Going with Points

How to get to Asia on points and miles

In Going's 2025 state of travel, you told us that Asia was the second-most popular part of the world where you want to use points and miles to fly to. (Europe was first, but not by too much.)

The good news is that if you're eager to visit countries in Asia, there are plenty of ways to get there on points and miles.

How to search for award flights to Asia

Before discussing which airline transfer partners are best for flying to and from Asia, let's talk about how to structure your flight search.

Here are some tips you can use when planning your trip.

Tip 1: West Coast airports are not your only option

Sure, some West Coast airports like LAX, SEA, and SFO offer direct flights to places such as Tokyo (HND, NRT), Seoul (ICN), Hong Kong (HKG), or Taipei (TPE).

But a West Coast airport isn't the only way to snag a points deal to Asia. You may find good deals from major airport hubs across the US. And possibly even direct flights, too.

I'm not joking: There's a direct flight from Newark (EWR) to Singapore (SIN). (Just thinking of a 19-hour flight makes me antsy!)

Tip 2: Airline alliances and partnerships matter

When searching for flights, pay attention to airline partnerships and alliances because those partnerships will play a big part in your departure airport and itinerary.

For example, let's say you want to convert your credit card points to Turkish Miles&Smiles to fly Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance. So is United Airlines. That means your Turkish flight will involve flying from a United hub, such as IAD, EWR, ORD, SFO, or DFW.

This is why our transfer partner guide is organized by airline alliances.

Tip 3: Consider a repositioning flight-in the US or Asia

We talk a lot about the Greek Islands trick here at Going, which is all about finding the cheapest flight to cross the ocean. Once there, you can book a second connecting flight to your ultimate destination.

When it comes to points and miles travel to Asia, you can do this in one of two ways:

In the US: Book a cheap domestic flight to position yourself for a business class flight to Asia.

Example: I book a cash flight from Syracuse (SYR) to Chicago (ORD), then from ORD fly an award flight to Tokyo (HND).

In Asia: For a relatively small number of points, many airlines allow you to connect from their main international city hub to another regional location.

Example: I want to go to Malaysia, but I also want my international flight to be in a premium cabin. I book an award flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong (HKG), then take a short connecting flight from HKG to Kuala Lumpur (KUL).

Tip 4: Plan for how many miles you'll need

Because routing may vary, I'm not going to quote you specific mile estimates for each airline. Instead, here are the 2025 thresholds we use at Going when looking for points deals to Asia.

Economy: 100k miles roundtrip or less
Business: 200k miles roundtrip or less

Airline transfer partners to get to Asia on points and miles

Here are some ideas for airline transfer partners that offer good value for flights to Asia.

Cathay Pacific Miles

Cathay Pacific is renowned for its first- and business-class seats to Hong Kong and beyond. Hong Kong is a hub for Cathay Pacific, which means that if you want to get to smaller Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia or Cambodia, Cathay Pacific is a good option to consider. Just beware of its high fees on award tickets.

Good for going to: Hong Kong (HKG), Southeast Asia
Alliance: oneworld (US member airlines: American, Alaska)
Transfer partners: MR points, CO miles, BR points, TY points

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

One of my friends at Going transferred some of her credit card points to Qatar Airways Privilege Club, to book a premium cabin Qsuites seat. She's flying from Vietnam to Dallas (DFW) via a connection through Qatar Airways' hub in Doha, Qatar.

Qatar Airways has a partnership with British Airways, so even if you credit card points don't transfer directly to Qatar, you could first transfer your points to British Airways Avios, then transfer from British Airways Avios to Qatar.

Good for going to: Connect through Doha to get to Southeast Asia, China, India and more
Alliance: oneworld
Transfer partners:

MR points, TY points

CO miles, BR points, UR points → British Airways Avios → Qatar Avios

To transfer Avios between programs, follow these steps.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore KrisFlyer isn't the cheapest award program, but it does have a decent amount of premium cabin award space.

Their monthly promo-called Spontaneous Escapes-offers affordable award tickets to hop from one Asian country to another. For example, you can get a business class seat from Singapore to Bangkok for 16.8K one-way.

Good for going to: Singapore, Tokyo
Alliance: Star Alliance (US member airline: United)
Transfer partners: MR points, CO miles, UR points, TY points

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

A friend here at Going just flew to Thailand this way recently! Flying on Turkish likely means a connection in Istanbul (IST), but it opens you up to flying nearly anywhere in Asia.

Good for going to: Connect through Istanbul to get to Seoul (ICN), Beijing (PEK), Bangkok (BKK), and more
Alliance: Star Alliance (US member airline: United)
Transfer partners: BR points, CO miles, TY points

These are just some of the ways to get to Asia on points and miles. If you're curious for more ways, read on at our website.

How to get the points you need

There's no secret around it: Flying to Asia-especially if you want to fly in a premium cabin or fly with a partner or a family-will cost you a bunch of points and miles.

The good news is that there are several credit card available offers now that can get you closer:

For UR points: 100k-point offer (Offer ending soon!)

Transfer partners include: Singapore, British Airways (to Qatar)

For MR points: 80k-point offer

Transfer partners include: Cathay Pacific, Qatar

For CO miles: 75k-point offer (Limited time offer!)

Transfer partners include: Cathay, Qatar, Turkish

For TY points: 60k-point offer

Transfer partners include: Cathay, Qatar, Turkish

50% off ends tomorrow

Get international fares, flight alerts for specific trips, points and miles deals, and more with Premium for just $24.

Use code FREQUENTFLY50

With expert:

Kurt Adams

Kurt is a writer with too many credit cards in his wallet. Before becoming a credit card points pro, he wrote personal finance and small business content. A graduate of Princeton, he lives in New York City.

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