Asia Miles Updates Miles Expiration Policy Asia Miles Updates Miles Expiration Policy

Asia Miles Updates Miles Expiration Policy

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Asia Miles will now expire after 18 months without qualifying account activity. The recent change will be an improvement over the old program, where the miles expired after 36 months, regardless of activity.

Starting January 1, 2020, Asia Miles will no longer expire as long as there has been qualifying activity. On December 10, 2019, they updated the website, stating:

We’ve listened to your needs when it comes to making the most of living a Life Rewarded. That’s why, starting from 1 January 2020, we’ll be making our Miles as timeless as the experiences and memories you create with us. They’ll no longer expire as long as you earn or use your Miles regularly. Get ready to discover all the rewarding possibilities with our new arrangement.

Asia Miles Expiration Policy Change

What's new with Asia Miles?
What's new with Asia Miles?

Asia Miles' new expiration policy puts it on even footing with the majority of loyalty programs. At one extreme, we’ve seen several programs align themselves with Delta’s policy. That policy states that miles never expire—regardless of account activity. At the other end of the spectrum, some programs still expire miles a certain number of months after they were earned—even if you have account activity.

Asia Miles was a part of the latter group until recently, with miles expiring after three years regardless of activity. That meant that whether or not you traveled on Cathay Pacific (or another airline partner,) stayed at a partner hotel, earned miles through a credit card, or even transferred points in, you would lose your miles 36 months later.

Asia Miles - before & after
Asia Miles – before & after

After January 1, 2020, Asia Miles won't expire as long as you have some qualifying activity at least once every 18 months. Qualifying activity includes transferring points into your account, buying or spending miles, and booking travel with a qualifying partner. It's important to note that any miles transferred in or earned previous to 1/1/2020 will still expire as per the previous Terms & Conditions.

Reset Expiration with Points Earned from Credit Cards

Asia Miles offers a co-branded Cathay Pacific Visa Signature® card by Synchrony in the U.S. The card earns 2X when purchasing eligible airfare on Cathay. Dining purchases (in the U.S. or abroad) earn 1.5X. All other eligible purchases earn at a rate of 1 point per dollar.

Several of the well-established transferable points currencies can be transferred to Asia Miles. These include American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. Using AwardWallet's handy tracking tool, you can determine approximately how long you'll have to wait for your points to transfer.

American Express Membership Rewards (Immediate transfer – 1:1 Ratio)

I've said it before, but here it is again: these are my favorite because there are so many different ways to earn them. There are 18 Membership Rewards airline partners to redeem with, too. Amex is a great way to reset your Asia Miles balance because transfers post instantly, unlike Citi ThankYou and Marriott.

Furthermore, Premium cards such as the The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express provide access to over 1,400 lounges through Priority Pass. (Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.) Additionally, American Express has 19 current lounges that can help ease the typical airport stress with food and beverage offerings. Nine of those are Premium Amex Centurion Lounges, with six more coming soon.

The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Apply Now
Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual Fee$695
Welcome Offer Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
  • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
  • $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
  • $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
  • $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
  • $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
  • Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
  • $695 annual fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • Rates & Fees
  • Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
  • Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

Capital One (4-5 days transfer – 2:1.5 Ratio)

Capital One is newer to the partner transfer game, as it has typically been known for its cashback cards. Like Amex, Capital One Rewards transfer to Asia Miles, but the transfer times appear to be lengthy. Four to five days seems excessive, but representatives can place an award on hold for you.

The transfer ratio results in fewer points than Amex or Citi. On the other hand, heavy spenders will earn rewards faster since many of the Capital One miles-earning cards earn 2x miles on purchases. If your goal is simply to reset your mileage expiration, Capital One is a great first choice.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Offer Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Following the revamp of Capital One's rewards program and the addition of airline transfer partners, the Capital One Venture has catapulted into our list of top travel rewards cards. The ability to earn 2X miles on every purchase provides a decent return on spending. Plus the card offers some great perks.
  • Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening; worth $750 in travel if redeemed for a fixed-value, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
  • 2 Miles on every purchase
  • Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $100)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $95 annual fee
  • 5X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases

Citi ThankYou (12-48 hours transfer – 1:1 Ratio)

While not as lengthy as Capital One, Citi is another option to reset your Asia Miles balance. Transfers times range from 12-48 hours to post. You can find more detail on the other Citi Transfer partners in our dedicated post. On the earning side, there are several good options for accumulating points. However, not all cards have access to Asia Miles as a transfer partner. So, be sure to review the post linked above.

Citi Premier® Card
Citi Premier® Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
The Citi Premier card offers some of the top earning rates of any rewards card with an annual fee under $100. This card is best-in-class for rewards on air travel and hotel spending, and it tops our list of the best cards for gas & fuel purchases with a generous 3X ThankYou® Points.
  • 60,000 point signup bonus worth $800 towards airfare through the ThankYou Travel Center, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
  • 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
  • Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through ThankYou.com
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $95 annual fee
  • 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, hotels, and at gas stations
  • 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
  • 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
  • 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases

Marriott Bonvoy (24-48 hours transfer 3:1.25)

As is the case with all of the partners except Amex, Marriott Bonvoy points won't transfer immediately. Marriott has by far the largest list of transfer partners. Plus, for many programs, it is the only option to transfer points. In addition to being slower than Amex and Capital One, Marriott transfers get a bonus when you transfer in increments of 60,000 points. So, this isn't the first choice if you need to reset your Etihad balance. Here's our roundup of the credit cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Bonus Earn three bonus Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points for each bonus Free Night Award, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
  • Earn 3 Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and dining
  • Earn 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Earning Asia Miles with Partners

Although Cathay's own flights can be a great way to spend your miles, they have 20+ partner airlines that cross alliances. To keep your miles active, just enter your Asia Miles member number into one of the above partners. Then, you'll see how you can earn more miles according to their terms/charts.

Asia Miles partner options
Asia Miles partner options

Hotels, restaurants, and online shopping merchants can help you keep your miles active too. Some recognizable hotel names familiar to U.S. residents include:

  • IHG
  • Marriott
  • Radisson
  • Hilton
  • Best Western

While shopping merchants may be accessible, many of the restaurant partners will be focused more so on residents of Hong Kong.

Bottom Line

None of us like losing rewards we've worked hard to earn, and this change allows members (loyal or not) to maintain their miles with activity. The new 18-month window is technically 18 months less than the old expiration policy. Still, this is a positive change for anyone willing to spend a few minutes to reset their expiration date with one of the strategies described above.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)

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