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The Best Ways To Fly to Southeast Asia With Points and Miles [Step-by-Step]

BY 

Stephen Au

- UPDATED: November 11, 2021   |    4

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Whether you’re scheming your next big vacation or passively looking for travel destinations, you are sure to have encountered the picturesque scenery of Southeast Asia.

Perhaps you’ve also seen the amazing and ultra-cheap street food available on the curbs deep within major cities.

Well, exploring the vast depths of Southeast Asia should be on everybody’s bucket list. The diversity, vast culture, phenomenal food, and amazing attractions make it a must-visit.

Southeast Asia hasn’t always been the most accessible travel destination for U.S. citizens. Luckily, we’ve got the inside scoop on the best ways to fly to Southeast Asia with points and miles.

There’s tons of value to be had here, but it’s important to understand the best routes to take en route to Southeast Asia.

There are very few nonstop flights from the U.S., so you’ll most likely have to take a connecting flight to get to your final destination.

For the purposes of our analysis, we’re going to consider Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam as “Southeast Asia.” Notably, we are generally going to be excluding China, Japan, and South Korea (generally known as part of North Asia) and India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka (generally thought of as being part of South Asia).

Let’s get started.

Nonstop Flights Between the U.S. and Southeast Asia

As we mentioned above, we’ll be strictly including nonstop flights between the U.S. and Southeast Asia, and since the region is generally quite far from the U.S., nonstop flight options are limited.

That being said, check out all of the following foreign airlines with nonstop flights between the U.S. and Southeast Asia:

• Cathay Pacific
  • Boston (BOS) – Hong Kong (HKG)
  • Chicago (ORD) – Hong Kong (HKG)
  • Los Angeles (LAX) – Hong Kong (HKG)
  • New York (JFK) – Hong Kong (HKG)
  • San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG)
• Philippine Airlines
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Manila (MNL)
  • Los Angeles (LAX) – Cebu (CEB)
  • Los Angeles (LAX) – Manila (MNL)
  • New York (JFK) – Manila (MNL)
  • San Francisco (SFO) – Cebu (CEB)
  • San Francisco (SFO) – Manila (MNL)
• Singapore Airlines
  • Los Angeles (LAX) – Singapore (SIN)
  • New York (JFK) – Singapore (SIN)
  • Newark (EWR) – Singapore (SIN)
  • San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG)
  • San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN)
  • Seattle (SEA) – Singapore (SIN)

And here are the U.S. airlines offering nonstop flights between the U.S. and Southeast Asia:

• American Airlines
  • Dallas (DFW) – Hong Kong (HKG)
• United Airlines
  • Newark (EWR) – Hong Kong (HKG)
  • San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG)
  • San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN)

Best Programs To Use To Book Flights

Because of the diverse route network of connecting flights from the U.S. to Southeast Asia, there is an unbelievable number of redemptions you can make to book flights there.

We’ve analyzed all of the booking programs and came up with the top frequent flyer programs to focus on when booking flights.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club

The first choice to book sweet spots award tickets is using All Nippon Airways’ frequent flyer program, Mileage Club. This loyalty program features astonishingly good redemption rates (especially for business class redemptions), a great set of routing rules, and excellent access to Southeast Asian routes from major U.S. hubs.

ANA has several restrictions on award bookings; namely, you cannot book one-way flights using miles. Depending on which airline you fly, ANA may pass on fuel surcharges as well. Even so, paying a couple of hundred dollars in fuel surcharges is absolutely worth saving tens of thousands of points.

To begin, let’s talk about how ANA prices award tickets. There are 2 award charts:

1. Cheaper priced ANA-operated flights (subject to seasonality rules)
2. Higher priced ANA partner flights

Currently, your best options to fly to Southeast Asia would be on ANA-operated flights due to the miles you’ll save.

For example, if you wanted to fly to Indonesia from North America, you’d pay:

• 100,000 to 115,000 ANA miles for ANA business class through Tokyo (HND or NRT)
• 136,000 ANA miles for partner business class through Tokyo (HND or NRT)

Because of this large mileage differential, you generally will want to focus on booking ANA business class.

ANA splits its Asia award chart into 2 zones:

• Asia 1 (Zone 3) — Guam, Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, the Philippines, Taiwan
• Asia 2 (Zone 4) — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

Here is the ANA partner award chart:

If you fly from North America to the Philippines (which is in Asia 1), you will pay round trip costs of 60,000 miles in economy, 95,000 miles in business, and 180,000 miles in first class.

