Final information to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles – The Factors Man

Asia Miles is the loyalty program of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and HK Categorical. These airways join Hong Kong with the world, with Cathay Pacific’s route community overlaying many main cities in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.

The airline can also be a Oneworld member, so you may earn and redeem miles with different main carriers like American Airways, British Airways and Qantas. You need to use its Oneworld award chart to ebook round-the-world journeys on companion airways or get a strong deal on Cathay Pacific flights. Moreover, you may earn Asia Miles with resorts, automobile rental corporations, retail companions and this system’s cobranded bank card. Asia Miles can also be a switch companion of American Categorical Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards, so the miles are simple to earn.

There are various methods to redeem your miles, however we suggest concentrating on flight rewards. These offers you the very best worth per mile, particularly whenever you ebook tickets in premium cabins.

Right here is all the pieces you have to find out about Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program.

Asia Miles companions

Cathay Pacific is a Oneworld member. Meaning you may earn and redeem Asia Miles with the next Oneworld airways:

Alaska Airways.American Airways.British Airways.Cathay Pacific.Fiji Airways (Oneworld Join member).Finnair.Iberia.Japan Airways.Malaysia Airways.Qantas.Qatar Airways.Royal Air Maroc.Royal Jordanian Airways.SriLankan Airways.

As well as, Asia Miles companions with a number of airways outdoors of the Oneworld alliance. Make sure you learn the specifics of every partnership, as some might have restrictions on reciprocal mileage incomes and redeeming.

Right here’s the complete listing:

Air Canada (Star Alliance).Air China (Star Alliance).Air New Zealand (Star Alliance).Austrian Airways (Star Alliance).Bangkok Airways.Gulf Air.Hong Kong Categorical.LATAM.Lufthansa (Star Alliance).S7 Airways.Shenzhen Airways (Star Alliance).Swiss (Star Alliance).

Cathay Pacific elite standing

Cathay Pacific has an elite standing program that awards frequent flyers advantages like lounge entry, upgrades and extra. These advantages could make the journey expertise smoother and extra luxurious when flying on any Oneworld service. This system was once separate from Asia Miles (as Marco Polo Membership), however now has been built-in beneath the easy moniker of “Cathay.”

You’ll be able to qualify for one in every of Cathay’s standing tiers by assembly the Standing factors necessities. You’ll earn Standing factors whenever you fly on paid flights operated by Cathay Pacific or any of its companions. The variety of earned Standing factors is dependent upon the airline you’re flying with, the route you’re flying and the category of service you’re touring in.

You need to use this calculator on Cathay Pacific’s web site to calculate what number of Standing factors you’ll earn.

Right here’s a have a look at the 4 Cathay elite standing tiers and their qualification necessities:

Inexperienced: 0 Membership factors.Silver: 300 Membership factors.Gold: 600 Membership factors.Diamond: 1,200 Membership factors.

Observe that you simply additionally should fly a minimum of one eligible phase with Cathay Pacific with a purpose to qualify for Silver, Gold or Diamond standing.

Members with Silver standing obtain lounge entry when flying Cathay Pacific, whereas members with Gold standing obtain lounge entry when flying any Oneworld airline. You’ll get more-valuable advantages on the greater elite standing tiers. For instance, Diamond members are entitled to first-class lounge entry and extra-legroom seating in financial system, amongst different advantages.

Try the Cathay web site for extra info on elite standing tiers and their respective advantages.

The right way to earn Asia Miles

You’ll be able to earn Asia Miles each on and off the aircraft — right here’s a have a look at all the very best methods you may top off on Asia Miles.

Earn Asia Miles by flying

Once you fly with Cathay Pacific, you’ll earn Asia Miles primarily based on the fare class you’re booked in and the zone you’re flying to — not on how a lot you spend. Which means longer flights in premium cabins will earn extra miles.

You’ll be able to view all incomes charges on the Asia Miles web site and use this system’s incomes calculator to cost out particular flights. For instance, I priced out a ticket from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to Hong Kong Worldwide Airport (HKG) in W-fare premium financial system, which usually begins round $3,000 round-trip. This ticket earns 7,500 Asia Miles one-way.

Different airline companions earn miles primarily based on distance flown and fare class. You’ll be able to view the incomes charges for every airline on the Asia Miles web site — simply discover your airline on the listing, click on on it and choose your cabin class on the heart of the display.

Earn Asia Miles whenever you keep at resorts

You’ll be able to earn Asia Miles as an alternative of lodge factors at hundreds of resorts worldwide, together with Hyatt, Marriott, InterContinental and Shangri-La properties. Look carefully at these incomes charges earlier than you choose to earn Asia Miles as an alternative of lodge factors. Typically, you might discover that you simply’re higher off incomes lodge factors if you happen to can redeem them for high-end lodge stays.

