What is the best way to book Cathay Pacific business class?

Nowadays, the Cathay program is the best way to book Cathay Pacific business class awards. Cathay Pacific has limited partner award availability.

What credit cards can help me earn miles to fly Cathay Pacific business class?

Cathay Pacific is a transfer partner of several transferable points currencies including American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards. All transfer at a 1:1 ratio.

What do I get when flying Cathay Pacific business class?

Business class passengers have access to 4 business class lounges in Cathay Pacific’s hub, Hong Kong (HKG). While there, you can enjoy a great meal and a drink. On the flight, you get one of the best business class seats in the industry, with direct aisle access and lie-flat recline. You can also expect to have some of the best food in the sky, as well as a luxury amenity kit.

What alliance is Cathay Pacific part of?

Cathay Pacific is a member of the Oneworld alliance.

Best Ways To Book Cathay Pacific Business Class [Step-by-Step]

Updated: October 11, 2025, 3:02am CDT

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Table of Contents

A Look Inside Cathay Pacific Business Class
How To Book Cathay Pacific Business Class
Great Cathay Pacific Business Class Redemptions
How To Earn Enough Miles for Cathay Pacific Business Class
When Should You Search for Award Space?
What Do You Get With Cathay Pacific Business Class?
Final Thoughts

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When you look for the best business class products, Cathay Pacific is bound to be high on that list. Its reputation is well-deserved, and its long-haul business class product and service are top-notch.

If you’re traveling to or through Asia, Cathay Pacific business class deserves your attention. Let’s take a look at this product and the different programs you can use to book this bucket-list experience.

A Look Inside Cathay Pacific Business Class

Cathay Pacific A350 — Cathay Pacific flies several routes between Hong Kong and the U.S. Image Credit: Cathay Pacific

Before we dive into what you get with your business class ticket, we need to talk about the different aircraft that feature this product. On most of its long-haul routes, including to the U.S., Cathay Pacific primarily flies 2 aircraft: the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 777-300ER.

Both aircraft provide roughly the same business class product with slightly different seat widths, inflight entertainment screen widths, and a few other slight variations.

The Airbus A350 is the newer aircraft in the airline’s fleet, so you get additions to your business class seat there. Overall, the experience is great on either aircraft.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 Business Class Bed — Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 business class bed. Image Credit: Greg Stone

All business class seats on Cathay Pacific are lie-flat, which means you can rest on those long international flights. This is important to consider, as flights between the U.S. and Hong Kong (where Cathay Pacific is based) are over 13 hours in duration!

Cathay Pacific’s business class cabins are arranged in a reverse-herringbone layout, so every seat has direct aisle access and provides a private flying experience.

If you’re traveling alone, pick a window seat for maximum privacy. If you’re traveling with a companion, pick a middle seat. That way, while you’ll still have privacy, it’s much easier to talk with your companion.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 Business Class New Breakfast Service — Breakfast in business class on board a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Although mostly known for its premium service, Cathay is also famous for having some of the best inflight dining.

If you’re connecting in or departing from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), the fun begins in the numerous lounges. On a business class ticket, you have access to The Wing, Business; The Pier, Business; and The Cabin lounges before your flight.

How To Book Cathay Pacific Business Class

Historically, the most popular way to redeem Cathay business class awards has been with Oneworld partner airline programs. However, as of late, Cathay has not been releasing award space for partner frequent flyer programs. It’s been incredibly difficult to find partner award space, though not impossible.

For now, it seems the only consistent way to book Cathay Pacific business class is through its own Cathay program. So let’s start with the Cathay loyalty program.

Cathay Pacific Cathay

Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 at Heathrow — Cathay Pacific Asia Miles are an excellent way to book Cathay premium cabin awards. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Over the years, the Cathay Pacific frequent flyer program has undergone significant changes. The program used to have a separate elite status program and another program for earning miles. However, the programs have been combined into one program, Cathay.

Cathay Pacific is also a member of the Oneworld alliance, which means that you can both earn and redeem Asia Miles with other members of Oneworld.

One of the best uses of Asia Miles is for redemptions on Cathay Pacific itself. For its own fights, Cathay Pacific uses a zone-based award chart, which utilizes distance to determine pricing. This means that the farther you fly, the more miles you can expect to pay.

There are sweet spots within the program, especially for short-haul flights with high cash prices.

Here is the one-way award pricing for Cathay Pacific awards, based on distance zones. Type 1 short zones are routes that include cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Type 2 short zones are routes that include Japan, Nepal, India, and Indonesia.

