Asia Miles is the rewards program of Cathay Pacific, a Oneworld member based in Hong Kong. While the program has gone through several changes throughout the years, it makes it even more complex. Asia Miles still offers incredible value if you know how to navigate their rules.
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Read below for more information on Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.
Asia Miles Quick Facts
| Hubs | Hong Kong |
| Focus Cities | London, Taipei |
| US Destinations | Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C. |
| Alliance | Oneworld |
| Redemption Options | Award flights, partner flights, seat upgrades, extra baggage, companion tickets, extra-legroom seats, travel, lifestyle, entertainment, transfer partners, donations |
| Average Mile Value | $0.013 |
Marco Polo Club Elite Status
While Asia Miles is Cathay Pacific’s rewards system, Marco Polo Club is the carrier’s loyalty program that enables you to unlock VIP perks when you earn elite status.
To sign up for Marco Polo Club, you have to pay a $100 enrollment fee. The membership renewal fee is 20 club points, or $100 every year.
When you apply for the Marco Polo Club, you’re automatically enrolled in Asia miles. Additionally, you’ll have the same membership number for each of the programs.
Marco Polo Club has 4 status tiers: Green, Silver, Gold, and Diamond.
To earn Marco Polo Club status, you’ll need to build up your club points. How much club points will you earn? That will depend on the airline, cabin, fare class, and distance you travel on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, and any other Oneworld partner.
Check out how many club points you earned on any given flight by using the club points calculator.
| Status Tier | Club Points Needed (in one membership year) |
| Green | 20 |
| Silver | 300 (with Green status) |
| Gold | 600 (with Silver status) |
| Platinum | 1,200 (with Gold status) |
With each Marco Polo Club tier upgrade, you can enjoy a new level of perks such as:
| Gold | Extra-legroom seats redemption Boosted baggage allowance Extra baggage redemption Designated check-in counters* Priority boarding Business Class lounge access |
| Silver | (all Green benefits) Extra-legroom seats Advanced seat reservation* Priority waitlisting* Business Class counters* Priority boarding* Priority baggage handling Membership Holiday |
| Gold | (all Silver benefits) Guaranteed economy class seat Business Class lounge access* Partner airline lounge access* |
| Diamond | (all Gold benefits) Guaranteed premium economy class seat Guaranteed business class seat First Class counters* Priority boarding* First Class lounge access* |
When you’re moving from one club tier to the next, Marco Polo Club will reward you for reaching a specific amount of club-point milestones:
| Club Status | Club Points | Benefit |
| Green | 200 | 1 Business Class lounge pass |
| Silver | 300 | 2 Business Class lounge pass |
| Gold | 600 | 2 Business Class lounge pass |
| Diamond | 1,200 | 2 First or Business Class lounge pass |
For more information on Marco Polo Club, click here.
Earning Asia Miles
Similar to other frequent flyer programs, the best way for you to earn Asia miles is to fly with the carrier. However, there are several other ways for you to build up on rewards, hotel stays, car rentals, shopping, credit card partner transfers, and more.
Gain Asia miles when you fly with: Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, and other partner airlines. The amount of miles you get is based on: airline, flight distance, cabin, and ticket class.
Unlike other frequent flyer programs, Asia Miles will not offer bonus miles for elite status members.
Cathay Pacific offers 1 credit card that earns Asia Miles: Cathay Pacific Signature.
| Welcome Bonus | Get 40k miles ($520 value) when you’ve spent $2k in the first 90 days. |
| Ongoing Rewards | 2x miles on Cathay Pacific purchases 1.5x miles on dining & international purchases 1x miles on all other domestic purchases |
| Elite Status | Complimentary Green status |
| Other Perks | Savings on Asia Miles* 2-day priority redemption for discount flight awards No foreign transaction fees |
| Annual Fee | $95 |
Earn Asia miles when you transfer points from the following credit card rewards programs:
Other than flights and credit card spending, there are other ways for you to earn Asia Miles such as:
If you’re short on miles for an award ticket, you can buy up to 30% of the miles required. However, it’s not highly recommended since the purchase price is $0.03 per mile. This is more than double what we value every Asia mile at redemption.
Earning Asia Miles with American Express Membership Rewards
You’ll be able to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to your Asia Miles account. For every 1,000 Membership Rewards points, receive 1,000 Asia Miles. Credit cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards are:
Personal Cards:
Business Cards:
 The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 125,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll 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. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts(R) or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card(R). The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required. • With American Express Global Lounge Collection you can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder. • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month. • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card. • $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. • $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues. • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost. • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required. This card comes with a $695 annual fee.¤ (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. |
 The American Express® Gold Card offers 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. • 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. • 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. • 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. • 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. Other benefits: • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply. • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required. • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required. • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property. This card has an annual fee of $325 with no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
 The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a welcome offer of 250,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points on Flights, and Prepaid Hotels Booked through AmexTravel.com. • 1X points on other eligible purchases. • 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. • Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card • Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals. • $199 CLEAR Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card. • NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required. This card does come with a $695 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
 The American Express® Business Gold Card offers 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* 0% Intro APR ¤ for 6 months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.49% to 27.49% variable APR.* You'll earn more rewards: • 4X Membership Rewards points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.* • 3X Membership Rewards(R) points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.* • Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.* • Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.* This card does carry a $375 annual fee, but no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
Redeeming Asia Miles
Before going into all of the ways you can redeem your Asia Miles, remember that they expire 36 months after you’ve earned them. Additionally, there is the option to extend the expiration date, but you have to pay an online fee of $40 to stretch 2,000 miles for another 36 months. In-person and telephone requests cost $100 every 2,000 miles.
