Reserve now: Cathay Pacific business-class award seats available in 2025

Planning a trip to Hong Kong in 2025? Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong-based airline, has business and first-class award seats open from January to May 2025, as first reported by Find Flights for Me.

While the airline uses a distance-based award chart, which is uncommon since most airlines have shifted to dynamic pricing, finding available award seats from the U.S. to China can be challenging with this airline.

According to Cathay's award chart, you can fly a long-distance route (over 7,501 miles) from U.S. airports like New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) one-way in business class for 110,000 miles or in first class for 160,000 miles.

While this isn't an incredible deal for a one-way business or first-class flight from the U.S. to Asia, it's decent. If you value flexibility in your travel dates or wish to plan your trip to Asia well in advance, this could be a solid award flight option. Plus, who doesn't appreciate a direct flight?

Reserve Cathay Pacific business-class award seats for 2025

When looking for award availability, make sure to log into Cathay Pacific and check the specific day(s) you want to travel. Cathay displays options for three days before and three days after your selected date, which is helpful since dates without award availability will appear as "Not available."

If you're planning your spring break getaway for 2025, you can currently secure business-class seats for April and May.

Keep in mind that while business and first-class tickets are available, finding first-class fares can be trickier... but not impossible. If you’re aiming for first-class seats, you may need a more flexible travel schedule compared to booking business class, as award availability for first-class is limited and tends to fill up quickly when it appears.

To obtain 2025 award tickets, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards points, Capital One miles, or Citi ThankYou Rewards points to Cathay Pacific at a 1:1 ratio. However, tests by TPG indicate that not all point transfers to Cathay occur instantly; it may take 48 hours (or longer) for your points to reflect in your Cathay account.

However, TPG Senior Editorial Director Nick Ewen transferred Amex points to Cathay Pacific in early May, and they arrived immediately.

Furthermore, before finalizing your decision with Cathay Pacific, it’s wise to check partner airlines for fare comparisons. For instance, you might find seats on Cathay Pacific for fewer miles through American Airlines or Alaska Airlines’ websites. However, availability with these partners is quite limited.

When I looked up dates for 2025 on Alaska and American, I only discovered main cabin and premium economy award tickets for flights from JFK to HKG. If you’re okay with premium economy, this offers a better value compared to booking the same flight directly on Cathay's website.

Cathay charges 75,000 miles for premium economy seats, while American only asks for 50,000 AAdvantage miles. However, AAdvantage is exclusively a transfer partner of Bilt Rewards, and that partnership will end on June 24. So, unless you have a reserve of AAdvantage miles, booking through Cathay Pacific may be more convenient.

Top credit cards for booking Cathay Pacific award flights

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of membership.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of membership, plus 20% back in statement credits on eligible restaurant purchases (up to $100) in the first six months.
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. A higher offer may be available at citi.com.

In summary

While 110,000 and 160,000 miles for one-way business and first-class fares may not be considered a "deal" by Cathay Pacific, as these are their standard award rates, finding open availability over several months is quite unusual. Moreover, if you're planning to celebrate the Lunar New Year in China or take a spring break vacation, this could be a worthwhile award fare to grab before it vanishes.