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	Economy	Premium Economy	Business	First
Ultrashort 1-750 miles	7,000	11,000	16,000	N/A
Short, Type 1 751-2,750 miles	9,000	20,000	28,000	43,000
Short, Type 2 751-2,750 miles	13,000	23,000	32,000	50,000
Medium 2,751-5,000 miles	20,000	38,000	58,000	90,000
Long 5,001-7,500 miles	27,000	50,000	88,000	125,000
Ultralong 7,501 or more miles	38,000	75,000	115,000	160,000

Best of all, Cathay Pacific doesn’t levy surcharges on their own award flights.

To complete a booking online, follow these simple steps:

Go to the Cathay Pacific site.
Log in to your account.
Scroll over Redeem flights.
Enter your flight details.
Select your desired flight.
- Standard Awards are what you want to find (otherwise you’ll overpay)
Review the mileage cost and the taxes and fees.
Complete your business class booking.

Earning Cathay Pacific Cathay

Cathay Pacific has transfer relationships with several credit card points programs. These include American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards, all of which transfer at a 1:1 ratio.

Hot Tip:

If you’re interested in flying Cathay Pacific from the U.S., check out our definitive guide to Cathay Pacific’s U.S. routes.

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards

Alaska 737 MKE — Alaska Airlines miles are a great way to book Cathay Pacific awards. Image Credit: Miguel Ángel Sanz via Unsplash

Although award space is generally difficult to come by for partner awards, it’s still possible. One loyalty program worth considering is Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards. Like Cathay Pacific, Alaska Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance.

Recently, Alaska completely overhauled its award charts and moved to a distance-based program.

This award chart overhaul has had a huge impact on Cathay awards for flights between the U.S. and Hong Kong, with these flights being some of the longest-distance flights you can take.

Here is the current one-way award chart for partner redemptions to and within Asia Pacific with Alaska miles.

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Distance (miles)	Economy From	Premium From	Business Class From	First Class From
Less than 1,500	7,500	10,000	15,000	22,500
1,501-3,000	25,000	32,500	50,000	75,000
3,001-5,000	30,000	40,000	60,000	90,000
5,001-7,000	37,500	50,000	75,000	110,000
7,001-10,000	42,500	55,000	85,000	130,000
10,000 and above	65,000	85,000	130,000	195,000

One of the best perks of the Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards program is that it allows for stopovers, including on one-way awards. Although the program is undergoing those major changes soon, we don’t expect the stopover policy to change.

Hot Tip:

Alaska allows for stopovers, including on one-way awards. For example, you can use Alaska miles to fly Cathay Pacific and have a stopover in Hong Kong before continuing onward.

To book partner awards using Alaska Airlines miles, here are the steps to follow:

Go to the Alaska Airlines’ website.
Search for your desired route (make sure you select Use Points).
Select your desired flight and Add To Cart.
Log in to your Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards account.
Pay the necessary taxes and fees and complete your booking.

Earning Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points

Alaska Airlines miles are relatively difficult to earn, as the program has 2 transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy and Bilt Rewards.

Bilt transfers are 1:1 and almost immediate. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Atmos Rewards at a 3:1 ratio, and you receive 5,000 bonus points with every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that you transfer.

Alaska Airlines also has co-branded credit cards offered by Bank of America, which is a great way to earn Alaska points.

American Airlines AAdvantage

Another great program for award redemptions with Cathay Pacific is American Airlines AAdvantage. The program has also undergone major devaluations over the years, but the program is particularly good when it comes to partner redemptions.

For American-operated flights, the program uses dynamic pricing. However, for partner awards, American Airlines has an award chart, so prices are not subject to dynamic pricing.

AA defines Asia Region 1 includes Japan and Korea, and Asia Region 2 includes most of the rest of Asia not covered by other categories.

Here is one-way award pricing for partner awards from the contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada:

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	Main Cabin	Premium Economy	Business / First	First
Within Contiguous 48 U.S. States and Canada	12,500	22,500	25,000	50,000
Alaska	15,000	25,000	30,000	55,000
Hawaii	22,500	50,000	55,000	80,000
Caribbean	17,500	–	27,500	52,500
Mexico	17,500	–	27,500	52,500
Central America	17,500	–	27,500	52,500
South America Region 1	20,000	–	30,000	55,000
South America Region 2	30,000	40,000	57,500	85,000
Europe	30,000*	40,000	57,500	85,000
Middle East	40,000	62,500	70,000	115,000
Indian Subcontinent	40,000	62,500	70,000	115,000
Africa	40,000	65,000	75,000	120,000
Asia Region 1	35,000	50,000	60,000	80,000
Asia Region 2	37,500	50,000	70,000	110,000
South Pacific	40,000	65,000	80,000	110,000

* Flights to Europe cost 22,500 miles during off-peak season, defined as January 10 – March 14, November 1 – December 14.

