Convert Points to Asia Miles with a 10% Bonus

Until March 31, 2024, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is offering a 10% bonus whenever you convert credit card points into Asia Miles under the latest transfer bonus promotion.

Asia Miles offered a similar bonus around this time last year, so it’s great to see this promotion making a return again as we head into 2024.

Register for the Promotion

In order to benefit from the 10% transfer bonus, you’ll need to register beforehand. Simply head to the promotion’s landing page, sign into your account, and then click “Register Now”.

Then, you’ll get a 10% bonus if you convert points from credit card issuers outside Hong Kong to Asia Miles.

It’s worth noting that the bonus won’t appear on your credit card points portal, since it’s happening on the Asia Miles end. However, as long as you’ve registered for the offer and convert points during the promotion, you should see the bonus arrive in your account.

The promotion page specifies that the bonus miles will be credited to your Asia Miles account within 8–10 weeks after the end of the promotion on March 31, 2024. If this is the case, then it means that you won’t be able to make a booking with your bonus miles immediately after initiating the transfer; however, the regular points transfer should arrive much sooner than that.

Keep in mind that you need to have some sort of activity in your Asia Miles account every 18 months to prevent your miles from expiring. As long as you earn or redeem at least one Asia Mile every 18 months, your expiration date will be reset.

If you’ve had your eye on a redemption, now is as good of a time as ever to convert credit card points into Asia Miles.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Conversion Ratios

The major points programs and optimal transfer ratios that allow you to earn Asia Miles are as follows:

With the 10% bonus in place, these ratios are therefore boosted to the following levels until March 31, 2024:

  • Amex MR: 1,000 MR points = 825 Asia Miles
  • Amex US MR: 1,000 US MR points = 1,100 Asia Miles
  • Capital One Miles: 1,000 miles = 1,100 Asia Miles
  • Citi ThankYou Rewards: 1,000 points = 1,100 Asia Miles
  • RBC Avion: 1,000 RBC Avion points = 1,100 Asia Miles
  • HSBC Rewards: 25,000 HSBC Rewards points = 8,800 Asia Miles

Among the Canadian financial partners, RBC Avion is usually considered to be the “best” way to accumulate Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, followed by Amex MR (mainly because MR points can also be transferred to other programs at a better 1:1 ratio), and then HSBC Rewards.

Meanwhile, the scope of this promotion appears to only include transfers from credit card partners and not hotel partners, so it doesn’t seem like Marriott Bonvoy conversions to Asia Miles would be eligible.

Note that the promotion is explicitly limited to converting credit card points to Asia Miles, and excludes the miles you might earn as part of a welcome bonus or on regular purchases on the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard – powered by Neo.

Incidentally, this also makes it strictly optimal to use the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite† over the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard – powered by Neo, since you’re effectively earning 1.1 Asia Miles per dollar spent by doing so with this promotion in place, versus the Neo card’s baseline earning rate of 1 Asia Mile per dollar spent.

Typically, points transfers from US partners to Asia Miles are instantaneous; meanwhile, transferring from the Canadian currencies has always resulted in a delay of 3–5 business days.

You’ll also want to make sure that the names and addresses on both the sending and receiving accounts match with each other, as there have been several data points on RBC Avion transfers, in particular, being delayed due to mismatches in the systems.

Should You Transfer Points to Asia Miles?

As a reminder, Asia Miles underwent a global devaluation in October 2023, especially for cabins other than economy. Booking flights with Asia Miles in premium cabins costs much more than it used to.

On the other hand, award availability for Cathay Pacific flights with Asia Miles is better than it is with other Oneworld programs. Therefore, if you’d like to give Cathay Pacific business class or First Class a whirl, your best option may be to book directly through Asia Miles, as long as you can find award availability.

In Canada, Cathay Pacific flies to Toronto and Vancouver, but doesn’t offer First Class on either of the routes.

A one-way flight in business class from Hong Kong to either Canadian city costs as follows:

  • Vancouver: 84,000 Asia Miles
  • Toronto: 110,000 Asia Miles

With the transfer bonus taken into consideration, the effective cost of both flights is reduced by 10%, and the exact amount depends on which currency you converted points from and the corresponding transfer ratio.

When it comes to partner airlines, Asia Miles sometimes offers relatively competitive pricing when compared to other Oneworld programs.

For example, you can fly from Helsinki to Chicago in Finnair business class for 63,000 Asia Miles plus $105 (CAD) in taxes and fees. The same flight booked with American Airlines AAdvantage costs just 57,500 miles (which are more difficult to come by), and with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan costs 70,000 miles.

Book Finnair business class with Asia Miles

Another potential good use of Asia Miles with partner airlines is for flights with British Airways, since Asia Miles tends to levy lower carrier-imposed surcharges than those of other Oneworld loyalty programs.

