Guidecathay

Book U.S. domestic and international award flights with your Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Written byPayRewards

PublishedMay 10, 2026

UpdatedJune 18, 2026

Reading time8 minutes

Cathay Pacific flight attendant smiling and assisting passengers in the airplane cabin

With PayRewards and Cathay Pacific, you can turn business bills into Business Class! Convert your PayRewards Points into Cathay Pacific Asia Miles at a 1:1 rate and you’ll be ready to soar near and far.

Asia Miles gives you access to an incredible network, with world-class service from seven major cities including New York, San Francisco and Chicago to Hong Kong: the gateway to Asia Pacific. Through Cathay Pacific’s membership in the Oneworld Alliance, you can also book popular domestic routes such as Los Angeles to New York and Dallas to Boston aboard Oneworld partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

You can also reach new heights with the likes of British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and many other Oneworld Alliance partners. Plus, take off with other bespoke partners like SWISS and Lufthansa. Here’s how to make those Asia Miles work for you.

Using Cathay Pacific Asia Miles to book U.S. routes

For Cathay Pacific’s flights from the United States to Hong Kong, Asia Miles divides its redemption rates into two categories. The higher of the two rates applies to the longest of these routes.

Even so, award rates from the U.S. east coast are highly competitive. For instance, from New York to Hong Kong, you’d spend no more than 119,000 Asia Miles for a business class ticket. Unlike U.S.-based frequent flyer programs that use dynamic – and often unpredictable – reward rates, Asia Miles sets the standard by offering flights at fixed rates.

Cathay Pacific routes from the U.S.	Economy	Premium Economy	Business Class	First Class*
Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong (HKG) San Francisco (SFO) to Hong Kong (HKG) Seattle (SEA) to Hong Kong (HKG)	27,000 Asia Miles	50,000 Asia Miles	91,000 Asia Miles	125,000 Asia Miles
New York (JFK) to Hong Kong (HKG) Boston (BOS) to Hong Kong (HKG) Chicago (ORD) to Hong Kong (HKG) Dallas (DFW) to Hong Kong (HKG)	38,000 Asia Miles	75,000 Asia Miles	119,000 Asia Miles	160,000 Asia Miles

* First Class only available on selected flights to/from New York and Los Angeles.

Asia Miles sets these rates on a fixed award chart, so you always know what a seat will cost.

U.S. domestic flights and other partner routes using Cathay Asia Miles

Asia Miles are great for booking flights with Cathay Pacific itself. But Cathay’s membership in the global Oneworld Alliance opens many other doors around the world. For instance, you can redeem Asia Miles for U.S. domestic flights operated by American Airlines and Alaska Airlines – along with routes to Canada and Central and South America, too.

Fancy a flight to Europe? Beyond booking American Airlines’ many European routes, Asia Miles can also secure you a seat aboard the likes of British Airways, Finnair and Iberia. Beyond that, Japan Airlines can whisk you to Asia, Qatar Airways covers journeys to the Middle East, and there’s Qantas for flights to Australia and New Zealand.

Here’s a look at some of the many options available when spending Asia Miles on Cathay’s Oneworld Alliance partners:

Asia Miles' partner airline routes	Economy	Premium Economy^	Business Class	First Class^
U.S. domestic routes up to 750 miles (E.g. LA to San Francisco, NY to Boston & Atlanta to Orlando)	10,000 Asia Miles	N/A	20,000 Asia Miles	Books at Business Class rates
U.S. domestic routes of 751-2,750 miles (E.g. LA to NY, NY to SFO & Dallas to NY)	15,000 Asia Miles	25,000 Asia Miles*	33,000 Asia Miles	53,000 Asia Miles*
Transatlantic routes from U.S. east coast (E.g. NY to London, NY to Helsinki & Boston to Madrid)	27,000 Asia Miles	43,000 Asia Miles	63,000 Asia Miles	100,000 Asia Miles
Longer transoceanic routes (5,001-7,500 miles) (E.g. LA to London, SFO to Sydney, Dallas to Nadi & Chicago to Tokyo)	40,000 Asia Miles	55,000 Asia Miles	89,000 Asia Miles	135,000 Asia Miles
Longest partner routes (7,500+ miles) (E.g. LA to Doha, Dallas to Sydney & NY to Sydney)	47,000 Asia Miles	80,000 Asia Miles	115,000 Asia Miles	170,000 Asia Miles

* Eligible cross-country flights only
^ Not all flights have Premium Economy and/or First Class. U.S. domestic First Class generally books at Business Class rates using Asia Miles, except where both cabins are offered.