American Airlines can have incredible rates for partner airlines, including Cathay Pacific. American Airlines does not allow stopovers on award tickets.

To book an American Airlines partner award, follow these steps:

Visit the American Airlines website.
Log in using your AA username and password.
In the search box, check off the box that says Redeem Miles.
Enter the departure city, destination city, travel dates, and number of passengers.
Click Search.
Complete the booking by using your miles and a credit card for taxes and fees.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage miles

There are plenty of ways to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles. The easiest is through the many Citi and Barclays co-branded credit cards.

American AAdvantage is a transfer partner of Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio and take around 2 business days.

Other Ways To Book Cathay Pacific

With Cathay Pacific being a member of the Oneworld alliance, there are numerous other programs you can use for Cathay business class awards, including The British Airways Club and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.

Great Cathay Pacific Business Class Redemptions

Each program we’ve discussed is useful in its own way. Your current miles and points balances, where you live, and how flexible your travel dates are can help you determine which program is best for you.

Alaska Airlines generally allows 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. However, finding award availability with either program is difficult.

On the other hand, Cathay Pacific’s program, Cathay, releases more award space to its members.

How To Earn Enough Miles for Cathay Pacific Business Class

The Cathay Pacific Cathay program lets you use several transferable points currencies to earn more miles to book flights. These include American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards. All these points program transfers at a 1:1 ratio.

Cathay is also a transfer partner of Marriott Bonvoy, which transfers at a rate of 3:1. Plus, you receive 5,000 bonus Asia Miles for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer.

There is also the Cathay World Elite Mastercard^®, which earns bonus points on purchases with Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Express, as well as on restaurants.

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Card Highlights

Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
Earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Earn up to 21X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. Earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Earn up to 5X points from Marriott Bonvoy with the 50% Bonus Points on Stays, a benefit available with your complimentary Platinum Elite status.
$300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card at restaurants worldwide.
A Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite member will earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member.
Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®, such as Le Metropolitan, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Paris. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy^® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton^® or St. Regis^® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck^® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
With your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you can enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, with an unlimited number of visits to over 1,200 airport lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
Trip Cancelled or Interrupted? If you purchase a round-trip entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason cancels or interrupts your trip, we may be able to help. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
$650 Annual Fee.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Marriott Bonvoy

When Should You Search for Award Space?

Cathay Pacific generally releases award space to partner airlines 331 days before departure but releases space to its own Cathay members earlier. Often, it releases award space within 2 weeks of departure.

It’s much more common to find business class space than first class space throughout the year, so it’s a good idea to check regularly. However, as mentioned above, Cathay Pacific has really decreased partner award availability as of late.

The Cathay Pacific Cathay program tends to give members increased access to award space for first class and, to a lesser extent, business class. If you need to travel on a particular day, this can be 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 from or transiting through Cathay Pacific’s hub in Hong Kong, you have access to several lounges. The Wing, Business; The Pier, Business; The Bridge; and The Cabin are all fantastic business class lounges, offering plenty of amenities for business class travelers.

The Wing Lounge

The Wing, Business at Hong Kong International Airport noodle bar continued — The Wing, Business at Hong Kong International Airport noodle bar. Image Credit: Stephen Au

The Wing is Cathay Pacific’s flagship lounge, and you 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.

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

Cathay Pacific Lounge Hong Kong - The Pier - Seating — Cathay Pacific Lounge Hong Kong – The Pier – Seating. Image Credit: Stephen Au

At The Pier, you can get a meal at the noodle bar and visit the tea lounge or a coffee bar. There are ample food and beverage options and tons of seating. Don’t forget to use one of the 14 shower rooms to complete the experience.

The Bridge Lounge

The Bridge provides a homey place to socialize. The Bakery in the north wing (yes, this lounge has wings) and The Bistro in the south wing both have food. The Bridge also has a coffee bar for those needing a pick-me-up.

The Cabin Lounge

Cathay Pacific The Cabin Health Bar — Grab some fresh juice or a smoothie from The Health Bar at The Cabin Lounge. Image Credit: Cathay Pacific

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 get a spacious seat with direct aisle access. The seat is lie-flat so you can sleep or 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. Without a doubt, Cathay Pacific offers one of the best business class products today. Unfortunately, award space for partner programs is nearly nonexistent nowadays. Using Cathay Pacific’s Cathay program to book will be your best bet.

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 fly between the U.S. and Asia or wherever else they fly.