Cathay Pacific First Class and Cathay Business Class Awards Can Be Booked Online with American AAdvantage Miles at AA.com. Previously, using AAdvantage miles, it was only possible to call up to book Cathay Pacific award tickets. For the average AAdvantage member, this is great news, as it now means you don't have to call AAdvantage to book. For savvier flyers, it may be bad news, since there could be less award space given how easy it now is to book online.
Note that if award space is available, it's typically cheaper to book Cathay Pacific awards using Alaska Mileage Plan miles. For example:
- NYC to HKG in Cathay Pacific First Class: 110K AA miles or 70K Alaska miles or 144,250 British Airways Avios (104,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points until 10/1/19, with the 40% AMEX Transfer Bonus to British Airways Avios)
- NYC to HKG in Cathay Pacific Business Class: 70K AA miles or 50K Alaska miles or 108,250 Avios (78,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points with the 40% AMEX transfer bonus)
- Paris CDG to HKG in Cathay Business Class: 75K AA miles or 42,500 Alaska miles or 92,750 Avios (67,000 AMEX points with the 40% transfer bonus)
The disadvantage to both AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan miles is that these award calendars open nearly 1 month after British Airways and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, so Asia Miles and British Airways Executive Club members have earlier access to award space.
On the other hand, British Airways Avios cannot book Cathay Pacific awards within about a week of travel, whereas AAdvantage awards can. Take this example of September 24, when 3 nonstop Cathay Pacific Business Class awards from HKG to NYC (JFK or EWR) are available with AAdvantage miles (and also with Alaska miles, by calling), but nothing's available with British Airways Avios. Note, though, that AAdvantage does charge a $75 fee to book award tickets within 21 days of travel, if you don't hold Gold elite AAdvantage status or higher.
Have you used AAdvantage miles to book Cathay Pacific awards?
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