Fly 16 Hours in Cathay Pacific Business Class for Just 50,000 Miles
Cathay Pacific just announced its newest route to the US: Hong Kong (HKG) to Washington DC's Dulles airport (IAD) starting September 15, 2018. This will become Cathay Pacific's longest route in the world when it launches and will be operated by its brand new Airbus A350-1000.
Now, the great news: There's award space open on this route! While the inaugural on September 15 is filled up, there's award space open on periodic dates through the end of schedule.
Unfortunately, you're not going to find this award space easily. While American Airlines is a partner of Cathay Pacific, CX awards don't show up on aa.com. Same for Alaska's Mileage Plan website. Even our favorite award search service ExpertFlyer doesn't show Cathay Pacific award availability.
Your best bet is to search on either British Airways' or Qantas' website. Then, call the mileage program that you want to book with.
For those that live outside of Washington DC, unfortunately, there's been zero award space on domestic connecting flights into DC as far as I've seen:
When I called Alaska Airlines to book this award for myself, the agent showed an error when trying to price it out. A long hold later, she was able to figure out that there's a schedule change occurring now. While she was unable to ticket the award for this reason, she was able to hold the space for 18 days.
For now, here's the schedule for the new flight:
- CX 861 — Washington DC (IAD) 1:15am Departure ⇒ Hong Kong (HKG) 5:10am+1 Arrival [Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday departures]
- CX 860 — Hong Kong (HKG) 6:35pm Departure ⇒ Washington DC (IAD) 10:20pm Arrival [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday departures]
Here are your best options for booking this route (the regions or distance band for each are in parentheses, along with connection and stopover rules):
Alaska MileagePlan (US to Asia, connecting flights allowable at the same price, 1 stopover allowed on one-way awards):
- 30,000 miles each way in economy
- 35,000 miles each way in premium economy
- 50,000 miles each way in business class
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank (partner itineraries with a flight distance between 14,000 and 20,000 miles, up to three stopovers):
- 60,000 miles round-trip in economy
- 80,000 miles round-trip in premium economy
- 100,000 miles round-trip in business class
American Airlines AAdvantage (US to Asia Region 2, connecting flights allowable at the same price, no free stopover allowed)
- 37,500 miles each way in economy
- Premium economy awards aren't bookable with AAdvantage miles
- 70,000 miles each way in business class
That's right, for just 50,000 Alaska miles one-way or 100,000 JAL miles round-trip, you can fly in Cathay Pacific's business class product for 16 hours each way!
If you don't have enough Alaska, Japan Airlines or American Airlines miles, each of these airlines are partners with Starwood Preferred Guest. Remember you can get 5,000 bonus miles for each increment of 20,000 Starpoints that you transfer, and there's a daily limit of 79,999 Starpoints.
Starpoints transfer to American Airlines and Alaska Airlines in about two days, but you're going to have to wait up to seven days for transferred Starpoints to reach your JAL Mileage Bank account. Thankfully, you can call and hold American Airlines awards for up to five days while your points transfer. However, you can't hold Alaska or JAL awards.
H/T: One Mile At A Time
When are you headed to Hong Kong?
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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 | Earn 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- 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.
- Earn 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.