Cathay / Asia Miles

Asia Miles is Cathay Pacific's loyalty currency and a oneworld stalwart. Standard awards on the distance-based chart can deliver good value to and around Asia, and Cathay's Hong Kong hub makes it a natural fit for Australians heading north. It rewards a bit of planning but pays off in premium-cabin comfort.

How to earn Asia Miles

In Australia, Asia Miles is built mainly by transferring from flexible bank rewards currencies, topped up by flying Cathay Pacific and oneworld partners. Cathay's shopping and lifestyle partners add incremental earn.

How to use Asia Miles

Standard awards use a distance-based chart, while partner awards are priced separately. Cathay business and first class to Asia and beyond are the headline redemptions, with the distance bands rewarding shorter and medium-haul hops particularly well.

Sweet spots

• Cathay Pacific business and first class between Australia and Hong Kong, then onward across Asia.
• Short and medium-haul oneworld hops that land in the lower distance bands.
• Round trips that take advantage of the distance-based pricing rather than two one-ways.

What to watch

• Miles expire on an activity-based timetable — keep the account active to protect your balance.
• Fuel and carrier surcharges can apply, adding cash cost on top of the miles.
• Award charts and pricing have been revised before; treat older figures with caution and confirm at booking.

Alliance & partners

Qantas's alliance. Earn and burn Qantas Points across American, British Airways, Cathay, Qatar, Japan Airlines, Finnair, Alaska and more.

Frequently asked

How do Australians earn Asia Miles?

Predominantly by transferring from flexible bank rewards currencies, plus flying Cathay Pacific and oneworld partners. There are fewer direct co-branded earning options here than for Qantas or Velocity.

What are Asia Miles best for?

Cathay Pacific premium cabins between Australia and Hong Kong, and onward connections across Asia. The distance-based chart rewards medium-haul routes especially well.