Use your Asia miles for award flights on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon. Pick from three different award types such as:
- Standard Awards will earn you the most value for your miles.
- Choice Awards have more seat availability, but go for more miles than Standard Awards.
- Tailored Awards have maximum seat availability year-round, but for more miles than the other two options.
Check out the Cathay Pacific/Cathay Dragon award charts.
Use your Asia miles to flu with the carrier’s many partner airlines such as:
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air New Zealand
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Bangkok Airways
- British Airways
- Finnair
- Gulf Air
- HK Express
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Jet Airways
- LATAM
- Lufthansa
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Jordanian Airlines
- S7 Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
- SWISS
- Use your Asia Miles to travel in style and upgrade your seat one cabin class on paid tickets.
- Use your Asia miles for extra baggage awards. Mileage pricing is based off of travel distance and the amount of oversized or overweight pieces. Click here for the Asia Miles extra baggage award chart.
- If you got a first or business class roundtrip ticket, you can use your Asia miles for a companion ticket for the same flight, date, and class of service.
- Use your Asia miles to fly in added comfort in Economy class when you redeem your extra-legroom seats that give you more personal space.
There are plenty of other ways for you to use your Asia miles. However, we don’t recommend them since they don’t give you the best mileage value. Your other redemption options are:
- Travel awards: hotels, cars, experiences.
- Lifestyle awards: travel accessories, electronics & gadgets, home & kitchen, beauty & wellness, wine & gourmet.
- Entertainment awards: concerts & shows, events & experiences, memorable moments.
- Transfer to points
- Charitable donations.
Asia Miles Tips & Tricks
To use your Asia Miles to its fullest potential, remember:
- One stopover is allowed on one-way standard awards (except Air China and Iberia)
- Two stopovers and one open jaw are allowed on standard awards.
- Five stopovers and two open jaws are allowed on Oneworld multi-carrier awards.
- Transatlantic business class itineraries less than 5,000 miles with possible stopover are 50,000 Asia miles (except Iberia and Finnair).
- Asia Miles fuel surcharges on British Airways-operated flights are significantly less than booking though Avios or American Airlines.
- Play with the different pricing zones in the award charts. Going another 4,000 miles in distance for an additional 25,000 Asia miles in business class is a solid deal.
With many other partner carriers, there are plenty of ways to stretch your Asia miles. Here are some of our favorites:
- American Airlines. One-way from the U.S. to Europe starts at 25,000 miles in economy and 50,000 in business class.
- Cathay Pacific. One-way from the U.S. to China in first class is 110,000 or 125,000 miles. Depends on your trips total length. Even though this might look like a lot of miles, it’s pretty “cheap” compared to other mileage pricing to cash cost.
- Iberia. Roundtrip in business class from the U.S. to Spain is 100,000 miles. Roundtrip in economy is 50,000 miles and premium economy is 70,000.
- LATAM. Short international flights in South America are usually expensive, so award tickets are a steal. LATAM has many hub cities in the region, so you will get good stopover options.
- Qantas. Award pricing for business class flights are usually amazing, especially when you compare it to it’s cash cost. For example, one way from Hong Kong to Sydney in business class starts at 45,000 miles.
Book Oneworld partner award flights 360 days from departure, giving Asia miles a slight advantage over American Airlines and Alaska Airlines loyalty programs. These programs will only let you book 330 days in advance.
If you want to book multiple people on the same itinerary, you can lock in your seats before someone else has the opportunity to book it.
Book a Oneworld multi-carrier business class award to fly a total distance of 9,000 miles with up to five stopovers for only 100,000 Asia miles.
Here’s a sample itinerary below:
- Philadelphia to Paris (American Airlines)
- Paris to Madrid (Iberia)
- Madrid to Brussels (Iberia)
- Brussels to London (British Airways)
- London to Dublin (British Airways)
- Dublin to Philadelphia (American Airlines)
Fuel surcharges on British Airways will be large. However, with free stopovers, you might find the fees worthwhile for the ability to enjoy five cities and have business class lounge access while you travel.
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Conclusion
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles has lots of value if you know how their award charts and program rules work. Additionally, it comes with a great earning potential with several partners that you can transfer points from as well. Furthermore, you’ll receive tons of value out of your miles if you use them for long flights in premium cabins.