Compare this to the Asia 1 and Asia 2 award charts for ANA flights from North America:

As you can see, the range of costs for ANA-operated flights depends on seasonality. Here are the dates that correspond to each seasonality bucket:

To put all these charts together, let’s take an example itinerary.

Suppose you want to fly to Kuala Lumpur in ANA business class and have found award availability on April 22, 2022.

Since this falls under low season and consists wholly of ANA flights, your cost will be 100,000 ANA miles round-trip.

ANA’s mileage scheme is a bit complex, but those who take the time to learn the ins and outs of ANA Mileage Club will reap the rewards of very cheaply priced award flights.

If you’re not willing to fly on ANA business class, check out some other partners that will be useful in planning your Southeast Asia itineraries:

By putting all of this knowledge together, let’s talk about some excellent route options you can take:

• Houston (IAH) – Tokyo (HND or NRT) – Jakarta (CGK) round-trip in ANA first class, then business class during regular season for 110,000 ANA miles + $291 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Beijing (PEK) – Singapore (SIN) round-trip in Air China and Singapore Airlines first class for 240,000 ANA miles + $256 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) – Manila (MNL) round-trip in Philippines Airlines business class for 95,000 ANA miles + $246 in taxes and fees
• Seattle (SEA) – Taipei (TPE) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL) round-trip in EVA Air business class for 136,000 ANA miles + $194 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Tokyo (NRT) – Manila (MNL) round-trip in ANA business class during low season for 80,000 ANA miles + $247 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: You can always add 1 stopover and 1 open-jaw on itineraries booked using ANA miles. Be sure to incorporate this into your trip to visit multiple cities for free!

Here are the steps you can take to begin booking your flights with ANA miles:

1. If you are searching for flights on Star Alliance partners, you can use ANA’s website directly.
2. On the right-hand side of the top banner of ANA’s website, click ANA Mileage Club.
3. Click International on the left-hand side of the following page. Then, click Award Reservation.
4. Log in with your ANA member number and password.
5. Type in your cities, travel dates, class of service, number of passengers, and click Search.
6. Once you’ve found award availability, you’ll want to transfer your points. Be sure to incorporate any transfer times into your booking.
7. Click on the flights you want.
8. If searching for award space separately from ANA, such as through ExpertFlyer, you’ll want to call ANA at 800-235-9262 after finding availability for your desired flights.
9. Confirm your reservation and pay for any taxes and fees.

Earning ANA Mileage Plan Miles

Earning ANA miles is made easy by the fact that it is transfer partners with American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

You can transfer at a 1:1 ratio from Amex or a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus from Marriott Bonvoy when you transfer 60,000 points.

Transfers from Amex take around 3 business days, while transfers from Marriott take around 7 business days.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

Credit Card	Key Benefits & Info
New 100k Welcome Offer The Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 60,000 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during 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 $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only. $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on select Equinox memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $695 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $2,200 Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Platinum, see our thoughts on the cards incredible benefits and perks, which includes travel insurance coverage, car rental insurance and so much more. Check out our full review to see why it’s one of the best travel credit cards.
New Welcome Offer American Express® Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Rose Gold is here to stay. Card Members can choose between a Gold or Rose Gold Card. Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and earn 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x). Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $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. $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,320 Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Gold Card, see our guides on its benefits and perks, as well as our full review.

Recommended American Express Cards (Business)

Credit Card	Key Benefits & Info
New Welcome Offer The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 85,000 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, 0% Intro APR for 12 months from the date of the account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time. After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 22.24% based on your credit worthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else. Cap applies. Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases with your Card, including up to $400 with Dell Technologies, up to $360 with Indeed, up to $150 with Adobe and up to $120 on wireless telephone purchases. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year toward baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Access to more than 1,300 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting with The American Express Global Lounge Collection®. More lounge options than any other credit card on the market as of 8/2020. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $595 ($695 if application is received on or after 01/13/2022) Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $2,640 Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Business Platinum, see our insights on its benefits, top card FAQ’s and the best airport lounges you can access. Go here for our full review. This is one of several business credit cards from Amex.
American Express® Business Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* MORE REWARDS: Get 4x Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1x is earned for other purchases.** **4x points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.* AIRLINE BONUS: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.* PAY OVER TIME OPTION: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month—or pay over time with interest.* Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $295 *Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,540 Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Business Gold Card see our guide on its benefits, top FAQ’s and our full review.
New Welcome Offer The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. You’ve got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors. 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.24% - 19.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Blue Business Plus card, click here. UP's Bonus Valuation*: $330

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is, unsurprisingly, right at the top of our best ways to book travel to Southeast Asia. With amazing airline partners, sweet spot redemptions everywhere, and awesome routing rules, it’s no wonder that it is our highest-value airline mileage currency.

