← Back to the HubBest Way to Book It
Pick a route. We'll show you some of the ways you can book it with points, ranked by typical miles cost — with cash fees and the catches inline. Coverage expands as we add programs; if a program you expect isn't here yet, it's on the roadmap, not missing on purpose.
Heads up: pricing here comes from published partner award charts, not live availability. Always confirm the seat on the operating airline's site before transferring miles in.
New York (JFK) ↔ Hong Kong (HKG)
8,059 miles · US ↔ SE Asia / China · Business
5 airlines fly this · cheapest first
🥇Fly on United MileagePlus
Star Alliance6 ways to book · from 61.5k miles
US to SE Asia / China (one-way equivalent of 110-136k RT)
Incredible value, but flexibility required.
Low fuel surchargesHas hoopsApproximate
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the ANA Mileage Club award engine for United MileagePlus-operated flights.
Routing rules
Round-trip required.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
What breaks this deal
Round-trip required.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $125–350 in cash fees per direction. $125-350 OW equivalent in taxes.
US to SE Asia / China
No fuel surcharges saves real money here vs other Star options.
No fuel surchargesHas hoops
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the Avianca LifeMiles award engine for United MileagePlus-operated flights.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
What breaks this deal
IT tantrums are part of the experience.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $50–150 in cash fees per direction. US + intl taxes.
North America to Pacific 7501-11000 mi (deep Asia)
Stopover trick still makes this spicy. Free stopover via the 5k add-on is still alive.
No fuel surchargesApproximate
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the Air Canada Aeroplan award engine for United MileagePlus-operated flights.
Routing rules
Multi-segment Star Alliance routings allowed with one stopover for 5,000 extra points.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $70–180 in cash fees per direction. $70-180 in taxes.
US to SE Asia / China
Possible, but not beginner-friendly.
Low fuel surchargesHas hoopsPhone bookingApproximate
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the Turkish Miles&Smiles award engine for United MileagePlus-operated flights. Online booking isn't availablefor this combo — you'll need to call.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
What breaks this deal
Phone-heavy. Verify availability before transferring.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $100–250 in cash fees per direction. $100-250 in taxes.
US to SE Asia / China
KrisFlyer shines more on SQ metal than UA. For UA-operated, Aeroplan wins.
Low fuel surchargesApproximate
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the Singapore KrisFlyer award engine for United MileagePlus-operated flights.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $60–200 in cash fees per direction. $60-200 in taxes.
US to SE Asia / China
Aeroplan 87.5-115k fixed almost always beats this. Skip own-metal here.
No fuel surchargesDynamic — expect upper end
How to book this →
Fly on Cathay Pacific
Oneworld2 ways to book · from 70k miles
North America to Asia (SE Asia / China)
70k AA J to HKG is a legendary fixed rate. Cathay still has saver space - search aa.com directly.
Low fuel surcharges
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the American AAdvantage award engine for Cathay Pacific Asia Miles-operated flights.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $30–120 in cash fees per direction. Cathay imposes minimal fuel surcharges + gov't taxes.
US to Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific
Atmos × Cathay J to Hong Kong — preserved old Alaska sweet spot, low surcharges.
Low fuel surchargesWorth a search
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the Atmos Rewards award engine for Cathay Pacific Asia Miles-operated flights.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Reality check
Space is mixed. Worth a search; don't transfer until you see live availability.
Fly on Malaysia Airlines
Oneworld1 way to book · from 70k miles
North America to Asia (SE Asia / China)
Same chart as Cathay but availability is the bottleneck. Cathay usually preferred.
Low fuel surcharges
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the American AAdvantage award engine for Malaysia Airlines Enrich-operated flights.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $30–100 in cash fees per direction. Gov't taxes. Low fuel surcharges via Malaysia.
Fly on SriLankan FlySmiLes
1 way to book · from 70k miles
North America to Asia (SE Asia / China)
Phone booking expected for SriLankan award redemption. Inventory is limited.
Low fuel surchargesHas hoopsPhone bookingApproximate
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the American AAdvantage award engine for SriLankan FlySmiLes-operated flights. Online booking isn't availablefor this combo — you'll need to call.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $50–150 in cash fees per direction. US + transit gov't taxes.
Fly on American Airlines
Oneworld2 ways to book · from 90k miles
AA long-haul (round-trip)
Solid long-haul J round-trip when AA J availability lines up both ways.
No fuel surchargesHas hoopsApproximate
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the Japan Airlines Mileage Bank award engine for American AAdvantage-operated flights.
Routing rules
Round-trip required.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $12–60 in cash fees per direction. ~$5.60 each direction (RT required). No fuel surcharges on AA metal.
AA long-haul
Strong for complex long-haul J with stopovers. Online booking is partial - some routings need a phone call.
Low fuel surcharges
How to book this →
Where to search
Search on the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles award engine for American AAdvantage-operated flights.
Routing rules
Multi-carrier oneworld itineraries are supported, including stopovers.
Inventory requirement
Needs saver-class spaceon the operating airline. If it's closed, the redemption isn't bookable at this rate.
Cash co-pay
Expect roughly $10–80 in cash fees per direction. Low fuel surcharges + gov't taxes. Higher on premium long-haul.