Associated: The right way to preserve your factors and miles from expiring

Changing lodge factors to Asia Miles

If you have already got a stash of lodge factors you wish to unload, you may switch them to Asia Miles. Once more, make sure the switch ratio is sensible on your particular redemption.

Earn Asia Miles along with your favourite rental automobile firm

Asia Miles companions with numerous rental automobile corporations, together with massive names like Alamo, Hertz and Nationwide. With every companion, you’ll typically earn 500 miles per rental. Simply be aware that you simply doubtless received’t earn rental automobile factors if you happen to decide to earn Asia Miles in your automobile rental. Be certain that to evaluate which factors you worth extra earlier than you ebook your automobile.

Associated: Best methods to avoid wasting on rental automobiles

The Asia Miles bank card

Cathay Pacific provides a cobranded bank card within the U.S. in partnership with Synchrony Financial institution. The Cathay Pacific Visa® Card earns 2 miles per greenback spent on Cathay Pacific purchases, 1.5 miles on eating and purchases charged in a international forex, and 1 mile per greenback on all the pieces else.

Moreover, the cardboard provides a modest bonus of 35,000 bonus miles as a welcome bonus after spending $3,000 along with your card within the first 90 days of account opening. You’ll additionally obtain numerous perks when flying Cathay Pacific, together with precedence test in and boarding.

The knowledge for the Cathay Pacific Visa Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Associated: When does it make sense to spend on a cobranded bank card?

Switch miles from bank card applications

Alternatively, you may switch rewards from 4 applications with transferable currencies on to Asia Miles:

American Categorical Membership Rewards.Bilt Rewards.Capital One.Citi ThankYou Rewards.

Every of them has a switch ratio of 1:1, so 10,000 factors or miles equals 10,000 Asia Miles.

When you’re keen on incomes Asia Miles in your on a regular basis spending, you’ll usually discover that it’s extra rewarding to place purchases on one in every of these playing cards as an alternative of the Cathay Pacific Visa Signature Card. For instance, the American Categorical® Gold Card earns 4 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) and on U.S. takeout and at eating places worldwide — greater than double what you’d earn on these purchases with the Cathay Pacific Visa card.

Different well-liked playing cards in these applications embody the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card, the Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and costs) and the Citi Premier® Card.

Associated: Savvy rewards vacationers deal with transferable factors for essentially the most flexibility

Redeeming Asia Miles

Vital issues to find out about redeeming Asia Miles

In contrast to many U.S. carriers, Cathay Pacific has opted to proceed pricing award tickets primarily based on a normal award chart. Which means you’re not topic to dynamic pricing, and awards on each Cathay Pacific and its companions could be redeemed at a predictable fee, as long as there’s open award house.

That stated, redeeming your miles generally is a bit complicated. The loyalty program has three completely different award charts that cowl various kinds of redemptions — right here’s a fast overview:

Asia Miles award chart: Costs award tickets on Cathay Pacific-operated flights world wide.Airline companions award chart: Costs award tickets on Oneworld and non-alliance companion carriers.Oneworld multicarrier award chart: Costs multistop award tickets operated by two or extra Oneworld companions. You need to use this to construct round-the-world award tickets.

Additional, Asia Miles passes on gasoline surcharges for many Oneworld carriers. Fortunately, nonetheless, Cathay Pacific stopped charging them by itself tickets. As well as, the airline really has decrease surcharges on British Airways flights than British Airways Govt Membership.

Associated: The right way to keep away from gasoline surcharges on award journey

Reserving Cathay Pacific flights with Asia Miles

This award chart is fairly cheap, particularly for long-haul flights in premium cabins. Beneath this award chart, you’d be capable to ebook a one-way ticket from New York to Hong Kong for 85,000 miles in enterprise class. Alternatively, flights departing from Los Angeles to Hong Kong would value 70,000 miles.

There are higher choices for redeeming these awards. For instance, American expenses 70,000 AAdvantage miles to fly from wherever within the U.S. to wherever in Asia on Cathay Pacific. Likewise, Alaska Airways Mileage Plan expenses simply 50,000 miles.

Reserving companion flights with Asia Miles

Sadly, Asia Miles doesn’t formally publish an airline companion award chart, with all companion awards having a mileage surcharge on high of Cathay Pacific awards of the identical size.

To determine the companion award pricing, you will want to look on Cathay Pacific’s web site. Simply enter your origin, vacation spot and airline. You’ll then be proven the pricing for all accessible cabins — although be aware that choose companions should not eligible for on-line bookings.

Reserving award tickets on-line

Reserving award tickets operated wholly by Cathay Pacific could be accomplished on-line. Simply head to the award redemption web page and sign up. Enter your search standards on the heart of the display and click on the yellow “Search flights” button to provoke your search.

