Our winter break trip plan has taken a delightful detour – flying through Honolulu to Seoul, and the adventure continues! Next stop? Hong Kong! Thanks to my trusty Alaska Airlines award miles, I’ve locked in some sweet Cathay Pacific flights. Now, if you think nabbing an award seat for a nonstop flight in Asia during winter break is a breeze….it’s not. It’s peak travel time, with New Year’s festivities making places like Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo jam-packed. But where there’s a will (and a good stash of miles), there’s a way!
In this post, I’m sharing two key strategies I have used to secure award tickets for our family’s trip from Seoul to Hong Kong, along with a breakdown of the key factors that influenced the decisions.
It’s all about the art of creative flight hacking – While direct flights are always the dream, sometimes you’ve got to get crafty. Remember when I scored those sweet Hawaiian Airlines seats from Honolulu to Seoul using AAdvantage miles? Who knew Hawaiian had such a solid Asia-Pacific network? Detours can be the start of a whole new adventure!
1. Thinking Holistically: Three Airline Options On The Table
Let’s talk airlines for the Seoul – Hong Kong route. Google flights is my go-to for seeing a big picture. Here shows I had three prime contenders: Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, and Cathay Pacific.
The beauty of airline alliances is that I could use different frequent flyer programs to make the most of my award miles. For example,
- Asiana Airlines: I could’ve used Air Canada Aeroplan miles because they are one of the Star Alliance members.
- Korean Air: My redemption choices included Delta Air Lines, Air France / KLM Flying Blue, or even Virgin Atlantic thanks to their membership with SkyTeam. Alaska Airlines award miles work here too.
- Cathay Pacific: As one of the Oneworld members, meaning I could tap into Cathay, Avios family, or my trusty Alaska Airlines award miles.
Let’s take a closer look at these three airlines and the award redemption options worth considering:
- Asiana Airlines: It remains part of Star Alliance, and Air Canada Aeroplan is a popular and easy to use option for quickly checking availability and required miles. It starts from 12,500 points on one-way economy class to 30,000 points on business class. Keep in mind, though, that change and cancellation fees can be high for the lowest-tier rewards, typically between 100 CAD and 150 CAD.
- Korean Air: Redeeming Korean Air flights through Virgin Atlantic is a common option and can be done online. Typically, Korean Air releases just 1 – 2 business class award seats, while 4+ economy class award seats are more frequent. The change and cancellation fee is $50 per ticket, with a 24-hour cutoff before departure. If you cancel within 24 hours, your miles will be forfeited.
- Cathay Pacific: The award ticket starts from 10,000 miles per economy class ticket to 28,000 miles per business class ticket for Seoul to Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific’s loyalty program provides more award seats and flights availability for its members than their partners like Qatar Airways, with 4 – 6 award seats often available in both economy class and business class in the regional routes. The change fee is $50, and the cancellation fee is $120.
- Cathay Pacific via Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: This is definitely a gem for short – mid distance. The redemption is the lowest among all partners and loyalty programs along with very flexible change and cancellation policy. Please note that Korean Air is also a strategic partner of Alaska Airlines so I can redeem Korean Air flights to Hong Kong as well.
2. Evaluating Deciding Factors: Why Alaska Airlines Award Miles Won
Here’s why I went with Alaska Mileage Plan:
Miles Required:
Just 7,500 miles for one-way economy class or 15,000 for one-way business class.
Availability:
Four business class seats? Yes, please!
Fees:
Just a $12.50 partner booking fee per ticket if we cancel. No extra change fees.
Flexibility:
Cancel up to an hour before departure, and get your miles back instantly.
Ease of Alaska Mileage Stash:
Thanks to points sales and Alaska Airlines co-branded credit card sign-up bonuses, I’ve got a healthy balance. And with the upcoming Hawaiian Airlines-Alaska Airlines merger, converting Hawaiian Airlines award miles to Alaska Airlines award miles might soon be a thing. Pro tip: Hawaiian Airlines is an American Express (Amex) transfer partner, so I could transfer points to Hawaiian Airlines, then to Alaska Airlines – a trick you can’t pull off directly with Alaska Airlines!
Other Factors To Sweeten The Deal
Points sale comparison:
British Airways is currently offering a 30% Avios transfer bonus through September 30, 2024. However, the redemptions aren’t appealing enough for me to consider transferring to either Qatar Airways or British Airways, especially compared to what I redeemed for our last minute flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok via Qatar Airways Avios for Cathay Pacific business class, particularly given their $55 change and cancellation fee.
OneWorld Emerald Perks:
Thanks to my American Airlines Platinum Pro status, I get Oneworld Emerald status. Think lounge access, priority check-in, and the VIP treatment for me and my partner. American Airlines, you rock at keeping my status alive without much flying!
Business Class or Economy Class:
We went for business class at 15,000 Alaska Airlines award miles per person – roughly $296 one-way on Cathay Pacific or Korean Air. That’s a savings of over $2,000! Even economy class is a steal at just 7,500 miles (about $148 per person, $592 for all four of us).
With Google Flights showing cash fares between $752 and $990, we saved 27% to 67%. What’s more, the business class perks like lounge access and extra baggage allowance are total game-changers – especially since we tend to shop like it’s our job in Asia (thanks, favorable exchange rates).
How to earn Alaska Mileage
- Credit Card – Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card
- Points Sale Promotion –
Now through September 24, there is a 50% bonus miles promotion. It is a great way to earn more points for award flights. Check this out.
Final Thoughts
Once we made the decision, we quickly issued the tickets, using the right points and card to complete the booking. But hold on, our adventure isn’t over! We’ve also got a weekend getaway to Shanghai in the works. Using the same strategy, I scored Cathay Pacific economy seats at just 7,500 miles per person on Alaska. No need for business class on a short two-hour hop, but with my OneWorld Emerald status, we’ll still be chilling in Cathay’s First Class lounge. You know I’ll share that experience later!
Now, on to the next challenge: figuring out how to get us back home. That’s always the trickiest part of award travel planning – so stay tuned!
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Hi, I’m Maria, founder of Maria Points The Way. I help families simplify award travel and turn points into extraordinary, luxury journeys to Asia Pacific. Check out my latest free guide: 5 Insider Tools to Effortlessly Start Your Family Award Travel. I’ve made it actionable and easy to follow—with one bonus tool and an exclusive checklist to guide you step by step, all in a simple, bite-sized format.