For example, a one-way flight in business class from Chicago to London costs 63,000 Asia Miles plus $329 (CAD) in taxes and fees. The same flight booked with AAdvantage costs 57,500 miles plus $731 (USD) in taxes and fees, with British Airways Executive Club costs 90,000 Avios plus $350 (USD) in taxes and fees, and with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan costs 65,000 Alaska miles plus $995 (USD) in taxes and fees.

Therefore, if you have your eyes on a direct flight to London, Helsinki, or other Oneworld hubs, it’s worth checking out pricing with Asia Miles, especially if you aren’t familiar with the program following the devaluation.

Conclusion

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is offering a blanket 10% bonus on all incoming credit card points transfers from issuers outside Hong Kong until March 31, 2024. Be sure to register for the promotion before transferring your points into the program.

With three financial partners in Canada (and even more in the US) allowing you to earn Asia Miles, this promotion could be a good opportunity to top up your balance for a planned Asia Miles redemption in the future.

This is a recurring article, regularly updated with the latest promotion. Some comments may refer to past promotions that are no longer available.
19 Comments
  1. James JJ (B.C.) YVR

    The T&C’sas defined in clause 4 “Finance partners outside of Hong Kong (“Eligible Finance Partners”) refer to partners featuring under “Other Partner Credit Cards” at the Asia Miles website >” doesn’t include the Royal Bank, it does list American Express.

    Has anyone had success receiving the bonus when transferring from a Royal Bank Avion account?.

  2. Hoinam

    How long do you normally wait? It’s been 2 weeks now and I still haven’t seen asiamiles yet.

  3. Kent

    I transferred my points from HSBC Reward+ to Asiamiles but didn’t get the bonus points. I’ve read the email from Cathay after registered and realized it’s for HK based credit cards only. Too sad!!

  4. Ing

    Ricky – love your content so I am quite interested in transferring some Avion Points to Asia Miles for a Business class trip to Singapore in the Spring. The problem is availability – I have no status with Cathay so when I look for the flights, there doesn’t seem to be any reward seat availability. Any pointers on how to overcome this? Also if I transfer the points and wait the 3-5 days for the points to land into my account, the reward seats may dissappear so it seems like a risky play. I need to make a decision before I trigger my 2CPP option with Avion Rewards for the same flight.

  5. M

    I planned to transfer my RBC Avion Rewards to Asia Miles and have registered with them for the 13 Sep – 12 Nov 2022 10-15% Transfer Bonus promotion. However, I read in this blog that there are 2 RBC Avion Visa card holders did not receive the bonus.

    Please verify if RBC Avion Visa is a partner in this promotion. Thanks.

  6. James

    How exactly does this work? I registered for the promotion, did the transfer using the RBC rewards site for my Avion points and after waiting for a week to get the points in my Asia Miles account, all I got was the points on a 1:1 basis. No bonus whatsoever. Are they supposed to come in at the 15% bonus? Or do they converted afterwards?

  7. Josh

    Does the name of the RBC account and the Asia Miles account need to match? Can i send from my wifes RBC card to my asia miles account?

    1. Ricky YVR

      I believe it does need to match. If you and your wife share a last name, it might be worth a try, but be prepared for some difficulties in dealing with RBC and Cathay if it doesn’t work.

      1. Frank

        This promotion is only applied to Hong Kong based credit cards. RBC Avion is not on their partner list for this promotion. Please verify.

        1. Ricky YVR

          It’s for bank & loyalty partner conversions all over the world, not just Hong Kong.

  8. Sash - YOW ✈ YOW

    Can you put a booking on hold while waiting for the points to transfer in?

    1. Ricky YVR

      I don’t believe Asia Miles has this capability.

  9. Teddy

    If you do BOS to HKG to TPE, can you also get 105,000. The date i’m interested in shows about 122,600 Asia Miles.

    1. Ricky YVR

      It would be closer to the First Class price, because HKG-TPE is much shorter of a flight in comparison. It’s the weighted average of the two prices based on the flight distances, basically.

  10. Daniel

    You mention the names & addresses matching for RBC Avion transfers (and I personally have been held up for doing this, my Avion to another person’s Asia Miles), but is this the same for AMEX MR transfers? Can I feed my MR to multiple Asia Miles accounts?

    1. Ricky YVR

      I would assume that at least the last name and address needs to match.

  11. Mae

    Hi Ricky, any advice on finding award availibility FOR 2 PEOPLE in first on CX? I read it was really difficult. What would be your strategy, then? Thank you!

    1. Ricky YVR

      It’s near-impossible via partners but there would be a higher chance going through Asia Miles, so I’d definitely look into redeeming Asia Miles if you’re looking for two First Class seats.

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