Associated: The last word information to Cathay Pacific top quality

Nevertheless, the method for really reserving award tickets is a bit difficult. You’ll be able to solely ebook tickets for a handful of companions on-line. The next airways present award house and ought to be bookable on the Asia Miles web site:

Alaska Airways.British Airways.Cathay Pacific.Finnair.Iberia.Japan Airways.LATAM (non-alliance).Malaysia Airways.Qantas.Qatar Airways.Royal Jordanian.S7 Airways.SriLankan Airways.

When you’re hoping to ebook one in every of these airways, observe the instructions above for reserving a Cathay Pacific award ticket. If not, observe our information to looking for Oneworld award house to search out the award ticket you’d prefer to ebook. Then, name Asia Miles whenever you’re able to ebook the ticket.

Guide a round-the-world ticket with the Oneworld multicarrier award chart

You’ll be able to ebook a round-the-world ticket for comparatively few factors utilizing this chart. These awards are priced primarily based on distance flown and your cabin of journey. You’ll be able to ebook these awards in any class you’d like, together with top quality. Right here’s a have a look at pricing:

The routing guidelines are fairly easy:

You’re allowed a most of 5 stopovers, plus two transfers and two open jaws.You’ll be able to fly as much as 50,000 miles.You should return to the unique level of departure.You should fly a minimum of two Oneworld companions, not together with Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon.You’ll be able to ebook mixed-cabin flights however shall be charged on the fee of the best cabin booked.You’ll be able to’t add non-alliance companions to a multi-carrier award.

To ebook one in every of these tickets, discover award house and guarantee your ticket meets all of the restrictions. Then, name Asia Miles to ebook.

Associated: How I booked a round-the-world ticket in enterprise class for 170,000 miles

Improve and companion awards

You can even use your miles to improve paid Cathay Pacific flights and take a companion with you in your journey. The improve award chart can also be divided by distance and priced primarily based on a one-way improve.

Redeeming Asia Miles for merchandise and different journey

You can even use your Asia Miles for merchandise, lodge stays and different non-air journey redemptions. That stated, that is not often a good suggestion. You nearly all the time get a decrease cent-per-point worth when in comparison with reserving premium airfare — in some circumstances, you get lower than half of TPG’s valuation of 1.3 cents per Asia Mile.

My recommendation is to skip these redemptions if you happen to can. They supply a poor worth, particularly if you happen to journey usually and may use your Asia Miles for flights later.

Asia Miles candy spots

Cathay Pacific first- and business-class flights

Unsurprisingly, utilizing Asia Miles for Cathay Pacific tickets is an effective deal. As talked about, this system doesn’t have the world’s greatest pricing on Cathay Pacific awards, however you may nonetheless rating a strong deal on premium-cabin tickets — particularly if you happen to’re departing from the West Coast. Right here’s a have a look at Asia Miles’ round-trip award pricing from all U.S. locations to its hub at Hong Kong Worldwide Airport (HKG):

Spherical-trip charges, taxes and surcharges are slightly below $200 for every class of service, making this a good way to make use of factors and miles in comparison with the four-figure quantities charged by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Spherical-the-world tickets with the Oneworld multicarrier award chart

The Oneworld multicarrier award chart could be extraordinarily worthwhile for reserving round-the-world tickets on Oneworld carriers. You need to use these awards to ebook a ticket with as much as 5 stopovers. These tickets can span a number of areas in case your ticket is 50,000 miles or fewer. Make sure you seek advice from the redemption part for extra info

British Airways award tickets

Asia Miles expenses decrease gasoline surcharges than different Oneworld companions on British Airways award tickets — even in premium cabins. You might pay barely extra miles than when reserving with different carriers, however the money financial savings could also be sufficient to warrant the upper factors value. For instance, you may fly round-trip from New York’s JFK to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) in British Airways enterprise class for 122,000 Asia Miles and $829 with no peak/off-peak pricing.

Alternatively, reserving via American Airways would set you again 115,000 miles plus almost $1,800 in taxes and costs. British Airways would impose comparable surcharges, although you could possibly decrease these prices by redeeming further Avios.

When you’re transferring factors to ebook a British Airways ticket, be sure you examine the award pricing via British Airways and Cathay Pacific, because the latter might provide each decrease award costs and fewer taxes and costs.

Associated: A evaluate of Cathay Pacific’s top quality on the 777-300ER from Hong Kong to London

Backside line

Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program might not be in your radar as the very best program for incomes (and redeeming) rewards within the Oneworld alliance. Nevertheless, whereas it is not good, there are some glorious offers available. You’ll get the very best offers when redeeming for Cathay Pacific flights and multicarrier round-the-world tickets, particularly if you happen to ebook in premium cabins.

Extra reporting by Ben Smithson.

See Bilt Mastercard charges and costs right here.See Bilt Mastercard rewards and advantages right here.