#13 Among Airlines
Point Value
1.10 ¢
Hobby Score
6.0
Asia Miles has value, but it's more complex than most programs.
Cathay Pacific associated alliance is oneworld Alliance
Visit oneworld Alliance
The best way to earn Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is by flying on Cathay or one of its partners. Cathay is part of the oneworld Alliance and also partners with several non-oneworld airlines. You can earn miles on all partners, though earning rates vary.
You can also earn Asia Miles with the one U.S. co-branded card, and through transfers from Amex, Bilt, Capital One, and Citi.
Cathay uses a zone-based structure to determine how many miles you earn on its flights. Your fare class and the zone you’re flying to dictate the earnings. The easiest way to check your mileage is to use the Miles and Points calculator, which also shows earnings on partner flights.
Amex, Bilt, Capital One, and Citi all partner with Cathay Pacific.
Cathay Pacific is part of the oneworld Alliance, so you can earn Asia Miles by flying on any partner airline. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and British Airways are just a few of their many partners. All miles earned are zone-based and depend on your booking class. The best way to see what you’ll earn is through the Miles and Points calculator.
Cathay Pacific World Elite Mastercard
The best way to redeem Asia Miles is by booking flights on Cathay Pacific or one of its partner airlines. Cathay does not publish an official reward chart, but award pricing is distance based for both Cathay flights and partner flights.
To search for award flights, log in, hover over “Flights,” then select “Redeem with miles” under “Book your flight.” Enter your trip details and search. Partner awards will appear when available, though some partners require calling to book.
If you want to book an around-the-world trip with miles, Cathay Asia Miles is one of the best programs to use. Their RTW option offers strong value for long, multi-segment trips. While Cathay doesn’t offer an online RTW booking tool, you can use the Oneworld multicarrier award chart to build a custom itinerary. It can be complex, but the value can be outstanding.
Parameters of putting together a round the world flight on Cathay:
To book one of these tickets:
Cathay also offers a Companion Ticket Award. If you buy a paid business or first class ticket on Cathay Pacific, you can use miles to book a companion in the same cabin at a discounted rate. These companion awards use a dedicated award chart and must be round trip flights.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
Cathay has great premium cabins, and they release award space 360 days in advance. This makes booking through partners virtually impossible
Partner award fees vary. You’ll pay more to book a Qatar Airways flight though Asia Miles than with American Airlines. But you’ll pay less on a flight on British Airways across the Atlantic when booking with Asia Miles.
Since Cathay releases award flights 360 days in advance, you’ll want to search the day they are released to give yourself the best chance, especially if flying in a premium cabin and/or not having date flexibility. For comparison, American and British release award flights 331 and 355 days in advance, respectively, so you get a head start if booking on Cathay using Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program is best for experienced points and miles users. If you understand award charts and partner bookings, you can unlock excellent value, especially for premium cabin redemptions on Cathay Pacific. These seats are tough to book through partner programs and can even be difficult to find on Cathay itself, but they release award space 360 days out. If premium cabin travel on Cathay metal is your goal, timing and planning are essential.
The strongest value comes from international redemptions, including the option to book a round the world itinerary. The co-branded Cathay card is weak, but Asia Miles remains accessible thanks to strong transfer partnerships with American Express, Bilt, Capital One, and Citi.
There are four status levels with Cathay Pacific. The lowest, Green, is earned simply by signing up for a free account. To move up, you must earn Status Points by flying on Cathay Pacific or one of its partners. The easiest way to see how many Status Points you’ll earn for a specific flight is to use their points calculator.
You must earn the required Status Points within a membership year. Once earned, your status is valid for one year from the date you enrolled, renewed, upgraded, or downgraded into your current tier.
When you sign up, you receive Green status. Benefits include:
Here are the three levels, requirements you’ll need to get to each level, and the benefits of each
Cathay Pacific offers mid-status benefits, which are extra little perks you receive when you reach a Status Point threshold between tiers
We don’t recommend the Cathay Pacific World Elite Mastercard, since the signup bonus is small and the benefits don’t justify the $99 annual fee. If you do get the card and later decide to cancel, remember that your Asia Miles expire after 18 months of no activity. Any earning or redeeming resets the clock. As always with transfer partners, confirm award space before transferring points, since transfers are one-way.