There are a ton of ways to redeem Alaska Airlines miles for huge value, and this one is no exception. The most useful airline partners will be:

The best airlines on the list are the first 2, and the award redemption rates are phenomenal. Additionally, you can add on a stopover for free on one-way flights, effectively getting you a free flight!

Fuel surcharges will not be passed on with Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, which is the icing on the cake. If you’re still hesitating, check out our spectacular experiences in Cathay Pacific first class and Japan Airlines first class.

Here are some example routes you can take to Southeast Asia using Alaska Airlines miles:

• Boston (BOS) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Surabaya (SUB) one-way in Cathay Pacific first class and Cathay Pacific business class for 70,000 Alaska Airlines miles + $55 in taxes and fees
• Chicago (ORD) – Tokyo (NRT) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL) one-way in Japan Airlines first class and Japan Airlines business class (Sky Suites III) for 75,000 Alaska Airlines miles + $53 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) one-way in Cathay Pacific business class for 50,000 Alaska Airlines miles + $58 in taxes and fees
• Seattle (SEA) – Tokyo (NRT) – Bangkok (BKK) one-way in Japan Airlines business class for 65,000 Alaska Airlines miles + $54 in taxes and fees

If you’re ready to book using Alaska miles, here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Visit Alaska Airlines’ website.
   • You can’t search Cathay Pacific or LATAM using Alaska Airlines’ website. Instead, visit British Airways and search from there.
2. There will be a search box on the homepage. Check off the box that says Use Miles. Check off the box that says Multi-city if you’re going to add stopovers or open jaws.
3. Type in your search criteria, which includes dates, destination and origin cities, number of passengers, and trip type (one-way or not).
4. Select the best flights for your situation and checkout by spending your Alaska miles and paying for taxes and fees.
   • If you’re booking Cathay Pacific, you’ll need to call Alaska Airlines at 800-252-7522 and give them the flight numbers, dates, and other information.
5. Choose the best seats in advance by using your airline record locator (not Alaska Airlines’ record locator!).

Earning Alaska Airlines Miles

There are several ways to earn Alaska miles.

Alaska Airlines’ singular transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy, but there are tons of other ways to get your hands on Alaska miles, including using the co-branded Bank of America credit cards and purchasing miles during sales.

You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to Alaska Airlines. Transfers from Marriott Bonvoy take around 3 business days to process.

Since the best way is arguably transferring from Marriott Bonvoy, we’ve also written a guide on the best ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn up to 14x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1x point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, qualifying you for Silver Elite Status. Restrictions apply. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $210
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases + 10X total points on eligible purchases in select categories. 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Earn up to 17x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,050
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $450 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $525
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Plus, earn Gold Elite status after making $35,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual fee: $125 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $525

Bottom Line: In all, Alaska Airlines is a gem when booking flights to Asia. Whether it’s the numerous airline partners with sensational premium cabin products, the awesome mileage price, generous stopover and open-jaw policy on one-way awards, absence of fuel surcharges, or easy booking process, Alaska Airlines should be on your radar when booking flights to Southeast Asia with points. 

American Airlines AAdvantage

American Airlines belongs to the Oneworld alliance. Notable Asian partners include Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines. By strategically leveraging these partners, you’ll be able to piece together an itinerary to Southeast Asia much quicker than usual.

Here are the one-way mileage costs on partner flights between the U.S. and Southeast Asia (in American’s Asia Region 2) using AA miles:

American Airlines AAdvantage does not allow stopovers or open-jaws on award tickets. If you want to stopover in a certain country, you’ll need to pay the mileage price for each individual segment.

For example, if you wanted to fly on Japan Airlines business class from the U.S. to Japan followed by another flight several days or weeks later to Southeast Asia, you’ll need to pay 60,000 AA miles for the first segment and another 30,000 AA miles for the second segment.

