Cathay Pacific offers one of the best First Class cabins going. The only problem: It’s very hard to find specials (full-fare is usually $12,500-$23,000) since there are often only 12 seats on a flight. The airline almost never discounts First Class (It doesn’t need to). And Cathay’s partnership with Amex’s 2-for-1 program only offers Business Class.

One deal is still pretty good, relatively speaking, if your heart is dead-set on upgrading from Business Class to First. Even with the increase in mileage costs its loyalty program is instituting on Oct. 15, it’s still worth looking into.

From the West Coast to Hong Kong, it takes 70,000 Asia Miles (Cathay’s loyalty program) to upgrade from Business Class to First; connections beyond Hong Kong are 10,000+ miles.

What to look for: Choose routes with “heavily discounted” Business Class fares because Cathay is one of the few airlines that allows mileage upgrades with any fare. (Most airlines only allow upgrades on higher fares.) On routes like Los Angeles-Taipei, for example, the airline offers a relatively low Business Class fare, starting at only $4,446. (First is regularly $18,898.) The upgrade isn’t nearly as attractive on routes not offering discounted Business Class fares, like Los Angeles-Hong Kong, where the lowest Business Class fare is $8,200+.

Everyone asks, “What is the best way to use my miles?” This is certainly one way because you’re getting a seat that is otherwise impossible to score a deal on. It also turns out to be a great value when combined with an upgradeable fare in the $4,000 range.

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How to Work It

If you don’t have any (or enough) Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, you’re not out of the game. You can transfer miles from your Starwood account, or buy up to 100,000 points, which when transferred, net 125,000 miles. With Cathay Pacific, you can buy up to 30,000 miles annually outright, but also buy up to 30% of the total miles needed for an award.

In other words, almost anyone can play this game. Even if you’re starting from scratch, you can easily get enough miles to upgrade. If you use one of the sample upgradeable fares, the net savings can be 60% or more.

Another Idea: If earning elite status and miles is not important to you, consider buying the 140,000 miles required for a “free” First Class award ticket (cost about $4,550). Again, not a bad deal relative to the $18,000 fare that you might otherwise be quoted.

Caveat: Mileage seats aren’t always easy to get, and with Cathay finding one seat can be significantly easier than finding two seats.