Cathay Pacific Raises Fuel Surcharges About 40% on Long-Haul Awards, Starting August 1

Cathay Pacific is raising its carrier-imposed fuel surcharges by roughly 40 percent on long-haul routes (Hong Kong to North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) for tickets issued on or after August 1, 2026. The date that counts is when the ticket is issued, not when you fly, so an award booked before August 1 locks in today’s lower surcharge even for a trip later this year. If you have been eyeing a Cathay business or first class redemption through Asia Miles or a partner program that passes these surcharges along, ticketing it now is the move.

One workaround worth knowing: American Airlines AAdvantage does not add carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on partner awards, so booking the same Cathay flight through AAdvantage sidesteps the increase entirely.