Neither Cathay Pacific (based in Hong Kong) nor Japan Airlines (based in Tokyo) offers first class flights from their hub airports to destinations in Southeast Asia, so your connecting segment to your final destination in Southeast Asia will, at best, be in business class.

Remember also that American Airlines allows only transpacific routes from the U.S. to Southeast Asia, so you won’t be able to fly the “long way” across the Atlantic to get to Southeast Asia.

Here are some great example routes you can take while trying 2 distinct premium cabin products:

• Dallas (DFW) – Tokyo (NRT) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL) one-way on Japan Airlines business class and Malaysia Airlines business class for 70,000 AAdvantage miles + $20 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT) – Hanoi (HAN) one-way on Japan Airlines first class and business class for 110,000 AAdvantage miles + $20 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Bali (DPS) one-way on Cathay Pacific first class and Cathay Pacific business class for 110,000 AAdvantage miles + $32 in taxes and fees

To begin using AAdvantage miles for Southeast Asia travel, follow this procedure:

1. Locate award availability by searching on British Airways (alternatives include Qantas or American Airlines if British Airways doesn’t work).
2. Log into British Airways by typing in your Executive Club member number and password on the top-left side of the page. Click Login.
3. Type in your travel route, travel dates, class of service, and the number of passengers.
4. Write down the flight information for the flights you want to reserve.
5. Call AAdvantage at 800-882-8880.
6. Give them your flight information, including the number of passengers and cabin class you want to book.
7. Provide any additional information and pay with AAdvantage miles and a credit card for taxes and fees.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

There are 2 main ways to earn AAdvantage miles from credit cards:

• Citi or Barclays co-branded AAdvantage cards
• Marriott Bonvoy transfers

Besides this, there are a lot of other ways to earn a lot of American Airlines miles.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers to AAdvantage at a 3:1 ratio. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred, you’ll receive a bonus 5,000 AAdvantage miles, upping your total to 25,000 AA miles per 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

Transfers from Marriott take around 2 business days to complete.

Bottom Line: The possibilities with AAdvantage are honestly limitless. While you can’t add stopovers and open jaws to your AAdvantage reservation to Southeast Asia, we believe the best utilization of your American Airlines miles is in business class. First class is significantly more expensive, and there aren’t many itineraries deep into Southeast Asia wholly in first class. 

Air Canada Aeroplan

Air Canada Aeroplan is a fantastic frequent flyer program to use! Over the years, it has maintained great redemption prices, consistent airline policies, and a streamlined booking process.

Redeeming Aeroplan points is possible on Star Alliance flights, along with select Air Creebec, Bearskin Airlines, Calm Air, Canadian North, Cathay Pacific, First Air, GOL Airlines, Middle East Airlines, and Olympic Air flights.

Here are some notable pros of using Aeroplan:

• No close-in award booking fees
• No fuel surcharges
• 1 stopover allowed for 5,000 points extra, even on one-way flights
• Great prices for business class itineraries
• Excellent access to Asia with the partner network

Here are the mileage prices for flights to/from North America and Southeast Asia:

Here are some cool sample routes you can take:

• Chicago (ORD) – New Delhi (DEL) – Singapore (SIN) one-way in Air India business class with a stopover in India for 90,000 Aeroplan points + $42 in taxes and fees
• Houston (IAH) – Taipei (TPE) – Hanoi (HAN) one-way in EVA Air business class with a stopover in Taipei for 90,000 Aeroplan points + $42 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) – Beijing (PEK) – Bangkok (BKK) one-way in Air China business class with a stopover in Beijing for 90,000 Aeroplan points + $42 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Singapore (SIN) one-way in United economy class with a stopover in Hong Kong for 65,000 Aeroplan points + $42 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Tokyo (NRT) – Da Nang (DAD) one-way in ANA first class and business class with a stopover in Tokyo for 135,000 Aeroplan points + $42 in taxes and fees

As you can imagine, there’s a huge list of possible routes you can take. Here are the steps you’ll take to book using Aeroplan points:

1. Visit Air Canada Aeroplan.
2. Click Log in on the top-right corner of the homepage. Type your Aeroplan number followed by your password. Click Enter to log in.
3. On the homepage, toggle the slider bar that says Points within the main search box.
4. Fill in the search details, including travel date(s), trip type (one-way, round trip, or multi-city), destination and origin cities, and the number of travelers.
5. Perform the search and find the flights you want to book. Complete the booking by redeeming your Aeroplan points and paying for taxes and fees.
   • If you have searched segment-by-segment and want to book a stopover, call Aeroplan to complete your booking at 800-361-5373.

