Award chart
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles award chart and sweet spots
Cathay prices Standard awards on its own flights and on partners by distance band, and since May 1, 2026 it has stopped publishing the tables and asks members to use the flight search instead. Its site still quotes samples: Penang or Cebu from 9,000 miles, Almaty 13,000, and Brisbane, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Vancouver or San Francisco from 20,000 to 27,000 one way in economy. Miles Plus Cash lets members cover part of the price in cash.
The table below is the Cathay-operated Standard award chart as reconstructed by Suitesmile from the search tool after the May 2026 change; the partner and oneworld multi-carrier figures come from the same source.
Official reference: Cathay: flight award chart.
Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .
Cathay Pacific Standard awards, one way by distance (miles)
| Route | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 750 miles | 7,000 | 11,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 751 to 2,750 miles (type 1 routes) | 9,000 | 18,000 | 27,000 | 43,000 |
| 751 to 2,750 miles (type 2 routes) | 13,000 | 23,000 | 33,000 | 50,000 |
| 2,751 to 5,000 miles | 20,000 | 39,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| 5,001 to 7,500 miles (Hong Kong to Los Angeles or San Francisco) | 27,000 | 52,000 | 91,000 | 125,000 |
| Over 7,500 miles (Hong Kong to New York) | 38,000 | 78,000 | 119,000 | 160,000 |
| Partner awards: 2,751 to 5,000 miles | 27,000 | 43,000 | 63,000 | 100,000 |
| Partner awards: 5,001 to 7,500 miles | 40,000 | 55,000 | 93,000 | 135,000 |
| Partner awards: over 7,500 miles | 47,000 | 80,000 | 120,000 | 170,000 |
Suitesmile reconstruction (May 2026) of the chart Cathay no longer publishes. The oneworld multi-carrier award, priced on total round-trip distance, runs from 30,000 economy or 60,000 business for up to 1,000 miles to 160,000 economy or 280,000 business for 35,001 to 50,000 miles.
Sweet spots
Hong Kong to Southeast Asia in business
27,000 miles
One way on type 1 routes of 751 to 2,750 miles, such as Bangkok or Singapore, in Cathay business class.
US West Coast to Hong Kong in business
91,000 miles
One way after the May 2026 increase from 88,000, still lower than the 119,000 from New York.
Regional flights under 750 miles
7,000 miles
One way in economy on Cathay's short routes, or 16,000 in business.
Premium economy 751 to 2,750 miles
18,000 miles
Cut from 20,000 in May 2026, one of the few prices that fell.
Fees and surcharges
- Cathay charges fuel surcharges on award tickets, on its own flights and on many partners; MileLion reports per-segment charges of about US$50 to US$200 from April 2026.
- Online date changes cost US$50 or 7,500 miles per ticket; changes through other channels add US$40 or 6,000 miles.
- Itineraries with more than two stopovers, open jaws or mixed carriers must be changed through the service centre.
- Miles expire after 18 months without earning or redemption activity.
Routing and stopover rules
- Awards are priced by the distance flown, with two route types in the 751 to 2,750 band that price differently.
- Open-jaw and multi-stopover itineraries are permitted; Cathay's change FAQ refers to itineraries with up to two stopovers as changeable online.
- The oneworld multi-carrier award is priced on the total distance of a round trip that includes at least two oneworld airlines.
Recent and upcoming changes
- May 1, 2026: business class rose 2,000 miles in the 2,751 to 7,500 bands and 4,000 miles above 7,500 (Los Angeles to Hong Kong 88,000 to 91,000, New York 115,000 to 119,000); premium economy in the 751 to 2,750 type 1 band fell from 20,000 to 18,000; oneworld partner business rose to 93,000 and 120,000 in the two longest bands.
- January 1, 2026 and January 1, 2027: membership tiers move to calendar-year qualification with a new Diamond Executive tier, with no change to award prices.
- March 30, 2021: Choice and Tailored awards were discontinued, leaving Standard awards and Miles Plus Cash.
Getting Cathay Pacific Asia Miles for these awards
Amex (5:4), Capital One (1:1), Citi (1:1), Bilt (1:1), Wells Fargo (1:1), Marriott (3:1) transfer into Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, so a specific award can often be funded from bank points rather than a held balance. If your balance is bigger than the awards you will book, see what the miles are worth or get a cash quote.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles award FAQ
- Does Cathay still publish an Asia Miles award chart?
- Not as a table. Since May 1, 2026 Cathay directs members to the flight search, which prices Standard awards by distance band. The bands themselves have been reconstructed by points sites and are shown here.
- How many Asia Miles for business class from the US to Hong Kong?
- 91,000 miles one way from Los Angeles or San Francisco and 119,000 from New York after the May 2026 increase, plus taxes and fuel surcharges.
- Do Cathay awards carry fuel surcharges?
- Yes. Cathay adds carrier-imposed surcharges to award tickets on its own flights and many partners, reported at about US$50 to US$200 per segment, which is a reason to compare the same Cathay seat through Alaska or American miles.
Sources
- Cathay: Asia Miles overview (sample prices) · official page
- Cathay: flight award chart page · official page
- Cathay FAQ: changing the date of an award ticket online (fees) · official page
- Cathay: 2026 membership programme changes · official page
- Suitesmile: Cathay Standard award charts after May 2026 · secondary source
- AwardWallet: Cathay award chart changes, May 2026 · secondary source
- MileLion: full details of the Asia Miles devaluation (surcharges) · secondary source