Questions and Answers

I’ve been collecting chase ultimate rewards point and now I have around 185k points.
I’m wondering how easy or difficult is it to use those points for booking business class award ticket for two?
the flight I’m interested in is Cathay Pacific LAX-HKG-SUB roundtrip, the HKG-SUB could be just economy, doesnt matter, but LAX – HKG should be business
not really in a rush, just planning for things here

[USER=1631]@rose[/USER]

Welcome.

Sadly using Chase UR points on Cathay would be very expensive since the only transfer partner that would work is British Airways and they are very expensive miles/points wise since they use a distance based award chart.

But Chase UR points can be transferred to Singapore Airlines Krisflyer program at a 1:1 ratio, and SQ regional subsidiary Silkair fly to SUB.

You can find award charts here
[URL]http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/ppsclub-krisflyer/RedeemMiles_SQMI/[/URL]
A one way J award from the US West coast to would cost 80K points minus 15% online booking discount = 68K points a person.

Since you will need more points, flying Cathay one way would work.

For Cathay the best programs for booking is Alaska and American miles.

American award cost is going up soon so the best option might be Alaska, award charts here
[URL]https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/award-chart/award-chart-asia.aspx[/URL]
As you can see a one way award between Asia and the US would cost 50K points a person.

Alaska miles can be earned quickly true signup bonuses on the Alaska Visa and the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex card.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/best-current-credit-card-offers/airline-credit-cards[/URL]
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/best-current-credit-card-offers/hotel-credit-cards[/URL]

If you have a business to register the business versions of the Alaska Visa and the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex card to you can potentially earn 100K points that can be transferred to Alaska. Which would be enough for 2 one way J awards on Cathay to Asia.

Is the person you will be traveling with able to help you with signing up for cards also?

You may want to look at transferring your miles to United then try to book two award tickets on Eva Air as only one connection is required. Then as No Name mentioned you need more miles, Cathay business awards only cost 50k one way on Alaska Airline miles. Plus Alaska has specials around 4 times a year allowing you to buy miles with bonus at a decent price. So 2 one way business class tickets would be 100,000 miles which can be bought with a 40/50% bonus in the ballpark of $2,000. That’s a great deal especially for a product such as Cathay!!

[QUOTE=”MdBoater, post: 14006, member: 1604″]You may want to look at transferring your miles to United then try to book two award tickets on Eva Air as only one connection is required. Then as No Name mentioned you need more miles, Cathay business awards only cost 50k one way on Alaska Airline miles. Plus Alaska has specials around 4 times a year allowing you to buy miles with bonus at a decent price. So 2 one way business class tickets would be 100,000 miles which can be bought with a 40/50% bonus in the ballpark of $2,000. That’s a great deal especially for a product such as Cathay!![/QUOTE]

alaska airlines miles huh? I’m going to look into that, it doesnt seem like you can transfer ultimate rewards to it?

[QUOTE=”No Name, post: 14005, member: 268″][USER=1631]@rose[/USER]

Welcome.

Sadly using Chase UR points on Cathay would be very expensive since the only transfer partner that would work is British Airways and they are very expensive miles/points wise since they use a distance based award chart.

But Chase UR points can be transferred to Singapore Airlines Krisflyer program at a 1:1 ratio, and SQ regional subsidiary Silkair fly to SUB.

You can find award charts here
[URL]http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/ppsclub-krisflyer/RedeemMiles_SQMI/[/URL]
A one way J award from the US West coast to would cost 80K points minus 15% online booking discount = 68K points a person.

Since you will need more points, flying Cathay one way would work.

For Cathay the best programs for booking is Alaska and American miles.

American award cost is going up soon so the best option might be Alaska, award charts here
[URL]https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/award-chart/award-chart-asia.aspx[/URL]
As you can see a one way award between Asia and the US would cost 50K points a person.

Alaska miles can be earned quickly true signup bonuses on the Alaska Visa and the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex card.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/best-current-credit-card-offers/airline-credit-cards[/URL]
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/best-current-credit-card-offers/hotel-credit-cards[/URL]

If you have a business to register the business versions of the Alaska Visa and the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex card to you can potentially earn 100K points that can be transferred to Alaska. Which would be enough for 2 one way J awards on Cathay to Asia.

Is the person you will be traveling with able to help you with signing up for cards also?[/QUOTE]

I have about like 5 credit cards so far, and before I successfully fly with mileage for free with these points, I’m a little weary of opening more credit card, especially the ones that have yearly fees.
the hotel I book when traveling usually are boutique hotel, so alot of these hotel chain credit card seems like wont accumulate points for me?
but alaska airlines seems to be a great choice to redeem cathay, thats really useful information

[QUOTE=”rose, post: 14035, member: 1631″]alaska airlines miles huh? I’m going to look into that, it doesnt seem like you can transfer ultimate rewards to it?[/QUOTE]

No you can’t transfer UR points to Alaska. Only Starwood SPG points, Diners Club points and points from Alaska own visa.

[QUOTE=”rose, post: 14037, member: 1631″]I have about like 5 credit cards so far, and before I successfully fly with mileage for free with these points, I’m a little weary of opening more credit card, especially the ones that have yearly fees.
the hotel I book when traveling usually are boutique hotel, so alot of these hotel chain credit card seems like wont accumulate points for me?
but alaska airlines seems to be a great choice to redeem cathay, thats really useful information[/QUOTE]

Well unless you are willing to sign up for new credit cards or have a very high spend on cards each year this will take you a while. You are about half way there when it comes to the miles needed for 2 R/T award tickets in J, it does not help that you have been saving up the wrong points for your goal of flying Cathay.

The point of the Starwood cards is NOT to use the card for long term everyday spend, but to earn the signup bonuses after meeting minimum spend. And then transfer the points to Alaska

And while there are card that earn more points per dollar spent on airfare and independent hotels, meeting minimum spend on a new card for a bonus earn far more points per dollar then even the best flexible card.

There is also the fact the the Alaska visa will get a minimum spend of $1000 starting in May when the signup bonus goes up to 30K points. And since Starwood is being taken over by Marriott the SPG Amex might well go away some time next year.

So waiting until next year or you have traveled with getting new cards might well mean that getting the bonuses will far harder or have gone away totally. [I]Tempus fugit[/I]