Earning Air Canada Aeroplan Points

It’s extremely easy to earn lots of Aeroplan points with 4 transfer partners in American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex, Capital One, and Chase all transfer at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.

On the other hand, Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio and takes around 4 business days. Also, for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to Aeroplan, you’ll get a bonus of 5,000 Aeroplan points.

Recommended Capital One Cards

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
Capital One Venture Rewards Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Enjoy a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $600 in travel Earn unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, every day 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 $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get our best prices on thousands of trip options Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs No foreign transaction fees Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $95 Must Reads: For more info on the CapOne Venture card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel Earn unlimited 1.25x miles on every purchase, every day Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get our best prices on thousands of trip options Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 14.99% - 24.99% variable APR after that No foreign transaction fees Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 Must Reads: For more info on the VentureOne Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Capital One Venture X Card Learn More (at Capital One's secure site)	Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first 6 months from account opening. Receive up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel. 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 booked through Capital One Travel, plus unlimited 2x miles on all other purchases. No foreign transaction fees. Add cardholders to your account for no fee — they can enjoy benefits and you will earn rewards on every dollar they spend. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $395 Must Reads: If you're looking for more information about the CapOne Venture X Card, explore our full review.

United MileagePlus

Booking United MileagePlus awards to Southeast Asia is super easy. Currently, the cost of partner awards is competitive in business class.

United MileagePlus has moved to a dynamic award pricing system for flights on its own metal. However, the pricing for partners has largely remained the same.

The only exception is that for flights booked within 30 days before departure, there’s an additional “close-in booking fee” of 3,500 miles.

These award prices don’t include the close-in booking fee, so you’ll want to add 3,500 miles for any close-in bookings.

To begin, here’s the award chart for Star Alliance partners:

The countries included in South Asia are:

Here is what the cheapest level of availability will cost on United-operated flights. The range is huge, but the Saver-level availability is what you’ll want to look for.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• Newark (EWR) – Mumbai (BOM) one-way on United Polaris class from 75,000 MileagePlus miles
• San Francisco (SFO) – Seoul (ICN) – Palau (ROR) one-way on Asiana Airlines business class for 90,000 MileagePlus miles
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Beijing (PEK) – Chiang Mai (CNX) one-way on Air China business class for 90,000 MileagePlus miles

Booking award flights on United MileagePlus is easy. Just follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to Southeast Asia in no time:

1. Visit United.
2. Choose from Roundtrip or One-way.
3. Check the box that says Book with miles.
4. If you want to view as many dates as possible, also check off the box that says Calendar shop
5. Type your departure and destination airports
6. Toggle your dates, number of travelers, and class of service.
7. Click Find flights.
8. You’ll be prompted to log in with your MileagePlus account.
9. Choose your flights and complete the booking completely online by paying with your MileagePlus miles and a credit card for taxes and fees.

Earning United MileagePlus Miles

There are several ways to earn United miles, and using Chase co-branded United credit cards or transferring points from Chase (best way) or Marriott Bonvoy are some of the best ways to do so.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio and are instantaneous. On the other hand, transfers from Marriott Bonvoy are at a 3:1.1 ratio. This 3:1.1 ratio is slightly better than its usual airline partners.

Also, you will receive a 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points bonus transferred to United when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. This means you will get a total of 27,500 United miles when transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO & BENEFITS
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Enjoy new benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining and 2x points on all other travel purchases, plus more. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories. Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,200
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. Through 12/31/21, gas station & grocery store purchases will also count towards earning your Travel Credit Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Excellent Credit Recommended (740-850) Annual Fee: $550 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,000
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services Earn 3% cash back on drugstore purchases Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then a variable APR of 14.99% - 24.74%. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0

If you’re a business owner, see our recommended Chase business credit cards.

Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles is extraordinarily useful, particularly if you’re a Citi ThankYou Rewards loyalist.

Up until now, there haven’t been any options to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards points for flights to Southeast Asia. That changes with the introduction of one of the most underrated airline loyalty programs in the business.

