Silver
Entry elite tier; verify thresholds on airchina.com
- 25% bonus miles on Air China
- Business-class check-in
- International lounge access on Air China international flights
- Plus 20 kg checked baggage
airline
Air China PhoenixMiles
Star AllianceHUBSPEK · PKX · CTULast reviewed Jun 2026
Air China PhoenixMiles is the loyalty program of Air China, the PEK-based flag carrier and Star Alliance member since 2007, with hubs at Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, and Chengdu Tianfu. The fleet runs north of 480 aircraft - A350, A330, B777, B787, B737 - with the COMAC C919 entering domestic service. The program's currency is kilometers, not miles, which produces a roughly 30% inherent value loss versus mile-denominated programs at equivalent distances. PhoenixMiles is also poolable across 8 family carriers (Shenzhen, Shandong, Air Macau, Beijing, Dalian, Inner Mongolia, Kunming, plus Air China itself), which is unusual and useful.
For US travelers, the only major US currency path is Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 with 5,000-km bonus per 60K transferred). Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, and Wells Fargo do not transfer to PhoenixMiles. The reasons to bother are specific: routing rules are unusually generous (2 stopovers allowed on round-trip Star Alliance partner awards across two zones, open-jaw permitted), domestic China is cheap (RT economy from 15,000 km), and US-China business runs around 200,000 km round-trip on Air China metal. Heavy fuel surcharges surcharges on most awards and a phone-required partner booking process are the costs.
Award chart
The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.
The cheat sheet.
See the rates →
Award chart
The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.
The cheat sheet.
PhoenixMiles uses a domestic distance-based chart for Air China metal, an international region-based chart for Air China metal, and separate region-based charts per Star Alliance partner. Sample one-way saver pricing as of May 2026 (kilometers, not miles):
| Route | Cabin | Kilometers |
|---|---|---|
| US-China Air China | Economy | 50,000 |
| US-China Air China | Business | 100,000 |
| Domestic China Air China | Economy | 7,500-12,500 |
| Intra-Asia Star partners | Business | 30,000-40,000 |
| US-Europe Star partners | Business | 80,000-100,000 |
Verify current pricing on airchina.com - fuel surcharges surcharges apply on most routes.
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
Show me the picks →
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
- US-China economy 100,000 km round-trip on Air China when off-peak space opens.
- US-China business 200,000 km round-trip on Air China metal.
- Domestic China round-trip economy from 15,000 km - the cheapest entry point for occasional US users.
- 2 stopovers allowed on RT Star Alliance partner awards across two zones, open-jaw permitted - rare in Star Alliance and worth structuring an itinerary around.
- Lifetime Gold tier is achievable for frequent flyers and carries Star Alliance Gold for life.
- Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 with 5K bonus at the 60K tier - the only US bridge worth knowing.
Ways to earn more
How to get more points.
3 programs that transfer in.
See inbound paths →
Ways to earn more
How to get more points.
3 programs that transfer in.
Programs that transfer points or miles into Air China PhoenixMiles.
| From | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ALL - Accor Live Limitless | 5:4 | 4,000 Reward points = 3,200 PhoenixMiles. |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3:1 | Base 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points transferred (effectively ~2.4:1 in 60K increments). |
| Shangri-La Circle | 1:1 | To Air China PhoenixMiles, 1:1. No transfer tax; min 1,000 points, then 500 increments. |
Tier benefits
The status ladder. 3 rungs, each unlocking better lounges, bags, and bragging rights.
3 status levels.
Climb the ladder →
Tier benefits
The status ladder. 3 rungs, each unlocking better lounges, bags, and bragging rights.
3 status levels.
Gold
Mid-tier elite; verify thresholds on airchina.com
- Star Alliance Gold
- 30% bonus miles
- Priority reservation 48 hours before departure
- Business lounge access plus 1 guest
- Priority boarding worldwide
Platinum
Top annual tier; verify thresholds on airchina.com
- 50% bonus miles
- Reservation guarantee 48 hours before departure
- First-class lounge access plus 1 guest
- Top priority for waitlists and operational upgrades
Lounge access
Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.
Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.
See the rules →
Lounge access
Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.
Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.
Air China operates own lounges at PEK, PKX, CTU, and select outstations. Star Alliance Gold and Platinum members get Star Alliance Gold reciprocal lounge access worldwide on same-day Star Alliance flights. Gold gets the business lounge plus one guest; Platinum gets first-class lounge plus one guest at Air China hubs. Silver gets international lounge access on same-day Air China international flights.
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
Get the playbook →
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
- US-China business on Air China metal at around 200,000 km round-trip.
- US-China economy at 100,000 km round-trip when off-peak space opens.
- Domestic China RT economy from 15,000 km - cheap one-off domestic awards via Marriott bridge.
- Star Alliance partner business class under the region-based partner chart with generous routing rules.
- PhoenixMiles family pooling across 8 carriers - useful when mixed earning across the family.
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
Spill the gotchas →
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
- Currency is kilometers, not miles - inherent ~30% value loss versus mile-denominated programs at equivalent distances.
- Kilometers expire 36 months from end-of-month earned - no activity-based reset.
- Marriott Bonvoy is the only major US currency path - Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, and Wells Fargo do not transfer.
- PhoenixMiles is poolable across 8 family carriers (Shenzhen, Shandong, Air Macau, Beijing, Dalian, Inner Mongolia, Kunming, Air China).
- Routing rules are generous: 2 stopovers allowed on RT Star Alliance partner awards across two zones; open-jaw permitted.
- fuel surcharges surcharges pass through on Air China and most partners.
- April 5, 2026: Chinese carriers raised domestic fuel surcharges (60-120 yuan increase).
- Partner award booking often requires a phone agent.
- No US co-brand card - Chinese co-brand cards available domestically.
- Award chart structure: domestic Air China distance-based; international Air China region-based; each Star Alliance partner has a separate region-based chart.
- Lifetime Gold tier exists for frequent flyers.
- ITA Airways partnership announced March 2026 - verify launch date and earning details on airchina.com.
- Note: Air China is the PRC carrier; do not confuse with China Airlines (Taiwan) or China Eastern.
Alerts
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Last reviewed: June 2026
Loyalty programs change rules, fees, transfer ratios, and award pricing all the time — sometimes without warning. We do our best to keep these pages current, but the program's own site is always the final word. Always confirm specifics directly with Air China PhoenixMiles before transferring miles or booking an award. Treat anything on this page as a starting point, not a guarantee. Crazy4Points is not responsible for actions taken based on information here — see our Terms of Service for full details.