All bookings made using Asia Miles are subject to payment of applicable travel taxes, fees and charges. This is typically $5.60 per person per flight on U.S. domestic routes. Rates on other routes vary.

The Cathay Pacific experience

Flying to Asia on business? Here’s what you can expect on your Cathay Pacific journey to Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific First Class using Asia Miles

For the ultimate in luxury with Cathay Pacific, First Class service is available on selected flights from Los Angeles and New York (JFK) to Hong Kong. The airline has multiple flights each day from these cities, but the ones with First Class are CX830/CX831 for New York, and CX880/CX881 for Los Angeles. On selected departure days, which can vary from week to week, flights CX882/CX883 also offer First Class on the Los Angeles route.

Champagne is bottomless in Cathay Pacific First Class.

Cathay Pacific First Class sits in an exclusive six-suite cabin at the front of the plane. Plush hotel-style bedding paves the way for a great night’s sleep, while premium Champagnes headline the experience. Sustainably sourced caviar is also a staple. First Class passengers have access to First Class lounges, where available – including Cathay Pacific’s flagship lounges in Hong Kong, and partner first class lounges elsewhere.

Relax in Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge in Hong Kong.

Booking Business Class with Asia Miles

While First Class appears only on selected flights, Business Class is available on every Cathay Pacific service between Hong Kong and the United States. Regardless of the route or aircraft, you’re guaranteed a fully flat bed with direct aisle access, and seating in a 1-2-1 layout.

Having said that, you’ll find the best experience on flights with the airline’s newest Business Class product, Aria Suite. Currently, this runs daily between San Francisco and Hong Kong on CX872/CX873, and on most Los Angeles to Hong Kong departures CX884/CX885. Among other modernizations, Aria Suite introduces a closing door for privacy.

Enjoy extra privacy in Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite Business Class.

On other Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 flights, you can expect a similar experience – just without that closing door. Business Class reward flights include access to Business Class lounges, such as the Qantas Business Lounge when departing Los Angeles.

Even more opportunities when spending Asia Miles

Where available, inflight Wi-Fi is complimentary for all passengers in Cathay Pacific First Class and Business Class. Access is also gratis in Premium Economy – which you can book using Asia Miles, too – provided that your Cathay membership number is attached to the ticket.

It’s a comfortable journey in Cathay Pacific Premium Economy.

Speaking of Premium Economy, it’s available on every Cathay Pacific flight to and from the United States. It’s a great alternative to keep in mind if you can’t find First Class or Business Class award flights to suit your plans. It’s also a good choice for travelers with elite Oneworld status through other means, as this provides many of the Business Class perks, without actually having to book Business Class.

For instance, those with American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum or Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Gold membership receive Business Class lounge access when flying with Cathay Pacific, even when booked in Premium Economy or Economy. Those at the higher tiers of AAdvantage and Atmos can even expect First Class lounge access, where available.

Tips and tricks with Cathay and Asia Miles

There’s no cost to join the Cathay program. With that free membership, you’ll be able to search for award flight availability and pricing: even without any Asia Miles in your account. This means you can hunt down award seats and pounce when you’ve located something suitable.

These other handy hacks will help you get the best value from your Asia Miles.

Not all award seats are visible online. Cathay has many airline partnerships beyond the Oneworld Alliance, and these options don’t always appear on its website. For instance, you can call Cathay Pacific (+1 833 933-2244) to book award flights on Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines and SWISS.

Points conversions from PayRewards to Cathay usually take one business day. Keep this in mind when planning your next trip by making your transfer shortly before those Asia Miles are needed in your account.

Lounge access is generous on connecting flights. Booking First Class to Hong Kong, with an onward connection in a lower cabin? Cathay will still welcome you into its First Class lounges before that onward flight – even if it’s in Economy!

Need more Asia Miles? You can also top-up your Cathay rewards by transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards. Don’t forget, by using your credit card to pay bills through PayRewards, you can double dip by earning credit card points and PayRewards Points on the same transaction, to get you flying Business Class sooner.

Asia Miles never expire, provided your account stays active. As long as you earn or spend at least one Asia Mile every 18 months, your entire balance of Asia Miles remains valid for use.