Here’s what Avianca LifeMiles has to offer:

• Great first class award prices
• No fuel surcharges
• No close-in booking fees
• Ease of earning LifeMiles
• Star Alliance network of partners

For flights to Southeast Asia, the mileage price is as follows:

The countries included in the South Asia region are:

Note that areas like Guam, Palau, the Philippines, and Taiwan fall under the North Asia pricing, which is as follows:

Here are some great example routes you can book:

• Chicago (ORD) – Tokyo (NRT) – Bangkok (BKK) one-way in ANA business class for 78,000 LifeMiles + ~$62 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) – Taipei (TPE) – Jakarta (CGK) one-way in EVA Air business class for 78,000 LifeMiles + ~$62 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) – Seoul (ICN) – Phnom Penh (PNH) one-way in Asiana Airlines business class for 75,000 LifeMiles + ~$62 in taxes and fees

Here’s how to get started booking your LifeMiles reservation:

1. Visit LifeMiles.
2. Change the language as necessary to English by clicking on the flag in the top-right corner.
3. Click Log in on the top-right corner with your LifeMiles number and password.
4. Click Fly on the top banner.
5. Type your route, class of service, and the number of passengers. Click Find Flights.
6. Finish booking your flight by paying with LifeMiles and taxes/fees.

Earning Avianca LifeMiles

As mentioned above, Avianca LifeMiles is transfer partners with Citi ThankYou Rewards, along with American Express Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex, Brex, Capital One, and Citi transfer instantaneously at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott Bonvoy transfers in around 1 business day at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred.

In addition to regular credit card transfers, you can purchase LifeMiles with huge bonuses regularly. In fact, the largest bonus was a whopping 200%, so it’s definitely worth it to wait until these sales to buy LifeMiles.

There are other ways to earn lots of Avianca LifeMiles as well.

Recommended Citi Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Citi Premier® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Annual Hotel Savings Benefit 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed 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 Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP's Bonus Valuation*: $1,280
Citi Rewards+® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). The Citi Rewards+® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap. Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases. The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $320

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

The very last option we’re including in this guide is Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Known for its luxurious business class and over-the-top first class products, Singapore Airlines offers one of the best ways to fly to Southeast Asia. Since it is based in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore, it’s one of the absolute best candidates to traverse Southeast Asia.

Furthermore, the only way you’re going to book airline awards in business/first class on Singapore Airlines (except for intra-Asia flights) is by redeeming KrisFlyer miles.

Singapore Airlines enjoys the most versatile route network due to its centralized home airport located in the heart of Southeast Asia. Also, no fuel surcharges will be levied for Singapore Airlines flights, though the case is not the same with partners.

Hot Tip: If you want to figure out how you’re going to cross the Pacific from the U.S. aboard Singapore Airlines, check out our definitive guide on Singapore Airlines’ direct U.S. routes. 

Here are some Singapore Airlines routes you can take to Southeast Asia:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Singapore (SIN) – Bandar Seri Begawan (BWN) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 95,000 KrisFlyer miles
• New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN) one-way in Singapore Suites for 132,000 KrisFlyer miles
• Newark (EWR) – Singapore (SIN) – Siem Reap (REP) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 99,000 KrisFlyer miles
• San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN) – Mandalay (MDL) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 95,000 KrisFlyer miles

When flying nonstop to Singapore, you get to fly to exotic/relatively inaccessible cities such as Bandung (BDO), Koh Samui (USM), and Kota Kinabalu (BKI) with a one-stop itinerary, which is great news.

Here’s how you can book your KrisFlyer itinerary:

1. Visit Singapore Airlines.
2. Log into your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer account.
3. Click Redeem Flights.
4. Select your dates of travel and airports.
5. Choose your class of booking by selecting either Business or First/Suites if you’re a premium cabin traveler.
6. Click Search.
7. Choose your flight and pay for any taxes and fees.

Hot Tip: Need help booking? Check out the step-by-step guide for booking Singapore Airlines business class or first class.

Earning Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

There are tons of ways to earn KrisFlyer miles.

Singapore Airlines is transfer partners with every major transferable currency: American Express Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex, Brex, Capital One, Chase, and Citi are all 1:1 transfer partners and all take 1 to 2 days to execute.

Marriott Bonvoy is a 3:1 transfer partner, and you’ll receive a 5,000 KrisFlyer miles bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred, up to 240,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per day. Transfers take up to 2 business days to complete.

