How Anyone Can Save 89% on Cathay Pacific’s First Class Suite

October 2014
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The Suite: Six semi-enclosed suites on B777-300ERs. There are no sliding privacy doors, but the space and the construction give the feel of a studio apartment (kind of) and are a favorite First Class of many. Two rows of three semi-suites, each with an 81-inch-long lie-flat, and a 17-inch-wide TV screen.

Experience the suite in detail.

Canadian and U.S. Routes with the First Class Suite

To Hong Kong from Boston (launches May 1, 2015), Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Vancouver.

Easy Connections From: All over the U.S.

Flying Beyond Hong Kong: Destinations all over Africa, Asia, and the Middle East can be added for more miles; cost depends on the region. Explore Cathay Pacific’s destinations.

Best Values

(Round-Trip)

Baseline Published Fare: Up to $27,838 round-trip to Hong Kong from JFK, making this a prime route for using miles— and related opportunities.

[aside headline="How to Get 89% Off:" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]That’s what you can save through Alaska Airlines by taking advantage of the carrier’s current 40% mileage purchase bonus (ends Oct. 14). This brings the cost of New York-Hong Kong in First Class down to $3,015, for example, which is simply the cost to buy 140,000 miles—while the normal fare is $27,838.[/aside]

Baseline Award Ticket: Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program charges 180,000 miles to Hong Kong from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver; 220,000 miles from Boston, Chicago, and New York.

When to Go

According to FCF analysis the best months for free mileage awards—and related strategies that anyone can employ— to Hong Kong and the rest of Asia are May through August from Chicago; March, and May to August from LAX; and July and August from New York and SFO, see below.

Getting Cathay Pacific Miles

Transfer Amex Reward Points or Citi ThankYou Reward Points: 180,000 (Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver) or 220,000 (Boston, Chicago, and New York).

Transfer Starwood Points: 145,000 (Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver) or 180,000 (Boston, Chicago, and New York).

Amex Rewards Points Purchase: Buy Miles to Fly in Style at 2.5¢ per point from Amex—which nets a First Class ticket for $4,500 to $5,500 round-trip— that otherwise costs as much as $27,838.

Partner Award Opportunities

Book the Suite through American’s AAdvantage Award using…

That brings the award cost down to 135,000 miles from any U.S. city, a 39% savings. The 20% Starwood transfer bonus means the total cost is only 110,000 Starwood Starpoints.

Mileage partner award inventory through Alaska and AA is often similar to Cathay Pacific’s own award space.

Survey of First Class Suite Award Availability on Cathay Pacific

[table_opt style="double-blue-header" id="2256 " width="" alignment="center" responsive="all" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter"]

[["Route","Departure Availability","#colspan#","#colspan#","Return Availability","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","Handful","Hopeful","Hooray","Handful","Hopeful","Hooray"],["Chicago - Hong Kong","Jan., Feb., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>June<\/strong><\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Aug.<\/strong><\/span>","March to Aug., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>July<\/strong><\/span>","Jan., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>June<\/strong><\/span>","March, April, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Aug.<\/strong><\/span>","May to Aug., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>July<\/strong><\/span>"],["Los Angeles - Hong Kong","Jan., April, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>July<\/strong><\/span>","Feb.","March, May to Aug","Jan., April","Feb., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Aug.<\/strong><\/span>","March, May to Aug."],["New York - Hong Kong","Nov. to Feb., May","March, April","June to Aug.","Jan., Feb., April","March, May, June","July, Aug"],["New York - Vancouver","April, June, July","Oct., Feb.","Nov. to Jan., Aug.","Oct., Feb., Aug.","Nov. to Jan., July",""],["San Francisco - Hong Kong","March to May","Feb.","June to Aug.","April to June","","Feb., March, July, Aug."],["Vancouver - Hong Kong","","July, Aug.","June","Aug.","",""]]
<small><span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Handful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hopeful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hooray:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated. <em>Months in black: at least <u>one</u> seat available. <span style="color: #6699cc;">In <strong>blue </strong>, at least <u>two</u> seats available.</span></em></small>