award Charts

The Asia Miles program uses distance-based award charts that are dictated by the trip distance, cabin class, and airline used in your itinerary.

The award chart below applies when flying Cathay Pacific only.

To determine your award, use the actual distance flown one-way between your origin and destination. If there are multiple segments involved, add the distance of the inbound and outbound segments.

Here is the one-way award pricing:

You can use a tool such as Great Circle Mapper to calculate the distance between airports.

The Asia Miles program uses a different award chart when you fly Oneworld airline partners. For the Oneworld multicarrier award (round-the-world trip), the chart below is used when either of 2 conditions applies:

• 1 Oneworld alliance airline, in which Cathay Pacific is not one of your selected carriers
• 3 or more Oneworld alliance airlines, in which Cathay Pacific is one of your selected carriers

You can choose from all Oneworld alliance airlines for your journey, with a maximum distance of 50,000 miles. The miles required in the chart are for multicarrier awards on Oneworld:

Awards Bookable Online vs. Phone

Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Finnair, Alaska Airlines, and Iberia offer instant redemptions online. If you want to fly another partner airline, you must use the Flight Award Request Form.

Since some partner airlines can’t be booked online, we recommend using the websites below to search for award space.

Award Redemption Rules

Asia Miles has different award redemption rules that depend on which award chart you’re using for redemption.

For the Cathay Pacific award chart, here are a few of the most important rules:

• For a one-way flight, up to 2 segments are allowed, with 1 stopover or 1 transfer.
• If the first segment origin airport and the final segment destination airport are in different cities but all segments are within the same country or region, this itinerary is treated as a one-way flight.
• If the first segment origin airport and the final segment destination airport are in different cities but within the same country or region, and the first segment destination airport is in a different country or region, this itinerary is not treated as a one-way flight (e.g., JFK-DFW-LAX is a one-way flight, but JFK-LHR-IAD is not a one-way flight).

Round-Trip Flights

• For a round-trip flight, up to 4 segments are allowed with a minimum of 1 stopover. You are also allowed up to 2 segments on the inbound and outbound itinerary.
• For a round-trip flight, 1 open-jaw is allowed either at the point of origin or the destination in a round-trip flight.
  • For itineraries with only international flights, an open-jaw at the point of origin can only be made between different cities of a country or region.
  • For itineraries without international flights, an open-jaw at the turnaround point can be made between different cities in the same country or region.
  • Traveling into and out of different airports within the same city is not considered an open-jaw.
• For round-trip flights without an open-jaw, you can have 1 of the following:
  • Up to 3 stopovers
  • Up to 2 stopovers and 1 transfer
  • 1 stopover and 2 transfers
• For round-trip flights with an open-jaw at the turnaround point, you can have 1 of the following:
  • 1 open-jaw and up to 2 stopovers
  • 1 open-jaw, 1 stopover, and 1 transfer
  • 1 open-jaw plus a maximum 2 transfers
• For round-trip flights with an open-jaw at the point of origin, you can have 1 of the following:
  • 1 open-jaw and up to 3 stopovers
  • 1 open-jaw and up to 2 stopovers and 1 transfer
  • 1 open-jaw, 1 stopover, and up to 2 transfers

When you use the Oneworld Partner Award chart, the previously stated rules do not apply. Here are Asia Miles’ Oneworld multicarrier award conditions:

1. A Oneworld multicarrier award is applicable to:
   • 2 Oneworld alliance airlines, when Cathay Pacific is not one of your selected carriers
   • 3 or more Oneworld alliance airlines when Cathay Pacific is one of your selected carriers
2. The maximum distance range is up to 50,000 miles.
3. To redeem a Oneworld multicarrier award, the total mileage credits required to determine the award zone is the sum of the sector distance (between the origin airports and destination airports) of all sectors in the itinerary. The member or nominee can make a maximum of 5 stopovers. In addition, 2 transfers and 2 open-jaws are permitted.
4. For multiple-sector flight awards, the miles required are those of the highest class booked in any single itinerary.
5. A Oneworld multicarrier award does not offer premium economy class.

Final Thoughts

Although Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program has undergone significant devaluations over the years, it still provides incredible value once you understand the award charts and program rules. The best way to use your Asia Miles for maximum value remains flying long-haul flights in premium cabins, especially on multicarrier awards involving round-the-world travel.

Best of all, it’s easy to earn Asia miles, as the program has several transfer partners, including American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.