Bottom Line: The only way to book Singapore premium cabin awards from the U.S. is by using its own frequent flyer program, KrisFlyer. While the mileage prices are not the best out there for a similar route, the difference is flying on one of the best airlines in the world. Luckily, there are loads of ways to earn KrisFlyer miles. 

Delta SkyMiles

Although the value of Delta SkyMiles for business/first class redemptions is extremely limited on Delta Air Lines’ own flights, partner airlines are a completely different story.

In fact, much of Delta SkyMiles’ value proposition lies in business class flights on partners.

Although SkyMiles charges lots of miles for these flights, you’ll generally pay minimal taxes and fees for one-way flights in business class deep into Southeast Asia.

To fly to Southeast Asia using Delta SkyMiles, you’ll want to take advantage of the relationship Delta has with its SkyTeam alliance partners. Specifically, these airlines will be useful for planning travel to Southeast Asia:

As you can see, nearly a third of the SkyTeam partners (plus non-SkyTeam partner China Southern) are located centrally within Asia, so this will be a tremendous advantage in terms of award availability, route flexibility, and more.

Hot Tip: We’ve written detailed route guides for China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, and Korean Air, so be sure to check those out to aid in planning your award travel.

Neither Garuda Indonesia nor Vietnam Airlines operate nonstop routes to the U.S., so keep that in mind, too.

All in all, using Delta SkyMiles on one-way flights with partners will be priced as follows:

Here are some example routes you can take:

• Boston (BOS) – Seoul (ICN) – Phuket (HKT) one-way on Korean Air business class for 85,000 Delta SkyMiles + $40 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Xiamen (XMN) – Phnom Penh (PNH) one-way on Xiamen Airlines business class for 85,000 Delta SkyMiles + $35 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) – Guangzhou (CAN) – Hanoi (HAN) one-way on China Southern business class for 85,000 Delta SkyMiles + $280 in taxes and fees
• Ontario (ONT) – Taipei (TPE) – Penang (PEN) one-way on China Airlines business class for 85,000 Delta SkyMiles + $85
• San Francisco (SFO) – Shanghai (PVG) – Cebu (CEB) one-way on China Eastern business class for 85,000 Delta SkyMiles + $120 in taxes and fees

You can make your award search much quicker by using Delta’s flexible award calendar search.

If you ever thought about booking Delta One using SkyMiles, you’d see prices anywhere from 200,000 to 600,000 miles on round-trip flights, which is a jaw-dropping number.

Here are the steps you’ll want to take to book travel to Southeast Asia using Delta SkyMiles:

1. Search for availability segment-by-segment on Delta, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, or ExpertFlyer.
2. Once you’ve located the flights you want, write down the flight numbers, travel dates, booking class, and the number of passengers.
3. Call Delta at 800-323-2323 and give them your flights, dates, and other information.
4. Wait for the agent to hold the award ticket, and finish reserving your ticket by paying with miles and for any taxes and fees using your credit card.
5. Write down your airline record locator and visit the website to reserve seats.

Earning Delta SkyMiles

There are lots of ways to earn Delta SkyMiles, including directly via the American Express co-branded credit cards and with partners American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

Currently, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio plus a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred (for a total of 25,000 Delta SkyMiles per 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points).

Transfers from Amex process instantly, while Marriott takes around 1 business day to transfer to Delta.

Recommended Delta Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $50 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Earn 2x Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1x Mile on all other eligible purchases. $100 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, receive a Credit to use toward future travel. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $400 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Gold Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights. Earn 3x Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2x Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1x Miles on all other eligible purchases. Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.*Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $600 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Platinum Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Earn up to 60,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs four times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights. Receive a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Complimentary access into the Delta Sky Club® for you when traveling on a Delta flight. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion® Studio Partner when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Earn 3x Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1x Mile on all other eligible purchases. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $550 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $600 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Reserve card, see our insights on its benefits and our full review.

Final Thoughts

In all, we’ve presented a vast list of ways you can use points to fly to Southeast Asia. We analyzed comprehensive route information from the 3 major alliances in this guide: Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam. With a huge list of excellent airlines to choose from, you’ll be sure to find an itinerary that fits your needs to help plan and guide your travel.

You now know the absolute best ways to fly to Southeast Asia using points and miles.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards card, and Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.